♫ WE LOVE TO CHAT 7/16 ♪

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, EVERYONE, and greetings from Tampa where the weatherman says we are in the solid summer weather pattern,meaning a chance of rain every afternoon, right around the 4 to 5 pm rush hour.  And, that also means that the sun will come out before it sets and steam up the wet sidewalks and streets...  tha't the part I don't like. 

I almost didn't want to start a new thread this morning...  we had such a lively conversation going the last few days, I didn't want it to end. 

Carole, I haven't done any broiling in my Oster yet, so I cannot address your question, but Geema's listing of the instructions may answer the question about the top burner.  30 minutes for hot dogs does seem like a long time.  Let us know what you find out if you call them....

I did a chicken bruschetta with ziti last night, in my Oster, and it was perfect. 

Today, we are back to our normal mode - Aune goes to work, and I am having lunch with Jean. Today we are going to GrillSmith, a bit more upscale for lunch than we usually select, but we both feel like being pampered today. 

Hope the day goes well for everyone...  take care, and I will see you this afternoon.

Good morning, all. I've been up quite a while already and gotten something done before going to the retiree's breakfast this morning. I'm doing a newsletter for them and someone found a mistake before we sent it out on PDF so I had to correct it and get it out in email before going. Done now and sipping coffee. There are about 20 people who don't have email so I have to take the newsletter to be printed at our union offices--part of our retiree dues pay for that and the mailing. I still have to compile and address them then run them back to be mailed. I wish everyone did email--it's sooo much easier to send it out on a PDF.

Our rain here in the city yesterday amounted to 7/100ths of an inch. Whoopee do--not.  It was hardly even a start. We might have a slight chance for some more Tuesday night and then nothing through the weekend. My friend Betty had a swift downpour so may have gotten enough to put some in her rain barrels which she's been hoping for.

My counter top oven requires keeping the door open a crack while broiling or the heat gets too high and dries out the food. Occasionally I've deliberately closed the door for a short period to hurry up the process. How hot does it get on the high temp? The broil setting on the big stove ovens is 500F whereas most toaster ovens go to 450F so it's possible that it just might take longer to broil the food because of that. Just a thought.

I was just thinking about the toaster oven that my Mom had for years--it was really basic. Just a metal shell with elements. I'm not sure it even had accurate settings. It would get screaming hot inside and out and was probably a safety hazard. We never really baked in it but could that thing ever broil. When it finally died, she missed it terribly. I was surprised to see an almost identical one a while back for sale in the Vermont Country Store catalog as a "nostalgic" item that people had requested. It wasn't offered for very long. I was almost tempted to get one. 

Wouldn't you know it. Tomorrow our class is painting outdoors and it's supposed to be very humid and 95. I'm planning to make a nice pasta salad for when I get home--always good on a hot day. 

I'd better think about getting dressed and going. Busy day after breakfast so I want to get organized. Talk to you later.

Well another week is upon us so lets see if we can make it as much fun as last week.

I am glad that I got out my 3 small Pampered Chef stoneware making the brownies, a teeny tiny meatloaf and baking some frozen breaded onion rings. I felt like I had pampered myself. By making a 4 oz (96/4%) pattie into a mini meatloaf ended up making 2 small servings. I added a bit of onion, a thin slice of the cheese bread cubed, some Italian bread crumbs and pizza sauce - was yummy!! And used up the rest of the steamed veggies.  The brownies were/are very good. Now I need to find some other small bar pan recipes to fit the PC stoneware bar pan and the smaller baker. I have 2 bar pans and one is very dark from usage and other one not so much. Oh, the 3rd small PC piece is the small oval baker which is glazed on the outside (neat little dish) and that is what I made the mini meat loaf in.

Our temp is 74.4° and I can see the sun shining brightly behind the trees. And no rain predicted that I am aware of. WAAAAAAA

I am irritated at Cali this morning - she about knocked me down getting out the door.  BAD Cali!!!!!  I tell you she is worse than a kid sometimes and at other times better.   Need to fix her some food BUT she can just wait a bit longer.

Beema: How do you do your Chicken Bruschetta with Ziti?   Sounds good!

Have a great day!!

geema--My little instruction leaflet (which must have replaced their 'manual') said the same thing about broiling, but I didn't notice the element turning red at all...of course the light was on so if it goes on and off maybe I just missed it.  But I'll call this morning to find out.  I know what you mean about your dog almost knocking you down...I had quite a few spills cause of our dog!

NYBirder--Yes, this one only reaches a max of 450, but can be set to any temp to broil (but I did press the button to 450) and also says to keep the door open about 3".  My last toaster oven went up to 500, but that even took a while to broil, but not this long.  I think I know the type of old-time toaster oven you're talking about.  I used to have one that sounds like that.  But when all the kids were young they'd leave it on (it didn't have an auto shut off) and I figured one day they'd start a fire so I got rid of it.  When you paint outside with the high humidity, does it take longer for the paint to dry?  I bet you won't be dry, though!

