LauraB

Roast pork loin with fennel and rosemary Roasted vegetables with caraway and garlic Kale with caramelized shallots

I use Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes which are packed in juice and also contain citric acid and calcium chloride. I've been very happy with the results I get cooking with them. I just read the CI report (thanks for the link, Monavano) and was pleased to discover that the diced Muir Glens are also the most highly recommended of those CI tested.

I thought about starting a thread titled, 'How Much Weight Have You Gained This Week?' I can't answer that because I'm afraid to get on the scale, after a week of pork chili, beef stew, pasta, bacon, sausages, chocolate, ice cream, way too much wine. What is it about snow that makes us want to cook and gorge ourselves into a stupor? I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually sick of eating! So, yeah, sign me up!

Penzeys sells it. I got mine at the Rockville store, but presumably the Falls Church store would have it as well.

I just bought a Groupon for the first time for a restaurant. I'm curious, are you supposed to show your groupon to the server before your order is taken, or do you wait until the check is presented? I admit to being a little reluctant to identify myself as a groupon customer up front, for fear of receiving inferior food and service. Of course, like sacrilicious, I would tip on the whole amount.

Actually, wii is a great idea! I don't have a wii, but several of my friends do and they all say they've lost weight 'playing sports' (tennis seems to be a favorite) on their wiis.

Seriously? That's news to me and my German daughter-in-law would be horrifed to know that she's a *criminal*. This is not the first time she's brought us food. Well, that wurst is gonna taste even better!

Our New Year's Eve tradition is a rustic Alsatian specialty, Choucroute Garnie. Sauerkraut spiced with juniper and allspice berries, whole cloves, peppercorns, Baked with sliced kielbasa, bauernwurst, browned bratwurst, bacon, onions and apples sauted in the bacon fat, broth from smoked ham hocks, and Alsatian Pinot Blanc Served with boiled red potatoes dipped in chopped parsley Horseradish, various spicy mustards Kielbasa from Kielbasa Factory, Rockville Bauernwurst and bratwurst brought from Germany by our son and daughter-in-law -- these look and smell SO good! Bacon is hickory-smoked from D'Artagnan

How about 2 Amys ahead of Volt? Quite frankly, I find this year's list incomprehensible. I think Kliman has become bored in his job and this is his way of mixing things up.

I really must be losing my mind...for a second I thought that I read that Don Rocks stayed in tonight and cooked!

Thanks for the detailed instructions! Just wondering, have YOU been there? Any thoughts?

This is interesting...certainly sounds worth a visit. Where is it located, exactly? I'm intrigued that you have declared it the *best* Thai restaurant in MoCo. I'm curious which other Thai restaurants in MoCo you've been to -- Ruan Thai? Nava Thai? How does it stand up to them?

Barley stew with mushrooms, leeks and kale -- hearty, but still light. Need a break from all of the heavy Christmas food and oncoming New Years meals!

A torta with eggs, Italian hot sausage, roasted red peppers, spinach, fontina cheese, heavy cream, milk Fresh fruit and berries Dark German pumpernickel bread -- baked by my German daughter-in-law French champagne (Montaudon) Peet's Holiday Blend

Scandinavian spiced cake (cardamom, mace, ginger) with applesauce cinnamon filling and molasses and brandy flavored frosting. Cake and filling are made -- to be assembled and frosted tomorrow. Wish me luck.

George Michael...I miss you. You and Glenn Brenner made me a sports fan. RIP.

Sweet potato and pinto bean chili with fire-roasted tomatoes Baby arugula dressed with lemon/garlic vinaigrette

Yes, THANK YOU, Don! It's fixed.

When you scroll down your cursor disappears under the box. You can continue to type, but you can't see what you're typing. By the way, in answer to your previous question, I am using Windows XP and IE 7.

If I'm writing a reply to a thread, I can only see the first 6 lines of it; the rest is obscured by a box containing editing icons. I can continue to type for as long as I want, I just can't see what I'm typing.

I love to make soups, stews and chilis when it snows. Breakfast: 2 poached eggs on toasted Atwater's sunflower bread Lunch: leftover curried butternut squash and red lentil soup with ginger Dinner: barley stew with leeks, crimini mushrooms, rosemary and kale Sadly, this won't quite measure up to the dinner we were planning to have tonight at Marcel's prior to seeing a play at the Kennedy Center. That won't be happening

Where in the Kentlands? And when?

I think they gave it to Michael because he doesn't have his own restaurant, unlike Bryan. I guess they thought he could benefit more from the monetary prize. That said, I would dine at Bryan's or Kevin's restaurants before Michael's. Actually, I have dined at Bryan's Volt and it was a fabulous experience.

I second Pat's suggestion. CityZen is one of the 2 or 3 best restaurants in the city and the Mandarin is a great hotel, especially if you get a water-view room. My husband and I have done this combo and it was a very special night.

Grapes coated with cream cheese and finely-chopped crystallized ginger, rolled in toasted pecans, chilled Baby romaine and arugula with honey vinaigrette and Gorgonzola Black bean chili with butternut squash and red chard Dried cranberry and apple crisp