Wed. Jul 8th, 2026

BakerAunt

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  • in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of July 5, 2026? #49632
    BakerAunt
    Participant

      I found another container of Blueberry Chia Seed Jam in the freezer, so I baked another batch of Rye Blueberry Chia Seed Jam Bars. This time, instead of baking it in an 8 x 8 dish, I baked it in a 7 x 11-inch dish for thinner bars and cut the baking time for both the crust and the assembled bars. One reason I made them thinner was to slow down our eating of them for dessert, so that it will last four nights instead of three. The thinner ones are also easier to cut, but I do like the texture of the thick ones.

      in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 5, 2026? #49631
      BakerAunt
      Participant

        That looks very good, Joan.

        I had not intended to cook on Tuesday, but when we did our weekly grocery trip to the store in our town, we found a bone-in turkey breast half, marked down as the sell-by date was yesterday. This afternoon, I googled how to roast a bone-n turkey breast half. Every single recipe called for copious amounts of butter. I ended up rubbing it well with olive oil and sprinkling it with Penzey's Northwoods Seasoning from my collection of sample packs. I roasted it on parchment on a rimmed baking sheet. It required an hour and five minutes to reach 165 F in the thickest part. After we let it rest for 15 minutes, Scott cut it up, and we had it with large salads, using spinach and lettuce that I dashed over and bought at the Tuesday night farmers market. We have leftover turkey, so we can alternate it with the black-eyed peas dish, which should last us until the end of the week, which is good because tomorrow, we head to the woods to pick blackberries.

        in reply to: 2026 Gardens #49626
        BakerAunt
        Participant

          We were worried about our plants while we were out of town this weekend, but it rained, and they did well. There are lots of green cherry tomatoes, and one actually ripened! There are now little cucumbers on those plants, and the beans are starting. The pumpkin plant really liked the rain.

          in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of July 5, 2026? #49625
          BakerAunt
          Participant

            Best wishes to Violet, and I hope your baking goes well, Aaron. What a time to be out of your own kitchen!

            I made Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers on Monday. I will bake them at the end of the week. I had hoped to make the dough before we left for our weekend at the state park, but I ran out of time.

            in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 5, 2026? #49624
            BakerAunt
            Participant

              Sunday night's dinner was sandwiches with the rest of the chicken salad. We got home at about 6 p.m. after our weekend at Indiana's Spring Mill Park Inn. The weather was nice enough in the mornings that we were able to hike on Saturday and Sunday. We ate lunch at the Inn's buffet on Saturday, which is the only time I will be eating fried chicken, which is delicious and not greasy. I also recommend the sweet corn kernels and the macaroni and cheese. Don't worry, we did start off with salads. For dessert, I had some excellent cherry cobbler, and a piece of a large sponge cake that was covered in whipped cream, with strawberries and blueberries arranged like a flag.

              For dinner on Monday, I made black-eyed peas with ham, sauteed celery, bell pepper, and kale, and rice. We have enough for several meals.

              in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of June 28, 2026? #49610
              BakerAunt
              Participant

                I baked a batch of my oil-based scones in the late afternoon on Thursday. In honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and of 4th of July, I made the scones with dried cherries and dried blueberries, with some of the King Arthur sparkling sugar sprinkled on top. I made them with two-thirds whole wheat pastry flour, using up the last of the Bob's Red Mill (they no longer sell it), and mostly using white whole wheat pastry flour that I bought from the same place as I buy my barley flour. After the dough came together, I cut it into eight pieces, and it was easy to shape them into balls by hand. I baked them for just 20 minutes, which works well for oil-based scones. It was very hot again today, but I need the scones for our annual escape the fireworks by going to a state park holiday.

                in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of June 28, 2026? #49609
                BakerAunt
                Participant

                  On Thursday, I made yogurt. In the afternoon, I made another batch of Black Raspberry Jam, with a yield of four 8-oz. jars and one 4 oz. That will be the last black raspberry jam of the season. I was hoping for three batches, but the woodland that has a good patch suffered some clearing from a road crew over the spring. The bushes will be back, just not this year. The majority of the berries came from our front north terrace, but we found some in the smaller woodlands as well. Today, I picked three blackberries, the first of the season, so by next week, I will be into blackberry season.

                  For dinner, we had chicken salad sandwiches again, and I had some raw carrots as well.

                  in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of June 28, 2026? #49606
                  BakerAunt
                  Participant

                    The temperature reached 93 F today, again with humidity, but we were out of bread, so I baked three loaves of Whole Wheat Oat Bran Bread. I timed it so that the solar panels would be at peak time. I will freeze two, and I hope that will see us through the current heat spell which is supposed to last until the middle of the month.

                    in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of June 28, 2026? #49605
                    BakerAunt
                    Participant

                      I used the rest of the roasted chicken breast to make chicken salad on Wednesday for sandwiches for dinner on the bread I baked earlier. It was a late dinner. I had to replace my outdated (no longer supported) phone, and the set-up took a frustratingly longer time than anticipated

                      in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of June 28, 2026? #49600
                      BakerAunt
                      Participant

                        On Tuesday, we had large salads with some of the leftover roast chicken on top. Heat and humidity continue, with more forecast for the next few days.

                        That orange cauliflower is lovely, Len. I also like the idea of cooking the macaroni in milk for macaroni and cheese. It reminds me of some recipes I've seen where the pasta is either cooked in the sauce, or finishes cooking in the sauce.

                        in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of June 28, 2026? #49587
                        BakerAunt
                        Participant

                          We had temperatures of 90 F Monday, with humidity, so I am glad that we had leftover turkey loaf. to warm up in the microwave. I roasted sweet potato chunks in the countertop oven, and we completed the meal with microwaved frozen peas.

                          in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of June 28, 2026? #49583
                          BakerAunt
                          Participant

                            We have the start today of hot, muggy weather working its way into our area. I took advantage of what will likely be one of the coolest days this week to roast three large chicken breasts, which will give us Sunday dinner and dinner into the coming week. We had it with large salads, as we went to an open house this afternoon for friends celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.

                            in reply to: 2026 Gardens #49579
                            BakerAunt
                            Participant

                              Looking good, Len! We have some cherry tomatoes developing, but so far, nothing on the regular tomato plants. We do have flowers on the bean plants. The potato plants have gotten very bushy. So far, no blooms on pepper plants or pumpkin plants or pickling cucumber plants.

                              in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of June 21, 2026? #49578
                              BakerAunt
                              Participant

                                I used a jar of Blackberry/Black Raspberry Jam from three years ago to bake Jammy Muffins on Saturday morning. I am trying to find ways to use up the older jam, and my adaptation of a King Arthur Baking Sheet recipe that called for cherry jam is one good way of doing so. I used American flag muffin papers in honor of the upcoming 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

                                We each had a brownie for dessert tonight. That recipe is so wonderful.

                                in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of June 21, 2026? #49577
                                BakerAunt
                                Participant

                                  Len--I've been using Chobani nonfat Greek yogurt in my hamburger stroganoff. I don't miss the sour cream at all.

                                  We had more of the turkey-zucchini loaf and the rest of the rice-vegetable stir-fry, along with some microwaved fresh broccoli from the farmers market for dinner on Saturday.

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