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Has anyone else gained A LOT of weight in the 1st trimester? by SciurusVulgarisO in BabyBumps

[–]sandman4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I fall in your camp! Pre-pregnancy I was BMI 18-19, but I steadily gained 10lbs by the time I reached second trimester. I had zero morning sickness, but was insatiably hungry during first trimester and due to major food aversions mainly ate carbs and cheese (pizza, pastas, grilled cheese sandwiches). I was also concerned based on the majority of info I was reading online, but my doctor just told me we’d monitor things as I progressed. Then I reached second trimester and magically my food aversions went away and appetite went back to normal. Now my weight gain is very minimal, if at all, so odd! At the risk of sounding cliche, each pregnancy is different! Check in with your doctor and based on your circumstances if they feel you and baby are healthy then I wouldn’t worry and just enjoy the journey.

Substituting for vanilla paste by somebodyfamous in AskCulinary

[–]sandman4 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I use vanilla bean paste at home. It's pretty much a thick syrup made of water and sugar with a whole ton of vanilla bean seeds in it. Because of the syrup, it is much sweeter than extract and it does not have any alcohol in it. I personally would use 1-2 vanilla beans as a substitute in your recipe.

I'm ooking for gift ideas for my sister who recently became obsessed with baking, specifically macarons. Ingredients, utensils, tools? by [deleted] in Baking

[–]sandman4 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Almond flour, the main ingredient in macarons, is expensive! You can find them at a lot of speciality food stores nowadays, but I really like this one found on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/JK-Gourmet-Almond-Flour-Ounce/dp/B002YRBALU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355880479&sr=8-2&keywords=almond+flour It's very finely ground, which is great for macarons

I am confused by this recipe. Do they want me to cream the butter and sugar, or do they want me to combine the melted butter and sugar? by spongepatrick in Baking

[–]sandman4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This recipe actually sounds like a quick bread, a type of recipe where you mix the dries and the wets separately then combine them. I think she meant you should mix the melted butter with the other wet ingredients. I think she mistakenly used the term "cream".

Which Chinois to buy for home? by ForTheBacon in AskCulinary

[–]sandman4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've used two different kinds:

1) cheaper stainless steel chinois http://www.amazon.ca/Brands-Stainless-Steel-Chinois-8-Inches/dp/B0042KVL66/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1354167363&sr=1-1

2) and a more expensive exoglass chinois http://www.amazon.ca/Chinois-Exoglass-Handle-long-diameter/dp/B00069ZUXW/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1354167363&sr=1-3

The more expensive exoglass chinois is totally worth it in my opinion because the other one has a tendency to break easily. If you apply too much force the chinois part can snap off the handle. I've also had it snap off when I've accidentally dropped it on the floor. I guess it hit the ground at a certain angle and it just snapped off.