[BakerAunt]

We are re-running last night's dinner, which is doubly a good thing. First, I did not need to cook today. Second, we spent 6:10-6:45 dealing with a gas leak at our neighbor's house. It turned out to be propane. The grill had not been turned off after it was used yesterday. The neighbors were not at home at the time, so we called the gas company's emergency line. The worker who showed up identified it quickly as propane, which explains why the odor was not exactly what we associate with gas. The worker also checked the grill at the next door over, and it was leaking propane as well, as the valve had not been shut all the way. My husband apologized for the call, but the gas employee responder said that they get a lot of these calls. Given that propane is even more inflammable than regular heating/cooking gas, calling them was the right thing to do.

So, we are about to eat a late dinner, but except for cooking the rest of the corn, the salad is already made, and we will have the chicken cold.

[BakerAunt]

Smoked pork chops and apple butter sound like a winning combination, Mike.

[BakerAunt]

Thank you, Skeptic. I had decided that I might divide the dough in half next time, then quarter it. And I agree: I should have left the quarters together for baking.

[BakerAunt]

Navlys--that recipe sounds delicious. My mother was quite fond of figs, but I have never cooked with them.

I made a frittata for lunch on Monday, using potatoes, green onion, red bell pepper, and mushrooms. I cut it into quarters and will warm those up for lunch for the next three days.

I took advantage on Monday of what will be the last cool day for several days to roast a chicken for dinner. I also made our favorite green bean, cherry tomato, and feta salad. (I am now leaving out the black-eyed peas that I was using in lieu of the chickpeas my husband cannot digest.) While the green bean plants in the garden keep on giving, our cherry tomatoes have slowed down, so I supplemented with a colorful mix of cherry tomatoes that I bought at the farmers market this weekend. We also had an ear of corn each.

[BakerAunt]

We finished the turkey-zucchini loaf and had an ear of corn each. Tomorrow, I shall cook anew.

[BakerAunt]

We are having cool weather, so baking is happening here, especially as mid- and upper-80s are predicted for midweek.

On Sunday, I baked an 8 x 8-inch pumpkin snacking cake, a recipe that I found five or six years ago and bake frequently in the autumn. It calls for toffee pieces, but I had none. I decided to replace the toffee pieces with 2 Tbs. mini-chocolate chips and 2 Tbs. chopped hazelnuts. I sprinkled the tops with a mixture of orange, yellow, and a few chocolate sprinkles. We will have it for dessert the next few evenings.

I also baked Lime Pecan Biscotti, using the first two limes that my husband harvested off the tree he gave me nearly twenty years ago. That tree has been a baking inspiration. The limes had great zest, but their skin was thicker than usual, and I only got a scant quarter cup of juice, to which I added a bit of water, as I did not want to do another lime. We are fond of this recipe that I created, so there are limes on the tree for baking it again. I used avocado rather than canola oil this time, and the dough seemed easier to handle. I hope to send some of a future batch to one of my sisters, and she prefers not to use canola oil, as she dislikes how it is processed. However, after reading in The Washington Post that a university research project found that most avocado oil sold in Walmart, Aldi's, Target, etc. is actually NOT pure avocado oil, and that, unless it is marked "Extra Virgin," it is subjected to more extensive processing, I am not sure I am getting all the health benefits avocado oil should give.

[BakerAunt]

Joan--you didn't say if you used coconut oil in your brownies. I never use it, so I do not know if replacing it made a difference.

However, if I were baking the recipe and using regular oil, I would cut the oil back to 3/4 cup to start and see how that affects the results. I might even cut it to 2/3 cup.

[BakerAunt]

We repeated last night's dinner of Turkey-Zucchini Loaf and an ear of corn each.

[BakerAunt]

Good one, Mike: I'll keep making the dough.

[BakerAunt]

Was the pan a birthday present, Mike?

The weather cooled again, so for dinner on Friday, I made Turkey-Zucchini Loaf. I used blackberry jam in the Dijon mustard glaze. We also had an ear of sweet corn each.

[BakerAunt]

Friday morning was cool enough that I decided to bake Buttermilk Oaten Cakes, a recipe from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads (1987), pp. 215-216, that I had marked to try. He notes that the recipe comes from County Cork, Ireland. It called for mixing 2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats with 1 ¼ cup buttermilk or sour milk and allowing to sit overnight before adding a mixture of 2 ½ cups bread or AP flour combined with 1 tsp. baking soda and 1 tsp. salt the next day. I used old-fashioned oats, and when I looked at them this morning, they had absorbed the buttermilk, and I knew that 2 ½ cups flour would be too much, especially as I planned to substitute 1 cup of white whole wheat flour. So, I used 1 cup white whole wheat and 1 cup King Arthur AP flour. I left the baking soda amount but cut the salt to ½ tsp. The recipe states to add a little milk if the mixture is dry in order to get a soft, smooth dough. I added an additional 4 Tbs. of buttermilk. I though the baking time of 40 minutes at 350 F seemed a bit long for the dough, which is flattened to 1-inch thickness, then cut into four quarters, "placed side by side." I was not sure what side by side meant. I kept them separated from each other. I baked for 30 minutes, then checked with my trusty instant read thermometer. With temperatures of 198 and 202 F, I took them out. I had a warm one for breakfast. I like the taste. Although it has no sugar, the oats give it a slightly sweet taste, and I used Land 'o Lakes canola-butter spread on my first half and added blackberry jam on the second, although the jam covers the oat flavor. I am not sure how these will be at room temperature. I may re-heat slightly. They are large, so if I were to bake them again, I might cut them into sixths rather than fourths and adjust the baking time accordingly.

One reason I tried this recipe is that my husband has taken to eating jam and bread with tea, so we are going through bread much faster. I want to give him an alternative.

[BakerAunt]

I made dough for Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers. I'll bake them early next week.

[BakerAunt]

What concerns me is whether the book focuses mostly on regular flour rather than wholegrain flours, which I prefer.

I will look at it on Amazon. I can get a good deal at Barnes and Noble, but I have to move quickly on that one, as it would soon expire.

I'm also feeling guilty about not using my shelf of bread books more than I do. Maybe it is time to set up a challenge for myself to bake new breads, particularly with the weather about to turn cooler.

[BakerAunt]

Temperatures were in the upper 80s today, so I had no desire to turn on the oven. Our Thursday night meal was more of the black-eyed peas, rice, and ham, which we heat in the microwave, and an ear of sweet corn each. Our favorite growers just announced that there last planting is ready, so we drove there and picked up another dozen ears.

I also made a small batch of tomato sauce (2 cups) from about 6 cups of tomatoes.

[BakerAunt]

Happy Birthday Mike!

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