Here's the recipe for cottage cheese daughter has! She got it from the program 'Good Eats'! She and her two boys, ages 4 and 5 love that show! They tape them and the boys beg her to play them over and over. They've really gotten interested in cooking, themselves and even use play dough to reinact the shows! She's letting them help her alot now! Quick Cottage Cheese 1 gallon pasteurized skim milk 3/4 cup white vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 cup half-and half-or heavy cream Pour the skim milk into a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat to 120 degrees F. Remove from the heat and gently pour in the vinegar. Stir slowly for 1 to 2 minutes. The curd will separate from the whey. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pour the mixture into a colander lined with a tea towel and allow to sit and drain for 5 minutes. Gather up the edges of the cloth and rinse under cold water for 3 to 5 minutes or until the curd is completely cooled, squeezing and moving the mixture the whole time. Once cooled, squeeze as dry as possible and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine, breaking up the curd into bite-size pieces as you go. If ready to serve immediately, stir in the half-and-half or heavy cream. If not, transfer to a sealable container and place in the refrigerator. Add the half and half or heavy cream just prior to serving. Oh, and her hubby (our SIL) is here with the boys right now, having watched Ohio State and Illinois (boo hoo--OSU lost) and he says it's really good and not gritty at all, when she makes it!

I freeze meatloaf all the time. I only make freeform meatloaves (can't abide it baked in a loaf pan!). Sometimes I will bake two and freeze one, but more often I will freeze the second raw. I form it on a sheet of plastic wrap, using the wrap to help form it, freeze, and then bag it in a freezer bag.

You've started the "how to cook anything turkey related" debate months before Thanksgiving! Ha, no worries. I'll start the ping pong match. Cooking time varies on size and sizes vary so for me, cooking any meat in an oven or BBQ requires a thermometer. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, start checking the internal temp every 5 minutes at about one hour, and figure anywhere from 1-1.5 hours of total cooking time. When the internal temp reaches 155-160 degrees, it's ready to take out and be tented with aluminum foil for 10 minutes of rest before being carved. If you want to be real spiffy, before slicing, use a boning knife to separate the meat from the ribs, then slice the now boneless hunk of meat vertically. Very nice presentation and the pieces are juicier than if sliced thinly the traditional way. If the breast isn't already brined, you have time to give it a bath in a bowl of salted water before cooking. Doing this will insure moist meat that won't dry out. Google "brine turkey breast" and you'll find out how. Many suggest a variety of ingredients but the important ones can be used alone, water and salt. Rinse it well and dry before cooking. Very easy and very significant results. Even if you only have a few hours to brine the breast, it will make a difference. Remember to put the bowl into the fridge (or put in ice cubes) to keep the meat cold. For an easy path to moist turkey breasts, Trader Joes sells kosher turkey breasts. Apparently, brining is a step used in making it kosher so these need no further treatment and always come out juicy (when not overcooked).

Since my husband retired it's a whole new routine. We don't eat early, we are not real early people. He will get up and make coffee and we will sit and talk, watch news, drink coffee. Around noontime we head to the kitchen and make our "breakfast" which usually consists of breakfast foods. Sometimes an omelet, some times fried egg with a meat, bacon or sausage or Canadian bacon, or ham. I cook the bacon in the oven. Occasionally we have toast. I just bought some oatmeal for the winter, I love it but he is not a fan. It never takes me long to cook any of it. And he helps. When we get hungry later in the evening we have something light, a small meal. It used to be neither of us ate breakfast, he never ate lunch, I would usually have a little bite of something for a late lunch, and then I would cook a big dinner for us. It was the only meal he ate each day. I was glad to get that situation changed. Apples and peanut butter or banana and peanut butter are often my meal. I also have Leg cramps and restless leg. I have to take something or rub my legs with potassium lotion right before bed. I take supplements too. And some nights no matter what I do I have them. If I ate my banana and peanut butter early in the day it would have no effect I have to have it later closer to bed time.