It's hot and humid already outside.  It's supposed to be 95 today and 100 tomorrow.  Yuk. I didn't look at the tomatoes yesterday so maybe with all this hot weather a few more decided to turn red. 

I bought a groupon restaurant thing for a Mexican restaurant back in the winter and it expires in a couple of weeks so we're going to use it today before we forget about it and lose it.  I read that's why a lot of places participate in groupon cause people forget to use them and the places make money for doing nothing.

carole

Ok..my bad.  I called Oster and I did it wrong.  On the box it said you can broil at ANY temperature, but didn't say that in the leaflet.  So when I pressed broil I also pressed the temp to make sure that it went to 450.  The lady said I shouldn't have pressed the temp button...that's what caused it not to broil properly.  So I tried it now with a piece of bread and the top element did get very red and hot, as my finger can prove, and after about 8 minutes the bread started to brown.  So it's working fine and I'm so glad that I don't have to pack it up and return it!

Carole:  Live and learn!!     I must say though most of the directions are confusing.  I bet it wasn't written by someone who knew how to cook or explain how to.    I am surprised that the person on the phone knew what they was talking about.  But there are still a few smart people answering questions.

I have been out looking for recipes for my bar pans and small oval baker.  I need some variety in my kitchen!!

Maybe I can tweak them enough to share with the toaster oven users. 

Guess I had better get this day started!!

Yeah, live and learn is right!  When I told her that the box said you can broil at any temp, she said 'well it doesn't say that here'. So I'm wondering why it says that on the box??

I'll have to look around for some baking recipes for smaller sizes, too.  I have an 11 piece set of Temptations from QVC that I have never used for baking, just casseroles.  They can be used in the toaster oven, so I'd rather use those instead of the glass since anchor doesn't recommend using them in the TO cause they can crack.  It would be just my luck that mine would crack!  I just read yesterday that someone's pyrex cracked in the TO a couple of weeks ago.  But I will try my glass loaf pans in there and if they crack that sure would be a mess.  I do have 2 metal loaf pans but the stuff seems to come out better in the glass ones.  So in a day or two I may have 2 zucchini loaves all over the bottom of my TO!

Carole:  Grease and flour (shaking out excess flour) your metal/glass pans and they should come out just fine.  Another way to grease and flour pans is to mix flour and shortening into a paste (maybe a bit more flour that shortening) and rub/coat your pans. Probably TO gets a bit hotter than a regular oven (or just holds the heat due to size). I know that doesn't make sense - but it does when you remember the toaster oven saves energy. Come to think of it I use more metal "pans" than glass except of course the micro is glass or microware. Did I just make up a word!

Just heard an awful racket outside my window. Apparently "the cat" that comes in my yard all the time almost had a rabbit (looked like an adult rabbit - almost as big as the cat).  The rabbit got away and I tapped on the window and the cat left. Never a dull moment!!

About African Violets.  I water them from the bottom.  I have them in "sleeve pots" and take the inter pot and plant out and set them down in water and let them soak for 10 or so minutes. If you water them from the top you are apt to get water on the leaves or stem part. I imagine that in their natural environment they don't get much direct sun or water. Go on line and read about them - I have House Plant books but you can get info on line about as easy as the books or easier.

CUL

I think the problem with toaster ovens as they cycle on and off more often than with a large oven. They heat by leaving the element on until the temp is reached--I'm pretty sure that the element itself doesn't have different temps. The variable is hitting the desired temp, then it turns off, then on again to maintain the temperature. So your cookware could be exposed to some pretty high temperatures sometimes during the cycling.

The problem with the glass is that if it is scratched it might encourage it to crack. With that said, I've been using pyrex, anchor, and other glass pans in my oven for years without a problem. But . . . I don't use the broil setting with them. By the way, a really neat thing to have is one of those oven liners for the bottom--they make them in smaller sizes for the toaster oven. Mine has caught some nasty run overs a couple of times and saved me a lot of work.

Geema--if you're looking for cake recipes to fit your ovenware, I probably have some in a really old book for "Cooking over 50" that would do. I'll go through and look them up and email them to you offline if you want. Some bake in 7" x 3" loaf pans but are not loaves--just little sheet cakes--so they ought to work in other small shallow pans, too. I also have one of those Company's Coming books with recipes for two with some pretty good sounding dessert recipes. (Our Canadian friends are probably familiar with that series--they're published in Canada.) If anyone else is interested, we can hook up by email off the group and I'll send them along. I also have a fabulous gingerbread recipe I've tested which is a half recipe baked in a 9x5 pan, using it as a sheet cake pan. It reminds me of my mother's but the egg in it is beaten until it's lemon-colored before adding the other ingredients. It makes it very light and fluffy. Mmm. I'm making myself hungry again. It doesn't take much these days. 

