WElcome Carolyn!

I am so happy you have joined us here and I can;t wait to hear more of your cooking and life experiences.

Happy posting!

Alexa

Good to "see" you Carolyn. Welcome to the forum and pitch in any time.

Beverly

Hi Carolyn,
Great to see that you wandered over here from the Kitchen Table. I came here about a month ago, myself.

Lots of great recipes, lots of answers to any questions you might have as well. You'll see awesome food photography, and meet Dcarch, the resident scientist!

Hello Carolyn, and welcome to the cooking forum. As you've probably noticed, we have a pretty freewheeling idea of what can be in a thread. The discussions evolve, and that's fine. It's not one of those places where they rebuke people for wandering off topic. In fact, that's one of the best things here -- the open-endedness of our discussions about food. (If we want to talk about something not at all food-related, we have the Conversations page.) So please join in, with questions, comments, and opinions.

Well boy howdy! Welcome to you! I have family in Tennessee. And some friends who just moved there as well.

Hope you have found the waters just the perfect temperature to jump right on in.

Welcome on board! Baptist, eh? Not affiliated with Westboro, I hope, LOL! We are a pretty catholic group (little 'c') here - we have all sorts of nationalities and religions - Jewish (me!), JW, Methodist, Heathen, I don't think we have any Muslims or Hindus, yet. Makes for good discussions around holiday time about traditions and recipes. Everyone has a typo now and then, some more (wink) some less. We even have lots of members who have, shall I say, different 'romantic' preferences. Check out the 'Conversations' side of the forum as well. Looking forward to your contributions!

Welcome Caroline! We are delighted to have another cook in the kitchen and look forward to your contributions.

Cathy

Welcome Caroline! Most of us love to cook and enjoy helping others who love it too.

"We Ultra Conservative Christians of the Southern Baptist persuasion.."

I'm not sure why you felt the need to post that in your introduction. We don't pass judgment on anyone's religious, political beliefs or lifestyle.

Nancy

Welcome Caroline! You've found a great place to share cooking ideas, inspire and sometimes, instruct.

With regards to religion, I find it only relevant here in discussions of types of rye bread and the occasional query about substitutions due to religious dietary restrictions

Other than that, I'd rather not get into anyone's religious views; there are plenty of forums where people can pursue that. However, I have no problem with people offering prayers to others--it is an innocent and gentle act.
Jo

Carolyn, welcome to the Cooking Forum. My husband is from Tennessee, his grandfathers on both sides were Southern Baptist ministers. I'm heathen Methodist but Elery just told one of his family members that I was Buddist and then he smiled. I corrected him and he said "oh yeah, you're Methodist, same thing". (grin) His son is married to a Jewish woman, she's a sweetheart and I get to get all of the good cooking from all over the place. I baked some challah bread there and Elery remarked that I was a Methodist woman baking Jewish bread in a Baptist kitchen.

We don't mind opinions either, we all have them and most of us give them, LOL, but don't expect that we'll agree with you, lots of the time we won't. Especially about corn bread, grits, how done steak should be and whether homegrown eggs are really better.

I'm the resident farm girl, I've been farming and gardening and canning for as long as I can remember. I have grass fed beef and manage to keep busy with two girls, two grandkids, four stepkids and six step-grands.

I'll be looking forward to seeing more of "you".

Annie

Welcome Caroline from another Tennesseean. What part of TN? I think you'll enjoy the people on this forum...I certainly have. Helpful, patient,sympathetic, sharing, caring... heck, a lot of things. Excellent cooks, wonderful photography, all in all a good place to be.

jude

Welcome Carolyn. One of my very best friends in grade school was Carolyn, don't know if she ever learned to cook.
What kind of a cook are you? gourmet? Down home, southern specalities...baker or BBQ? Looking forward to getting to know you.
I do a lot of cooking and managing for big church functions. It's a Presbyterian church...but I don't think I have ever posted that before.
Linda C

What a nice welcome !!

Shaun, the temp feels pretty durned nice, thank you...

Jessyf ~ Westboro?? Uh, Hmmmm.. no not hardly... egads... I won't even muddy this thread up with what I think of them.... and no I am not being judgemental...

Nancy ~ I mentioned it because it is really an integral chunk of my personality... I don't judge anyone... that's not my job..... My job is to be there for folks if they are in need of prayer or if they feel the need to reach out to someone that will wrap them in cyber arms and perhaps comfort them in some way... and let them know how I found my way from being 110% lost as a goose in a desert to who I am now... totally filled with the spirit of our Lord. As for my judging folks.. like I said.. that's not my job.. my plate is full enough without adding that to the menu...And no I will not preach to you... your beliefs are your own.. but if you wish to know more about mine, please do feel free to pm or email me.. okay? That way we can keep it out of here.. yannowhatimean?

