Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sweet

Subtle but sweet love stories!

low_horrible_immoral — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:24:30 -0800

Subtle but sweet love stories! I need some romance to warm my cold, lonely heart. But I don’t like histrionics or bombast. Can I have recommendations for sweet, satisfying but very subtle romances? Things I like are:

- when Mr (or Miss Right) is there all along in the background but the hero/heroine can’t see it
- when lots of other stuff happens in the story and there just happens to be a v. cute love story in the middle of it

A couple of examples are Emma and When The Cat’s Away (Chacun Cherche son Chat).
(I don’t mean UST, or slow-burning relationships that turn into romance later, like Mulder and Scully – rather, love stories that are planned from the beginning but just happen to be played out subtly and cutely.)

Thanks!

Perfect savory/sweet recipe combos for an office meeting?

sperose — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:36:40 -0800

I've been bitten by the baking bug! I need help figuring out what combination of 2 different recipes (1 savory, 1 sweet) would be perfect for a morning office meeting of 5-6 people that will survive not being refridgerated. Also, simplicity is best since I've only just started to foray into baking. (More details inside.) I've been scouring various baking blogs and have lots of ideas for what I could do, but I'm falling short on what sort of combination would be the best for this particular problem.

My office has a meeting on Tuesday at 10am with 5-6 attendees. Our normal 'catering' has been a box of donuts and one of those boxes of coffee from Dunkin Donuts. I've baked 2 other recipes for the communal table that have gotten rave reviews from my co-workers. I've also been baking for myself and it seems to be going pretty well. I've previously made cheesecake brownies and chocolate chip cookies. I want to try and make something interesting to bring for the meeting. (Someone else is already handling the beverages.)

I've read the following previous questions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

The question (in list form): What should I make (within the following criteria?)

Must:
2 recipes with one sweet and one savory.
Able to survive without refrigeration for at least a week (longer is preferable).
Fairly simple recipe. (Detailed is okay, but only with specific instructions.)
Not require special mixers or machines. (I've got an electric mixer, but that's about it.)
Cheap to make.
Not too messy/sticky.
Easy to transport.
Include as many natural ingredients as possible (no fake butter).
No beans.
No alcohol involved (except for vanilla extract).

Preferably:
Not cookies or brownies.
Somewhat healthy. (No applesauce substitutions, ugh.)
Not including expensive or difficult to find ingredients. (Basically, things that could be found at Giant or Safeway [within the state of Maryland].)
Uses up about 1/3 cup of cream cheese frosting.
Not needing plates and/or forks for consumption.
Doesn't make a massive amount of the final product. (I can halve recipes, but I'd like not to.)
Be a nice compliment to coffee.
American measurements (cups, not liters).

Other:
Allergies and other dietary restrictions are not an issue. I know that one person likes peanut butter. I've got pans galore.

Claude Bless America, Man That I Love

Juliet Banana — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:15:48 -0800

Shmoop Filter: My boyfriend always sings me this Harry Belefonte song while changing the words to "Yes, Lorena, my sweetheart from California." I'm trying to figure out what songs work with the name "Claude" swapped in. It would help if the genders worked and it was something that was halfway appropriate to sing to your loved one. Hopefully whatever word "Claude" is substituted for has the same number of syllables and kind of rhymes, otherwise I'm just awkwardly cramming his name into random songs, which I'm pretty good at without Metafilter's help.

Goofy is absolutely encouraged. I'm thinking something like "Claudey, Claudey, Claudey, Claude" instead of "Cloudy, Cloudy, Cloudy, Cloud" in this Ween song, though something I don't have to be baked as a cake to sing would be nice, too.

Satisfy my salty-sweet tooth!

rachaelfaith — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:40:30 -0800

What are your favorite salty/sweet food combinations? While I generally crave salty things like chips, pretzels and crackers and rarely crave sugary snacks, I sometimes like to aim for a salty/sweet happy medium.

I love the taste of kettle corn, and I have recently begun to explore the deliciousness of sprinkling sea salt on baked goods. [Sea salt on homemade caramels? YUM.]

What else works? I'm looking for any food, not just snacks.

Not sweet potatoes. Potatoes that are sweet.

Orinda — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:10:09 -0800

Is there anything palatable I can cook to use up potatoes that have turned sweet while stored in the fridge? Last summer I bought a bagful of small, white potatoes at my local farmers' market and I stored them in the lower produce bin of my fridge (a mistake I won't make again). A few weeks ago I boiled and mashed some of them. Contrary to O9scar and Cook's Illustrated, I found that the potatoes had a distinct sweet taste. The mash was edible but strange-tasting.