Has anyone ever made a hot milk cake? That was one of my Aunt Ruth's specialties that she would whip up during the hour it took us to drive to visit. We'd arrive to a cake just coming out of the oven. It's a simple sponge cake which is good on its own or with frosting or just with fruit sauce. Aunt Ruth always served it with a dollop of ice cream. Now I'm really getting hungry. 

Birdie:  Ohhh goodie!!  Any smaller recipes would be appreciated.  

I have all size smaller pans (remember I an a pack rat). Pans I have!  Now you see why I was so excited about the brownie recipe from someone who cut down a PC recipe.

I have some smaller pans and I have the wedding cake tiered pans (as I have made several wedding cakes - even got paid for some).

I have a 9" x 12" x 1 1/2" that is a bake pan (with drip insert for broiling that came with the Black & Decker toaster oven). Plus 2  9"x13" pans before TO. And loaf pans. 

I have 2 (11 1/2" x 7 1/2"x 7/8" with a perferated insert) that I got at GW (makes a good brownie pan if you want that many brownies - or rolls or biscuits or broiler pan), those are like cookie sheets with sides and  a 10 1/2" x 7" x 1 1/2". Plus some Wilton character pans. 

And some small pans: a 7 1/4" rnd cake, 4  rnd 5 1/2" cake pans, a 7" pie pan and some little ones like tart pans. 

Some day when I get old and feeble my grandkids (maybe even the "greats) will  have a "hay day".  

Yes, I have made hot milk cake - that is one of the first cakes I made when I was in 4-H.  As I remember we dusted it with powdered sugar.  How big is your recipe?  I think I have a recipe but not the 4-H one (don't know what happened to that one). 

My toaster oven has a crumb tray.   My toaster oven is an Oster model TSSTTVXLDG.  You can go to Oster and check it out if you want.  It is BIG.

I had an Aunt Ruth too. 

Hi everyone, late getting on today I was up at 5 as we have to go feed and let the dogs out for 6. A couple questions, I would love a toaster oven but they seem to get hot on the bottom and I worry about my countertop, anyone have one that doesn't do that.

Also looking for a good taco salad recipe, if you have one please share with me.

Washed all the windows yesterday and finished up today, did the floors, they are coming to spray for ants tomorrow and can't wash the floors for several weeks. Forget how many he said.

Hey, guys, you have been busy while I was playing  Literally.  We golfed this morning even tho it was hot out there, especially when I stayed on the short grass, which was most of the time

I have to throw my  thoughts in on the toaster oven.  I had never had one (saw no need for one) until we moved into a tiny aprtment about 4 years ago while our house was being built (and the other house sold way quicker than we expected).  We were standing in the kitchen which was lovely and bright, lots of cupboard space and I'm standing there saying , yes, this will work for us for a few months, when hubby threw in "You have no oven to bake your bread".  A miniscule toaster oven came with the apartment, so we went to the Hamilton Beach outlet in town here and bought our own.  It is a convection toaster oven and I often use the convection button.  I was thinking we could get rid of the regular toaster but when we found how long toast took we kept it.  Other than that, I LOVE the toaster oven and to this day, I often bake my bread in it and it turns out just fine.  I use it for casseroles, stews, meatloaf etc 'specially when I'm cooking for the 2 of us.  It is not overly big and a 9 x 13 pan does not fit but I have a 7 x 11 one that does.  I cannot fit in a 12 muffin pan either which is a shame because when I make muffins I usually make at least 2 dozen at a time (and freeze them).  Wish I had bought one years ago - think of the savings I missed out on  Seriously if and when this one gives up, I will definitely be buying another one and I would probably try to get one that took a 9 x 13 pan.  Yes, it gets hot on the outside but it makes a great plate warmer when it is on anyway.  I just had to go and check on the countertop Mac.  The toaster oven has been where it is for well over 3 years and the counter is perfect underneath.  My only concern would be if I had young children around when I was cooking because of the heat but as we have no grandkids, it's not a problem

After golfing today, we stopped in at our favourite coffee shop for some lunch before going to the stores and then on to visit a friend who has just spent a month in hospital.  Poor guy has had a real tough time of it, 2 major surgeries, with at least one more to come as well as some time in the ICU.  He had nothing but praise for both hospitals he was in tho which was nice to hear.  All he can do at the moment is lie in the backyard in the shade.  He uses a walker to get around and now weighs barely 100lb.  But he looks on the bright side, is happy to see visitors and spends lots of time reading.  None of us should take good health for granted, that's for sure

No thoughts yet on what we will eat tonight but I do know it will be something quick and easy.

