new Muppets Christmas special

Shot in my neighborhood!

java, could you substitute vegetable shortening for the lard?

Ugh. They've found the skeletal remains of a child near Casey Anthony's parents' home. I just want five minutes in a room with that mother. And a heavy phone book.

Kat, thanks, but sadly no. The cookies are little sesame tea cookies. My mother used to make them, and they were about the only baking she ever did that was edible. Anyway, I did a quick search and it seems that they're made with lard which means no more sesame cookies for me anyway. Boo on that!

Could you substitute shortening or a shortening/butter blend for the lard? That would be my first inclination.

Edit: Xposty w/ Cash
Son of Edit: And amych

javachik, you can sub an equal amount of crisco for lard in any baking recipe; the flavor won't be the same, but the recipe will work. You can also sub butter, which gives better flavor, but tends to make things more brown and crisp. Not a bad thing, but something to be aware of and maybe compensate for when it comes to baking times.

I can't remember what the topic was, but I recently had a customer service experience where something was screwed up, obviously through no fault of the worker in front of me, and I was clear that I understood that, and the worker was pathetically grateful. I really wonder what is wrong with people sometimes.

Amazing, right?

A couple of times I've realized part-way through that the mistake was NOT on the part of the person helping me and have apologized profusely for getting cranky. They always seem shocked.

Hee! I am so dumb that I hadn't even thought of vegetable shortening....yum. That will work. Thanks!

Dudes, shortening triple-x-post. The holiday season is verily upon us.

The auto bailout passed.

The fish hats are terrific.

And I try to be nice to salespeople, unless they themselves are being difficult. Sunday I was at Starbucks and the woman ahead of me wanted some breakfast food, but she didn't like Starbucks' options - she wanted something done up specifically to her requirements. So I stood there while she dithered and asked about the ingredients of practically everything in the case. Then she'd ask for something and, when it turned out it wasn't something she wanted, go back to the case for another choice. When my turn came, the cashier adjusted the screen and the entire system crashed. She had to get it restarted and then redo my order (it was a cup of coffee, no special request, so not too complicated). I think she was glad to have me be patient ... especially since, by the time she finished with me, there were six people or so behind me.

They make a butter flavored Crisco, by the way.

javachik, did you know you can get butter-flavored Crisco? not as good as butter, but it avoids the brown and crispy situation.