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Say hi to your potential blockbuster nor'easter
By adamg on Tue, 01/19/2016 - 8:00am
The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center says this is the storm that will either prove a "blockbuster" or not all that much, really, at least for Boston. Once the thing gets over land, the NWS says, we should get a much better idea of what it will do because land is where most of the radars and weather balloons and stuff are that provide the all important data.
French Toast Alert - Elevated, so start thinking about that milk, bread and eggs.
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We just get by
However we can
And we're all gonna duck
When the snow hits the fan.
In the 19 times that I've been paying attention, we go about 50/50 for snowstorms around January 23-25. Birthday party invites for both my boys have always gone out with a snow date.
I hear that.
Mine's the 28th. Last year, I remarked on how pleasant a surprise it was that we'd had zero snow by then. Pretty sure the ensuing 60 days were just horrible divine retribution for my unnameable hubris.
No, that was my fault
After we had utterly gloriously perfect weather for our October wedding, I foolishly told my bride that I wasn't going to complain at all about the winter no matter how bad it got. Unlike the official ones, that vow didn't last.
Nope, it was me
I didn't put on my snow tires in 2014. Midway through January 2015, I told my wife "You know, I think I'm just going to skip it, doesn't seem like winter will be as bad this year."
FYI, I've not said anything to her about it, but I still haven't put on my snow tires yet for this year...
nice of you to have makeup
nice of you to have makeup birthday parties. when mine were cancelled due to weather or illness as a kid, that was it. Kind of felt like being punished.
your boys
birthdays are dang close to mine
listen up, nor'easter
I'm going on vacation, starting Saturday, and you better hold off on your shenanigans until my plane has safely departed Logan. I am going somewhere warm and sunny, and I will NOT have you screwing it up!
Sternly,
M. Tucker
milk, bread and eggs
Why do we automatically assume that everyone already has sufficient stock of maple syrup on hand?
BECAUSE NEW ENGLAND!
BECAUSE NEW ENGLAND!
Maple Syrup supply
Right!
As for me, I am happy to report that I just grabbed a six month supply (1 gal) from one of my favorite suppliers (Jacques and Pauline Couture in Westfield, VT)!
If you're ever up that way (near the Canadian Border and Jay Peak), drop in and say hi. They are wonderful people. If you have little ones with you, Jacques will be happy to show them the cows, too (if he's not too busy just then)!
Um...
... maple syrup doesn't come from cows? Maybe I am against GMO after all.
A cow milked for maple syrup would be cool! Alas,...
It is a typical Northeast Kingdom operation - they have multiple business lines to make ends meet (organic dairy, maple syrup, B&B, etc.). On that note, I also recommend the B&B - Pauline's cooking is great and her gentle insistence so many years ago that I use maple syrup as the sweetener in my coffee led to a veritable revolution in my kitchen.
Uncle Jacques
I second that recommendation! Jacques is my uncle and my mom grew up in the farmhouse that is now their B&B. Their beef is awesome as well and I'm pretty sure they ship all over.
Do people eat milk, bread and eggs these days?
I thought we all use almond or coconut milk, are gluten-free and feel so terrible for factory farms robbing chickens of their basic dignity that we don't eat eggs.
^^
LOL
No, we now go to the backyard
No, we now go to the backyard to get our fresh eggs.
I lay my own eggs.
I lay my own eggs.
I get my eggs from the local
I get my eggs from the local heirloom farm in Ipswich, where the chickens are completely free-range and ...
oh my... I'm a hipster, aren't I?
In my defense, the eggs are REALLY good.
Wow
Getting eggs from a farm makes you a "hipster"?
Wow. Just wow.
Maple Syrup
I have plenty.. like 5 half gallon containers. A friend of mine in Vermont.. her husband makes it. So every time she needs computer help, I get a half gallon. I rarely eat pancakes or french toast, but its a good natural sweetener and awesome on a sweet potato.
I also have tons of Trader Joe's pancake Mix.. like 10 boxes of the stuff. (anyone want any? Don't ask why I have that much..)
So between the mix and the syrup, I guess I'm having a pancake party at my house when it snows.. who wants to come?
Party at cybah's house!
I'll bring champagne, orange juice, and peach nectar for mimosas and/or bellinis (or just plain champagne).
Bacon
Great.. someone needs to bring the Bacon and for our Veg friends, some vegetarian bacon!
Vegetarian Bacon?
Well, I never:
via
[I prefer Morningstar's veggie sausages myself - the maple sausage patties in particular. God knows what's in them, but at least it's not meat.]
I love MorningStar stuff. I
I love MorningStar stuff. I do like the sausages occasionally. I eat the crumbles and hamburgers often.
fake bacon
I like fakin' bacon... which is really called smart bacon by light life, but I hate saying smart bacon. Lots of black coffee, fakin' bacon, poached egg, boozy mimosas. Bring on the blizzard!
Are you
Are you dropping off the bellini/mimosa ingredients on your way to the airport? Very considerate, thinking of all of us on your way to warmer weather!
noblesse oblige
Of course. I am the soul of generosity.
And don't forget my fellow New Englanders!
Maple syrup has one ingredient: maple syrup. Also all maple syrup is organic.
Brown-dyed corn syrup (brand names like Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth's, Vermont Maid, Log Cabin, and their ilk) isn't maple syrup and has no place on the breakfast table.
