Dear Folks, I just had to let you know that I still have a domestic side to my life. In the midst of my veterans project today I was looking forward to actually preparing Hamburger Stroganoff from scratch for dinner. The local market had regular ground beef on sale for $1.18/lb if you can believe that, so I bought up a couple of 1-lb. packages plus a carton of sour cream because I've been craving Hamburger Stroganoff for the longest time. In fact it's been so long since I prepared it, I couldn't even find the recipe I used to use. But with my unusual diligence I not only found a similar recipe but I found one that could be made in the microwave--just my style. So now we get down to after the onions have been cooked in the microwave and the hamburger has been added to them and cooked until it's no longer pink and it's time to drain all the grease from the hamburger. And that's where I've always had a problem. How do you drain it and what do you drain the grease into and then what do you do with the grease? Of course pouring the grease down the kitchen sink drain is out of the question and I can't quite see me draining it directly into the kitchen waste basket. So I've compromised. I take out a small colander that will accommodate the amount of hamburger and select a bowl of comparable size and drain the hamburger through the colander into the bowl. Then I select a glass custard cup and pour the grease into it and put it into the refrigerator. Overnight the grease solidifies and I keep it in the refrigerator until it's time for the next garbage pickup. That's when I scoop up the hardened grease, dump it into my kitchen waste basket and haul it off to the curb. I'd be interested in how other people manage to drain hamburger, but in the meantime let me tell you that tonight's dinner was delicious. I served the Hamburger Stroganoff over mashed potatoes and as a side dish I had an ear of "fresh" corn slathered with butter and salt. In addition, I had my typical green salad with garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing on it. I stuffed myself silly and I have enough leftovers to keep me in dinners for weeks to come. I must say that I've had a full day today. vee

Dear Vee, I use a large one of those fly screen wire strainer thingys, what are they called, and drain into a bowl or whatever then I just pour the grease into a coffee can which I keep for that purpose. You could keep the coffee can in the fridge until it's full, then just put the lid on and toss it in the garbage. You do drink coffee don't you? All military personnel are required to drink coffee aren't they? Ruth At 1:19 AM -0500 3/27/04, Vee L. Housman wrote: >Dear Folks, >So now we get down to after the onions have been cooked in the microwave and >the hamburger has been added to them and cooked until it's no longer pink >and it's time to drain all the grease from the hamburger. And that's where >I've always had a problem. How do you drain it and what do you drain the >grease into and then what do you do with the grease? -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT

Sounds to me that the day was not the only thing full. Happy eating young lady. Charles