Caitlin

I don't eat cheese anymore, but the rest of the family does. Therefore, on pizza night it is necessary to make two types of crust (we've always done personal pizzas, so it's not a big change), since DH and DD both like the kind with cheese in it. I've been making them both close to dinner time, but they each have different baking times and temperatures, so it's a lot of rushing around trying to get things ready at a reasonable hour, so I want to try to make one ahead of time and pop it in the fridge and just heat it up while I'm assembling the other one. The question is, which one?

The cheeseless one contains chickpea flour, almond meal, cauliflower, flax and spices. The other contains cheese, cauliflower, an egg, and spices. My instinct is to make mine (the first one) first, as it takes longer and contains less moisture and seems like it would keep better in the fridge, but is there something I haven't thought of? Any ideas?

I bought a couple of frozen ahi tuna steaks on Tuesday and put them straight into the fridge, planning to cook them yesterday. Well, yesterday I had a fever and my muscles were all locked up and I just couldn't stand up long enough to cook dinner. The steaks were still frozen in the middle on Tuesday night around dinner time, and they're in a vacuum sealed pack. If I cook them all the way through (though I would rather sear them), do you think I could still eat them if they don't smell too fishy when I open the package?

I got some berry flavored soy milk for my daughter, and I had this idea that I want to try substituting it for regular milk in triple berry muffins. I just think it would give them a bit of a flavor boost, plus the only reason I buy regular milk is for baking and it always goes bad. But my question is this: while the sugar content in both drinks is about the same, the soy milk has berry juice in it and tastes sweeter than the regular milk, so if I make this substitution, should I reduce the amount of granulated sugar in the muffins? Should I leave it in the first time and see what happens? What do you think, bakers?

I know, it's weird to ask this the day AFTER Thanksgiving, but for the benefit of all the married couples in the family, we have decided to just do it on Sunday. It will be held at my grandparents' house (which is about a 45 minute drive from where I live) but I'm going to be doing all the cooking! I know a couple of things I can make while I'm cooking the turkey (which is smallish and won't take long) but I'm not sure what would keep the best if I make it the day before, and I want to do as much as possible the day before because I don't want to make my husband get up too early to drive us all up there (no reason to take two cars). So here's the list: cranberry sauce from scratch, stuffing from scratch, sweet potato pie fries (basically sweet potato fries with a graham cracker coating), and a Paleo pumpkin pie (the crust is made of pecans). That's not all I'm doing, but the other stuff definitely is not good to make the day before. Opinions?

I love the taste and texture of acorn squash, but the only way I know how to prepare it is with brown sugar...does anybody have more of like a main or side dish type thing to do with it, for dinner? I'm a newly diagnosed diabetic, so obviously the brown sugar thing is no longer a good idea. Thoughts?

I've never made chicken pot pie before. To be honest, I really hate the frozen stuff, it's snotty and weird...but I felt that same way about soup until I made my own. Really need some kid-friendly recipes as my 11 month old gets older, and my husband is excellent to test them as he has a child's palate. I don't need a whole recipe, but I have an excellent low-carb pie crust recipe that I think will work (it's like a butter flavor) but I just want to double check with you guys.

I have a few vanilla cake recipes that I'm modifying to be low carb and low sugar (since I'm diabetic). One of the modifications I'm trying is using almond milk in lieu of cow's milk, since there are less carbohydrates and no sugar in almond milk (as opposed to cow's milk, which is fairly high in both). Has anybody tried this? Almond milk works fine in most recipes (including Pasta Roni, which I have once in a blue moon) but I haven't tried to bake with it. I know soy milk works, but whatever I don't use will go unused, I can't stand the taste of soy milk.

BQ: If I use vanilla almond milk (or soy milk), would I then omit the vanilla extract most of these recipes call for, or would I still use it?

My husband owns and runs his own business. I mean, he's the only one there, no employees, he just does everything himself. Some days, he has absolutely no time to eat in the middle of the day. This worries me, because he works so hard, it's physical labor, and when he gets home, there's an 8-month-old baby to contend with. He needs to eat during the day, but every time I suggest something (close down for lunch, bring a sandwich to work, keep stuff to make sandwices at work, etc) he gives me a reason he can't do it. I'm wondering if anybody else is in this situation, and whether you have any good, reasonably healthy ideas for something he can eat while he's working (as in, one handed) that requires minimal preparation on his part? I was kind of thinking a smoothie or protein shake type of thing, even if it's something that I make at home and he brings and puts in the fridge, but all suggestions are welcome. This doesn't need to be an every day thing, just something he can use to sustain himself on those days when he just absolutely can't stop to eat.

I'm making a birthday card for my mother in law, and I want to include a poem, but I can't think of a good one that isn't sad. Does anyone have any ideas? I want something pretty, and somewhat sentimental, and it needs to be serious (not funny) and upbeat, not sad. I'm doing internet searches while I wait for answers, but suggestions would be helpful. And no, I don't want alternatives for the poem, and I don't want to write my own, this is not a skill that I posess. Thank you!

