I love the idea of a recipe thread. I was watching the comedian Tom Papa the other day, and he had a bit about married couples doing the whole, "What do you feel like for dinner? I dunno, what do you feel like? I dunno, how about a gun in my mouth so we never have to have this conversation again?" routine, which is hysterically accurate. Even though my husband does at least half of our cooking, we could definitely use a little new blood in the dinner routine.

I am going to Chic-Fil-A for lunch (that's pronounced phonetically, in case you didn't know - and I didn't, for a long time after I moved here). I will get a breaded chicken sandwich with some Texas Pete and lots of pickles on it. For dinner...maybe the gun in my mouth, because I have no idea.

I'm going through a cooking-phase now, just got a new crock pot (woohoo!). And I've been good about avoiding take-out but, I [heart] Chic-Fil-A. I've seen them on the east coast, are they everywhere?

Creepy-I was toying with the idea of creating a recipe thread last night. I was going to call mine "Famous Grilled Cheese Sandwiches" but this is good too. We've got a few Chick-Fil-A's over here on the Rocky Mountain side of things.

I made these great mint chocolate chip cookies last night. I'll post the recipe later today.

"Famous Grilled Cheese Sandwiches"

Darn it! That's a perfect name! So....pseudo-jinx?

We started going there when we lived in Greensboro, then moved away! I wish there was one around here.

I've pretty much always worked at small offices, which almost always included gift exchange at holidays where everyone gives everyone something. I usually made a huge batch of Jezebel and distributed it in small jars with the recipe. I'd make three or four batches in one big bowl. The stuff keeps forever.

Jezebel

1 8 oz jar of apple jelly
1 8 oz jar of pineapple jelly
1 5 oz jar of grated horseradish (not horseradish sauce)
2 Tb dry mustard
1 Tb cracked black pepper.

Mix ingredients and let sit overnight. Serve over cream cheese with crackers. Refrigerate.

Recommendations:
--Apple jelly is hard to find; I usually buy whatever lighter colored jelly is available. I end up with a peach/pineapple mix a lot, too.
--The grated horseradish is usually in the refrigerated deli section of the store, by where the hot dogs and pickled eggs and string cheese are stored. I used to always have trouble finding it.
--Even though it is much cheaper per ounce, it is more convenient in the end to buy the littler jars. While the mixture is sitting, you can soak the jars, scrub off the labels, and put the mixture back into them so you don't have to go looking for small containers.
--Some people serve this over pork chops, too.

We have Chick-Fil-A restaurants here in the Kansas City area. In fact, they opened one not too long ago and promised that the first 100 or so people (I think that was the number) that came in the store would get free sandwiches for a year. People camped out for several days to get in line.

That being said, a friend and I have been wanting to go to a local Italian place for lunch. Parking sucks where we work, so we wanted to walk to prevent losing our precious parking spaces. This place is about a mile away, and we have a pretty day, so we're walking!

Thanks, KarenM.

Mcdonald's has it's Fish Filet (for Lent) back now, so Michael should be binging on those some time soon? Also the Shamrock Shake is back!

KarenM, did you ever make that recipe at Christmas that called for the bottle of red wine? I think it was dessert. I remember thinking how good it sounded. If it turned out well, I'd love that recipe.

I only ever want Chic-Fil-A on Sundays...

That was the blueberry, red wine, sugar thing? No, I didn't make it and I still want to. You have blueberry bushes on your mind, I think. I'll dig it up and post it if you want. I handwrote it in a memo pad but I can find it again, I bet.

We have Chick-Fil-A restaurants here in the Kansas City area. In fact, they opened one not too long ago and promised that the first 100 or so people (I think that was the number) that came in the store would get free sandwiches for a year. People camped out for several days to get in line.

I have a friend who camped out at that new Chick-Fil-A. He got coupons for 52 free value meals. I thought I was a nerd when I drove 2 hours to get there, then waited in line for 45 minutes the first week they were open. I heart their food, but I've never gotten the whole pickle-on-chicken thing. We had Chick-fil-a in the food court at Mizzou, and I'd have to take my sandwiches apart and wipe them down to get the pickle essence off the meat. Can't beat those waffle fries, though.

I'm not Catholic, but I love Lent, 'cause all those restaurants trot special fish offerings, and I love me some fish! KFC's got a new fish snacker I'm yayed up to try.

I think I could eat pickles on anything and be OK with it. More than OK, really - it might enhance the flavor of anything.

And I'd love that recipe whenever you get a chance, KarenM. I understand that you have other things on your mind right now, though. But something with blueberries and large amounts of red wine has to be good, I think. And I imagine it's bursting with antioxidants, too.

And speaking of KFC...they have that "bowl" thing now with chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, and God-knows what else thrown into a bowl. It looks like the leftover plate you make for yourself on Thanksgiving night around 8:30. I cannot wait to try one.

