My builder uses Houzz Pro to plan the timeline and give detailed estimates and daily updates with photos of progress, and provide invoices at pre-agreed key points in the build. This made the whole experience much more efficient and stress-free.
I saw a post on the Orchid forum and a guy mentioned using ground cinnamon on cut roots as it is a natural fungicide. This is great if it proves effective as its widely available!
Yes, I've read that it's used for control of high cholestrol.
I'd forgotten about using it as a fungicide. I have a bunch of pencil cactus I'm potting this saturday, i'm going to use cinnamon on some and potting hormone on some - see what happens.
My Mom used to make snickerdoodles. It's probably been 30 years since I had one. Must ask her to make some this century!! Thanks for mentioning these, IME!
Silent, are you saying you don't cook at all?
Y'all know cinnamon is known to attract gnomes, right? You could develop a serious infestation if you're not careful with this stuff!
Purple, my recipe calls for ALL buttah! What about your mom 's? Larry, snickerdoodles are a favorite holiday cookie but so easy that they should be made any old time.
I printed the recipe & then noticed it wants both butter & shortening.
I don't mean to sound dumb, but what's shortening if not butter or margerine (am guessing it's Crisco or something like that?) Hopefully they don't mean lard, not in a cookie anyway.
I've never had or even heard of these, I thought the name was for a candy bar. Is this a Southern thing?
I always wondered what shortening was! And I saw a retro movie recently (The Help, go see it!) where the black maids used Crisco, was said to be delicious! We dont get stuff like that here! And what is grits?
My kids loved to help me make Snickerdoodles. It's a simple, vanilla cookie dough and you make a round ball the "size of a walnut". Dip the ball in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, put on the cookie sheet and bake. I always thought it was a Midwest thing, but must be a 50s thing. Grits is cooked cornmeal. I'm not at all familiar with grits, it's a regional thing. I would say it's similar to polenta, but it would start another North/South war, so I won't say that. :-)
Yes...'shortening ' is Crisco. Hardly ever used anymore and surely not needed in this recipe. I wouldn't call these a 'vanilla ' cookie. I've never seen a snickerdoodle recipe that called for vanilla. I think that these cookies originated in Germany.
Larry, where did grits come into the conversation, lol! Grits are coarsely ground corn....not a meal. The texture is not unlike that of polenta, sort of. When cooked, grits are creamy and buttery and delectable. The origins are Native American and they are now almost exclusively a Southern food. Most people not from the South turn their noses up at the delicate flavor of grits.
Grits are a favorite breakfast or brunch dish. My specialty is 'shrimp gravy and grits '. I can coax my Yankee relatives into eating grits with that stuff.
Gotta love the Grits!! Especially with runny eggs in the morning! YUM!!
Crisco is also known as shortening. Back a few years ago.. we had to use lard for cooking. People used to keep glass jars next to the stove to collect the grease from cooking and would collect the fat and place it to use for grease in the pan for your dinner.
Southern girl here!! ;-)
Snickers also can be used for snickerdoodle cheesecake..
Now that is delicious!!
alright.. back to cinammon!! LOL..
Rhizo.. That sounds delicious!! "shrimp gravy and grits" Mmmmmmmmm!!!
I didn't look at the recipe, I just know Mom probably followed Betty's lead. Pretty sure I've eaten just about everything from the cooking bible (of that time.)
Lard is a great "generational divide" item. I've never bought this stuff, but I'd bet there's some at my Mom's house still (as in she keeps buying it, not that the same jar has been sitting around for 30 years - HA!) That grease jar/can mentioned above is a generational divide between my Mom and Gramma. There was always a can of grease on my Gramma's stove.
This is one of the reasons I don't bake certain things. If I can't devise a way to cheat the fat, I'll pass. For cake or brownies, you can use applesauce instead of oil, so I make those. No difference in taste. When I make a previously mayo-based salad like potato or pasta salad, I use a mix I make instead of mayo, with olive oil, roasted garlic, and emulsified spinach. (And work off more calories with all of that work!) Besides plants, that's my thing, making food taste good while eliminating unnecessary calories and adding more nutritive content. Sure we have mac & cheese, I just don't put butter in it and add broccoli or cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.
Grits - ewwww! Cinnamon isn't going to help this stuff. "What is a grit?" (My Cousin Vinny!!! LOL!)
