# The Really Bad Cookies and Other Stuff MMP **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** mmp\ **Created:** [March 11, 2013, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625 "2013-03-11T10:14:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/1 "2013-03-11T10:14:28Z")
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffienatin’. _YAWN_ ‘Tis 58 Amurrkin out with a predicted high of 75 and rain sometime this afternoon and into the evenin’. I hope. I really want some of this pollen washed away. So, I was postin’ about the horrible Shamrock cookies from heck (they show up at church so they are definitely the product of Phil, The Prince of Insufficient Light) yestiddy. I saw a couple interestin’ suggestions about makin’ doorstops, the Taj Mahal etc. **gotti** even suggested the optimistic possibility of the awful bakery screwin’ up and makin’ good Shamrock cookies for once. However, if they haven’t gotten it right in over twenty years that I know of, what are the possibilities it might accidentally happen this year? I don’t hold out much hope. Also, I need to find parsnips this week. Now, ya’d think this would not be an especially difficult task. However, the chance of any store havin’ 'em is always kinda iffy. Sometimes I find ‘em at Publix. Sometimes Winn-Dixie. Sometimes Sam’s Club. Sometimes :eek:Wally_World.:eek: One never knows. The weird thing is that the most likely place to find parsnips is usually :eek:Wally_World:eek: which would seem to me the least most likely place. At any rate, a task for today is to go parsnip huntin’. Now I need more caffiene and rumbly tummy is hongry. Then, alas, 'tis Monday and irk purtification must commence soonest. So there ya have it, really bad cookies and other stuff. Hijack away! Happy Monday! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/2 "2013-03-11T10:26:49Z")
Couldn’t wait for me, could you, **bear**?? 😛 I said I’d get things started before 6:30… I’ve never had parsnips, or turnips, or rutabagas - I don’t know that I could identify them if you plopped one down in front of me. I’d like to try them, prepared by someone who knows how to make them, but I’m not brave enough to do them myself first, because I don’t know what I’d be aiming for. But it’d be nice to add more veggies to our side dish rotation. I had a horrible night last night, largely because I was too lazy to shower before going to bed. I was grubbier than I thought from working in the yard, and shortly before 11, I got up and showered because I couldn’t stand myself. Shortly thereafter, I fell asleep, but I awoke at 3 and never fully fell back to sleep after that. Ergo, today is Zombie Day! :eek: On the other hand, I have a check waiting for me at the little store - something actually sold last month! I’m not expecting much, but money is money. Rain’s on its way tonight and into tomorrow. We shall see how I get thru the day. Happy Monday, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/3 "2013-03-11T10:30:29Z")
Up, caffeinated, off to irk. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/4 "2013-03-11T10:55:09Z")
Blurf. I hate time changes. Had a weird dream last night, something about zombies tickling my feet. :dubious: **Swampy** , good luck with the root hunt, dude. Better you than me. Where’s the :yuck: smilie? ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/5 "2013-03-11T11:22:22Z")
Happy Monday! I’ve been having weird dreams lately myself. I have a friend that I dream about occasionally, maybe once or twice a year and I did two nights ago and then I was dreaming that I was trying to disappear last night and my dad was lecturing me about it. Ok, if anyone else can tell me what I was going to say here, I’d be grateful to know because I forgot. I guess that means I need to get off of her and go do some work. ---
**Author:** ![Jynxster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jynxster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jynxster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/6 "2013-03-11T11:35:28Z")
Monday=BLURF The other night I dreamed I was an astronaut and was trying to get aboard the Space Shuttle, but kept having trouble finding some place to park, then I didnt bring my suitcase, then the launch time was delayed, etc. It was odd! Wally World is the only place locally I can find duck, so they always seem to have odd things. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/7 "2013-03-11T11:43:57Z")
Rutabagas are quite delicious. I’ve always referred to them as The Misunderstood Vegetable. They need better PR. Speaking of old fashioned vegetables, next time you make mashed potatoes from scratch, mash in one turnip for every four potatoes. Nice hint of horseradish-y bitterness. Makes the potatoes more interesting. As for parsnips,I’ve never mastered them. Woody-pulpy texture that bothers me. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/8 "2013-03-11T11:44:21Z")
They are administering the OGTs (Ohio Graduation Test) at my son’s high school this week, so since he done passed them in 9th grade (what does THAT tell you about what’s needed to graduate from an Ohio high school?), he doesn’t have to be at school until 10 a.m. this week. So I slept in a little, and now my whole morning is off. In fact, I’m typing this when I should be in the shower. **Swampy** , I loves me some parsnips! My husband fixed them a couple of weeks ago like home-fried potatoes, and they were awesome! I have finished my power breakfast (steel cut oatmeal, berries, and nuts) and now I’m off to the shower. Happy Monday, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/9 "2013-03-11T11:44:25Z")
What can I say **MOOOOOOM** I was wide awake and just _knew_ that Mumpers the world over were just itchin’ to post in the MMP. 😛 As to turnips, rutabagas, parsnips and root veggies in general, I’m not the world’s biggest fan. Parsnips are good on their own. To me they taste like a cross betwixt a radish and a carrot. Sweetish with a little bite to ‘em. Rutabagas and turnips are gross on their own IMHO, but good in other things like stew or cooked together when makin’ corned beef 'n cabbage. Also, smashed turnips (done like smashed N.O.T.) are pretty good. Turnips and rutabagas are boogers to peel! Beets are another root veggie that are (is?) ok in sump’n but not on their own. I say give parsnips a try. The first time I had 'em was six years ago and to my surprise I really liked 'em. Carrots are the one root type veggie I can deal with on their own. Ok, one supposes **N.O.T.** can be considered a root veggie and also radishes, both of which I like. Thus endeth the root veggie lesson. ETA: **ThelmaLou** (nickname to follow shortly I’m sure) great idea about the N.O.T. and turnips! ---
