Chocomouse, that looks interesting. I don't think I've heard of a chicken-broccoli braid before.
I keep my yeast in the freezer too. I've even used yeast that was a couple of years past its expiration date with no problem. I don't proof my yeast, I figure if it was good the last time I used it (which is usually a week or so ago), it's still going to be good.
Aaron--That is why I always proof yeast. I buy the active yeast, and I want to see those bubbles! I hope that you find the perfect pizza crust method.
Chocomouse--That is sad about your bread machine. Any chance that you might find a used one in your area? I was fortunate to get my two bread machines--which I also only use for mixing and kneading--that way.
On Monday, I adapted the Orange-Almond Scones recipe from Elizabeth Alston's Biscuits and Scones (pp. 82-83). I used half Irish-style flour, reduced the baking powder from 4 tsp. to 3 tsp., replaced the butter with 1/3 cup canola oil plus enough buttermilk to make ½ cup, and replaced ½ cup finely chopped blanched almonds with 1/3 cup almond flour. It was a semi-sticky dough, so I used a #10 scoop (King Arthur calls it a popover scoop) to make 8 mounds, then baked. They were done after 21 minutes. They have a great texture. My only regret is that I used the ¼ tsp. of almond extract the recipe specifies. My husband and I find it too strong. I will bake the adaptation again, but next time, I will use vanilla. I might also try it with barley flour rather than the Irish-Style for variety.
Interesting question, Aaron. I googled it but didn't find any information, maybe I didn't look far enough. The egg laying hens are a different breed from the hens raised for meat. They are smaller and are more prolific at egg production whereas the meat hens are fast growth.
The egg layers are about 2 years old (sometimes older) when they are "retired" and tough by then. There's a farmer on youtube, Just a few acres farm, who will sell his retired egg layers but makes it clear that they require a long, slow cooking method to make them tender. You never find the old egg laying hens in the grocery store, so I wonder what happens to them. Maybe they're used for canned soup and pet food.
Sorry about your Covid, Mike.
I came down with something in January, shortly after New Years. I was at my neighbors on New Years Eve and you know there was all that hugging and stuff. After about a week I tested myself, but the test came up negative. But still, I had a sore throat for several weeks.
Joan, that Stromboli looks professional! I've never made one, but it's been in the back of my mind.
Tonight I had pasta with meat sauce and fresh green beans (same thing I had yesterday).
I watched the Super Bowl. Only two of the commercials were amusing to me (to be fair, I don't pay attention to most commercials), the mayonnaise commercial which was a parody of the restaurant scene from When Harry Met Sally, well done but not original, and then the baby Clydesdale in the Budweiser commercial.
I didn't intentionally miss your birthday, BakerAunt. I felt too downtrodden to reply. We were dealing with a house water (of sorts) emergency that turned into an insurance claim. This is the first day I've had a breather. It's been days-on-end of rush, rush, rush. The contractor is ready and willing to start. We're waiting on notification that the claim is approved. So let me belatedly say:
Happy Birthday, BakerAunt!
Any Super Bowl goodies planned?
I've come down with a cold (hopefully a mild one) so I'm not doing much today.
Time for a new thread for 2025 garden planning and updates. I've hit several of the places that sell seed in Lincoln but haven't found all the tomato varieties I'm hoping to plant this year yet. No rush yet, I usually start the seeds the last week in March. The ones I can't find locally I'll have to order by mail. (I also want to get some white eggplant seeds, I grew some of those a few years ago and they were fun to watch grow and we even ate some. My wife love the look of eggplants when they're growing, but isn't fond of eating them, so we gave most of them away.) I also need to order leek plants from Johnny's.
I may change what I'm using for a seed starter tray, but I'd like something that will fit in a standard 10x20 gardening tray. I saw a nice 50-compartment one, but it was 11x21.
Not to make anyone feel bad but I purchased 18 large eggs from Weiss with my 100 points for $2.99. Maybe they were from the theft. (I am in Pa,)
If I'm reading the news right, both Mexico and Canada have been given a 30 day pause on tariffs in return for some promises on other issues (Mexico will try to deal with fentanyl smuggling), so it may be more of a negotiating tactic.