Polenta is cooked corn meal usually coarsly ground. It is cooked with enough water to make the correct texture. Leftovers kind of congeal into a lump, which can be sliced and fried and used various ways. Polenta is an Italian word, so this is Italian grits. I wouldn't like cinnamon with it, but I really like butter on both grits and polenta.
Come on greenlarry - I'm sure Polenta has got to Darlington. Check out any supermarket somewhere near the pasta. You'll find it there. Imagine school semolina made very thick and set into a block. Then served in various savoury ways. Nothing like porridge. Not a big fan of it myself. Even in Italy I wasn't that impressed.
I love cinnamon and nutmeg - in fact any spice. But not on coffee. In my book that should taste only of coffee. No sugar, no milk, no chocolate, no spice. I don't much like hot chocolate either, unless I'm freezing cold and very hungry. It's just too sweet. Marshmallows on top would just about finish me off. For watching rugby in the winter a flask of mulled wine with cinnamon and cloves suits me far better.
Grits are eaten quite a bit in the south. When we were in TN, GA, and AL, we stopped at Cracker Barrels..Each had grits. CB's in central IL, do not serve grits..not on their menu..or wasn't..it's been a while since we've been to a CB.
I didn't know there were different types of grits. The type I was served were white, looked similar to rice pudding, but tasted like.............lol
I guess I wasn't clear, and I should be to explain to someone new to either. The texture and therefore whether you have grits or whether you have polenta is determined by how much water you put in-see where I mentioned texture in my post-and whether you do the congealed brick thing. I like both. With butter and salt and maybe pepper. But then I've only made the instant kind of grits, so maybe I don't know the real thing. Grits beats polenta hands down I think.
Don't you like gingerbread cookies? Cinnamon & nutmeg are some of the spices in them...
And very common practice is to have pot of mix of (some or all) cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, anise, apple - orange - lemon peel, bay leaf, simmering to have house smelling nice. Beats the air-freshener sprays anytime (nasty-IMHO)!
Don't you like gingerbread cookies? Cinnamon & nutmeg are some of the spices in them...
And very common practice is to have pot of mix of (some or all) cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, anise, apple - orange - lemon peel, bay leaf, simmering to have house smelling nice. Beats the air-freshener sprays anytime (nasty-IMHO)!
I associate old-fashion Christmas with smell of cinnamon/gingerbread cookies, and clementines. (When I was a little kid, we were able to get clementines usually only at Christmas-was a special treat, now you can get them all year long.)
The aroma yes, Im a romantic, love the smell of christmas! Christmas, tho I dont necessarily agree with it, I love because it holds good memories for me. I didnt have a great childhood, don't remember most of it, brought up my mom, but I loved christmas as a kid, even if one year all I got was a box of tissues in the shape of a tank and an orange! Back then we appreciated whatever we got- not so the kids these days. Christmas was special, all about family, eating till you burst and watching stuff on the telly. Ah I ramble...
Lots of great memories coming back to me with all of the great thoughts of spices...
Rina. I also make my own pot of spices starting around Thanksgiving. I cut up oranges, lemons and add cin sticks, cloves and all of the spices you have mentioned. My daughter always ask if i have it on the stove during the holidays.. All i have to do is keep adding water and simmer. MMmmmmmmm, i can smell it now...
Jeff.. LOL.. I did think of the toast too! But,, i figured that most may not understand how we scoop it all together and eat this wonderful mess of a breakfast. LMAO!!
Toni.. CB has the best biscuts..closest to the buttermilk ones i used to make growing up with fresh buttermilk..
Mmmmmmmmmmmm.. Thanks for the warm wonderful memoriess!!
Larry.. See what you have done? LOL. Good stuff! ;-)
Hoping that everyone in Sandy's path gets ready.. I think we are going to get hit hard.. Ugggg. ALl of my plants are inside, outside furniture tied down. Hang on!!
I just take a small sauce pan and slice an orange, lemon and then add some cinnamon sticks, couple pinches of whole cloves, add some pumpkin spices or what ever you think smells good in your spice rack. I will take the ground cinnmon and other ground spices and just add to the mix. No real recipe.. just throw it together!!!
Cover with water and simmer.
This usually last a week or so, but remember to keep adding water when it cooks down. You could start a fire on the stove if you forget about it.
Just be careful with those precious little ones.
I also like to add during the simmering time if i have anything to throw in there as i am cooking.
The only grits I had when I was growing up here in the South were white, probably instant, and were totally tasteless. We had to put lots of butter on them to give them some flavor. Maybe I should try some real grits, with yellow corn instead of white, and not instant?
