Kevin, thanks for the info on callas. I wasn't having much luck finding any info on my own when I googled it. I'm going to have hundreds of them next year, even if the seeds don't germinate. Last year I started with 6 bulbs. They multiplied and this year I have 45. I can overwinter them in the ground here except squirrels eat the bulbs. Last winter they were in a pot and the squirrels missed them. Hey, Laurie, cute costumes. Here in the south we don't have to go to all that trouble to turn into a sunflower. All you have to do is dye your hair blond and not put any spray or gel in it and by 10 a.m., it's frizzed out in all directions. And good lord, yes, your utility bills are high. My electric bill with the AC on 24/7, albeit most of the day I have it set at 85 degrees, is only about $60 a month. I drop it to 80 or less if someone is coming over, or I'm cleaning, and later in the afternoon otherwise I don't eat. Nothing worse than breaking out in a serious sweat because of the energy provided by whatever I eat for supper. I hate it when I feel like I have to take a shower just because I ate a salad. It seems the heat has us so worn out we can't even really complain about it, although this weekend it's a little better. Laura

I'm mostly vegetarian. I don't much care for meat, don't like to digest it, and don't like the taste. When I do eat meat it is poultry or fish. I use bacon occasionally as a flavoring, more often pancetta or proscuitto. My "problem food" is evil cheese. I just love the stuff and can't get enough of it. Cheese has some kind of addictive chemical in it I read. I have to work really hard to limit my consumption of cheese. The kinds I like are full of saturated fat. I do mix the fatty kind with lower fat kinds to try and mitigate some of the damage. I have no heart or cholesterol problems, and have been in generally good health my whole life. I have fairly decent genes. But I think the main issue with eating for health is to eat a balanced diet. It does no good to eschew red meat and then eat tons of sugar and fatty junk foods, which is what I see some young "vegetarians" doing. And these sugary drinks also are terrible for your health. I would be much more concerned about someone eating lots of sugar and junk foods than occasional red meat or eggs. I think that is what does people in, a diet of very little fruit or vegetables, and high in the saturated fat, including bacon, sausage, etc. I don't see a problem with maybe two strips of bacon if you're eating it with whole grain waffles topped with fresh fruit and yogurt. But that's now how most people eat. They eat processed foods. Also, a huge culprit in our national heart disease epidemic is lack of exercise. We lead such sedentary lives that it's almost impossible to control one's weight just with diet. I would say it's not beef per se that is killing us, it's how we raise the beef, how we cook it, and how much of it we eat, and what else we eat (or don't eat) along with it. For most of time, red meat was an occasional treat, and sausage was used as a flavoring for potatoes or beans, and it was a struggle to get ENOUGH calories for folks, not what we're facing today. Most people ate some kind of grainy gruel every day, not the rich dishes that have survived in the cookbooks and literature. My dad's four main food groups are meat, fat, sugar and white carbs. He always goes shopping and lays in a supply of junk food when he comes to visit me. Also suggests that we go out to eat all the time. Once Christmas I cooked and ate like he likes just to keep the peace. I felt really bad after a week of it. Poor sleep, and generally sluggish with mild digestive upset all the time. Of course I guess one's body does kind of "adjust" over time. Anyway, dad had been plagued by digestive problems all his life, and has clogged arteries, yet for whatever reason, cannot change his eating pattern, even though it makes him suffer. He's kind of like an alcoholic. He thought he could get away with it when he was younger because he was an athlete and not overweight. He's still only a little bit overweight, but has terrible acid reflux along with colon and artery problems. Shy of genetic conditions, I would say my dad is fairly typical of what's out there. BF's co-workers are dropping like flies now that they are in their late 50's and sixties. They all smoke, drink and eat like my dad, and are overweight. I would say eating a lot of red meat is in most cases part of a general pattern of poor health habits. Folks here are probably not typical American eaters.

Sorry Sherry! I was up in the night but totally forgot! LOL! Slow-Roasted Salmon with Potatoes Food Network Ingredients  3 bunches leeks, trimmed and quartered lengthwise  1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil  Sea salt  3 pounds fresh, skin-on, center-cut wild salmon fillet, pin bones removed  1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes  1 shallot  4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature  2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives  2 tablespoons fresh tarragon  2 tablespoons fresh parsley  Juice of 1/2 lemon Directions Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the leeks in a roasting pan with 1/3 cup olive oil; season with salt. Roast until slightly golden, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place the salmon in another shallow pan and rub with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside to come to room temperature. When the leeks are done, reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees F. Season the salmon with salt, place over the leeks and brush with the oil in the pan. Roast until firm, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until fork-tender, about 10 minutes; drain. Pulse the shallot in a food processor until minced. Add the butter, chives, tarragon, parsley, lemon juice, and salt to taste and pulse until combined. Remove the salmon from the oven and top with half of the herb butter; top the potatoes with the rest. Slice the salmon, season with salt and serve with the leeks and potatoes.

Teryaki keeps well in the refrigerator. I do something very similar but my method is diefferent. When I prepare the veggies, I keep them separate on a big stainless pizza pan I have. Then drain the chicken, saving the marinade, heat the wok, add the oil and when hot stir fry the chicken and when no longer pink, remove into a clean pie dish, wipe the wok, add a little wine...rice wine or sherry or just plain white wine, to the reserved marinade, add about 1 1/2 T cornstarch and stir. Then heat the wok, add the oil and begin to fry the veggies, I start with the broccoli and carrot buttons( I don't grate) and celery sliced on the diagonal as they take longest, then add the onions and the green peppers and soon after the peas. When all had browned a little, I add the cornstarch marinade stuff.....and toss to coat all and bring to a boil, put the lid on and cook for a minute. I am a little goosey about reusing a chicken marinade without cooking it well, so I often dump the marinade and get some fresh terayaki to mix with the wine and cornstarch. BUT...LOL...with my method you don't have that extra fry pan to wash !! Now I am hungry for a nice chicken ( or shrimp!) stir fry! Linda C