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I have not gotten on board the air fryer craze. I felt tempted by the idea of guilt-free onion rings, but that would not justify having to store an additional appliance, and I have not heard from anyone that it makes great onion rings.
One of the Holderness family You Tube videos is the wife praising the air fryer. Perhaps it is a matter of finding the right recipes?
Also, I think that Chocomouse mentioned that her new convection oven also has an air fryer feature?
As a general rule, I am slow to try new kitchen appliances, maybe because my dear mother was always getting hooked in by the latest gimmick, and they piled up. Some were still unopened when the house was cleared out after she died.
I ignored bread machines for the longest time, until I decided that having a secondhand one in our then second home, when I did not have the mixer, would be useful for kneading. I now have two, the original small one that can travel with us, and a larger Zo. They work well for me for pizza dough, sweet rolls, or a single loaf of bread.
On Sunday, I baked Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers (nicknamed Baker Aunt's Crackers) from dough that I made last week. Instead of grapeseed oil, I used avocado oil to brush the dough. I also tried to hold back on the salt on top, since my husband asked me to do so and his blood pressure is higher than mine.
That sounds delicious, Rottiedogs!
On Sunday, I made another batch of yogurt.
Dinner tonight will be leftover pizza, quick and easy.
I made a sourdough pan pizza for Saturday night dinner. I topped it with homemade sauce, Canadian bacon, mozzarella, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and Parmesan, with black olives on my side as well.
I made some pizza sauce on Saturday, as I do not appear to have any more in the freezer. I used some marked down tomatoes from the grocery store. I am looking forward to the taste of our own summer tomatoes.
On Friday, I baked Zucchini Cinnamon Chip Bars, which are my rift on KABC’s Zucchini Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars.
We were also out of bread, so on Friday I baked three loaves of my adaptation of Grandma A’s Ranch Hand Bread. This recipe has been a favorite ever since Dachshundlady brought it to our attention on the Baking Circle where it was posted. The recipe is now here at Nebraska Kitchen. It makes three loaves, but there is a scaled down single loaf recipe, by Zen, also posted here that can be done with a mixer or bread machine.
Our Friday night dinner was salmon and couscous with dill, along with microwaved frozen peas.
That was quite a morning, Italian Cook. I try not to bake anything too complicated before I've had my morning coffee.
I think that your eggs would still be fully cooked at 350F, as I have baked recipes with eggs at that temperature. The lower heat might have had more of an effect on how well the cake rose. My inclination, if I'd made the error would have been to increase the cooking time until the cake tested done rather than trying to do a late temperature increase.
This advice is being given from a woman who accidentally turned off the timer for what she was baking this afternoon instead of the timer for the cup of tea she was brewing. So, I guessed another 5 min. and took it out when it looked and tested done. Sigh.
We had some rain as well but are glad to get it, since our area is in drought.
Dinner on Thursday was pork chops cooked in a skillet by my husband, roasted sweet potato cubes, done by me, and a mixed greens salad with carrots, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms.
Yes, people who want to save the planet by giving up all beef will also need to give up dairy and leather.
We do not eat a lot of beef, and that was partly by preference as we prefer chicken, turkey, and some pork. Beef is on our menu as an occasional food--in my Mom's hamburger stroganoff or in stew, and in the latter, I double the vegetables and liquids. As we both need to watch our saturated fat intake, we have not explored more beef recipes.
I've noted that some of the cooking emails I get--some might be Epicurious--are big on "plant milks," but I have looked at the list of ingredients on plant milks, and I would not consume them. If people want to be vegan, that is their choice, but some of the workarounds that I've seen to make alternatives that are vegan strike me as less healthy, and perhaps also have negative impacts on the planet.
I am in favor of "saving the planet," but I wonder if the writers of Epicurious have looked at some of their other non-food habits that are likely more detrimental to the planet. Whenever Epicurious does a review of kitchen tools, etc., I often shake my head at their recommendations.
I have not joined the Kale salad or Kale Chips brigades, but I did find that kale works well when added in moderation to soups, a butternut squash tart that I make, and my Pork Loin Roast with Butternut Squash and Barley. In the latter, 2 tsp. of cider vinegar also get added, and I know, from the time I forgot it, that the vinegar somehow balances the kale. (Original recipe used Swiss Chard.)
I do recall having a spinach salad with a hot bacon dressing and liking it. However, I would not be eating or making such a dish with my current eating plan.
None of their recipes, of late, has appealed to me--too many strange ingredients.
Italian Cook--I keep my Grease in the pantry, but others on this site refrigerate it. I go through mine quickly, as I have been doing a lot of cakes. I do not make a huge batch at a time.
I've noticed that the Grease is not a good choice for a cake that is left in a pan, or for brownies. For those purposes, I use Crisco, as I do for loaves of bread.
Like, you, Italian Cook, I have learned A LOT from the people on this site. We have a great community of bakers and cooks.
Italian Cook--I use the Grease--and bless S. Wirth, who first posted the recipe, and Miss Cindy, who drew attention to it by writing effusively about it after I joined the Baking Circle.
The recipe is on this site, but let me quickly repeat it: combine equal volumes of flour, oil (I use canola), and Crisco. (Note: do not use weight.) I use my hand mixer and mix it well. I usually use 1/4 cup of each and store the leftover in a plastic take-out container that I reserve for that purpose. I use a fork to mix it up well each time before I use it. I have a silicone brush that works well for coating the wells of the pans. I also use the Grease when I make layers for cake.
I find that it helps not to let the cakes cool too long in these pans. A couple of minutes, and I invert them onto a rack. Rap the pan down, on the rack for any that initially seem to hold back.
Cleaning: First of all, do not soak the pan. It comes with a warning that prolonged soaking can damage the finish. I have soft sponge that I use to clean the pan. If there are spots that are hard to get to, I do use that tool--pointed end and the brush--to dislodge it. You can also use the tool before you get the pan wet to wash it.
I probably have far too many specialized Bundt pans, due to good sales at T.J. Maxx and Tuesday Morning over the years. I have a similar pan to this one that is ducklings. I have the seasonal Bundt pans in plastic tubs--two of Christmas, one for Thanksgiving and Halloween, and one for Valentine's and Easter. That does not even count the others, some of which I inherited from my Mom, who didn't use them but could not pass up a good deal and the idea that she COULD use them if she wished.
As my dessert options have shrunk since I eliminated almost all butter from my diet, it makes me feel good to be able to bake an oil cake in a fancy pan.
I suspect that the Bunny pan will continue to be available, but getting it on sale when you can is a good idea. I've noted that prices tend to increase from year to year. My Bunny Pan was $19,99 at T. J. Maxx after Easter. Williams Sonoma also often has good after holiday sale prices.
Garage sales can also be a good source of used bread machines. Both of mine came from different sales, the first from a sale in Texas, and the second from a sale here. I keep the first one because it is small enough to travel. I think the second, a Zo, kneads more efficiently and can handle a little more dough.
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