Thanks for the additional info. FOAS, when I read your post it reminded me of an incident that occured at a mexican restaurant when my kids were very small. We don't usually get dessert out, but we had a gift card or coupon or something, and we ordered 2 servings of fried ice cream to share, which came out with the plates flaming. My husband & I were eating ours & we thought it was very good, but our kids weren't eating theirs & we didn't know why. Well, finally we tasted theirs, and we had the wrong plate! Theirs had the alcohol on the dessert, while ours had it in a larger surrounding plate so it would still flame. The kids are teens now, but still not of drinking age. Your suggestion sounds very good. We're in for a blizzard - maybe we can make some snow ice cream! (I have the saurbraten marinating, but there is still some mulled wine left over.)

Well Never-give-up, I'd not recommend "Rick built it", to build you anything. From the "cathedral" ceiling in the livingroom with no rafter supports (removed, but didn't brace the house roof in anyway), the windows which we knew we'd have to replace when we moved in anyways, but didn't know that a little bit of quarter round and pennies were all that held them in (the big livingroom window was actually just a panel from a sliding glass door turned on it's side!!!), to the toilet in the bathroom, not actually bolted to the floor (caps were glued down to look like they were there), to the livingroom flooring not meeting the walls, because he couldn't figure out how to cut the parquet squares, so instead he just moved the furniture up against the walls, and left 3" gaps around 3 walls. I do believe though, that the wiring was the biggest shock. He apparently didn't have a drill, or brains to figure out how to run wiring properly through the walls.. so this is how he did it: And yes, the house had passed two home inspections to get us our mortgage.. lucky us! Oh, and by the way, the missing parquet flooring, is actually the countertop on the cabinet in the kitchen.. waste not want not you know! If it weren't true, it'd be funny! By all means, DIY your countertops, but please, make sure you have enough for the floors!! Kym

I make several of the things listed here, but I also make the following: Chicken & black bean burritos: Preheat oven to 350°. Mix together: - 1 c. cooked chicken, pulled apart - 1 can black beans, drained - 1 c. sweet corn (I use frozen) - canned salsa to moisten everything - about 1/2 t. cumin and 1 t. chili powder Lay out six flour tortillas, and split the chicken/bean mixture equally among them, laying it in a stripe down the middle of each tortilla. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the chicken/bean mixture, then roll up and put side-by-side on a cookie sheet. Spread some more salsa and shredded cheese on the tops of the burritos, then bake for about 30 minutes, until hot. My other use for cooked chicken is stir-fry: Cut up about 1 cup chicken in cubes or smallish pieces. Then cut up whatever vegetables you have on hand, raw or cooked, into approximately even-sized pieces. I always use an onion to start, and will often use carrot, celery, broccoli, sweet red peppers, zucchini, whatever. Heat a wok or big frypan over high heat, and add about 2 T. oil. While this is heating, mix up a simple sauce of about 1/2 c. cold water, 1 heaping T. cornstarch, and some ground ginger and soy sauce. I mix it in a Tupperware container with a tight-fitting top so I can shake the mixture. Now, when the oil is hot, start adding vegetables. Start with the onions, cook until soft but not done, then begin adding other vegetables. Add the ones that need to cook longer first, and the ones that don't take long later. Add the chicken near the end, as you just have to heat it. Keep everything moving, using a spoon or spatula. When everything is cooked, turn down the heat to medium-low and add the sauce mixture. Cook for a minute or two, until it's hot and thickened. Serve over rice.

I knew I promised a recipe to someone and could not remember to whom. So now I will share this recipe. I cut it out from a women's magazine of some sort many, many years ago. The cake is delicious and would be lovely without the fruit, but the dollop of cherries in the middle of each bar is so pretty. EASY TIME HOLIDAY SQUARES 1 1/2 c sugar 1 c butter, softened 4 eggs 2 c flour 1 Tablespoon lemon extract 1 can cherry pie filling (you won't use the whole can at all} powdered sugar Gradually add sugar to butter in a large mixer bowl at medium speed and beat till light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. At low speed, add flour and the extract. Pour into well greased 15x10 pan. Mark into 20 squares with the edge of a knife. Place 1 heaping Tablespoon of pie filling in the center of each square. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes. While the cake is warm, sift the powdered sugar over it. Cool, and cut into squares. Sometimes I add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract for richness. Let me know what you think. They are pretty with the red cherries and the white powdered sugar and so yummy.