All this talk about fish , I have to tell you my story, We have a sm. pond in back yard , and every year I go to walmart and buy about 3or 4 cheap gold fish $.28 apiece, they usually do great and they help keep the mosquitos lava down , anyway last fall when It came time to take the pond apart for the Winter, could not find the fish , so I thought a preditor had gotten them. So anyway , we had a real bad winter, got very , very cold here, When spring came and ice in pond melted, My DH was outside cking everything out he came in and said he seen fish swimming around in there, can't quite figure out how they made it through the winter with no food ,or pumps . So we call him our Miracle fish, he was about 1 1/2 long when I put him in there and is about 5 in. long now. also love this Idea, and am going to try it, Should probley have put this on conversation side but had to see what You all thought , any ideas how he survived , that pond had to have frozen solid!

Here are a couple of make ahead salad recipes. COPPER PENNY SALAD 4 cups sliced carrots-----------------cook 10 minutes in salted water 2 medium thinly sliced onions 1 medium diced green pepper 1-10 oz. can tomato soup ½ cup oil 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. worchestershire sauce ½ tsp. salt To cooked carrots add onions and peppers. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables. Let stand 1 day Will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. BEAN SALAD Drain in a colander, in order 1 can of Kidney beans, 1 can cut of yellow beans, 1 can of cut green beans OptionalÂyou can add a can of chick peas. 1 small to medium red or white onion cut in ringsÂvery necessary as they add flavor to the salad Dressing ½ cup white or red wine vinegar ½ cup sugar ½ cup salad oil 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp dried basil (2 if itÂs fresh) 1 tbsp. prepared mustard Mix together and pour over beans and onions. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before using. Keeps for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. A couple of make ahead breakfast recipes. You make them up the night before and pop them in the oven in the morning.Both use bread cut into cubes CHRISTMAS MORNING WIFE SAVER 6 cups bread cubes 1 1/2 cups of 1/2 inch ham cubes 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1-1/2 cups shredded chedar cheese 6 eggs beaten 1-1/2 cups milk or buttermilk 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Generously grease a 9x13 pan. Spread half of the bread in the bottom of the pan. Scatter the onions and hamon top. Sprinkle on the cheese. Cover with the remaining bread crumbs. Beat eggs until they are frothy. Add milk, salt and pepper. Blend well. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate over night. In the morning, remove from refrigerator while the oven is heating. Bake @350 for 1 hour. This recipe is very forgiving. The bread, cheese, egg and milk must stay the same but you can add anything you would use in an omelet to the inner layer. APPLE FRENCH TOAST 10 slices day old french bread--I have used raisin bread--very good 6 eggs lightly beaten 2/3/4 cups milk 2/3 cups sugar (divided) 1 tbsp. vanilla 4 medium apples-peeled and thinly sliced. 2 tbsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1 tbsp. butter or margarine Arrange the bread to cover completely the bottom of a well greased 9x13 pan. Combine eggs, milk, half the sugar and vanilla. Pour half over the bread. Combine the rest of the sugar with the spices. Layer on the apples sprinkling with half the sugar mixture. Pour over this the rest of the egg mixture and sprinkle with the rest of the sugar mix. Cover tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator while the oven is heating. Bake uncovered @350 for 1 hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean One of these is usually standard fare in our house Christmas morning. A few hints for you. If you are bringing hot dishes a crock pot is ideal. It can be plugged in as soon as you get there. If it's hot a square tinfoil roaster filled with ice makes an ideal holder for salads and things you want to keep cool Deligate certain chores to other family members--don't try to do everything yourself. Good luck--I hope everything goes well

Ditto to what TeresaVa wrote (I assume your DH works in downtown DC?) DC is a big food-truck city. A couple years ago, there was a gathering of food trucks in a big parking lot offering their food so people could taste what they were about to put on the streets. I recall my response from a co-worker when she asked if I wanted to go: "Are you kidding? I think food trucks are gross. I would never eat at one!" She and another co-worker came back with mouth-watering tales. I blew it! But I have to say I'm not the most adventurous eater... Also, my work hours aren't "normal" ones, so I only see a food truck here and there packing things up. Spike Mendelsohn from "Top Chef" has a food truck (in addition to his Capitol Hill eatery), big-time chef Jose Andres (he's been on "Iron Chef America") has one ... OH: And if you have plans to visit DC, these food trucks are the best thing that's happened to tourists in a long time, I think. Previously there weren't a lot of "grab-a-bite-quickly" places to get food.

we have had food trucks at our small city outside of Orlando for atleast 3 years now. Food Truck Bazaar is a group that organizes hundreds of trucks to go to a different city or spot. Casselberry, my city, has food trucks at city hall park on the 2nd fri of each month, along w a live band and art & craft booths. every city around me has their own date, along w several other spots like Fashion Square Mall which gets about 50+ trucks. My favs are Monsta Lobsta, Cafe Rouge, Swede Dish, YumYum Cupcake, Tamale Co, Charlie's Bakery (famous in Orlando), the crepe company, Dixieland Diner, Midnight Sun Ice Cream Sandwiches. One our favs is also Sit & Stay Pet Cafe that had to go on hiatus, my furgirls love their organic goodies! ~ liz