Oh wow, just noticed you are making all of these yourself? They all would benefit from a few things waiting until the heat and serve time...a half hour before party time. (keeps cooking during the party even on a simmer) Cheese, cream/milk, coconut milk, herbs, etc. Basically anything that is added last in the recipe that says "add last and bring to temp and serve". Canned corn is kinda dead tasting and usually full of sugar. Frozen, added morning-of, would be better. Puree half of it for creamed corn. Side bowls of fresh herbs, limes, cilantro, grated cheese, croutons, toasted slices of baguettes, tortilla chips...even if it is already in the soup, folks like to customize their bowl, :) (tortilla added to the soup gives a nice flavor and breaks down in the broth and really good, but adding half later is nice for the texture) Almost all soups freeze just fine as leftovers cooked all the way as a recipe even with a pasta or rice...but do taste like a leftover. Holding off an ingredient or two will give it some freshness, like the chopped kale or fresh chopped tomatoes. When i thaw leftover soups, i always dig in the fridge and look for something fresh to add, like a fresh frozen salsa, pesto, shelled edamame... You are on the right tract by holding off what makes sense. Keeping the list and menu planned and organized for what goes into where and when can be tricky. (imagine what a restaurant chef goes through all day, every day! yikes) -don't mean to be anti-canned goods, but most of those recipes passed around are coming from the big manufacturers of processed foods, so the same flavors can be made with much fresher ingredients without the chemicals and fake flavors.

I agree that most bars freeze well. I freeze frosted Texas sheet cake frequently because all my kids and their friends like it, it's easy to make, there are numerous variations, and it makes a lot of servings. The frosting, which is poured on the cake while warm, sets up so it isn't sticky, so I just layer between sheets of parchment and then freeze. As Linda says, the key to successful defrosting is to leave frozen things wrapped while they thaw. That way the condensation is on the wrapper, not the contents. Jane

Three feet of the pipe is exposed in the crawl space. I agree with the other comments that the buried line outside the cabin doesn't appear to be six feet down. The cabin was originally built to be a three season home, two years ago we remodeled and added a furnace. Do you think having a heated pipe on the inside would help with the buried pipe on the outside of the cabin? Not sure how far the well is from the crawl space. To answer the last question: I am confident that the line is freezing as the pump is working and tries to draw water. Did not notice a lower water flow in the late fall.

Bumblebeez, mine is more just a method. I bow to the Frittata Queens on this thread for the particulars -- and you know who they are:) Annie, I'm still in awe. I love mini muffins (cause, you know, muffins become kind of like popcorn, small, poppable:) but that's a lotta frittata:) But can you even begin to imagine 600 little pastry circles?????? Gah! Gold Stars! Sleevendog, that is one scrumptious looking frittata! And look how nicely that baby popped out of the pan. That would be inhaled here. I'm not kidding. I'd be first in line. And the 'anytime' sandwiches are good in another way, Sleevendog. Cutlery has become difficult with the Parkinsons, but these are so compact/the cheese melts that my Dad can manage to hold and eat with one hand. I think it also engenders a feeling of independence that he can make his meal without asking for help. It's the simple things, isn't it? Cathy in SWPA