Oh, yes, yes, we can always shoehorn in a new or returning ponder poster. Topics are not limited to our ponds and pets and we do our best to avoid Hot Topics but not passion. The discussions can range from how and what to feed a baby bird or set its broken wing to contests to frogs or bats or frogs and bats together. Football rivalries come up frequently. Come join the fun. I won't speak about the gallery. I'm too often jealous.

I used to go to the Conversations Forum all the time. Then later there were those who ridiculed friends, and started posts that were marginally tasteful. Little by little we lost members, and sadly many posters stopped completely, went to different sites all together, or just stopped checking in. A couple of times I, as well as others, have tried to start threads there, but I think we are all very busy, and the Conversations just sits there. I am pleased that I could draw attention to a thread that so many needed to see. I wish I could think of some way to restart the Conversations, but I don't know how. Florence has posted there, and I think a few others, but it just hasn't taken off. Sammy

How about Chicken Piccata? There is a little parmesan cheese in the recipe, but its not a dominating ingredient. I serve it with noodles or rice. Chicken Piccata Recipe (from www.simplyrecipes.com) Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Yield: Serves 4. Ingredients 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound total) 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup flour Salt and pepper 4 Tbsp olive oil 4 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine 3 Tbsp lemon juice 1/4 cup brined capers 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley Method 1 Cut the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, you may want to cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are still thick after butterflying, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat hammer to 1/4-inch thickness. 2 Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan. Rinse the chicken pieces in water. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated. 3 Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces, do not crowd the pan. Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to a plate. Cook the other breasts in the same manner, remove from pan. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce. 4 Add the chicken stock (or white wine), lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. How about chocolate cupcakes for dessert? Super Easy, Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe (from www.simplyrecipes.com) Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes. The coffee (and the salt) help intensify the flavor of the chocolate. If you don't have or don't want to use coffee, just skip it and use water instead. If you do use coffee, just use what would be considered regular strength coffee (or slightly weak coffee) in America, not something super concentrated like espresso. If caffeine is an issue, use decaf. If you want to make a cake instead of cupcakes, double the recipe and use two 8-inch round cake pans and cook for 35-40 minutes. Ingredients Cupcakes: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup brewed coffee (or 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee granules) 1 Tbsp white vinegar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 6 Tbsp (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp) olive oil Frosting: 4 Tbsp butter 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Method Cupcakes: 1 Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners. 2 In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps (cocoa tends to clump up). 3 In a separate bowl, mix together the coffee (or water plus coffee granules), vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil. 4 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until they just come together. The mixture should be thin and rather lumpy. 5 Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 6 Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack. Once cool, you can eat plain, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or drizzle or coat with frosting. Frosting: While the cupcakes are cooking, make the frosting. Melt butter in a small saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa until smooth. Sprinkle in about a third of the powdered sugar, stir, then sprinkle in about a half of the milk. Keep alternating with the powdered sugar and either milk or vanilla, stirring after each addition, until the frosting is the consistency you want, and smooth. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. If too stiff, add a little more milk or vanilla extract.

Yes. I have participated in the cooking forum, a lot. I do find them friendly and very, super-duper knowledgeable. That said, if you want really good recipes that have actually been made (not only recipes that are posted on the internet that look really pretty), with tips and hints, that is the place to go. There are experts in every corner of the culinary world. I still haven't tried a foray into bread, but I know Annie would help. Immediately. Sure, others would jump in, but she'd be first. For instance. She's also good at canning. But say, I wanted to make a very large meal and needed good round numbers to get started, well then, it'd be LindaC. You get the picture. I know I could never cook as well as many of the posters, but I do know they're kinder than kind and incredibly patient. _______________________ I won't mention some of the past tiffs over there, but in retrospect they could be pretty comical. I innocuously started the great garlic tiff. I was asking about an Asian dipping sauce and asked if using powdered would work as well as fresh in the one instance. Some said no, and ONE (Lou!) said absolutely. Fireworks! It was more than comical to me. I really, truly, wasn't trying to upset anyone.