It’s been several threads now so I have to ask, what’s floof?

Baked sweet tater, watermelon, vidalia onions, crawfish, cranberries, corn on the cob

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5705095/floof#n=16

I cook differently in the Spring and Summer so when Fall and Winter rolls around, I look forward to chili and hearty soups, pot roasts etc. I use to make apple pie more often but now it's just Thanksgiving and Christmas. The rest of the time it would be apple crisp which is a lot easier. I look forward to peppermint bark during the holidays and at Easter, marshmallow chicks. :-)))

The fresh fruits and vegetables, tomatoes and green beans especially. As for the holiday meals, we tend to do holiday meals throughout the year. We might even have turkey on the Fourth of July if we like.

Sue

Fresh picks apples peeled and sliced with sweetened condensed caramel to dip them in. Homemade apple crisp. Fresh picked produce in the summer, nothing better!

Fall - Peter's Bakery Pumpkin Burnt Almond cake. Only available in Oct. and Nov. Not a big pumpkin lover but have to have one of these each year. Light layers of pumpkin cake with custard cream filling, iced with more custard cream and covered with their wonderful toasted almonds. The rest of the time I prefer their standard white one. They also make it in chocolate but I don't like it competing with almonds and custard.

This time of the year, Nuernberger Lebkuchen, Big Tin from the Commissary on base... kind of expensive, but all the stuff inside, oh so good.

Moni

For fall, apples, apples! Heirloom apples freshly picked in the orchard in my area (Western New York). They have over 200 heritage varieties so every year we pick some regular favorites (above all, Ashmead’s Kernel, Esopus Spitzenburg, Roxbury Russet, Albemarle Pippin) and then each time discover a dozen or so new to us. Apple cider, butternut squash soup, maple syrup, cranberries, our simple fall fruit salad (apples, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, lemon juice & honey).

Not much to look for in winter except roasted root veggies and thick soups (again from roasted veggies). And mandarines. A couple of different layered tortes with nuts & chocolates.

Spring brings the succession of favorite holidays and their foods, St. Patty’s, Passover, Easter…

Summer is the time for cherries and “European” tart cherries (Balaton and Danube kinds). Also peaches and cobblers. Tomatoes. Gazpacho, Nicoise salad, burgers on the grill, corn on the cob.

I always look forward to my own fresh tomatoes and salad greens plus peaches and fresh corn (not grown by me) in season, my favorites.

For fall and winter I do like pumpkin occasionally, a good piece of pie or one of those gooey pumpkin squares is enough just once. And I look forward to those warm soups and stews I can make on chilly days.

My mother's family made the most delicious fresh egg nog, which is NOTHING like the egg nog sold already prepared. It was a concoction of eggs, cream, vanilla, and sugar combined into a silky gold liquid that was then enhanced with freshly whipped cream folded into it, and topped with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Floof is like fluff just for fun in that we can talk about whatever topic Amylou wants it to be. She starts the discussions. If I recall correctly, someone else started ‘fluff’ posts and that person may not participate any longer, but just in case, Amylou changed hers to ‘Floof’.

I definitely look forward to fresh cranberries and persimmons in autumn.

Fall pears off of our tree, Georgysmom's pecan pie bars, pumpkin pie, summer peaches, peach/jabanero ice cream made from local peaches, Dungeness crab (the season runs from November to about March), summer corn, summer tomatoes and summer watermelon. When I speak of produce, I'm talking locally grown from the farmers market, not the tasteless stuff found in grocery stores.

Summer tomatoes. Pumpkin roll.

I daydream about fresh tomatoes in January and February! What I wouldn't give for a real greenhouse where I could grow them all year. But for holiday cravings, yeah, for me it's 1 carton of peppermint ice cream, 1 Claxton's Fruit Cake (I know ... But it's so tied into childhood memories) and cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. Rolled Sugar using an old recipe with brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon, molded (my Mom ordered the molds when I was very small and I still make a batch using them every year,) and anything else that suits my fancy, those tend to change from year to year. Then it's back to mostly soup suppers until it starts to warm up again. Soup's the only way I make it through winter.

Amen on the fresh crawfish Raven - unfortunately I no longer live in an area that has them.

Homemade eggnog is wonderful!

Heading into Christmas time it's all the German & Austrian goodies; the gingerbread based cookies, stolen - I would go on but I'm making myself hungry.

