bpgreen, Why do I get online when I'm tired??? You are correct, I reversed my C and N. Sorry about that! 1 part nitrogen and 10-12 parts carbon. I'm not sure where I read that, but it was in a book. I had been going with the usual 1:30 for years, but things seemed to be a little slow in the pile. So I boosted the nitrogen, and found where my compost thermometer was hiding, and started getting better readings, like temps of 135F rather than the piddly 110F that I was getting. Of course, no one I know does anything but estimate the percentages, so I could have been wrong both times, but these last two years have been better than the previous fifteen. And the figures that I quoted in LBS are what I remember from Neal Kinsey. I suspect that the difference is in the translation from "parts" (percentages) to "pounds" (weight), but I'm not totally certain. But it seems like the nitrogen from the usual sources always seems to be heavier than the carbon. But I've been wrong before this. And will be again. But one thing I am certain about is that the information provided by agricultural colleges seems to leave a lot to be desired. Just my opinion. But I don't trust them anymore. In fact, it's getting rapidly to the point that I don't believe a thing they say. Sue

Joe: Mallika is an excellent mango...for sure. The degree of ripeness can affect the flavor and give any mango a citrussy flavor mixed in with the other complex flavors the particular mango has. Looks like you have gotten the ripening of mallika down to a pretty good science. I was very impressed with mallika the first time I tasted it. In fact, I grew the seed from that fruit and now have a fruting Mallika seedling that has given me fruit for the past 4 or 5 years. My seedling actually is even more intensely flavored than its parent...but, unfortunately, it doesn't have the fiber free flesh that mallika has. The seedling has considerable fiber. While I am generally not a big fan of fiber inmangoes, I have overlooked that quality because of the intensely delicious flavor. Keep up the good mango growing work! They are very rewarding...and juicy. Harry

Hi there you!! This is not as hard as it sounds. And can all be made (at different times and assembled when needed. You don't need the Frangelico Sauce at all. If you don't use it they are just like little cream puffs......but you could drizzle just a little or even some chocolate. YUM! I think you can even buy frozen puffs and prepared Dulce de Leche but it's dead easy to make. It's a knock out and absolutely delicious. Unfortunately you can;t really see it with the amount od sauce I used. Dulce De Leche Cream Puffs With Frangelico And Hazelnuts Puffs 1 Cup water 1/2 Cup unsalted butter 1/2 Tsp salt 1 Cup AP flour 4 cold eggs 1/2 Cup chopped hazelnuts Filling 3/4 Cup dulce de leche at room temp 2 1/4 Cup 18% cream 4 Tbl sugar, divided pinch salt 3 Tbl AP flour 3 egg yolks 2 Tbl Frangelico 1/2 Tsp vanilla Sauce 3/4 Cup dulce de leche at room temp 2 Tbl Frangelico 1/2 Tsp vanilla 1/4 Cup chopped hazelnuts (optional) Preheat oven to 425. Place rack just below oven centre. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Heat water, butter and salt in a sauce pan over medium heat until water is quite hot and butter melts. Add flour and stir frequently for 3 to 5 minutes, or until mixture easily forms large smooth ball. Place ball in bowl of mixer , break up by mixing briefly with paddle. Cool 5 minutes then beat in eggs 1 at a time on low to medium speed until well mixed. Using a spatula fold in hazelnuts. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on the prepared pan. Using wet hands shape into 2 inch rounds leaving the tops somewhat rough. Bake 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 25 minutes or until deeply golden. Turn off oven and open door, Let puffs cool in the oven for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. (can be made weeks ahead and frozen. To restore crispness reheat in a 350 oven for 10 minutes or until puffs feel dry and crisp) To make filling whisk room temp DDL (dulce de leche) while gradually adding cream until smooth. Stir in 2 TBSP sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat whisking occasionally. Meanwhile in a small bowl stir remaining 2 TBSP of sugar with flour, stir in egg yolks and Frangelico. When cream is quite hot to the touch stir 3 TBSP into the egg mixture to temper the egg mixture. Whisking briskly, pour egg mixture into hot cream. Stir constantly 3 minutes or until mixture thickens, becomes glossy and whisk leaves a trail in the filling. Stir in vanilla. Turn into a metal bowl. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the cream surface. Refrigerate immediately. Use when cold. Keeps 2 to 3 days. To make sauce, stir DDL in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in Frangelico 1 TBSP at a time. Stir in vanilla. Sauce can be made ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temp or heat until barley warm to serve. To assemble puffs. Cut each puff in half horizontally, Divide filling among bottom halves. Replace tops. Serve drizzled with the sauce and scattered with hazelnuts. Makes 12. Dulce de leche 2 to 4 cans sweetened condensed milk (300 ml each)~ JPreheat oven to 425 Remove labels and tops from cans.Cover each can with foil , pressing firmly about 1/2 way down outside of can. Place in a large flat bottom casserole dish. Pour boiling water into dish until 1/2 inch from the tops of the cans. Cover with casserole lid. Bake for 2 hours without disturbing except to check to see if you need to add water. Add more water if level drops dramatically. After 2 hours lift cans from water bath. Cool on a rack with foil still in place. The refrigerate for up to a week or freeze. Cold DDL is very thick so bring to room temp before stirring. Each can makes 1 1/4 cup DDL.