Is there any conventional (or unconventional) wisdom on how to use up potatoes that have turned sweet? They're in perfect shape otherwise, with no green skin, no sprouts, no rot. I hate to throw them out. So far my best guesses are that they might be suitable for making needhams or latkes but then again, the presumably low starch content of the potatoes (whose starch has partially converted to sugar) might make them unsuitable even for those uses.

Ideas, anyone?

Where art thou my tasty wafer?

karizma — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:09:11 -0800

[WhereCanIFindThisFilter] Tully's Coffee sells (at least in Seattle) premium soft-serve ice cream. Served with this ice cream is a delicious little wafer cookie that I must find more of! Can you help me find it? Picture and more information within. I'm trying to locate the manufacturer and/or an outlet (either in the Seattle area or via online store) where I can find these delcious wafer cookies. Tully's Coffee includes a triangle shaped wafer with each serving of their premium soft-serve ice cream. Here is a picture.

The wafers are presumably circular when whole (though served as a wedge at Tully's) and are thin. They have a very thin layer of vanilla filling. They wafers have raised concentric circular bands and within the bands are some letters and some sort of leaf/star design. The picture linked above illustrates this.

I have contacted Tully's Coffee HQ and asked for information about these wafer cookies but have been thus far ignored.

Do you know where I might find these wafers? Thank you for your help!

I've got little onions. I want big onions all season long. Help?

SpecialK — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:19:48 -0800

Onion starts. I got them in a bunch of 50 for cheaper than the seed packet. Can I save them for later planting? (Yes, it is time to plant here in South Texas in the next week or two. I'll probably start planting the hardier root veggies in 2 weeks.)

I'm doing square foot gardening and planning to stagger the maturity of plants like carrots and onions so that I can have an ongoing supply. I wasn't really thinking about that aspect when I bought the package of starts. How can I preserve them so that I can plant them 1 month, 2 months, 3 months from now?

Less-known nice/sweet/romantic/fun things to do with your significant other

harwons — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:27:46 -0800

What are some less known romantic/fun/sweet/cool things to do with/for your significant other? I know the question is somewhat vague, but please see the extended explanation for a few example that I have in mind. More would be great! (I've seen "It's the little things that count" already but this is a bit different ("less known") and that thread is closed). Here are a few examples I've thought of:

1. Go stargazing. The less-known part: while gazing at the stars, shift your perspective and imagine instead that you are looking down and falling into the star field.

2. But them a small present, say a ring. Pack it in a small crumple of paper. Add about 100 other pieces of crumpled paper into a big box.

3. This one is so silly it's sweet: show up at her door with your hand and wrist bandaged. After she asks what happened, pretend you need the bandage unwrapped. She hopefully will offer to do that, and as she unwraps and you open your fist, a small rose/gift will be revealed.

4. If you have access to a room with skylights, drag a couch where the moonlight will fall at night, and have a makeout session there.

5. Ask the hive mind :) Merry Christmas!

What songs/albums would my parents like similar in mood to Aaron Neville and Julio Iglesias?

Askr — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:46:53 -0800

Looking for pleasant music in the same mood as Julio Iglesias and Aaron Neville that I can put on a CD for my parents to have on in the background at home. Making my parents a mixed CD for Christmas and possibly buying them one or two.

Want your recommendations for songs/albums that match the mood of the two things they play most: Julio Iglesias's Greatest Hits ("My Life") and Aaron Neville, probably also his greatest hits.

They play music in the background in the living room as they putter around the house on weekends or when they have company.

The mood is: pleasant, happy, sweet, romantic, gentle, occasionally more excited.

Mom describes it as "the kind of thing that can play unobtrusively in the background and add to a nice atmosphere, but which I can really enjoy if I tune into it." So, not just bland atmospheric sound. Stuff that can go under a conversation rather than compete with it, but which you can sing along to if it has the focus.

That could apply to a lot, but I want to match the particular kind of mood Julio and Aaron are examples of.

Julio examples: Moonlight Lady, Me Va Me Va, Amor Amor, To All The Girls I've Loved Before, Ae Ao

Aaron examples: I Don't Know Much, Everybody Plays the Fool, every other song in that warbly voice

Other things in their living room background music stash, but which I hear much less frequently: Enya, Cesaria Evora, Johnny Lang, Chieftains, Dirty Dancing Soundtrack, Out of Africa Soundtrack, Top Gun Soundtrack, various Elvis including some old gospel.

Somewhat related things they have but which they don't play as background music: Buena Vista Social Club, Paul Simon's Graceland, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Elton John.