Spring asparagus. Summer tomatoes. Fresh crab acquired live (and it won't be long now), blueberries, and egg nog. I'm so pleased to be finding the old fashioned full calorie egg nog in the stores again. DH doesn't drink it so it's mine, all mine ;0)

Alas we do not ever get ripe tomatoes here worth eating as something special.

Still, Crab season for the fresh Dungeness.

cherries, I prefer the Bing varieties

Asparagus season

"Strictly seasonal" ... for me that would be freshly harvested, local leaf lettuce. No matter how pretty or productive your lettuce fields may be, put it in a crate and ship it a couple hundred or thousand miles and it's not going to taste the same.

Dropped some mail off at my daughter's work tonight before I came home myself. She asked if I wanted anything and I told her a small hot chocolate would be good. It was okay, way to big, though. I hate to see the large size! Although, her coworkers made it for me "with love" according to her, so they may have upsized it on me.

So, hot chocolate, even though I don't drink it often. Froze to death at work today, the temp is falling and I work in a cold basement so I drink lots of hot liquids when I work: coffee and tea mostly.

I'm already looking forward to next year's garden and have bought a bunch of heirloom veggies to try. I'm so excited...I also bought a really nice bamboo grow light set up. Going to start putting it together Tuesday when I'm off. I will probably start some herbs soon. My daughter bought me a herb garden kit last year for Christmas. Still haven't used it.

I can't think of anything else at the moment. I do like to occasionally bake things like banana nut bread but then I have to eat it all, take it to work or give some of it to my daughter. It's just too much for just me.

Well, I guess eggnog is as divisive as ever. Turns out, someone at work bought a gallon of it to share with his department tonight. And even some nutmeg to sprinkle on top! And only he and 1 other person drinks it! Some of them have never even tried it, and when they did, did not like it. A texture aversion, more so than flavor I think.

Amylou to the rescue!

I will help you avoid wasting all that eggnog friend. Luckily, i have my special eggnog glass in case of emergencies....So much for being good this year. Guess I will have to walk a couple more miles than usual later. Completely worth it.

Panettone - Italian Christmas bread; and a fruit cake from a local baking company that is 90% fruit and nuts with 10% binder.

Summer is not my favorite season except for the food. Tomatoes picked from our dozen plants. We still have some red ones on the counter and green ones in the basement. Corn on the cob I love and cherries, my favorite fruit.They're gone now but will appear in the winter from South America but they aren't as good as the summer ones. I love winter because I can have oven meals like roast chicken, baked potatoes , baked apples. I don't turn the oven on in the summer.

Last year I had about 8 couples over before Christmas. I offered eggnog along with coffee, water, the usual stuff. More than half requested eggnog, and when the ones that didn't request eggnog had a little taste of their spouses eggnog they requested a glass of eggnog also. The quality of the eggnog makes a huge difference.

I wouldn't drink eggnog that came in a gallon container either.

It. Was. Gooooooooood.

Oh, and it wasn't a big gallon jug. He brought 4 quarts. The southern comfort brand. Which just added up to a gallon. I don't think I have ever seen it in a gallon jug. Half gallon i have...

I look forward to home made scrabble party mix during the holiday season. I usually make 3 or 4 batches between Thanksgiving and New Years.

Down south, we have boiled custard instead of eggnog. No alcohol involved. It's some major calories though. They have that in common. I love all the food of all four holidays I observe (yours may differ), Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's eve. Unfortunately. I already needed to lose weight heading into the season. Now, I really need to watch it. I love things made with cinnamon, apples, pumpkin, sweets, turkey, you name it.

Just curious about your eggnog drinking--do any of you put whiskey in it for an adult beverage? My dear Dad used to drink it that way. I like eggnog, but not with whiskey! I'll usually by a quart once during the holidays--I like it with a couple shots of espresso in it in the morning. A local "upscale" grocer makes it fresh during the holidays, it's delicious!

Yes, a shot of something in the bottom of the eggnog mug was optional for adults. I think brandy, but not sure. Irish whiskey would be wonderful too.

To all of the eggnog drinkers (amylou I am thinking of you) my husband (in Canada) LOVES the U.S. made Evan Williams brand of eggnog sold by our Liquor Control Board. It sells out very fast - my husband has been through a 750 ml bottle already and we have one in reserve - and there is none left at the liquor stores near us. It is only Nov. 11 and we bought the 2 bottles 2 weeks ago when we saw it.