I am going to deep fry some shrimp with dinner one night this week, but I've never deep fried anything that was previously frozen before. What I usually do is soak whatever I'm frying for several hours in buttermilk or a buttermilk/soy sauce combo (for sea food) then coat it in flour and seasonings and plunk it in the oil. This is a process I have found after much trial and error, and I'm not looking for a modification on it. What I want to know is this: the package of frozen shrimp states that it can be thawed in the refrigerator, but I'm wondering if I can thaw it in the refrigerator over night in the buttermilk? I know you can't thaw chicken in buttermilk, but people sometimes eat shrimp raw, so is it less of a risk?

I went into ketoacidosis a few months ago and was put on a regimen of Lantus and NovoLog, as the doctors assumed I had Type I diabetes. I went to the endocrinologist and it turns out that I'm Type II, not Type I, so I was taken off the NovoLog. I still have most of a vial left, and I know I probably have to throw it out since I've used some of it, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask if I can donate it to charity or something. Insulin is so expensive (I'm acutely aware of this, as I live in the US and have no insurance) and I am loathe to just throw it away, do I have another option, or should I hang onto it in case they change my meds again?

Okay, this is probably a weird question: I use blenders a lot. I make my own baby food, almond flour, nut butter, grind my own coffee, etc. My 7-month-old is afraid of the noise of the blenders (and vacuum cleaners, and garbage disposal), it makes her scream and cry. She only naps for 15-20 minutes at a time, and only then about twice a day (yeah I know that isn't enough napping, but it's what she does and I can't change it). Does anyone have any suggestion as to what I can do to get more done while she's awake? I get the non-noisy stuff done just fine, she rides in her front pack or sits on a quilt and plays with toys, but the floors are a mess and it's difficult to wait until her dad is home to use the blenders.

I want to bake some grain-free mini muffins for breakfast. I have blanched almond flour, and I have found several wonderful recipes, but literally every single one of them calls for coconut oil, which I don't have and I REALLY don't want to go back to the store (I've already been today). Soooo, can I just use vegetable oil, or would it screw with the texture? I'm not worried about the flavor so much, the recipe I want to use has enough wonderful stuff in it that I'm not worried about subtracting the flavor of the coconut oil, and I realize that coconut oil is healthier, but the main reason I'm making grain free is because I'm diabetic and I want to be able to have more than 1 mini muffin.

I immediately thought fried chicken, but I'm wondering if there's something that travels better, in terms of a main dish type of thing? Any suggestions? I love to cook, and I'm good at it, so don't pull any punches!

It's a stuffed orangutan I've had since I was little. It's special, and I don't want to throw it away. My inclination is to hose it down with enzyme cleaner and then throw it in the washing machine on gentle, then let it drip dry, but I'm worried it will get ruined. It has long hair and plastic eyes. The tag on it is long gone (I've had it since 1987). Oh, and I refuse to use white vinegar for cleaning, the smell of it makes me nauseous.

I forgot to ask this before leaving the hospital so I thought I'd ask on here. I am on Lantis and NovoLog. I take Lantis before breakfast, then NovoLog 4 times in between meals on a sliding scale. The 4th time I take it is supposed to be before bed, and I was told to have a little snack after I take it (like a small glass of milk or something)...but what if my blood sugar is really high, like high 200s or low 300s when I check it before taking my last insulin of the night? Should I just take it and not eat? Or should I just proceed as normal? Have just a piece of cheese or something? Just wondering if anyone knows.

I like grapefruit. It has a nice flavor. But like most people I have to dump a bunch of sugar on it which sort of defeats the purpose of a healthy breakfast. I've heard that if you boil it, it brings out the natural sweetness and makes it less bitter and more palatable. Has anyone tried this? I'm just curious: yea or nay? As the mother of a four month old, I would love to have a breakfast option that's easier than actually cooking breakfast but healthier than a Pop Tart!

So I live in a small town, and the ONLY store in town is out of buttermilk. I use it in this awesome black magic cake recipe I found. I was wondering if I could just use regular milk with melted butter in it, since the buttermilk isn't the main flavor for the cake? If you know of a recipe that doesn't take buttermilk (or cake flour, I only have AP flour) that you like, that would be cool, too.

I have a cute cotton shirt that's supposed to stay down off my shoulders, but whenever I wear it, it rides up onto my shoulders. How can I keep this from happening? Or do I just have to continuously adjust myself?

It's wrinkly. It got shipped to me that way, it's pleated at the waist and I'm afraid to iron it because I'm new to clothes you have to iron and I don't want to ruin it. I think it's dry clean only because it's handmade, but it's 100% cotton. I want to wear it but it wasn't folded very well for shipping and it has been hanging up for 4 days and the wrinkles haven't dropped out, so my instinct is to get it hot and hang it back up (which works for 100% cotton T-shirts). Anybody know?