Although it's been posted a number of times before I see there's still the contention about the extraneous characters when copying and pasting. Screaming at someone to preview it may not do any good if the problem is on YOUR end! If you want to solve 90% of the issue, go into your browser and set the encoding to UTF-8. I'll bet that solves it most of the time. Each browser is slightly different but to do this in Opera (still the best browser out there) go to View, then click Encoding, then click Unicode, then click UTF-8. Normally it'll change it immediately. Occasionally it can get changed so if you see the characters, check the encoding. To avoid the problem in the first place, when you copy it from a formatted item, like a Word doc or an HTML file, drop it into a plain text file, then recopy it and it'll remove all formatting and what you see is what you're gonna get. Perhaps it could save some raised blood pressures and extra blame and accusations against iVillage. Now back to the OT. Seems some just want to complain no matter what is said. It happens. My skin is thick! Some like to take things as insults, even when someone expresses concern about another person. I remember when, in another forum someone posted a picture of themself and they were swollen up to a serious size. A couple people expressed concern and asked if she was OK but the hyperactive complainers came flying out of the woodwork screaming that it was an insult. Geez, when you can't even ask if someone's health is OK without being accused of attacking, there's really some problems! When I post a recipe that I haven't substantially created myself, I try to give credit to the person even to say something like "based on This Person's _____ recipe" whenever possible. Sometimes I got the recipe from someone who got it from someone else who got it from someone else who got it off the back of a flour bag. I get a kick out of one person who keeps posting a particular recipe (well, one of *many*! LOL), claiming it as "hers", demanding credit for it and how "her family" loves "her recipe" and when you go to Paula Deen's site (which coincidently she acknowledges she frequents!) there is the exact recipe, credited to the originator (even by P.D.) and when this person posts this obviously pilfered recipe it has the same exact punctuation errors along with the exact wording and other marks of copy & paste. Coincidence? I don't think so! LOL But however she gets her thrills! LOL Also folks, chill a bit. There's a couple people here that seem to get others' goats for some reason, so much so that when they ask genuinely about another's well-being, or crack a joke it's back to the "YOU"RE ATTACKING!!!!" stuff. Really no need to be so sensitive. Nor do you always need to read into what's being said with the often-silly accusations of thinly veiled insults comments. Try decaf. Some taste as good as the regular. I do have a request but know it will go ignored. When you *do* post pictures, how about sizing them down a bit so it doesn't throw off some of our browsers? I really would rather look at a small(er?) picture, preferably left aligned so the comments can wrap around it. Sizing it is simply adding "height=" and "width=" tags as you post it. That Jimmy Crack Corn sounds good. Did a quick search and found the procedure though. Here's what I found if anyone is interested: In a pan combine butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar, stirring as it melts together. Bring to a boil while continuing to stir and boil for one (1) minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour sugar mixture over popped corn mixture and stir to coat. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and spread over wax paper to cool. Store in an air-tight container. Joyous Kwanzaa all!