White and yellow grits taste pretty much the same....the former might be 'corny-er '. But the slow cooking grits are far better than instant! I'm totally spoiled by the fact that there's a real antique working stonemill operated by a big waterwheel not too far from here. Can't get any fresher than that.
Larry, I can relate to your childhood. Not everyone is blessed with a 'Father Knows Best' family.
But, deep inside, I believe you are like me,,(Romatnic about Christmas,) The scents, lighted trees, decorations. I remember thinking, 'as a child,' after moving out of our house, there won't be a year without a tree or decorations, and if/when I have children, as adults they'll have many fond Christmas memories.
Laura. Ummm, CB..I loved their bacon..crispy, w/o fat. It's been a long time since we've been to CB...love their entire breakfasts..cheesy hash browns..umm. :)
Hey, Tiff, here's a sort-of recipe (I don't use them except for baking desserts.) Between this thread rattling around in my head and some show I can't remember the name of that we watched on Saturday on PBS about apples, this is what I made Sunday, good for you, very low-cal food:
A whole pork tenderloin simmered uncovered in lobster pot for about 3 hours with: apples onion carrots (these 3 sliced in food processor) raisins corn (kernels and juice from 3 ears) a few red potatoes (kind of big, so cut in 2 or 3 pieces) 6 oz can of pineapple/orange juice (I don't measure anything, so about...) 2-3 Tbs balsamic vinegar few shakes of "7 pepper seasoning" few shakes of celery seed 3-5 oz white vinegar sprinkle of CINNAMON sprinkle of dry mustard powder 6-8 oz of white grape juice few taps of cayenne pepper
After about 2 1/2 hours, I used a ladle to get the amount of liquid I needed out of the pot to cook enough rice for 2 people.
Slice meat, serve with scoop of the cooked fruit/veggie mix on a pile of rice, piece of bread. OMG it was so (&^@#$(*&^ good and made the house smell incredible! Had the same thing but with mashed potatoes instead of rice the next night.
I put the potatoes and carrots in first, to make sure they would stay under, and my "measurements" of added liquids were kept to just an amount needed to bring the overall level of everything besides the pork even with the top of the meat. I thought I might have to add some water as it cooked, or put the lid on, but the apples and onions released more than enough moisture to keep this simmering and to make the rice. Also could have used the pot liquid to make a gravy/sauce, thickened with cornstarch (but that would add a lot of unnecessary calories to this plate.) I try not to make meals without "something green" but nothing I had on hand would have meshed well with this flavor complex but if I had had some raw green beans, I would have thrown a few in.
Speaking of Apples and Cinnamon, and for those who like 'healthy' sweets, here's a recipe I make for Thanksgiving.
Fresh Apple Cookies
1/2 cup softened butter 1 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 egg 3 1/2 cups sifted flour 1/2 teas salt 1/2 teas baking soda 1 teas CINNAMON 1/2 teas nutmeg 1/4 teas clove 1/4 cup milk 1 cup chopped apples 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup raisins
Cream butter...add sugar...cream again. Beat in egg. Add sifted, dry ingredients alternately with milk. Stir in apples, raisins and pecans. Drop by rounded teaspoons 1 1/2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375, 8-10 minutes. Remove, chill on rack.
These cookies smell oh, so good, although honestly, my family/siblings prefer sweeter cookies. Snowballs, Cinnamon Cookies and shaped, Butter Cookies, etc.
Flora..when you were in Italy, ever hear of...the spelling in incorrect, so please pronounce the words.
Toni, I would like to try that cookie recipe. Always looking for new additions to the holiday cookie repertoire. That's what I usually give people - packages of different cookies. Does it matter what kind of apples for that? The choices around here are usually red delicious, granny smith, and gala, sometimes some romes.
Laura, they're good, but my family, 'siblings' prefer sweeter-tasting cookies..lol..
Hi Purple. The recipe book doesn't mention type of apples.. I guess any 'baking' apple is good. Since I only make Fresh Apple Cookies once a year, I normally buy large, sweet apples.
My favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas cookie is Snowballs..no cinnamon though. Prepare all ingredients in one bowl..top with powdered sugar. Another favorite treat...Cheesecake bars..oh, they're delicious..