Thanks, Colleen, I'll remember that. I usually remove the dessert from the pan, but Amanda cut this before I could even put it on a cake plate, my Mother wanted a piece with her coffee before dinner, as an "appetizer". She's 82 and she's my Mother, so we cut it, LOL, and after that, it was all downhill. (grin) Fortunately my family is very "laid back" about such things, so no one really cared. Except me, because I'd climbed that stupid step stool to get the cake plate down from the top shelf and then I didn't need it! I plopped the torte onto it anyway, I WAS going to use the darned thing. Shambo, the torte does call for eggs in both the filling and the crust, but I think the flax "egg" might be an OK substitute, because the sweet potatoes have a texture that's dense enough to keep shape. I haven't tried it, but I see no reason why it can't work... OK, the recipe. I did use fresh sweet potatoes, but I boiled them in lieu of roasting them as the recipe instructs, because I needed whipped sweet potatoes for the chipotle mashed sweets and I just didn't want to cook separate batches. I used coconut milk and the gluten free flour mix from King Arthur. I found the crust troublesome to roll, but it pressed easily into the springform pan and I flattened it with the bottom and sides of my metal measure cup. I used my food processor for the crust, but it could easily be done with a pastry cutter and a bowl. Sweet Potato Torte DOUGH: 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour blend 2 tbls tapioca starch/flour 3 tbls brown sugar (omit for a savory crust) 6 tbls unsalted butter or a dairy free alternative 1 large egg 1/4 tsp salt 1 tbls ice water (more if needed) Preheat oven to 375F and light grease a 9 inch pie plate or springform pan. IN a food processor mix gluten free flour blend, tapioca, brown sugar and salt, pulse to blend. Add butter and pulse to make a coarse meal. Add egg and ice water and mix just until mixture forms a ball. Flatten dough into a 6 inch disc between 2 sheets of parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Roll out to fit pan, fill and bake as recipe requires. FILLING: 2 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 3 medium) 1 3/4 cups of unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened milk of choice + 1/4 cup of honey (or 2 fourteen ounce cans sweetened condensed milk) 6 tbls unsalted butter or dairy free alternative, melted 2 large eggs 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground nutmeg 3/4 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 375F. Place sweet potatoes in oven and bake 50 to 55 minutes, until tender. Cut in half and scrape potatoes out of their skins into a bowl. With a hand mixer (I used the Kitchen Aid instead) beat potatoes until smooth. Add all additional ingredients to potatoes and mix until well combined. Roll or press dough into a 9 inch or larger springform pan, pressing up the sides 1 to 1 1/2 inch. If dough cracks, repair with dampened fingers. Add filling and bake until center is set and sides start to brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool before slicing and serve at room temperature. Now, for the raspberry pie, that was very easy compared to the torte, the gluten free baking requires pretty much everything from scratch and careful cleanup so as not to contaminate what I just baked. My raspberry pie used the Nathan's Never Fail crust that SharonCB posted, and raspberries from the garden. I thickened the berries with cornstarch and didn't think they were thick enough, so added extra. Next time I think I'll stick with the original amount because the raspberry filling was pretty firm. And I still think it needs a layer of chocolate in there somewhere, maybe on the bottom of the crust under the cream cheese layer. The recipe called for a graham cracker crust, I used a pie shell but a chocolate crust might be good too. This is pretty quick and easy, although I used whipped cream instead of Cool Whip and it went pretty flat, I think the Cool Whip would have held up better, it seems sturdier... Raspberry Cream Pie TOPPING: 6 cups fresh raspberries, divided 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 3 tbls cornstarch CREAM FILLING 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese 1 cup whipped topping 1 cup confectioners sugar 1 prepared crust (9 inches) Fresh mint for garnish if desired Mash about 2 cups raspberries to measure 1 cup, place in saucepan. Add sugar, cornstarch and water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 2 minutes longer and strain to remove seeds if desired (I didn't). Cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar in a bowl, mix in whipped cream or topping. Spread in bottom of crust, top with remaining berries. Pour cooled raspberry sauce over top and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Garnish with mint if desired. The mint would have been pretty but there's none in my yard in Michigan in late November! Annie