These are great! Not able to 'like' right now...but "I do"!

That is so interesting...and deserves its own topic!

Carol in Cal. over in my post about vacation destinations for my men mentioned that her wedding reception was, "...in the Gold Ballroom of the oldest classic hotel in San Francisco. :)" That is cool. Our reception was an ice-cream social. We leased a student dining room at a college for a steal, played our own 'taped' classical music, rented ice-cream parlor tables/chairs for the wedding party, and hired caterers to serve ice-cream to our guests. The black tie wearing caterers scooped local gourmet vanilla or double chocolate chip into pretty dishes, while our guests topped it with hot fudge and/or strawberries. Although we also served iced tea and lemonade with pretzels, we thought that, perhaps, our family and friends might miss the typical champagne toast and alcohol availability. Not so, many went on to dinner after our afternoon reception and thanked us for the unusual treat. The most frequent complement we received from dozens was that the atmosphere was appropriate for conversation - not having to shout over loud dancing music :laugh: Edited title: I suppose what is typical for wedding receptions varies by region and culture. Go ahead, share any story...

Thanks. Wow, love the itinerary and, yes, the focus =) Sounds like fun - especially the Columbia State Park! Perhaps combined with mountain stops...

First, up thread, you mentioned browning chicken for that adobo recipe. Do you mind expounding upon that experience? Also, do you follow the rice recipe straight from the IP cookbook that came with it? I forgot that I have done mashed potatoes. Peeled them, cut into chunks, and cooked them up fairly quickly. But other than it being all in one pot, I didn't find any quicker. Am I doing something wrong?

Mind sharing the recipe?

Double Post

My new IP has had a modest start as a slightly quicker way to make pulled pork. I'm a little disappointed in myself for not trying more recipes. My one & only recipe making chili failed d/t not sufficiently deglazing the pot after browning the meat. (Followed the recipe, but I won't brown in pot before pressure cooking again!) Oh, hard cooked eggs once--that was a hit. I think I'm just such a seasoned cook in other methods, I just need to experiment more to gain some experience.

"So something historical and naturey? What about California gold country plus Yosemite?" Considering one ds's interest in gold-that sounds awesome. "Maybe check some more on dude ranches?... Otherwise, I would go for a national park in the west. Maybe Yosemite - I think there are planned tours too" I'll look into Yosemite tours. "Sailing school?" Now, that would be unique!

Deleted to add info to op.

Thanks for those. That may be just what gets our daughter to want to travel next year as she is the equine lover but usually doesn't want to go on vacation.

Oh, so sorry for all of this - a dear loss and such changes for your family. Blessings through all!

I hadn't thought of checking AAA, and I have never heard of concierge camping - thank you! Individual experiences or destination ideas welcomed - I'm overwhelmed when we began to think, "a destination in the US..."

I agree. Death is such a sad, yet unavoidable part of life. An opportunity to take some of the shock out of the processing was helpful for me growing up and, seemingly, for dc. Being able to process impending death helps one learn how to deal with it going forward. In my experience, this knowledge of impending death allows for discussion that may not come later d/t the emotions of dealing with the actual death. I am sorry your family is going through this now. :grouphug:

I want to send the (adult) men in our family on a trip somewhere in US this summer. They like mild outdoor adventures (hiking, fishing, camping) but do not have any equipment, A city would not be DH's choice, but, since he appreciates history too, a city with natural features close by is also an option. Big science fans, not really into sports. DH wants planned activities or tours because it stresses him to wing it during travel. Are there all inclusive 'roughing it' trips? They do not have to rough it totally, though, just can go less comfy without the girls. I once looked into guest ranches in CO, but they were not only really pricey, they were a little too fancy for the guys. Already have done TN valley, New England, and CO. TIA! Edited to add: ...the sequoia's in CA? I need to research and see what else is around there. It is okay if the trip includes non-outdoorsy stuff as long as the destination is really appealing. This is such a broad request, I know. They enjoyed visiting battleships in NE, for example, and were also able to swing through Boston. That trip was a bit too urban.

Years ago, I listened to a TAPE (LOL) from Larry King (titled loosely) 'talk(ing) to anyone, anywhere, anytime'. It really helped me focus on asking questions based on context: where the encounter takes place, what we are doing, the location, etc. I wear my heart on my sleeve and am quite aware that I divulge TMI without thinking. So, I try to be conscientious of LK's advice and form an IEW style key word outline before a visit with new people, It really helps! I go in with a few topics ready to ask/talk about. Still, I am conscious that I do too much talking and steering of the conversation. Sigh! It is what it is.

Yes, I was a professional recipe editor turned recipe software snob, then I found Plan to Eat -- Plan to Eat rocks!

Thank you. I gave it a third try, and, this time, it actually smells burnt. Didn't quite get up to pressure, but it tried longer this time. Pouring into CP. So disappointed!

So far this is what I have done: added 1 more cup of water, used a silicone spatula to stir and lift from the bottom, helping the liquid get to the bottom, yet keeping the tomatoes on top as the recipe advised. I will admit that I did halve the water thinking that thicker chili from the get go would be better. Yikes, now "Burn" appears again 5 minutes in! I suppose I should give up and pour it into a regular pot for stovetop?

I am quickly looking everywhere, but no luck yet. I know one of you can help me...chili is in the IP after browning and mixing in beans, etc. Recipe (Amy & Jacky's recipe) said to, after mixing, pour tomatoes on top to avoid burn during pressure cook cycle. One minute out of ten in and the dreaded burn message. What do I do? TIA!

This exactly.

Alexapure available at mypatriotsupply and, I imagine, elsewhere. Takes out the bad, leaves in the good for taste, etc.

Bringing back fond memories -- Not quite! Remembering one particular year I sent our two oldest out to play. First, the 5 year old took awhile to dress. Sent him out. I took a long time to get the 3 year old bundled and sent out. As I sent him out the door I gave a quick overview of how to sled to eldest. I hadn't sledded much in my life, but I kinda gave a boogie board style demonstration. Ah, I thought as the door closed, I will have 10 minutes of peace to tidy the house before they need me again. We had a tiny fenced yard with a small hill. No sooner had I turned from the closed door than eldest came in crying with blood running out of his mouth! Yup - I had sent the dear one out with instructions that led him sledding straight down that small hill into our BRICK house head first. Not a proud parenting moment. (only damage a cut tongue, fortunately, but not a pleasant few days of healing!)

I'm here to offer my sympathy only -- I apologize for not helping you find a solution, but this thread is stressing me out LOL...I guess I am a Type-A and didn't realize, because just knowing you don't know is stressful! :grouphug:

"justasque" Thanks for the reminder, OP! And thanks for the support, secretgarden and Janie Grace! Now I'm ready for my Thanksgiving cooking! "AnnE-girl" Our house smelled so bad for several hours this afternoon, even with most of the windows open, but my oven looks much better. Thanks for the reminder, secretgarden! Great to hear of your successes, ladies! I once had an oven with the latch. One day, when I really needed to use my oven, I flipped the latch when the oven was preheating -- purely out of curiosity! Oh My Word! I hadn't even set any other settings! It took me years before I got over my grudge. Edited: somewhat...on my phone, can't find my glasses, etc...