Angel: He is dead. Technically, he's undead. It's a zombie. Connor: What's a zombie? Angel: It's an undead thing. Connor: Like you? Angel: No, zombies are slow-moving, dimwitted things that crave human flesh. Connor: Like you. Angel: No! It's different. Trust me.

'Destiny'


Natter 63: Life after PuppyCam  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Jessica - Jan 29, 2009 5:01:55 am PST #4074 of 30000
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

Does anyone have a really good recipe for masa dough for tamales? I made some last night for the first time, and the recipe I was using was way out of proportion - the amount of water they wanted me to add yielded a bowlful of corn flour soup. I managed to tweak it into something usable, but it still didn't set up the way it should have. So my tamales were yummy, but mushy.

There are a ton of recipes online, but most of them involve 10 lbs of masa harina and 4 lbs of lard. I don't mind the lard, but I'm looking for a recipe that will serve 2-4 people.


Cashmere - Jan 29, 2009 5:16:55 am PST #4075 of 30000
Now tagless for your comfort.

The Pain sums up a computerless week.


lisah - Jan 29, 2009 5:30:48 am PST #4076 of 30000
Punishingly Intricate

Does anyone have a really good recipe for masa dough for tamales?

I don't but I can check with my best friend who makes the most yummiest tamales ever (served w/ pumpkin butter OMG so good!). She does usually makes them for big parties though.


Ginger - Jan 29, 2009 5:46:33 am PST #4077 of 30000
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda

Dog story:

Mr Peabody recently took to sleeping on my pillow, which is not particularly good for my allergies, so I had started roughly making the bed. Last evening, I heard a scrabble scrabble in the bedroom, and finally went in to see what he was doing. He was sleeping on my pillow, after having pulled back the bedspread.


sumi - Jan 29, 2009 5:48:49 am PST #4078 of 30000
Art Crawl!!!

Man, I missed an entire day's worth of Natter - how did THAT happen?


Trudy Booth - Jan 29, 2009 6:03:56 am PST #4079 of 30000
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart

Given that twins do run in families (the tendency for embryos to split OR tendency for some women to release multiple fertile eggs) all you need is a couple related families that have lived in a town for a couple generations and you'll see a statistical uptick. And since there may be unexplained environmental triggers for twinning....

I thought fraternal twins ran in families but identical were considered unexplained?

There are a ton of recipes online, but most of them involve 10 lbs of masa harina and 4 lbs of lard. I don't mind the lard, but I'm looking for a recipe that will serve 2-4 people.

They freeze beautifully. You might as well make a bunch! (Well, maybe not that big a bunch).

Mr Peabody recently took to sleeping on my pillow, which is not particularly good for my allergies, so I had started roughly making the bed. Last evening, I heard a scrabble scrabble in the bedroom, and finally went in to see what he was doing. He was sleeping on my pillow, after having pulled back the bedspread.

Dallas has started doing the same thing!! Now not only do I have to make the bed every damn day, I have to spread the pillows around in a rediculous looking fashion to thwart her.

Heh -- last night Neil DeGrasse Tyson was telling Jon Stewart about receiving hate-mail from 3rd graders about Pluto being demoted from a full-fledged planet. So it starts early....

Well, that's understandable. Who's going to stand up for Pluto if not the eight year olds? Besides, they might be right. When we were eight we all knew pandas were bears -- eventually science caught up with us.


Jessica - Jan 29, 2009 6:05:19 am PST #4080 of 30000
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

They freeze beautifully. You might as well make a bunch!

Dude, my kitchen is in NYC. You think I have freezer space for 10 lbs of anything?


dcp - Jan 29, 2009 6:13:26 am PST #4081 of 30000
The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.

Late start at work today, so I had time to upload some pictures from my Monday trip to the Keys. Link is in my profile.

If any of you get the chance to head down that way, I highly recommend the glass-bottom boat tour out of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo: [link]

Thanks to Laura and her DH for the recommendation!


Trudy Booth - Jan 29, 2009 6:16:56 am PST #4082 of 30000
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart

Dude, my kitchen is in NYC. You think I have freezer space for 10 lbs of anything?

Besides the ice that freakin' instantly builds up on the sides of those crummy freezer-in-fridge freezers? Prolly not.


Kat - Jan 29, 2009 6:17:36 am PST #4083 of 30000
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo

Jessica, I asked a teacher at my school who makes yummy tamales. She said that this ratio should work:

2 teaspoon salt
1 cup lard or shortening
3 cups Masa
1.5 to 2 cups stock, but only add enough for the dough to form.