Have a great evening,

Tasty

Hey Mac,  with regards the taco salad

For the 2 of us I brown about 1/2lb hamburger and then drain it.  Add 1/2 pack of taco seasoning with 1/2 cup of water and let it simmer until the water has evaporated.  Recently I have also added any salsa that I have left in the fridge - that just adds an extra flavour.  I then put the lettuce on a plate, add chopped pepper, probably most recipes say green but I use what I have on hand.  Add the cooled hamburger and top with cheese.  The recipe I base mine taco salad on says to use Catalina dressing, but hubby is not keen on Catalina so he adds what ever he wants.  Without posting a recipe, this is the best I can do   Some recipes add nachos ffor some crunch.

Tasty

We sure are the chatty group again today...  how nice is that? 

Lunch with Jean was nice, and then I walked out and left my doggie bag behind.  Darn.  By the size of the crowd waiting for tables as we walked out, I knew the bag would have been tossed out when the table was bussed, long before I could have returned. 

Appliances are all so variable, and I know that at different times of the day, our electric company reduces the amount of power to conserve energy, and depending on the seaon even that varies.  So timing and temperatures are not a given.  The chamber is so much smaller than a standard oven, so it makes sense that the heat will be more intense; and the burners are closer to the food than in a standard oven.  And, Carole, if the Oster you bought is also a convection oven, with the fan circulating the heat, that will make a difference also.  I still haven't broiled in mine, but I do know that the baking I have done so far seems to be hotter and faster than the big oven. 

Mac, the countertop oven has very sturdy "feet" and the bottom sits about 2" above the surface of the counter.  I haven't seen any indication that the countertop is being affected by the heat from the oven.  I wouldn't worry about that, if I were you.

Birdy, you are talking about my favorite throne-side reading material - The Vermont Country Store catalog.  They have more things that no one else carries, and all of it is good stuff. 

Geema, the chicken bruschetta is a made up thing:  I cut a half breast of chicken into chunks, layer them and a jar of Classico's Bruschetta with garlic and a bunch of shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarello, provolone whatever I have, mix in some cooked ziti pasta, sprinkle the top more cheese, and some Panko, and bake 30 minutes at 325. No need to precook the chicken.  It fits into an 8 x 8 pan, about 4 servings.  If you cot it down for two servings, make it in a loaf pan.  I haven't tried freezing it, but I feel sure it would do okay if you freeze it by the serving size. Oh, and thanks for the info on the African Violets.  I don't know where I'd put them if I did decide to try them again...  always my problem - where to put things.

Birdy, I think we are at a point of trusting each other enough to share email addresses - we do that for the Christmas Exchange, not to get the cards by email to give our street mailing addresses to Tasty, or whoever is putting the list together.  On a fairly regulare basis I exchange emails with Geema and Lilly, and Mac and Tasty at Christmas...  we don't abuse the access or the information, so your offer to trade recipes privately might be an excellent idea, especially for our group.  To exchange the email addresses, use the Private Message system.

Mac, the taco salad that I make is merely all the same stuff you would use for toppings to make tacos, the cooked toco meat (cold), black olives, cheddar cheese, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, and anything else that you may like.  Spread a bunch of chopped lettuce in the bottom of a large dish, spread all of the above stuff evenly over the lettuce, and then I make a mix of sour cream and taco seasoning for the dressing.  Any leftoer taco shells are broken into chip sized pieces and arranged around the side of the dish.  Everyone puts his own dressing on the salad.  I have seen some taco salads with a few dabs of chunky salsa added, and even some slices of peach or mango along the side. 

And, Mac, you should be able to wash all the floors except for about a foot away from the walls.  Ants use the walls as their roads, so the only place he will likely spray is along the baseboards of the walls...  just don't wash there. 

The peacocks have moved along, thank heavens, but guess what?  How ironic is this? They are now across the street from Jean's house.   She lives less than a mile from my, but to get there you have to cross two major roads...  I know, birds fly, but there are plenty of nice woodsy areas on this side of those roads, so I have to wonder what made them cross the street.  She had been away, as you know, so I was telling her about them today as we had lunch, then no sooner had I arrived home and the phone was ringing - Jean telling me "your peacocks are in my front yard.. no, they are crossing the street, now they are in Doris's front yard, no, wait, now they are on her roof....  "    And, I haven't seen or heard the owls in ages. 

Aune's home from work, and is exhausted.  Monday's are usully hard days, and today was no exception.  So, now I have a cranky, witchy girl on my hands.  Time for me to sit down with her and let her rant and rave and get it out of her system...  see you in the morning.

Tasty, you were posting at the same time I was typing...  ergo, I didn't respond to anything you said, and we may have duplicated messages...  I will read your's now.