It is not refrigerated prior to opening, but then must be. It is made with Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Blended Whiskey, Rum and Brandy. It surprising has an alcohol content of only 15% (but it is noted that it is 30 proof. I am obviously reading from the bottle. It is made in Bardstown, N. Y.

This is the first year that we have been able to find this brand - we read about it. Previously I have bought him ONE quart (I can't say litre - too old!) of organic, full fat eggnog - and he added booze to it. I agree, it is the texture I don't care for. I do drink booze though! He just came by and thought I was going to open the second bottle for him - not a chance!

Eggnog without booze is like chocolate milk without chocolate...good with bourbon, rum, brandy....Southern Comfort....and probably with Everclear....but I'm not going to try that!

Love eggnog ice cream

Amy - that makes a lot more sense, I was thinking of a big plastic jug and I don't like drinking something from plastic.

Eggnog Martini's during the holidays or Hood's Eggnog and Cognac

Baby Maine shrimp (Fishing has been closed for these for the past few years.)

Fresh tomatoes, red leaf lettuce and fresh asparagus from my garden

Tourtiere's at Christmas time

Wild Blackberries, Alpine Strawberries and Wild Blueberries

Non-pasteurized Apple Cider

Steamed little neck clams (Fresh dug and not run through the processing plant)

Shaggy Bark Hickory nuts (They are a PITA to shell but delicious!)

And of course Fiddleheads!

There are so many things I love.

I crave spiced nuts in the fall and winter. Cinnamon, cayenne, brown sugar. Mmmm. And in the summer tomatoes, basil and stone fruits.

I dont add booze to my eggnog. I dont drink. I dislike both the taste and effects of alcohol and I think it gives whatever it's in a bitter acrid taste. Like nail polish remover. So eggnog neat for me please!

Raye, I wish I could get it in glass bottles.

Amy, we have a local dairy that sells fresh eggnog in glass bottles, that might be a place to start checking. They return a portion of the cost when the bottle is returned.

My family loves eggnog. Raye, we have a local dairy that makes it, too. It's one of our favorites.

I have to cut my eggnog with a bit of milk and sometimes booze. Brandy or whiskey. My grandparents taught me to drink it with booze (and probably started me on it before I was legal to do so).

"So eggnog neat for me please!"

With bourbon or brandy for me please! :-)

The only thing I really like about cold weather, it makes oysters fat, and I love fried oysters. This time of year, I do more baking...all my favorite cookie recipes and my fruitcake. In summer I especially look forward to Sugar Baby watermelons.

I forgot about persimmons and peaches. Cherries in the summer.

I am another who is not a fan of alcohol and eggnog. I love the taste of eggnog but usually find it to be too rich and way too thick. I cut it about half and half with milk. Not only does that make it more drinkable to me, I can buy a small bottle that will last for a while.

No alcohol in my eggnog, either, thank you. I don't drink any 'booze' for a couple of reasons. I do use it occasionally in some cooking and baking, where the alcohol is cooked off and just the flavor of the booze is left. I used to make a Bourbon Pecan Fruit cake every October, to be aged until Christmas. We all looked forward to that cake.

Rusty

This time of year it's eggnog, pumpkin rolls, soups, chili, homemade cookies, chestnuts (didn't get any this year) :(

Seasonal local farm stand fruits and vegetables like strawberries, tomatoes, corn on the cob, peaches, cherries (can't get enough of them), plums, crabapples, apples, squash.

Trifle and fruitcake, chicken bone candy, mixed nuts, McLarens Cold Pack Cheese, gherkins and egg nog during Christmas holidays

Cream eggs and decorated sugar cookies at Easter

In the summer, root beer or Vernor floats, iced tea

I know I am forgetting some favourites that I only buy certain times of the year

Eccentric, my husband also loves Kevan Williams eggnog. We are in Florida and it sells out so fast. I try to buy multiple bottles to get him through the (not so) chilly winter in Florida.

I'm not crazy about it as it is very strong and goes to my head to fast.

My mom used to add a shot of brandy or rum to eggnog and I prefer it that way with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

This time of year it's iced sugar cookies and lefse. Summer it's sweet corn. Seasonally, rhubarb and strawberries