**Author:** ![sangfroid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@sangfroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sangfroid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/10 "2013-03-11T11:45:18Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > Also, I need to find parsnips this week. Now, ya’d think this would not be an especially difficult task. However, the chance of any store havin’ 'em is always kinda iffy. Sometimes I find ‘em at Publix. Sometimes Winn-Dixie. Sometimes Sam’s Club. Sometimes :eek:Wally_World.:eek: One never knows. The weird thing is that the most likely place to find parsnips is usually :eek:Wally_World:eek: which would seem to me the least most likely place. At any rate, a task for today is to go parsnip huntin’. Morning, all - not quite ready to rate it as ‘good’ yet, sorry. We’ll see. Cautiously hopeful… **swampy** , as a guy who works with produce for a living, I’m a little surprised you have a hard time finding parsnips. They’re actually one of the few things in the business that don’t experience regular interruptions in the supply chain, even up here in the great white north. Maybe the folks at the stores you frequent have found they don’t move enough to warrant having them all the time. For instance, I drop okra from my lineup in the winter, and bring it back in the summer when the snowbirds (retired folks from the southern US, [often Fla.] with summer homes here) return, because it sells much better then. Which is odd, because people usually make more soups and stews in the winter, and you’d think folks might like a nice warm-yer-gut gumbo in the deep dark of winter up here, but no. Curious. Good luck on your hunt either way. Regarding cookies, I’m fortunate to have married the best damn baker in these here parts (no, really - she managed a bakery for ten years or so) so any cookies that come my are way are usually swoon-worthy. 🙂 Enjoy your Monday, everyone… ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/11 "2013-03-11T12:14:59Z")
Mornin’! Parsnips are really easy to find over here, one of the standard ones you can buy anywhere. It’s pumpkins I don’t know how to use. Anyway, I thought you called them ‘passnips’ over there 😉 I should be out and doing stuff, but it’s all frozen, and I don’t want to. Hence I am not; I’m just practicing juggling clubs in my bedroom, which involves breaking stuff, because I’m no good at it. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/12 "2013-03-11T12:47:06Z")
> [@sangfroid](#): > > For instance, I drop okra from my lineup in the winter, and bring it back in the summer when the snowbirds (retired folks from the southern US, [often Fla.] with summer homes here) return, because it sells much better then. Which is odd, because people usually make more soups and stews in the winter, and you’d think folks might like a nice warm-yer-gut gumbo in the deep dark of winter up here, but no. Curious. Good luck on your hunt either way. That’s because everyone knows you pickle okra. There’s no point wasting it in a soup or frying it. Yes, I’ve dumped fried okra for pickled. It’s just that darn good. Up, caffienating, off to the dentist in a little bit. I also need to get the alternator belt on my car re-tensioned because it shrieks like a banshee. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/13 "2013-03-11T12:47:43Z")
Whose brilliant idea was it to have the Daylight Savings Time time-changing at the end of my week off? :mad: As an aside, I like the mad smiley ( :mad: ). I find it so funny-looking. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/14 "2013-03-11T12:51:19Z")
major blurfage ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/15 "2013-03-11T12:51:59Z")
We make “Himmel und Erde” – potatoes, turnips and apples cooked together and mashed. I add sour cream instead of milk. Fabulous with roast pork. The Wikipedia definition of Himmel und Erde is not what we make. There is no black pudding involved! ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/16 "2013-03-11T12:53:20Z")
I like parsnips but dang, they are expensive. My mom cooked them with the Sunday roast beast when I was a young’un. Dang, my mom was a good cook. It rained all day yesterday and is raining today. I am crabby. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/17 "2013-03-11T12:55:57Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > That’s because everyone knows you pickle okra. There’s no point wasting it in a soup or frying it. I guess North Carolina qualifies you as a Yankee. Tsk, tsk. Parsnips are generally cooked like carrots. They make good tempura. Most I’ve found lately in the store are too large, and indeed pithy inside. One can slice them from end to end. The pithy core is visibly different in texture and may be discarded or given to Swampy. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/18 "2013-03-11T12:58:14Z")
I had a lovely weekend in Paris for my birthday, and not a parsnip in sight. Luckily I have some in the veg box at home so I might well have those with dinner tonight. I’m tired, didn’t sleep at all well last night either, perhaps it was the excitement of coming back to work today, right? ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/19 "2013-03-11T13:16:39Z")
**Freebie** that sounds good. You need to post some kind of recipe for what you make. We Mumpers like new recipes! What I need by way of parsnips is enough to throw in the “Irish” stew I’m makin’ on Sattidy. I have it on good faith that I might find ‘em at Publix. I need to betake myself out of the orifice in a bit to go check on local folks so I’m thinkin’ a sidetrip to Publix would be in order. However, it’s not exactly a sidetrip bein’ as I will pass right by Publix so it’s more like a stop over on the way. Let the hunt for parsnips begin! Pickled okra is good. Okra in gumbo is good. Okra in soup is good. Okra in peas ‘n butterbeans is good. Boiled okra is good. Fried okra is good. Grilled okra is good. Okra is good. However, I can understand not havin’ it in Winter. Okra is a Summer veggie and the best way to have it durin’ Winter is to put you up some fresh okra in the Summer. Okra, the Pod of God! ETA: Glad you had a good time **BooFae**! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625/20 "2013-03-11T13:27:32Z")
Tempura okra is very good. Small uncut okra pods, put into a stew with a lid so that they can steam until just tender is good, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-really-bad-cookies-and-other-stuff-mmp/652625.md?page=2)