Type of thing I think fits the mood just right: Lionel Richie e.g. All Night Long, Dancing on the Ceiling, Stuck on You. Jackson Browne's Got to Be Somebody's Baby. Probably some Kenny Rogers or Dolly Parton.

I'm going for this particular kind of pleasant, feel-good, relaxed mood as opposed to, say, giddy/excited/dancey. My parents are both 60, but don't have Old People Mindset yet. But newer artists are probably less likely to work than older. Thats still broad, I know, but I appreciate any of your suggestions.

I tried using music-map.com but it wasn't all that helpful. The closest thing it found to Julio was "The Meatshits" for example. Not for mom, thanks!

I didn't poop this morning, therefore I shall OM NOM NOM all day long

woebot — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:41:55 -0800

Why do I crave sugar on days when I've had a lackluster/no bowel movement? Normally I take a dump within a half hour of waking up, and my day is all sunshine and flowers afterwards.

On days where I don't poop in the morning (either from constipation [rarely], or because I don't have enough time/privacy to poop in peace) or if I don't completely expel all the poop that needs to come out (time restraints. sigh.), I notice an increased craving for sweets and an increased appetite in general (but mainly in the area of super sweet junk food and drinks). The cravings stop once my bowel movements go back to normal.

While this doesn't horribly cripple my life in anyway, I am quite curious as to why my bowel movements change my eating behavior as it seems to do. Any ideas?

What's up with my nipples?

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:03:06 -0800

A few weeks ago my boyfriend was sucking on my nipple and after about 30 seconds he said that he tasted something really sweet. Any idea what that might have been? He couldn't describe exactly what it tasted like, just sweetness. This happened when I was one or two weeks into my menstrual cycle and I just started my period a few days ago so I know I'm not pregnant. (I've heard that breast milk is sweet.) I'm 23, not on any medications, I've been sexually active for about six years and never been pregnant. I've never heard of this happening to anyone before and it hasn't happened to me since. What came out of my nipple?!

Dog Treats

about_time — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:28:23 -0800

My dog loves dried sweet potato chews. They go for $20 a bag in the pet store even though the only ingredients are potatoes. It must be that I can make them at home for the cost of a potato. Do I need a fancy food dehydrator or can I just cut the potatoes up into thick pieces and put my oven on 200F for a many hours? Anyone have a specific recipe or experience making them? I didn't find any recipes on line. Thanks for your help.

I want to make barfi!

bookish — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:21:37 -0800

I'd like to try making barfi, but I've never done it before, and the recipe I have calls for khoya, which I can't get around here. Anybody have a tried-and-true barfi recipe, a good substitute for khoya, or any tips? I was planning on making plain or pistachio flavored, but I'm open to other possibilities.

Sweet breath when I cry

kristymcj — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:49:03 -0800

When I cry vigorously I get a sweet taste in my mouth. Why?

Weird ice cream place in North Carolina?

unknowncommand — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 22:09:50 -0800

I'm trying to remember the name of an ice cream shop in Asheville, NC, or thereabouts. I was there in 2002, I believe. They used a big machine that loudly pulverized your ice cream flavor and toppings together, and then extruded it like soft serve. Is this place still around? I got the feeling that it was kind of like a franchise, and that the machines could be found elsewhere. Best ice cream I've ever had.

Why is it that salty things make me hungry for sweet things, and sweet things make me hungry for salty things?

stokast — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 11:12:58 -0800

Why is it that salty things make me hungry for sweet things, and sweet things make me hungry for salty things?

"made from sugar, so it tastes like ... what?"

runtina — Thu, 06 Oct 2005 08:48:24 -0800

Does Splenda taste salty to anyone else, or is it just me? I first noticed the "salty" taste in those flavored seltzer waters. Yesterday I had a Diet Coke w/splenda for the first time in a few weeks, and it tasted salty too. If this is my body's way of telling me to back away from the artificial sweeteners, I'm fine with that. Just curious as to whether anyone else has noticed this.

The origin of sweet sixteen

Crushinator — Tue, 31 May 2005 12:42:51 -0800

A friend of mine in Finland just saw this MTV show about Sweet Sixteen parties (I haven't seen the show) and is now curious about how this aspect of American culture. Does anyone know when, why, or how this tradition started? For me, sweet sixteen was not an important event at all. What were your experiences with sweet sixteen parties/events/issues? So far, I've told him that I think the deal with "sweet sixteen" is that it's more of a concept than an event, an idea that describes a supposedly exciting and romantic time in a young girl's life. I told him to watch Sixteen Candles. I also thought it might have something to do with debutante or cotillion stuff, with which I am largely unfamiliar. Any other thoughts?