It'll probably be 3-4 weeks before those Better Bush tomatoes start to ripen, I'm also quite curious as to how they'll taste. I haven't spotted any more, but the 5 I spotted over the weekend were probably there for several days before I focused in on them. Still lots of blooms on the other variety (Defiance) but haven't spotted any fruit yet.
I'm still making up my list of seeds to start late next month for the outdoor garden, but I will be dropping First Lady II and adding Defiance to the list. I need to find some more Italian Heirloom seeds, I haven't seen any in a couple of years at the garden stores, but I haven't made the rounds of the garden stores and other seed racks yet. I may have enough for 2025 but they're probably 2022 seeds so the germination rate may be lower. I also need to order leek plants from Johnny's.
CNBC had two interesting news items regarding eggs. Apparently egg hijacking is starting to become an issue, an egg producer in PA had a trailer full of eggs (100K eggs worth $40K) stolen.
Also, Waffle House has started adding an 'egg surcharge' to restaurant bills.
I saw a an 18 pack of eggs at Super Saver the other day for $12.98, I'm hoping that was a pricing error and not a trend.
I paid $5.29 for organic omega 3 eggs from Whole Foods today. This egg has always been a premium price, although not the highest, Whole Foods carries some from smaller producers that cost more (they also have lower cost options). When I bought this egg 2 weeks ago, it was also $5.29 then. I checked my orders from a year ago (I order online so I have access to that) and I paid $5.49 back then. While not significant, it went down a little.
I wonder too, if the tariffs on Canada will put upward pressure on egg prices and other foods. I look at the country of origin on packaged food items and see that a number of them come from Canada. I think we all know from experience, when the price of one brand goes up, all the others are likely to follow.
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I've spotted at least 5 so far, not quite as big as a ping pong ball yet. I think they're all on the Better Bush plants, I haven't spotted any on the Defiance plants yet, though there are lots of blooms on it. (But it is a slower tomato, though it was transplanted several weeks earlier than the Better Bush.)
Based on some net research, I've started shaking the plants at least once a day, that may have been what it took to shake loose some pollen. 😀
The photo looks strange because the red/blue lights were on.
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I have been thinking longingly of "Orange-Barley Pound Cake," a recipe that Cass helped me with that originally was in Martha Stewart Living (April 2016). I had noted that in the picture with the recipe, the center was sunken. Cass explained that it happened because the sugar outweighed the flour and told me by how much I should reduce it. He also recommended grinding the sugar in the food processor to make it extra fine. I baked it several times. However, as it uses 12 Tbs. butter and 4 oz. of cream cheese, so I have not made it in a long time.
As it was a dreary Sunday afternoon, I decided to experiment, especially as I had one last orange from Florida that I wanted to use for baking, to see if I could bake a healthier version of this loaf cake. I also looked at an old thread where CWCdesign wanted to replace 10 Tbs. of butter in a pound cake, and Cass explained how to do it.
I used 9 oz. of avocado oil and a scant 3 oz. of orange juice (with water to make 3 oz.). I replaced the 4 oz. of cream cheese with 4 oz. of nonfat Chobani Greek yogurt. I inadvertently put in 1 1/3 cups AP flour instead of 1 ¼ cups. I added 2 Tbs. Bob's Red Mill milk powder. I increased the baking soda from 1/8 to ¼ tsp. to account for the acidity of the yogurt and the orange juice. In addition to the vanilla, in the past, I have added ¼ tsp. orange oil, but I do not have any, so I used ¼ tsp. Penzey's orange extract. I mixed the grated orange peel with the superfine sugar and let it rest before I proceeded, as that helps distribute the orange flavor.
I used the Grease on a 4 1/2 x 10-inch Kaiser loaf pan, the size that I used in the past for baking the cake. After 30 minutes, I turned the pan around in the oven. I checked the loaf after it had baked for an hour. It required another ten minutes. I let it rest in the pan on a rack for ten minutes, then turned it out onto a rack to cool. We will slice it for teatime tomorrow.
I still see Bob's Organic Buckwheat Cereal advertised on Amazon, as well as
Pocono Organic Cream of Buckwheat Cereal (3x13 oz.)