No place on the breakfast table
Is there any place it belongs at all, ever? That stuff is Unamerican!
Well, North American that is ... it is a quintessential North American thing. Makes a great gift for friends or family living in Europe when they let you crash at their home.
Because it grows on trees
Because it grows on trees around here?
Do we have enough salt?
I'm worried that our weather reporters have not yet been spotted in front of large piles of salt. Did we run out of salt? How will we know if there is salt? Who is going to help us and, once the snow does start coming down, who will be there to show us there is enough to make a snowball?
We're probably out
They have laid on the salt very heavy in my neck of the woods, so by the time REAL snow falls they'll need to put in a call for Federal relief.
Our micro-neighborhood's roads were white this morning
Then again, we live on a hill, and all three approaches to the outside world are pretty steep, so that's probably a good thing (used to be a fourth way out, but, well, you know, the hill is giving way there and now there's just air where the road used to be).
How cool!
I've always had a thing for roads that were closed and nature retakes them or that were just rerouted for some unknown reason. (That recent post about the tiny stretch of Northeast Expressway gave me goose bumps.)
Isn't there a foot path?
Or is that gone now too?
NAVIOS HYPERION
NAVIOS HYPERION
Bulk Carrier Bulk Carrier
Zoom in, looks like it is at the Chelsea salt pile now..........
Wayback Machine set to '83, can we get it back to '78?
While we're at it, let's hear
While we're at it, let's hear some good french toast cooking tips.
I guess the only unusual thing that I do is that I use scali bread because that's what I normally have on hand. I just use the classic eggs & milk with nothing else added. I wipe off the griddle with paper towels after the first batch and add fresh butter for the 2nd batch, if there is one.
French toast idea
Challah bread dipped in egg and milk and cook in the frying pan with some buttah
Stuff with cream cheese whipped with maple syrup
Disclaimer: I am not responsible if you die from deliciousness.
a few suggestions
1. Use a cast iron flat pan or griddle. Nice and oiled up. They come out so nice and tasty
2. Vanilla Extract (a tsp) in the batter makes it yummo
Or my three big things
1. Market Basket French Toast Bread (make yours with that bread)
2. Texas thick sliced bread works well too.
3. Sweet bread also works well too.
Okay now I want some french toast...
For the batter: 1 egg and 1/4
For the batter: 1 egg and 1/4 cup light cream for every two slices of bread. Nothing else is needed. I got that from Marion Cunningham's Breakfast Book, truly a wonderful source of recipes. (Her nutmeg muffins, where she has you grate 1 and 1/2 whole nutmegs for the flavoring, are the best.)
Sounds good, though I'd have
Sounds good, though I'd have to run out to get cream because I don't usually have it on hand.
French toast
There are so many good ways to make French toast, I wouldn't think of talking about "the best". I like to make mine with shokupan (I make my own but there are lots of places in Boston you can buy it). Milk and egg and just a dash of vanilla (and maybe a dash of cinnamon), soak it, cook on a griddle or frying pan. Warm that maple syrup, you don't want cold maple syrup on your hot toasty toast! Oh, and bacon, which I cook in the microwave because it's just easier. Breakfast of champions, or at least champion snow-shovelers!
Baking Bacon
I recently started baking bacon and can't believe how easy it is. Wish I had tried it years ago. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake at about 400 for about 15 minutes. Bacon comes out nice and flat and crispy. Just roll up the paper and throw away. No muss, no fuss.
Bacon
I just use my broiler pan.. all the fat drips below and you're left with nice Crispy Bacon.
The one downside to oven bacon is it does oil up the interior of your oven. But I'd rather just run the cleaning cycle once a month than to *ever* have to clean the range top of grease.
Spices
I like a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon in my french toast batter.
Extra crispy!
To make french toast extra crispy, after dipping in egg mixture either dip in flour or sprinkle flour on the french toast. Fry and enjoy!
Horray for local car dealers, politicians and furniture sellers!
Local news will be having a field day (week?) with this, teasing and creating anxiety with nothing much to report.
I try and stick with David Epstein's Weather Wisdom column at Boston.com (basically the only redeeming reason to visit their site) for a reasonable assessment of what lies ahead.
http://www.boston.com/news/weather/weather_wisdom/?p1=menu_weather_more_...
Some people need a bit of urgency
Me (three weeks ago): lets put stuff in the shed
Them: it can wait
Me (last weekend): we should get the grill in the shed soon
Them: oh, I still wanted to use it for this, that, other thing ...
Me (points to forecast): well? Still going to grill?
Them: OMG - we gotta get the things in the shed!
I second the sentiment -
but like hell the grill is going away. It's a New England grill and it is used all year in all weather.
FT on the grill
creating anxiety
I hear ya, but...nobody controls your emotions, nobody can really "create anxiety" in you unless you're into that. Some people are just recreational fussers and worriers, they like getting in a state about things. You can't blame the news for that.
My Grandmother and Great Grandmother
Taught me to make French Toast. They saved stale bread in a bowl on the counter for the French Toast. The stale bread soaks up the milk and eggs well, and does not fall apart.
I still do the same thing today. Stale bread is also great for making Bread Pudding.
Hello.... NOW GO AWAY!!!
/still taking Happy Pills after last winter