It depends on the Aldi’s you go to. The ones here where I live are pretty good, although some of the fresh produce deserves air quotes. But when I am visiting friends in another state, and I go to the Aldi near their home, yeah, it’s like they only hire folks with absolutely no customer service capability, or cleaning…

Today is the big family supper, at least 40 from Mom down to her newest (of 8) great-great-grandchild, at Mom’s house. It is always potluck, so everyone brings what they can. So far I’ve made:
Roasted Garlic Focaccia (Kenji’s from Serious Eats) - and forgot to set the timer, so I’m not taking it, but I am eating burnt…

Pickled banana peppers - adds both salt and acid to foods, and heat if you get the hot ones. You’d be surprised what a layer of them added to lasagna will do.

I just bought some of the vegetable BTB, glad to hear it was worth it.

At least they’re not made of kangaroo meat.

Not anymore. I did back in the days when I bought gifts for the siblings and nieces/nephews, but now its all grandnieces/nephews and great-grandnephews/nieces, so Uncle Santa no longer gives them gifts (heck I don’t see half of them any other time of the year to know what they like, anyway). The only one who gets a…

Retrying this:
It’s a stock Getty photo. Nuclear reactor cooling towers with steam. Looks nothing like a steel manufacturing or an ethanol plant.

If it makes you feel better, you weren’t the only one. I blame Monday.

As someone who’s been time sunk down the ‘cakewrecks’ hole, based on all the wrecks accumulated over the years, it doesn’t work like that anywhere. Cut off one wrecky professional cake decorator, and two pop up to take their place.

Well, it used to be Mrs. Grass Chicken Noodle Soup, the box with the GOLDEN FLAVOR NUGGET, dolled up with extra noodles so it was more of a runny noodle dish than a soup, and then a light dusting of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt on top - the way my grandma used to make it for us when we kids were sick. But the nuggetless…

Great, now I know that my Royal Doulton with the hand painted periwinkes will be in tip-top shape when I host one of my executive-style candlelight suppers.

Or to have it taste just like Sperheoven Krispies, although the smell might be a bit off-putting...

Salt Water Taffy: Honestly, it’s not for everyone.

I can’t watch them insert the needle, whether it is for getting a shot or giving blood, but once the needle has pierced my skin, I can turn and watch the blood flow out/flu shot flow in, and watch them pull the needle out when done.

I think my mom has one, next to the filled books of S&H Green Stamps she’s been meaning to redeem since 1972.

Not carcinogenic (I think), but nutmeg has a hallucinogenic compound - myristicin - in it. You just have to eat very large quantities to get any effect. 

My last birthday (Mexican restaurant) that was the plan, but when they brought out the fried ice cream treat, the other 3 folks at the table took one look and said “can we get one of those too?” So, yeah, they sold 3 extra desserts for the free one I got. (Actually, after tasting how good it was, I probably would have…

One of the best things about Mom baking pies when growing up was the cinnamon-sugar coated ‘scraps’ baked after the pies were done. And we didn’t need to cut them up into any fancy ‘fries’ or anything, any blobby, random shape tasted just as good.

We were apparently ahead of the trend, we had one Hooter’s in the late 90's/early 00's, it’s been closed for at least 10+ years.

I use my pastry cutter to make single serving mashed potatoes. I have a small metal bowl that matches the curve of the pastry cutter, so no big chunks can hide in corners.