BakerAunt
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For the first time since the first week of March, my husband and I shopped at Walmart in the next town on Tuesday. We went back only because of the mandatory mask order in our county and state, and Walmart's statement that masks are required. Everyone we saw was in compliance, as was also the case in Aldi's and Kroger.
Our governor decided not to include a fine for not wearing a mask, but he did include, in all bold caps, that if the state numbers do not improve, Indiana would be forced to return to an earlier phase of the reopening plan. We are in this mess in part because he pushed too fast with that reopening plan, so reality has bitten.
I was able to find two bags of KAF flour at Walmart for $3.49 a bag, which is a better price than the $4.99 that Kroger charges. And of course Bakers Authority immediately announced a discount offer....
I guessed and missed.
I was forced to get a new phone as mine is being rendered obsolete by the upgraded network. It was perhaps six or seven years old? And manufacturers have found new and amazing ways to befuddle us, while refusing to give us a straightforward operator's manual.
Great dinner experimentation tonight at Chocomouse's and Cwcdesign's kitchens!
We had leftovers, which is a good thing because I bought a new phone today, and just spent several hours on chat trying to troubleshoot how to turn off the very irritating Voice Assistant. I later googled it and learned that it is under Vision and Screen Reader--neither of which I associate with audio.
It is going to take me a while to get comfortable with this new phone.
Mike--I edited my post (and unchecked the keep a reply box) and it disappeared when I tried to submit it. Is it in the spam file?
On Monday, I used my food processor, for the first time since replacing the work bowl, to grate zucchini. Some of it went into the meat loaf I made for dinner, two cups are frozen for future baking, a little bit leftover will go into some kind of frittata, and two cups went into a rift on The Shipyard Galley’s Zucchini Muffins (recipe at KABC--sounds like a TV station!). I meant to bake a half recipe, but accidentally put in the full amount of baking powder and baking soda, so I shifted and baked 12 large “Texas”-sized muffins. I reduced the sugar to 1 cup, and I used ½ cup oil and ½ cup buttermilk. I cut the salt in half and used half whole wheat pastry flour and half KAF AP. I did not add the nuts and I deleted the vanilla. However, I did add ½ cup cinnamon chips, as I have a supply that needs to be used up, and I figure two tsp. per muffin will keep the saturated fat somewhat in check. I sprinkled with some demerara sugar before baking.
I will freeze six of these (baked without paper wrapper). I have some large cupcake liners that I want to use, so I put the other six in those. We will eat these over the next couple of days. I was glad that I was able to fit both large muffin pans onto a shelf in my oven. The ones in the old Bakers Secret pan, with the paper liners, look nicer than the six that baked in the greased with Crisco USA pan. Those peaked up, while the others have a smooth domed top.
On Monday, I made my Turkey and Zucchini Meatloaf with Peach-Dijon Mustard Glaze (recipe posted here at Nebraska Kitchen) to go with the Dilly Beans and the Potato Salad I made yesterday. The acidity of the Dilly Beans is too much for my husband, so I will be finishing them off over the next few days while he has microwaved ones.
And heaven knows what's in it!
I missed it also.
King Arthur is getting a lot of comments on the logo change. It seems to break down between the people who like "clean, modern logo" (whatever that is) and the people who know the company's history and are attached to the classic logo.
KAF did say the new logo would be easier to see on a smartphone, so that was part of their thinking.
I received my new catalog this weekend. It still says "King Arthur Flour," and it still has the classic logo, so while the change may have been in the works for a while, the decision was made after the current catalog was printed and sent out for distribution.
On Sunday, I baked Whole Wheat Sourdough Crackers from dough I made perhaps ten days ago. I cannot recall when I made it, as I seem not to have written it down. The dough was fine, and the crackers came out well.
We ran out of bread, so I also baked the Wheat, Rye, Flax Meal Bread that I developed last year. I experimented a bit more, which was not a good idea. The rising time was fast, probably because it is hot here, but the bread did not get as much oven spring as when I have previously baked it. The loaves are fine, just not as tall. I need to stop tweaking this recipe.
On Sunday morning, I made “Dilly Beans,” from Jane Brody’s Good Food Gourmet (p. 347), a recipe that I have not made in years. However, we had a pound of green beans from the garden ready, so I pulled out the recipe. I have been searching for dill weed, both in the grocery and the farmers market, without success. I substituted 2 tsp. Penzey’s dried dill and hope that will be sufficient. I also discovered that I have no dill seed in the spice cabinet. I put it on the list for my next Penzey’s order and googled substitutes. I read that caraway or celery seed were acceptable, so I chose the celery seed. I had to delete the tsp. of red pepper flakes in deference to my husband. It is supposed to refrigerate for at least 10 hours before serving.
I also made a 2/3 recipe of the Cook’s Country “All American Potato Salad,” using new red potatoes from the farmers market yesterday. These are organically grown, so expensive, but worth it. However, when I went to get the pickles, I discovered that only one remained, when I knew that I had had enough left for another potato salad. It turns out that my husband, who can NEVER find anything in the refrigerator proper without help, and for whom I had left a clearly visible jar of dills he could eat in the door, had rooted through the refrigerator, found them, and had been eating them. I can only get these at Big Lots or Tuesday Morning—and the prospects of a trip into either county, whose Covid-19 numbers are far higher than ours, are nil. Big Lots will not ship them. So, I had to use another kind of German dill that we bought at Aldi’s, and which do not have the distinctive taste we like in this potato salad. Next time, I put the jar in the apt. refrigerator, even though it is a hassle to go out and get it. I also had to substitute for sour cream as I had none, and no Greek yogurt either. I used just a bit of regular full-fat yogurt.
These two salads—taking a page out of Chocomouse’s posts—are intended to accompany Turkey Zucchini meat loaf, but I have had an extended day in the kitchen (more on the baking thread), so we will have the minestrone again tonight, and I will do the loaf tomorrow and serve it with the salads.
I also made another batch of yogurt.
The governor of Indiana is making masks mandatory as of Monday. It's late, given the spiking numbers, but we take what we can get.
Apparently the pandemic has also affected needlework shops. As a lot of threads come from Europe, and some of the dyes and material as well, the needlework shops are in the position of being able to sell new charts but not the materials for completing them. I still ordered a chart for a design celebrating the 100th Anniversary of women voting for the first time, and another that commemorates the arrival of the Pilgrims 400 years ago this autumn. I am hoping that I have materials and threads in my stash that will work.
I was thinking about using a 10% coupon at Bakers Authority, but I forgot and the coupon expired. I'm not sure how much the shipping would have cost, but I was looking at the 50 pound bag of Sir Galahad. I suppose that I would have had to put it in the cart in order to get a shipping calculation. Once the weather cools down, I do not have an issue with storing it in the two 25 lb. containers that I bough back when KAF was willing to ship 25 lb. bags of flour. We keep the apt. cool in the winter, so the flour would be fine, and I could re-fill the 10 lb. container that I keep in the house from it.
Your bread looks scrumptious, Chocomouse.
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