I refuse to eat at KFC on the grounds that I hate their commercials with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. Well, that, and I don't much care for fried chicken.

I love whole pickles and even pickle wedges, but I cannot stand pickles that have been sliced, especially when they have ridges.

I did a quick google search and found the recipe online, so I didn't even have to leave my chair!

Blueberries in Black Pepper/Syrah Syrup

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes
MAKES 6 servings

NOTE: Serve these berries with dark chocolate truffles.

1 bottle (750 ml.) Syrah
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 cartons (6 oz. each) blueberries, rinsed and drained
Twists of lemon peel

1. In a small pan, combine Syrah and sugar. Boil over medium-high heat (watch to make sure mixture doesn't boil over), stirring often, until reduced by about half, about 15 minutes. Stir in vanilla and pepper and let cool.

2. Put blueberries in a bowl and pour Syrah mixture over them. Chill airtight for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

3. Serve in small dessert bowls or glasses garnished with twists of lemon peel.

Full article, containing other recipes, including a cumin/potato dish that I also want to try

I think I could eat pickles on anything and be OK with it. More than OK, really - it might enhance the flavor of anything.

I always get extra pickles on my Chick-fil-A sandwich. :-)

I don't eat at KFC because I do not like Diet Pepsi. I am a Diet Coke loyalist (they don't taste the same at all).

I refuse to eat at KFC on the grounds that I hate their commercials with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. Well, that, and I don't much care for fried chicken.

I refuse to eat KFC too, but only because it made me sick once. However, the fried chicken at Bojangles' and Popeye's is amazing.

I won't buy Lever 2000 soap ever since I saw a man pull a pair of women's panties out of a back jeans pocket in one of their commercials. That's sort of related to the topic.

I went into a Popeye's once and ordered chicken and a biscuit. The girl behind the counter said to me, and I quote:

Biscuits come with the chicken, fool.

First-class service. I actually wasn't really offended, because it was so funny, but it is endemic in fast food that the service both sucks AND blows.

That was the blueberry, red wine, sugar thing?

This sounds very similar to prison wine. But it probably isn't.

I think I could eat pickles on anything and be OK with it. More than OK, really - it might enhance the flavor of anything.

I always get extra pickles on my Chick-fil-A sandwich. :-)

I just don't like the pickles with the warm chicken. I love pickles as long as they're not warm. I've been known to sit down with a jar of hamburger dills and a fork, in fact, although I think the best pickles in the world are the giant kosher dills.

When I was a kid our moms would send us to the roller skating rink with $5.00. After paying the entrance fee and renting those awesomely hideous orange-wheeled brown lace-up skates, we'd have just enough money left to buy one of those 'crack 'em so they glow light up necklaces ('cause you can't skate around in the almost-dark without one of those things, right?) and a big pickle with the tough rind that snaps when you bite it. Not a bad day.

Oh, and Diet Pepsi all the way. It's one of the reasons I go to KFC. That and fake mashed potatoes.

I'm with everyone on the Chick-Fil-A love. There's a few of them here in Denver, and they're either way out in the suburbs or a mini-version in a mall so I don't get to one very often. I take the pickles off. However, the best chicken fast food item in my opinion is the Wendy's Spicy Chicken sandwich. If I could wish for any restaurant to open up here, it would be an In-N-Out Burger. That's a must stop during any Vegas or SoCal trip.

Tardy Sauce, where are you in the KC area? My entire family is from St. Joe and I was born there. Plus my dad is a Mizzou alum.

Coolness. I'm actually from north of St. Joe about 30 miles:a teeny town called Oregon. Since there's absolutely nothing here, we go to St. Joe or KC for everything. I'm looking for jobs in KC, and I hope to move there soon.

If I could bring one restaurant our way, it'd be White Castle, no-dou'-a-bou'-it.

We have Chick-Fil-A restaurants here in the Kansas City area.

JLJ that was actually me! I'm from south of the city on the Kansas side.

Whoops! I remembered Tardy Sauce saying she was from Northwest Missouri in another thread and got people mixed up. I spent some time in KC over Thanksgiving going to the Plaza and I really liked that area. That was the first time I'd been there in quite a while, we used to visit every summer growing up and the one thing I remember was the oppressive humidity.

Thanks, KarenM! I'm going to make something nice for dinner tomorrow just so I can try the blueberry recipe.

Whoops! I remembered Tardy Sauce saying she was from Northwest Missouri in another thread and got people mixed up. I spent some time in KC over Thanksgiving going to the Plaza and I really liked that area.

Yay for the Plaza! My brother lives right on the Plaza, and I love to stay with him, shop at stores I can't really afford and eat at some of my more-favoriter restaurants, like The Melting Pot (gotta get my fondue on) and Buca di Beppo. I like California Pizza Kitchen, too, but Brian's Pepperoni Bread sounds just as good, and quite a bit cheaper.