Just in time for herb planting season, the spring gloom has descended on San Francisco. It’s 51º and overcast. Undeterred, I went hunting for herb plants over the last week and was surprised at the lack of varieties. One nursery had 3 types of thyme, but nothing else. Another had rosemary and what seemed like hundreds…

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A friend did the conversion years ago, he said he likes the bigger bubbles the tank provides. He keeps his in a cabinet in his kitchen (clearly not aware of the safety regs). I like your beverage station, the out and proud conversion is there for everyone to admire.

I came soooo close. I found the 1.5oz cups at minimus.biz, (really, you need to see it, amazing site). but they are out of stock. I’ll stick with pure maple syrup, it’ll be fine.

Genius, this. I wish Mrs. B came in smaller sizes, I would love to have it on hand in my limited pantry. They make a 12 oz bottle, but I can’t find it anywhere.

I think Emily Post would approve, pinky in the air.

If I may quote Mr Bruce Willis, “Welcome to the Party, Pal!”

I like that you used olive oil. I tried using really good stuff in a single serving chocolate cake and was really surprised at the result.

I have a small freezer-on-top appliance. One crisper drawer, two shelves. Bins didn’t do much good there. The top shelf is less deep, so I cut a sheet of plexiglass to fit, extending it by 2.5 inches.(I tried to upload a photo, but no dice).

Ahh, this takes me back. My kryptonite combo is Nacho Cheese Doritos & sour cream. (I’ve also used whipped cottage cheese in a pinch).

It’s always a good idea to try to use native plants. There are a number of web tools available and native plant specialists to consult. I learned a lot researching plants for my yard, picking bee, butterfly and hummingbird friendly plants.

I find Nutella to be a bit too sweet. I found an interesting alternative in a local market: Chocolate tahini spread. I really liked the combination. It may be hard to find, but there are many DIY recipes. Tahini, cocoa powder and sweetener (powdered sugar, rice syrup, agave, coconut sugar will give different textures).

I think it’s kind of magical when simple ingredients can be turned into something wonderful. I saw this divine dish made on an episode of America’s Test Kitchen. They used supermarket ricotta and did the paper towel thing, too.

San Francisco, which is really a different planet. 

Hope you are sitting down, Dennis. My Taco Bell charges $9.95 for Nachos Bell Grande. A single, original crispy taco is $2.50. Don’t ask what the KFC costs at that location.

I used enormous cardboard sheets from work (from large screen TVs) for my yard. They worked pretty well, but there is one other thing to remember: Weeds also grow from the top down. Wind blows seeds, seeds sit on top and germinate. Yeah, they are easier to pull out but you have to be vigilant.

Did I need this recipe last night. Sick with a cold, no energy to make anything, ended up with some spaghetti with cottage cheese on the side. When I’m feeling better, I’ll make sure I have a few cans of evaporated milk on hand. This goes in my recipe database.

I’ll bet thin Italian salami slices would go very well with sweet grilled pineapple as an alternative to Canadian Bacon.

Somewhere I read a technique where the oil is warmed, then dried herbs & garlic are added to bloom them off heat, then acid is mixed in. I did it for a spinach salad, it was a huge improvement. I tried various herb combinations. The delicate herbs (thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil) work very well.

I use a variation of the swallow method: Hold your breath, take 7 little sips of water.