News-Record.com

OK, I've never done it, but this post over at An Obsession with Food goes into great detail about how to render lard. And I have to admit, I probably never will do it -- I can't think of a single recipe I've made that has ever called for lard. (Remember, I have an aversion to making my own biscuits.) Anyone?

ETA: Upon googling, I see that you can make your own soap using lard. Hm. Christmas gifts for next year ...?

I'm taking a short break and going to Florida -- Mel's Kitchen will return in about two weeks. Until then, feel free to post here about what topics you'd like me to cover when I get back, or how much you love my blog and how the next two weeks will be torture without me. See ya soon.

This is the Mel's Kitchen column that ran in the paper last week. I would have posted it to the blog before now, but I just got back to town.

***

It’s funny how you associate certain foods with certain people. For me, every time I make meatloaf, I think of my grandfather, who I lost this week.

One of Pa’s favorite things was meatloaf, and he especially loved my meatloaf. So much so, in fact, that it got him in trouble with my grandma. The first time I made a meatloaf for him, he looked at my grandma across the table and told her, “This is even better than yours.” She told him he could kiss her butt and that she would never make a meatloaf for him again.

That didn’t stop her from calling me weeks later for my recipe. And even though she followed it exactly, it didn’t stop him from telling me in our weekly phone call that it still wasn’t as good as mine.

I like to think it tasted better when I made it because I was special to him, and he knew I put a little extra love in when I was making it.

My husband and I returned home Monday night after an extended, unexpected absence to find that our fridge needed to be cleaned out. Luckily, a good friend of mine had left us some yummy potato soup and bagels for us, so we didn't have to try to figure out dinner after an eight-hour trip.

My husband is making a trip to the grocery store tonight to restock things like milk and eggs. And somehow this sparked a memory of a list I ran across, of things you should always have in your pantry.

According to the Food Network, the following items are must-haves for every pantry:

Canned tomatoes
Chicken, beef or vegetable broth
Dried pasta
Canned beans (black, navy, pinto, kidney or garbanzo)
Canned tuna fish
Dried fruits
Olives
Good quality breadcrumbs
Tomato sauce/tomato paste
Rice

Their list also suggests recipes for each ingredient.

Now I would beg to differ on the olives -- you'll never find those nasty things in our pantry :) As for the rest of the list, I'd say it's pretty accurate. But there are a few things I would add to the list, as well.

You'll never find me without pesto, diced garlic, salsa, cheese, and potatoes. I realize it's all relatively perishable, but we go through the cheese and potatoes so quickly, it doesn't really matter. For a while, I was pretty good about keeping tortillas around, too -- a cheese and salsa quesadilla takes next to no time to whip up when you're in a hurry.

So what are the things you wouldn't be caught dead without in your pantry -- and what do you use them for?

I've been out of commission mentally for the last month or so, so I've been letting these pile up for a bit.

If you haven't had a chance to check out this Big Link or this Big Link, make sure you do so as soon as you get a chance.

Also, if you haven't had the chance to check out these Tar Heel Taverns, they're worth a look as well.
Tar Heel Tavern #50
Tar Heel Tavern #51

Also, if you're in the mood for some great soup recipes, please stop by ... slowly she turned, where there's usually a great-looking soup or stew up every Sunday.

At our budget meeting today, uber editor Janet mentioned that cold Thin Mints crushed over chocolate ice was a delightful combination. Are there any alternative methods of eating Girl Scout cookies in your household?

And it's celebrating its first anniversary! Check it out here.

Browncoats, as the late show Firefly's fans are called, are pulling together a cookbook to raise money for Freedom for Hunger. If you are a fan of the show and want to help, take a jaunt over to the Web site for more information.

If you’re like me, you received your shipment of Girl Scout cookies sometime last week. If you weren’t lucky enough to have co-workers toting their kids’ order form from desk to desk at your work place, you’ll probably see Brownies and Junior Girl Scouts outside your local supermarket soon.

I was a Girl Scout for many years, although somewhere around Junior level I dropped out once I realized it wasn’t “cool” in the eyes of other middle-schoolers to wear knee socks and be excited about getting badges. Before I left, however, I sold my fair share of cookies and learned quite a bit about them in the process.

Laurie over at ... slowly she turned has posted this yummy-looking Creamy Garlicky Tomato Soup recipe that I can't wait to try out. I think we have a mutual admiration society going on ;)

Dateline Hollywood published a hilarious spoof a few months ago about the brilliance of Joss Whedon's grocery list and the demand that it be made into a television series. (Joss, of course, is the brilliant creator of Buffy and Angel and Firefly.)

Wow. I've managed to work two Joss-themed posts into this blog in the same week. I'm impressed with myself :)

This could be nothing more than a tall tale, but apparently Einstein once said that his second greatest idea was that when he was cooking soup and also wanted a soft-boiled egg, he would add the egg to the soup so he would have one less pot to wash.

I'm an Oscars junkie, and I am so happy that I'm off on Sunday to pig out and watch the show. And just to make this food related, I'll throw in a bag of homemade cookies to the winner. If I have to mail them to you, I'm not responsible for damage done by the post office :)

Oscar prediction page
Group Name: Poop Shark
Password: No Password Required

1. Go to the Oscar.com home page and select "Entertainment Weekly's Worlds Biggest Oscar Pool"
2. Log in with your abc.com member name and password
3. Make your predictions in all 24 awards categories
4. Select "Join Group," then log in using the Group Name provided above
5. Review the predictions of the members in your group
6. Tune in to ABC on Sunday March 5th, 5PM PT/8PM ET for the 78th Academy Awards!

On Tuesday, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., IHOP is giving away a free stack of pancakes to each customer to celebrate National Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday.

It doesn't get much better than free pancakes ... unless it's free pancakes from Tex & Shirley's. So, how about it, Tex & Shirley's? :)