There is no place safe from cat hair. The cats know. The cats find!

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I’m on a search for dried mushrooms at the two Asian grocery stores by my house. I’ve never had them but love mushrooms. Good idea to just have them ready

I think ivneed new glasses because I swear that looked like a jar of spiders for a good 10 seconds before I realized it was Anise

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

i mean i use a teensy amount of aniseed in my red pasta sauce. i suppose you could sub star anise, but i’ve never tried it.

i have a root beer/birch beer/sarsaparilla recipe i’ve been fighting for years that i used star anise in, but i think i might sub in fennel or aniseed because it always ends up too licoricey no matter how little i put in. here’s the latest incarnation, but note it is not good

1 tablespoon sarsaparilla root bark
1 tablespoon sassafras root bark
1 tablespoon birch bark
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 teaspoon crushed ginger
4? sprigs chocolate mint
3? star anise pods
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup molasses

Combine everything but sugar and molasses.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 2 hours
Strain liquid through fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large pot.
Add sugar and molasses, low heat and stir until mixture is integrated.
Put in syrup jar, refrigerate, add to carbonated water to make soda.

I’d leave out the star anise and mint entirely to begin with and slowly add them in at different quantities, because it’s really easy to get mint or licorice soda. I still haven’t figured this recipe out. nutmeg might be a good addition too.

Thank you for posting the failed recipe. That looks very expensive. What is the batch size?

*lobster mushrooms, please don’t think I put actual lobster in there, I’m not made of money

I’m lucky to live near a specialty market that sells a variety of dried mushrooms and peppers in bulk so you only have to buy what you need, but I can’t overstate how much mushroom powder enhances the flavor. Thanks for the recipe share!!

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

I think ivneed new glasses because I swear that looked like a jar of spiders for a good 10 seconds before I realized it was Anise

I looked at that photo for a long time, and didn’t realize that wasn’t a jar full of insects until I started reading the post lol

I put the dried mushrooms in a coffee grinder to turn them into powder for this. Other times, you can let them sit in warm water for a couple minutes and throw them in soups, or really any dish you want mushrooms in (which is all of them)

I’m lucky to live near a specialty market that sells a variety of dried mushrooms and peppers in bulk

that sounds amazing my kroger started limiting online orders to 7 habaneros and the only mushrooms are cremini and portobello

I’ve been wanting to get some star anies for the rare recipe, that needs a little bit of it. But I found I couldn’t buy a small amount. So now I have a pint of it. Which means I have more than I can use in a reasonable amount of time before it goes stale.

I figured I might try to make some kind of beverage and maybe some soft candy. Any tested recipes you can recommend?

Also, the store had these $0.99 cans of cooked dried peas. Ingredients are dried peas, water and iodized salt. I’m not quite sure what to expect when I open this can. I’m picturing somebody forgot to blend the split peas soup. Do you have any ideas on how to use this?

You could mull some apple cider in the crock pot with cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, ginger, nutmeg, and a sliced orange. Great on its own or add some rum!

Edit: forgot to mention allspice and cardamom!