Like you, a week before Christmas, I do a lot of baking, then pass out to family..Their favs are cheesecake bars, snowballs and Old Fashioned Butter Cookies..shaped, of course. :)
Anyway, Purple, in the past, I've used whichever apples were available, but when made for family/friends, the large, sweet, red apples..sorry, don't know the name.
Those apple cookies sound good to me, too. I'd have to switch the raisins for dried cranberries, though. Same for purple's concoction, which sounds darned good!
That was a good dinner, I make a delicious one almost every night by just wandering in there and channeling the munch muse, but this one was definitely a repeater, a write-it-downer. Mmmmm.
Rhizo, I'm all about substitutions. That's why I don't use recipes, except sometimes I write down what I did if I want to remind myself later. I still probably won't do it exactly the same way because it's not good odds that I would have the exact same stuff. An organized person would make a list that had everything needed written on it, remember to bring it to the store, buy the things on it, and cook predetermined meals. I think I've met a few...
Toni, probably red delicious, they're usually the biggest. It probably doesn't matter in a cookie. If I throw some oats in there, I'm good with calling these breakfast.
Are those snowballs with butter, flour, bit of powdered sugar & chopped nuts? I've also heard them called tea cookies and wedding balls. Common names, huh? LOL! I make these a LOT and last time I put some cocoa powder in the powdered sugar to roll them in after baking, about 25% cocoa powder. That was really good! Also put choc chips in them sometimes, and once I half-dipped them in melted choc after baking/cooling but that was more trouble than it's worth. Drizzling would have been a lot easier. Stole the idea from candy buckeyes. Do you ever make those?
This is some unknown person's picture, but exactly what it looks like when we make them. {{gwi:107594}}
I always vow I'm not going to do these again, but I already know I'm going to be cussing at these cookies again this year. I will end up doing it. They are the star of the cookie package, they make it all make sense. And it always seems like you're going to have to throw it away and start over, but I don't think I've ever actually done this, it will work if you keep stirring with your already-numb arm. I know, you're like, "What in the world is she talking about?" Sigh... holly cookies. Made the same as rice krispie bars but you corn flakes instead, and a lot of green food coloring. Put in cookie-size clumps on wax paper to set, and stick on 2-3 "red hots candies" on each one. Looks like holly with red berries.
Found a pic of those too (thanks unknown people):
{{gwi:107595}}
Larry, are you getting more or less than you expected from this thread? Muahahaha!! (A leftover Halloween vampire cackle.)
The Holly cookies are too pretty to eat..lol. A lot of work was involved decorating.
I think you named most of the Snowball ingredients...let's see, butter, chopped Pecans 'sweeter than walnuts,' flour, granuated sugar..I'd have to get the book for all ingredients.. I also make a Cresent Cookie similar to Snowballs, but add lemon rind, shape in moon-cresents.
In 2009, took pics of Christmas cookies, lol. Reason, a friend helped and was proud of her work. First time she ever baked. None are shaped..usually make wreaths, holly, Christmas trees, reindeer, 'very pretty, use half-pecans for deer ears,' etc. And food coloring for Butter Cookies.
{{gwi:107596}} {{gwi:107597}}
Snowballs are bottom left. Peanut Butter cookies w/Hershey's candy. Top w/frosting, Maple Cookies. Umm.
Purple, I too change ingredients..For instance, Snow Balls call for 1/4 cup sugar, I add 1/2 cup... I also alter frosting..
tifflj
greenlarryOriginal Author
Related Professionals
California Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Joplin Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Tulsa Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Jamestown Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Belleville Landscape Contractors · Manhattan Landscape Contractors · Baton Rouge Landscape Contractors · Gary Landscape Contractors · Harrisburg Landscape Contractors · Logan Landscape Contractors · Hot Springs Interior Designers & Decorators · Sedalia Interior Designers & Decorators · Longview Interior Designers & Decorators · Cleveland Interior Designers & Decorators · Lewiston Interior Designers & Decoratorssilentsurfer
meyermike_1micha
The Ficus Wrangler
Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
greenlarryOriginal Author
birdsnblooms
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
User
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
greenlarryOriginal Author
lme5573
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
greenlarryOriginal Author
aseedisapromise
greenlarryOriginal Author
birdsnblooms
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
flora_uk
greenlarryOriginal Author
birdsnblooms
aseedisapromise
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
greenlarryOriginal Author
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
greenlarryOriginal Author
Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
tifflj
Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
eahamel
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
birdsnblooms
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
meyermike_1micha
birdsnblooms
Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
birdsnblooms
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
birdsnblooms