SpotCheckBilly

Great role models, but do we really need kindergarten graduation ceremonies?

I have tried several oils, but think grape seed is the best I have used. You need something with a high smoke point. I don't use such a high temp to season. The guidelines I followed when I first started redoing cast iron pieces said to do a thin coat of oil, rub it into a hot (on stove) skillet, then bake it at 250+ for an hour or so, then let it cool naturally.

I would do this a couple of times, then start cooking in it. First I would cook bacon, then make hash browns, and so on. The more you cook in it, the better. I keep many of the pieces in the oven and often when using the oven for something else, I just use the heat for another round of seasoning.

Gas at Sam's in Tucker, GA was $3.73 about two hours ago.

But hey, maybe we could give Iran some of our nuclear weapons and get the price down to under $2.

$150

I paid $4.05 the other day, the most I have ever paid for gas. Don't like it.

But then, I think I would like Iran having a nuclear weapon, especially now that they have demonstrated a better than previously known ballistic capability, even less.

I'll suck it up and hope it ends soon.

Was watching the Atlanta local news one night when they showed a couple coming out of the church about to drive off on their honeymoon. I recognized the groom as someone I knew from our company softball team. They made it down a couple of steps, then the local sheriff's deputies slapped handcuffs on both the bride and groom and led them off to separate patrol cars, and later cells, where they spent their honeymoon night.

The busted them for selling pot, but the theatrics stemmed from a softball game between us and the sheriff's department that got rather heated. I knew the local narc, who lived near me, and told him the next day that that was cold-hearted.

I'll take Hoaxes for $500, Alex.

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Anybody have a carrot cake recipe???

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My daughter made this and it was very good:

Carrot Cake Covered in Caramel

Adapted from LINK

INGREDIENTS

For the caramel:

1 cup of brown sugar
½ cup of salted butter
½ cup of heavy cream
¼ cup of maple syrup
½ teaspoon of salt

For the cake:

2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
¼ cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ginger
½ teaspoon of cardamom
1¾ cup of grated carrots
½ cup of salted butter, softened
1 cup of whole milk

STEPS

1) Add the brown sugar, salted butter, heavy cream, maple syrup and ½ teaspoon kosher salt to a medium pot. Set over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.

2) Boil the syrup for 3 minutes, keeping an eye on it and stirring occasionally so it doesn’t boil over. After three minutes, turn off the heat and set the caramel aside while you prep the rest of the cake. It should be relatively thin.

3) Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

4) In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger, and ½ teaspoon cardamom.

5) Grate in the carrots on the smaller side of a box grater.

6) Cube the softened butter and add it in. Using a hand mixer, mix for a few minutes, until you start to get a crumbly texture. Mix a bit more until the mixture is starting to clump, then gradually pour in the milk until you make a smooth batter.

7) Use a 9 by 9-inch ceramic dish. Don’t grease it (the caramel will do plenty), but dollop six big portions of the dough in the dish, spreading them out so they are nearly touching but not quite. Leave some crevices for the caramel to sink into.

8) Pour the caramel on top, getting in the crevices, and a little on top of each cake. The cake will look like it’s swimming in caramel.

9) Bake at 375°F convection for 25-30 minutes, or until you can touch the cakes and they spring back from the touch.


NOTES

When it’s out of the oven, scoop and serve as soon as it stops bubbling. This is best served warm and with ice cream.

I guess I will keep my 04 Tundra a bit longer. So far, all it does is crank and go. It does eat a lot, but the ride is fine, and it is fancy enough for me. I did replace the electronics so now it has CarPlay and most of the newer features I like.

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Here's a recipe for an herb/parmesan bread I baked today.

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Thanks. I will try that. It sounds good.

Valencia peanuts make the best boiled peanuts. The nuts are more uniform than Flo-Runners, but most any variety can be used.

I used to think they were nasty, but then a friend from the Wiregrass made some and I tried them to be polite...love them now.

I don't think farmers in the deep south are harvesting peanuts now. That's a late summer thing. It's planting time now, except it has been real dry.