Annie ~ Whaddya mean you won't agree with me? Whassup wit dat?? LOL JK my friend..
One of my favorite breads to bake is Challah and it is sooo good to use for French toast.. oh yumm... So, I reckon that makes me a born Methodist, turned Congregationalist, turned wiccan, then back to church to be accepted in the Presbyterian church.. then back to Wicca, and then finally where I belong in a Southern Baptist Church... not just any, there have been several, but a particular one that I was predestined to be part of.

Now steak should never be overcooked.. and Rare is absolutely perfect... Med Rare is soso and Medium is totally overdone.. imho..

Homegrown eggs are usually fresher... I get them about every week from a friend at church...and so taste a bit better, but as for nutrition, I really have no clue as to whether they are better or not..

We don't do livestock anymore.. Bob is 82, and rather fragile, so the entire running of the household is on my plate.. and that's okay.. Oh I do have a wee worm farm.. and that my friends is the extent of my livestock...lol

Jude, I am in Perry County which is about 100 miles SW of Nashville..

Now, what kind of cook am I?? It depends on my mood.. I love international cuisine, and I love plain ol home cookin, and I love bbq and deep frying and baking . I also play with my food alot.. (something I have been severely criticized for by a self proclaimed expert ) I find a basic recipe and by the time I get it made, I have usually made at least one change... that's just the way I am...

I used to decorate cakes in a bakery, but I don't like icing all that much and most of the cakes I fix are naked.. or maybe with a bit of glaze... Rarely do I make icing except for my husbands deserts.. he is a bony butt and can eat anything... I take that back... I can and do make a heckuva Mocha buttercream... but just don't because I cannot stay out of it...

Anyway, hope this answered some of y'all questions.. I am not an expert at anything at all..but I do have experience in many areas, and I am very willing to try to help someone with a question and will offer my opinion.. and no I really don't get all bent outta shape if ya don't like my opinion... just don't chew my leg about it and we will get along just fine.....

Carolyn

Carolyn, sorry I misspelled your name.
jude

Welcome, Carolyn!! My mother's name is Caroline, and she always hated it when anyone spelled her name wrong. She was also upset when Caroline Kennedy was in the White House, and suddenly a lot of baby girls were getting named Caroline.

Did you ever know LindainTN? She was one of my favorite people here, but I haven't seen here in quite a while, and you remind me of her a bit. She belonged to the Red Hat, Purple Dress Society and shared a lot of good recipes. I think she was in Knoxville. I've never been to TN but have always wanted to go.

I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Lars

Carolyn, you have a worm farm? Someone else here does too, maybe Jasdip?

Well, sometimes I'll agree with you, because I definitely agree on steak. I want it rare. Really rare. The farm fresh eggs ARE fresher, whether they are healthier for us depends on what we feed them, but they're still better anyway!

Annie

"I mentioned it because it is really an integral chunk of my personality"

I understand where you are coming from!
In fact, there are a number of comments you made in that post that could have been made by me.
Are you the twin and I didn't know I had? ? ?
;>)

Seriously, welcome, from deep in the heart of Texas.
Looking forward to getting to know you better.

Rusty

Carolyn, how far are you from Madison Co, Al? That's where I live. Hey southern folks, here's another CFer to meet with us!

You said email you - how the heck are we going to email you when your email doesn't show?

As for religion, that is an integral and important part of a lot of people's lives, mine included. That doesn't mean any of us are judging the others. That is except maybe those who don't want religion of any kind mentioned. Makes ya wonder what they are scared of doesn't it?

Beverly

Jude, you are forgiven of course.. I have a sister in law that even though I have been married to her brother for over 40 years...she still spells my name that way.. oh well.. it's okay..

Madison County.. that would be Huntsville, right? We are about 4 hours I think...

I thought I had my email thingie in my profile ... I will fix that in a moment.. so check again if you want to email me.. okay?

Rusty, sounds like we might be kindred spirits eh?? That is nice to know..

Lars, no I don't know LIndainTN...hope she pops in again.. that would be cool..

I will see ya'lll tomorrow.. got to fix my contact information adn then off to bed.. its been a long but beautiful and joyfilled day ..

Carolyn

Good morning Carolyn and welcome aboard from north of the 49th.!

I sure wish I could say it was nice and warm here but it's freezing. We finally got a dusting of snow though and it looks beautiful.

Hope to hear from you often.

Sharon

Sorry for the late welcome Carolyn. I've been down with a UTI this past weekend and am just now feeling better after taking those "horse pills" the doctor prescribed.
Welcome to the CF! Lots of great cooks and bakers here to tap into when you have the need, and many differing opinions on how to do things also. It's great! Don't care that much about a person's religion. That is between themselves and whom ever their higher power is, and that is where it should stay. We aren't allowed to discuss it on this side of the board anyways as stated in the rules...no talk on politics or religion.
Looking forward to some of your BBQ recipes. Again, welcome to the CF, NancyLouise

I was in touch with Lindatn quite some time ago...here in Knoxville, with every intention of meeting for lunch. Sadly, I didn't follow through. Maybe I could get another chance....we're probably 30 minutes apart. Although, I don't "do" red hats and purple dresses...I already do what they "subscribe" to without wearing the colors.:-)

jude

Welcome to the Cooking Forum Carolyn.

