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Peculiar Pintos
For Sunday suppers my late husband, Bobby, and I often cooked pinto beans in the crockpot. One time though upon tasting, the beans had a very unusual taste. How can you mess up pintos? Upon further investigation, I found the culprit. The crockpot was sitting on the kitchen counter without the lid. In the overhead cabinet, an opened bottle of peppermint flavoring had overturned, run down onto the stove exhaust cover and dripped into the crockpot of pintos. I didn’t eat any, but Bobby did. First and last time I cooked Peppermint Pinto Beans! Vicki Martin, Shelby, a member of Rutherford EMC
Yule Stumps
Reallocating holiday travel time in 2020, I determined to finally attempt a “Bûche de Noël” [Yule log] cake. As a small child, my mom mastered these swirls of chocolate and cream. So, I was sure that, between her tutelage and all I learned from the “Great British Baking Show,” I would succeed in a beautiful sponge cake. I scoured all the reputable webpages for a recipe to satisfy my memory and skills. Alas, despite following all directions, no lovely spiral, just chunks of springy chocolate cake and bowls of sweet smooth cream and rich frosting. So, “Stumps de Noël” were born. Easy to share in personal ramekins, they became perfect for a pandemic holiday food swap. Though a little skeptical of the presentation, empty dishes returned from senior citizens and teens alike, confirming taste over looks, every time. Amberly Dyer, Salvo, a member of Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative
Bunny Breakfast Fail
I wanted to make cute bunny pancakes like I saw on Pinterest. I had a vegan relative visiting, so I was confident I could make them vegan with the same effect. Not so. They were delicious but extremely flat. And the vegan marshmallow and chocolate syrup for the face made them look like demented zombie bunnies!
Racked Bundt
I forgot to allow room for my Chocolate Zucchini Bundt cake to rise. Hardee Klitzman, Durham, a member of Halifax EMC
Bettina Vernon, Marvin, a member of Union Power Cooperative
Birthday Burn
My recipe that went wrong was a brand new, untried, peanut butter cookie recipe for a birthday gift for my son-in-law. Yikes! Embarrassing, to say the least. I cut the bottoms off and we still ate them — but never, never again. Betty Normandin, Carthage
Unsightly Treat
I really do not know what happened. It’s not like I haven’t cooked a Bundt cake before. But it was delicious, though unsightly. Cookie Parker, West Jefferson, a member of Blue Ridge Energy
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11/9/21 2:33 PM
