Definitely more for a bulk order…since you bake a fair amount I thought you might be stocking up some. We got 3x8oz bottles in Mexico 4 years ago, gave ine to my sister, and have been enjoying our pint of vanilla ever since! No regrets. Buuut we’re down to like 3 oz 
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I buy vanilla bean paste instead and its been in stock everywhere i usually buy it when i’ve checked for fun.
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RECIPE REQUESTS
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Borscht. I like borscht. I’ve never made borscht. Your fave recipe?
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I was given black lentils recently. I’ve never had black lentils. Your fave recipes?
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So, of course it’s from serious eats because apparently that’s the only place i get recipes, but I present to you the borscht I ate for most of last winter. It makes 2 gallons or so. I think I’ll scale it back this time around, but dang it was good
For black lentils, those are the ones I always use for the catfish a la meuniere. I use
1/2 cup black lentils (cooked through)
1 onion, sliced
1 bunch of kale, stem removed
1/4 cup water
2 tsp ras al hanout
olive oil
juice from 1 lemon (though often enough i use more)
2 decent sized catfish fillets
3 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp capers
butter
Start the lentils cooking, then heat a large skillet of medium high heat with some olive oil. Add onion, cook until starting to soften, then add a little salt and the ras al hanout. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the kale and water. Stir frequently until kale is softened and wilted. Set aside in a bowl.
At some point, the lentils should be done cooking. Usually right around the time the fish needs attention if you’re doing it like me. Drain them, and mix with the onions and kale, and some salt and pepper if you like. Keep warm
Add butter to skillet, dredge fish in the rice flour, add fish to skillet and cook, spooning butter over the fish occasionally. Flip the fish after about 3 minutes. Once fish is close to cooked through, add the lemon juice and capers and simmer until fish is done. (i’ve always got an instant read digital thermometer around which makes it easy) Plate the fish, spoon the pan sauce over it. Serve with the lentils. Feel free to toss extra lemon juice and capers in with the lentils/kale
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Hmm, I always assumed that borscht is vegetarian.
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Black lentils are so yummy! They hold their shape so I tend to use them most often in salads or as a sweet potato topping as opposed to dishes where I don’t care about the texture. You can use them in any recipe that calls for French lentils.
My usual combo is pretty much this:
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It is usually meatless but can have it added.
I got excited and found some borscht recipes for you. 2 from my Ukrainian baba’s cook book and from a Ukrainian church cookbook. Enjoy!
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Oh shiiiiit these all look SO GOOD. (Especially the catfish + lentils, brute, omggggg)
I love seeing old cookbooks so much 
I haven’t sat and just read any of my ancient cookbooks in a while…
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Does anyone have a go-to recipe for gingerbread cookies? Like for gingerbread people, not houses. Also if you have a good recipe for decorative frosting that would be appreciated cause the tubes at the store seem overpriced and plastic-wasteful.
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If you have access to Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, I find that gingerbread recipe quite straightforward and reliable. No weird vegan ingredients, either.
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I made this last night and it was really good even though I didn’t have the instant coffee and I’m out of vanilla and was a little short on zucchini. 10/10 will make again. Boyfriend even ate it and he hates when I bake with vegetables.
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We’re getting a spaghetti squash in our CSA. What the heck do I do with a spaghetti squash? I’ve had it before and thought it was gross. In general I do not like squash, and neither does D. My usual go-to (and my plan for the acorn squash) is to bake, puree, and use in baked goods, but I don’t think spaghetti squash works that way.
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If you don’t care for squash it might not work, but I generally use it as a pasta substitute…if you cut it in half, pull out the seeds, and roast the hell out of it, you can scrape it out in strings with a fork and then I’ve used that in lasagna several times. Or as fake spaghetti, but it’s definitely not like noodles.
Make casserole! 
I use it as a binder for all sorts of casserole type “pasta” dishes. I can’t remember if you eat eggs, but if you do it’s basically cooked squash mixed with an egg then whatever ingredients you want, then bake for about 30 minutes. My kids’ favorite is a half cup of mayo, quarter cup of frank’s hot sauce, carrots, celery, parmesan on top, and either tofu or chicken depending on which of them makes it 
We’ve also used the same idea for pizza casserole - squash, egg, pizza sauce, veggies galore, bake.
Ooooh I’m totally going to try lasagna now @kenner, that’s one I haven’t thought of and it sounds awesome!
Oh - to prepare, cut it in half across the short way, the strings are nicer that direction (I think, anyway). I usually pressure cook for 8 minutes but I know you can microwave too if you have one.
I am not a fan of spaghetti squash by itself and thought I hated it for years because I’d only had it as a spaghetti substitute once as a kid. I think we were pretty mean to my mom in our comments on that dinner 
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I didn’t like it for a long time, but now I’ll eat it cut in half, roasted with olive oil, fork shredded a bit with a ton of Parmesan on it. Maybe tomatoes and basil too.
Fat makes things taste better.
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This is cake.
Just saying.
Delicious, and well worth making, but definitely not what I was expecting from zucchini bread with an entire zucchini the size of my arm in it
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And this is a problem?!
Haha. No, it’s not. I felt a tiny bit more guilty feeding it to my kids for breakfast than I usually do when I give them zucchini bread, but it was well received by all. I actually regret not adding chocolate chips
I did think it was funny that I tried it and thought “Huh, this is almost like cake, yum!” and then like an hour later, my husband shouted up the stairs “Hey, this zucchini bread is cake!” after he gave more to the kids.
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OMG I thought this exact same thing!
It is a LOT of butter, for sure. A LOT of butter.
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