I rewrite everything because I change measurements to weights except for the little ingred like T and t, and use abbreviations like AP, BP, BS, van, and S. I sell jams and bake treats weekly for my farmers market booth so they also include parenthesis for 2x or 3x batches. The recipes are on hand printed index cards and have the date of the first time I made them. I use the same bowls so I write things like "grn bowl 1#6 sug" so I don't have to tare. I do have another list (with photos) on my computer that show the wt of the empty bowl in case it goes missing. Fully written out baking and canning recipes are on my computer in the event that a card is lost or purpled to illegibility (pickled beets do it every time) or I want to give the recipe to someone. I also note who/where the recipe came from and/or have the URL on the computer file and changes from original are in blue. I tried using my laptop in the kitchen but it doesn't work well after airborne flour gets into it, coupled with the fact that I am usually baking several things at once and hate switching screens (unsanitary to touch keyboard), so it is easier to have the old-fashioned index cards in the tuck-in bulletin board at eye level. Like Chase, I use brackets and note the method - so easy to read. I realized that teaching someone my index card hieroglyphics isn't all that difficult to get the hang of if they have baked or canned before, but nearly impossible for the novice. Nancy

Did a riff off of this recipe today, to use up the stuff I had in the fridge. Actually other than garbanzo beans, (mine were canned) not much I had was the same, I used some leftover pulled pork instead of the traditional chorizo, and couldn't find my paprika so I used dried ancho pepper and pasilla negro. Plus no saffron and I had to use some red wine in place of the sherry vinegar. But I did have yellow summer squash, onion, home canned tomatoes, and yellow pepper to add. I didn't use the bread crumbs, just served it with crusty bread on the side. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102854605 Moorish-Style Chickpea And Spinach Stew April 27, 2009 5:16 PM ET Christopher Toothman/NPR This is one of the first dishes Jose Andres' wife, Patricia, cooked for him, soon after they were married. Makes 4 servings 9 ounces dried garbanzos (chickpeas) Pinch bicarbonate of soda 6 garlic cloves, peeled and whole 1/4 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil 2 ounces white sliced bread, with the crusts removed 2 tablespoons pimenton (Spanish sweet paprika) 1 pinch Spanish saffron 2 tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar 1/2 pound spinach, washed and cleaned 1 teaspoon ground cumin Salt and white pepper to taste The day before you cook, soak the chickpeas in cold water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a big saucepan, combine the chickpeas with 2 1/2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for two hours, until the chickpeas are tender. Every 10 minutes or so, add 1/2 cup of cold water to slow down the simmering. By the end, the water should have reduced so it is barely covering the chickpeas. Turn off the heat and let sit. In a small saute pan over medium to low heat, brown the garlic in 1/4 cup of the olive oil. When the garlic is browned, after about 3 minutes, remove from the pan and set aside. Add the bread and brown on both sides, about one minute each side. Remove the bread and set aside. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Add the pimenton and saffron to the saute pan, and the sherry vinegar immediately afterward to prevent the pimenton from burning. In a mortar, smash the reserved garlic and the browned bread to make a very thick paste. Bring the chickpeas back to a low boil and add the spinach. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pimenton mixture along with the garlic and bread paste, to create a thick, stewy sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

I have no problem with picky eaters if there is a reason behind the pickiness. But when kids reject something without trying it with an open mind, or stop eating things they liked before, but suddenly want to go along with some crowd and reject it, that bothers me. My dad was picky for a reason, things bothered his stomach, but now it's part of his anxiety disorder and the aging process, he's getting more and more rigid in all aspects of his life . . . My brother and a few others had food sensitivities. Years ago one of my "picky eater" friends found out she was allergic to all fermented foods, which includes vinegar which is in all kinds of condiments, and also soy and glutens, which are also in lots of stuff. She said she learned early on that certain foods made her feel unwell, but nothing visible so for years she was just labeled "picky." Same with my brother. He's also sensitive to acid foods, which is why he called tomatoes "poison apples." And certainly why he rejected ketchup!! Another friend discovered why her youngest was always so cranky--he was suffering from a gluten intolerance problem . . . his tummy was upset a lot of the time. I love the part of the article where the role of personality is explored, and control issues. The kid only liking macaroni and cheese if he could eat it on bread, his own creative idea. His mother ended up having the same experience when she learned to like food concoctions of her own. I learned to like raw tomatoes one day when I was starving for lunch with little food in the fridge, and improvised a cottage cheese and tomato sandwich, which I ended up really liking. For a while I only ate tomatoes that way, but gradually expanded my liking of them . . . So anyway, I totally get about giving kids control over their environment and developing problem solving skills so they can come up with their own foods. Just wondering where the intersection between that and "frugal" come in to play . . . .

Yesterday, I made AnnT’s Greek Salad (recipe below). I love love love it. It needs to mingle for a day. So, it was perfect today. Except I didn’t have anything I wanted to eat it with. Finally, I remember this thread. I had ham; I had bread. I made a Ham and Greek Salad sandwich on extremely boring white bread. It was fantastic. Better bread and it would have been out of this world. Here is my copy of AnnT’s recipe. I tried to find it on her website. While it is referenced in several places, the actual recipe/template seems to be lost. I use grape tomatoes cut in half. I also halve my kalamata olives. Even with my less-than-stellar ingredients, it is great! Thanks, plllog, for the “make it a sandwich” idea!