It's my recipe, and there's a huge bowl of it in the fridge right now. :-) I'm really glad it went over so well, Lynne! Of course you don't need to use that particular salad dressing, we just happen to like it, and we're too dang lazy to make homemade dressing when it kind of gets overwhelmed by the feta anyway; I didn't have any of the Greek dressing on hand this time and substituted Newman's Own plain vinaigrette since I had half a big bottle, came out fine. Sorta-Greekish Couscous salad 2 boxes Near East garlic-flavor couscous, prepared per box directions and set aside to cool (stir occasionally with a fork to keep from clumping) 1 European cucumber, peeled if the skin is thick/tough and diced 3 Roma/plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (peel if you like) 2 small red, yellow or orange bell peppers, diced (try to mix colors for a prettier dish) 1 large carrot, coarsely grated handful of thawed frozen petite peas big handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley 2-3 large cloves garlic, minced (confession time: I buy it in the jar) a dozen or so chives (or 2-3 green onions), minced 1 6-oz container feta cheese, crumbled; if you buy the stuff in brine, drain it before crumbling and pat dry after crumbling, but I am lazy and just buy the pre-crumbled kind Newman's Own Greek Vinaigrette salt and pepper to taste (once I tossed in about half a pound of cooked, peeled, deveined-if-necessary small shrimp - designated in the fish market as 51/60 or 61/70 - and it was delicious) (a friend of mine adds finely chopped pitted Greek black olives, but I think olives are one of the most revolting foods on the planet so I don't!) Mix couscous, veggies, and cheese being careful not to mush the couscous. Slosh on some of the vinaigrette until everything's nicely coated and it tastes yummy - we tend to use around 1/3 of a (small) bottle. Salt and pepper to taste. Holds in the fridge about 4 days, although the feta flavor can get a little rugged eventually. (If this stands for more than 48 hours you will need to add more vinaigrette as the couscous will absorb it and the salad will be a tad dry.) Best served cool rather than chilled, but don't leave it out of the fridge for more than an hour. At home I serve this as a main dish and it feeds about 6 people, for a party it serves 12 or so as a side depending on how much other stuff there is.

Couscous takes the flavors of different liquids, herbs and seasonings quite well. Here's one way I make it: Lemon scented Couscous with Cranberries 1 1/2 c couscous (Moroccan style, not Israeli) Juice of one large lemon (appx. 1/3 c) + enough water to make up 1 1/2 c total liquid. 1 t sugar 1/2 t salt 1/4 t tumeric powder Zest of one lemon (be careful to get only the yellow, with as little pith as you can manage), appx. 1 packed t. 1 t brown mustard seeds (yellow are fine, though not as pretty) 1/4 t asafoetida powder* 1 large serrano pepper, quartered. 10 Kari leaves** 3 T chopped, dried cranberries 1/4 c coarsely chopped, raw cashews 2 T chana dal*** 1 green onion, chopped (appx 1/3 c) veggie oil for frying Bring water, lemon juice & tumeric to boil. Add couscous and stir for about a minute. Then cover saucepan, and remove from heat, setting aside to soften for 5 or 10 minutes. Fluff with a couple of forks until the grains are nicely separate. Deep fry the cashew pieces over a moderate heat until golden brown, remove from oil and set aside to drain. Repeat with chana dal. Reserve the oil. Heat enough of the reserved oil (med-high heat) in a large saute pan to ensure couscous doesn't stick. Add the mustard seeds, cover and gently shake the pan now and then until the popping of the seeds slows down. Remove cover and add the serrano pepper quarters, asafoetida, and Kari leaves, and saute until the leaves wilt and are fragrant. Add cranberries and couscous and toss to mix the ingredients and heat the couscous through. Remove from heat, and toss in the cashews, chana dal, lemon zest and green onions. Adjust for salt and serve. *Asafoetida is a strongly scented powdered spice made from the sap of a herbaceous perennial plant. It is available from Indian grocery stores, and is used much as we use garlic powder. A blend of onion and garlic powders can be substituted, but add it to the oil right before tossing the mustard seeds and kari leaves into the couscous rather than cooking it with them. **Kari leaves are also available in some Indian markets, fresh is best. There really is no comparable substitute, but the recipe will be very tasty made with a different fresh herb. A few fresh sage leaves would probably be my choice, but some fresh basil, minced rosemary, thyme or savory would be good choices as well. ***Chana dal is a small relative of the garbanzo bean, which is dried and split. It adds a nice crunchy texture and nutty taste to the couscous. Again, it is available at Indian markets. If you can�t find it, substitute extra cashews.

Carmen: Where have you been ? If eyes are growing out of the food, take a weapon with you, to remove them from the frige. You can freeze everything in portions, except the Noodles. They will keep in you frige for over a week. You can use them with Spaghetti Sauce for a dinner. Put them in boiling water for about 45 seconds and drain. Add the Sauce and you have a meal. Lou PS: I just recently finished the Corn that I froze last August, with the husks on.

In addition to what @Elmer J Fudd wrote, above, I was taught as a child not to put any utensil into a food container (or serving dish, etc.) after it has been in my mouth because it will likely cause the food to start breaking down. That is, the saliva in your mouth has digestive enzymes that start to break down the food. If you put a fork or spoon in your mouth and then back into the container/serving dish, it transfers some of your saliva into the food. If you put the container of uneaten food away, the next time you take it out, the food might not be so appetizing...