Ann

Welcome, Carolyn. I love your writing style. I'm looking forward to your contributions to the forum. I'm mostly a weekend visitor, as during the week I mostly have time to lurk rather than to post - maybe 10 or 15 minutes at the computer, which give me time to read stuff but not much time to form thoughts and actually write them out and post them. But I do enjoy reading what everyone has to say and is doing and cooking.

Sally

For those of you that wonder why I brought the subject up in the first place, this is why.... It is not my intent to discuss Christianity here.... but I have a habit of saying things like "Praise the Lord" or "Glory Be" or something similar when things go right and I am happy with the outcome.. If someone wishes to discuss doctrine or belief systems, there are other venues on which to do so.. and now that I have set up my email connection here, anyone is more than welcome to email me with any questions, queries, opinions, thoughts or anything else that wouldn't be discussed here...
I realize that there are tons of folks that have differing thoughts on what they believe, and even some that don't have any system in place at all.... and that is up to each individual person.... but I am always available by email for those that wish to know about my source of Joy and strength...

Okay... so now that we have got that hashed out, I think we can put that to rest and let the yeast bread rise to the forefront... LOL

Nancy, I hope you soon are as cured of your UTI... and back on top of the world again...

Sally, thank you for the complement... I think I write like I think... at least a cyberfriend told me that when we met for lunch awhile back.. She told me I was exactly the same as I was on the boards...

I don't pretend to be anything but what I am.. what you see here is who I am... warts and all..

Carolyn

Hi Country Sunshine! I wouldn't worry about the religion thing. To me it is a non-issue. If someone has a problem with you expressing yourself, just ignore it, it's just the water cooler here! Feel free to take from this board what turns you on and ignore the rest. That's what I do.
We have a lot in common, I'm an avid gardener and canner too, as are many, many of the folks here. So here's a big WELCOME from NE PA! Hope you'll stay a while, new ideas and contributions make this whole experience so much more FUN!
My name is Laurie but I don't like to use my real name on this board just because I am very protective of my privacy. Pinkmountain is the translation of my German last name. But I'm not German, I'm Heinz 57 American and feel very lucky for that!
You have a lot of great cooking experience we can all benefit from, so I hope you'll jump right in. And as others have said, if you want to get to know us better and talk about some OTHER stuff besides cooking, there is always the "Conversations" side of this board.
Once again, warm welcome to you CS!

Hello Country Sunshine! I love that name. Welcome to the Cooking Forum. I'm somewhat new here also. I've always been treated wonderful by the CFers as I'm sure you will be.

I'm from Michigan and it's cold and snowy here today, but what better weather for cooking and baking then when the snow flies. Perhaps not everyone will agree with that!

Look forward to getting to know you Carolyn.

Karen

Okay, where is this 'conversations' side of the board I keep hearing about.. wanna go check that out too.. =0)

Caroline, on the first page where you see the titles of threads, you should see Discussions/Gallery/Conversations. It's on the right side of the page near the top. If you click on conversations, that's where people ask for prayers, advice, post jokes, celebrations, whatever. We just might get a "friendly warning" if we discuss religion or politics, I've been duly warned in the past, LOL.

The gallery has pictures and tips about photography and posting pictures here and there's an "exchanges" too, but we haven't had a swap in quite a long time.

Annie

Welcome Carolyn. I hope you enjoy your time here.

Welcome to the Cooking Forum, Carolyn. I'm sure you'll find this board to be more friendly and less populated by demons than some of the forums where you've posted in the past.

You're welcome to join in, although you may find a bit less tolerance for proselytizing than you're accustomed to.

Welcome to CF! Hope you enjoy your stay :-)

Ruthanna and others, thank you for the welcome... Let me just add... regarding my doctrine and belief, I have never tried to convert anyone away from their own brand of doctrine... I will however try to answer those that email or pm me with questions regarding my beliefs.. and have done so many many many times.... I will always follow up and pray for those that ask.. openly and boldly.. but to try to ask a wiccan to become baptist.. nope.. not who I am or what I am about..

I may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I do have respect for folks....

Now that we have said about all that there is to say on that subject... I am off to ask some questions about... tada.. what else but cooking.. =0)

Hugs,
Carolyn

Welcome Carolyn! I've been a canner from 'way back and a gardener for a slightly lesser time. Love to cook and it doesn't matter whether its gourmet or down home. Right now I'm snowed in on my little bit of heaven in south central Indiana. Hope you enjoy this forum as much as I have.

OK, now you guys messed me all up, and I spelled Carolyn's name wrong. I will never see "country smiles" without thinking of Caroline Kennedy!

Sorry, Carolyn, I'll get it right yet...

Annie

Annie, not to worry.. I don't get riled up over a misspelling... takes a lot lot lot to get me really riled....

I know I will learn a lot from everyone here.. you seem light years ahead of me as far as culinary skills are concerned.. but perhaps I can contribute something now and then.

Carolyn