My brother had to start cooking for himself and my nephew very suddenly. My nephew was really too young to do much, and my brother worked full time, so dinners had to be quick and easy. One suggestion of mine that he took to quite well was to buy the family size packages of meat to save money, separate them into meal-sized portions, and freeze the meats in zip lock bags with marinade. That way, he removes a bag from the freezer before bed, and by dinner time the following day, he has pre-marinated meat to throw on the grill or under the broiler. I did get him a rice cooker, which he likes because both he and my nephew will eat rice plain or with just a bit of soy, which keeps the fat grams down (as opposed to most potatoes or noodles, which must have some butter or sauce). His girlfriend gave him a crock pot, and a crock pot cookbook which gets a lot of use as well. They also eat lots of salads, which they both like. I told him to cut the stem end off when he got the lettuces home, and soak them in a sink full of cool water for a couple of hours before draining them and putting them in a plastic bag with a towel to soak up any residual moisture, They keep nicely for a week or so that way, and he keeps a container of pre-cut salad vegetables in the fridge so making a salad is fast and easy. Planning is the key, all right. A couple of hours on the weekend, and the week can go much more smoothly.

Question: Was this a sauce like the cinnamon imperial red hots would produce or a sauce more like what you find on top of a cinnamon roll or baked apples? I have my great grandmother's cookbook with a cinnamon sauce that describes making a powdered sugar glaze and adding 4 drops of cinnamon oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

Cathy, this is SO easy, but it's time consuming. I love it because it candies the rind and it's not bitter at all. Also, you can change up this recipe with different kinds of citrus. I made a lemon and Key lime version this past weekend! Anna's Orange Marmalade Recipe source: Ina Garten "At Home" (I think) 4 large oranges 2 lemons 8 cups water 8 cups sugar Wash citrus and cut in half from "pole to pole". Cut citrus in very thin slices, being sure to remove the seeds. Place citrus slices and any juice in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot. Add 8 cups of water and bring citrus & water to a boil. Remove from heat and add sugar; stir till dissolved. Place lid on sauce pot and leave citrus mixture to sit over night. The next day, bring citrus mixture back to a boil; reduce temperature and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring regularly. After 2 hours, bring back up to a steady boil, stirring continually, for *30 minutes or until reaching gel stage. Ladle mixture into prepared jars and process in a BWB for 10 minutes. * Sometimes it doesn't take the exact 30 minutes at the end to come to gel stage. I guess it just depends on the water content of the fruit, moisture in the air, etc. I've had mine gel at 20 minutes or less, so just use good judgement.

I'll do the copy and paste! COOKIES BROWN SUGAR GINGER CRISPS NOVEMBER 1989 Little nuggets of spicy crystallized ginger are mellowed with brown sugar in a sophisticated butter cookie that carries this irresistible combination. This is just one of Gourmets Favorite Cookies: 1941-2008. Although weÂve retested the recipes, in the interest of authenticity weÂve left them unchanged: The instructions below are still exactly as they were originally printed.  2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature  1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar  1 large egg yolk  1 teaspoon vanilla  1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) finely chopped crystallized ginger  1/4 teaspoon ground ginger  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour  1/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder  1/2 teaspoon salt  In a bowl cream together the butter and the brown sugar and beat in the egg yolk, the vanilla, the crystallized ginger, and the ground ginger. Into the bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt and combine the batter well. Drop the batter by teaspoons 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and bake the cookies in the middle of a preheated 350° F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are just golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, transfer COCOA FUDGE COOKIES 1 cup flour ¼ tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp salt 5 Tbsp butter 7 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt 1 tsp vanilla extract Cooking spray 1. Preheat oven to 350° 2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, soda and salt; set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa powder and sugars (mixture will resemble coarse sand). Add yogurt and vanilla, stirring to combine Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. 3. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pans 2-3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen cookies. Sugar cookies: 1 cup of butter 2 cups of sugar Cream together and add 2 eggs beaten with 2 T milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla ( I like a bit more) Mix with the butter mix Add 3 cups flour mixed with 1/2 tsp salt....and as much as 1/2 cup more flour until it's stiff enough to roll out Make flat patties, wrap and refrigerate for an hour or longer.... Dust board with flour and roll and cut... Bake 375 for 8 to 10 minutes....I use parchment on the cookie sheets....if you don't have parchment....lightly grease the sheets. The absence of baking powder keeps them from rising and keeps the cookies true to the shape of the cutter.....and makes them crisp Anise Drops 3 eggs 1 c. sugar 1 3/4 c. flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsp anise seeds In a large bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar for 10 minutes ( I cheat!!) . Mix flour and baking powder. add vanilla and anist to egg mix and stir in flour. Drop by teaspoonsful on a greased cookie sheet and let stand at room temperature over night. Bake at 350 until beige. Makes about 70. And that's enough for now....best to leave room for someone esle! Linda C