Here are three, Tried and True recipes. Ann Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Pumpkin Loaf ============ 3 Cups sugar 1 Cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 3-1/3 Cups flour 2 Teaspoons salt 2 Teaspoons cinnamon (or to taste) 1 Teaspoon nutmeg 2 Teaspoons baking soda 2 Cups pumpkin 2/3 Cup water 3 Teaspoons Vanilla 2 bags chocolate chips. . Mix sugar, oil and eggs together, add pumpkin and vanilla. Set aside. Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. Blend into sugar mixture alternately with water. Bake at 350 for 1 hour if using large loaf pans, or for 50 minutes if using smaller loaf pans. Spray pans with Butter flavoured Pam. NOTE: The original recipe called for nuts (pecans or walnuts) which I used. Then I tried it with both nuts and chocolate chips, before settling on just chocolate chips. I use two bags of good quality chocolate chips. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Pumpkin Roll ============ 3 Eggs 1 Cup sugar 2/3 Cup pumpkin 1 Teaspoon lemon juice ¾ c flour 2 Teaspoons cinnamom 1 Teaspoon ginger 1 Teaspoon baking powder 1 Teaspoon baking soda ½ tsp nutmeg 1 Cup chopped nuts Filling 1 Cup powdered sugar 8 Ounces cream cheese 4 Tablespoons Butter 1 Teaspoon vanilla . Beat eggs 5 minutes at high speed, adding the sugar, until foamy. Fold in pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg. Fold into egg mixture. Spread onto well greased and floured 15 X 10 X 1 inch jellyroll pan. Top with nuts. Bake at 375 degree for 15 minutes. While hot , turn cake onto a pastry cloth sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll in pastry cloth and let cool. Beat together filling ingredients. Unroll cake, remove cloth and spread filling on cake. Roll filling inside cake. Let stand until cold. Slices better when frozen, freeze, then remove for several minutes before cutting. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ================== Pumpkins! They are everywhere now! I once heard that the white ones make the best pumpkin pie, but have never heard it confirmed. Can anyone comment on this and the merits of one variety of pumpkin over another for assorted uses? While I like the idea of cooking and pureeing my own pumpkin for pies, I wonder how much difference it really makes. Any comments? Posted by Eileen, (Browntoestoo) My favorite pumpkin pie recipe is one I found in Bon Appetit: Favourite Pie crust recipe or 1 Buttermilk Pie Crust Dough disk 1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin 1 cup whipping cream 3/4 cup pure maple syrup 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon natural maple flavor 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Pinch of salt For Maple Whipped Cream: 1 cup chilled whipping cream 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup . Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll pie crust disk out on lightly floured surface to 13-inch-diameter round (about 1/8 inch thick). Roll up dough on rolling pin and transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie plate. Gently press into place. Trim edges of crust, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold excess under. Crimp edges. Freeze until crust is firm, about 15 minutes. Line pie crust with foil, leaving 3-inch overhang. Fill foil with beans or pie weights. Fold extra foil gently over crust edges. Bake until crust is set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Cool pie crust slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Whisk all remaining ingredients (except Maple Whipped Cream) to blend in bowl. Pour filling into crust. Bake until filling is set, covering crust edges with foil if browning too quickly, about 55 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Chill.) Cut pie into wedges and serve with Maple Whipped Cream. To make Maple Whipped Cream: Whip cream with syrup in large bowl until soft peaks form. Makes about 2 cups. Serves 8.

this probably would have come from the KT as it was in that folder. I always cut and paste also with the contributors name and date but somehow it is missing probably because I just did it quick and didn't check. Upside down caramelized apple cake 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Dash nutmeg 2 1/2 cups (about 3 small apples) thinly sliced apples such as courtland, fugi or gala The cake 6 tablespoons unsalted butter very soft 1 cup sugar 2 eggs room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup flour 3 tablespoons cornmeal 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk Preheat oven to 350 degrees Lightly butter the sides of a 9" cake pan (not a spring foam pan) Combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg in a small saucepan. Stir & bring to a boil & boil for 30 seconds, stirring the whole time. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan & spread evenly on the bottom. Put the peeled & sliced apples evenly on the bottom of the pan & press slightly to level them. To make the cake beat the butter & sugar with a electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs & vanilla & beat until very smooth & fluffy about 2 min. Stir the flour, cornmeal, baking powder & salt together then sprinkle over the butter-sugar mix, add the milk & beat just until the batter is evenly moistened about 1 min. Spoon the batter over the apples & smooth the top. Bake 50 min or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry. Run a knife along the outer edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a plate over the cake, then flip it over to invert the cake onto the plate. Let cool completely before serving. 2 notes: Be careful with the caramelized part as it is very hot & can burn you. Make sure your plate is larger then the cake or you will have a mess when you turn over the cake.

Colleen, that's what our family recipes are like. Just ingredient. That's pretty much a standard way to do it in the Old West, and they were called "receipts", pronounced "recipe", still going into my youth. :) Though, re the substitutions, I've made the spicy chicken and dumplings recipe posted by PKramer (attributed to Cuisine at Home) a couple of times. Once, I followed the recipe. Once I improvised with the quantities and vegetables I had. I substituted a yellow carrot and a couple of radishes for the parsnip, for example, used more chicken and less stock, added peas, etc. It's a REALLY good recipe and beautifully balanced. The improvised version wasn't so perfect, but it tasted substantially the same. Certainly close enough to recognize it as the same basic recipe. And while it might have been really good rather than REALLY good, it was really good! I think if you make substitutions and it fails you can't blame the recipe, but when you make all kinds of substitutions and it still comes out tasting similar and really good, the credit goes to the recipe. :)