[BakerAunt]

I made another batch of yogurt today.

[BakerAunt]

We heard yesterday that there are three cases of Covid-19 in Lubbock, TX where we used to live. The Patient 0 appears to have been a university student, evacuated from overseas (there is a study abroad campus in Spain), who was told to self-isolate for fourteen days after returning and proceeded to go to the family home AND a restaurant that is always packed with people.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Our dog made it clear within a couple of days of our bringing her home that she prefers me and is devastated if I'm not there. Part of this behavior may be that she spent time with the breeder and her mother, and so prefers females, but we suspect that she may have had a failed placement that involved a male. Even after 5 1/2 years, she will not allow my husband to take her for a walk unless I accompany them. To encourage her to form a bond with him, on advice of a trainer, he puts out her kibble, and for a time, the trainer had him hand feeding her. He also developed the habit of feeding her some of his food at lunch and dinner and when he snacks. Occasionally, she will have some of his morning oatmeal. She is particularly fond of bread, as well as chicken, salmon, and turkey, (Beef makes her sick, so we avoid it.) As you might expect, she is putting on a few pounds more than she should, so my husband is trying to cut back on what he gives her. The weather has not been conducive to walks, and she doesn't want to leave the yard, even with me, since two weeks ago she heard the sound of someone target shooting (sound really carries in rural areas) while we were on a walk, and her fear of loud noises kicked in again. She is very sensitive to fireworks, construction noise, gun shots--and there is a lot of those three around here.

She has been good these last few years at not stealing food, although that may be in part because I don't give her the chance. Our mini-schnauzer, of beloved memory, was an ace food thief.

P.S. The dog food arrived on Thursday morning.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I got it wrong because I misread the question. I shouldn't answer quiz questions before I've finished my coffee.

[BakerAunt]

I had an email from KAF today that shipping on my order would be delayed. In addition to their shortages on certain items, FedEx, their shipper, is at its limit for shipping capacity, so items cannot ship right away.

Curiously, the post office seems to be doing rather well. Two books from Barnes and Noble that I ordered on Sunday arrived today. I just hope that Amazon gets the dog food here in a timely manner. We are running low. The dog says that it's ok, she'll just have what we're having. 🙂

[BakerAunt]

I had planned to buy cabbage at the store yesterday, but the shelves were bare.

For dinner on Wednesday, I again made “Pork Roast with Barley, Butternut Squash, and Swiss Chard, from Cook’s Illustrated. This time I ignored the recipe's oven temperature of 250F and set the oven at 325F. When I checked at 40 minutes, it was done, and perhaps might have been done five minutes earlier, but as it is a braise, the meat is fine cooked to a temperature of about 154F. As always, I substituted Kale for the Swiss Chard, since kale releases its calcium, whereas Swiss Chard binds it. It was a comforting meal on this cold, rainy day in an uncertain time. I won’t be making this recipe again until next fall, as I used my last butternut squash from the fall farmers market. They kept well out in the apt., where we have the heat set to 48F. We have leftovers for at least the next two days.

[BakerAunt]

I answered correctly. What is uncertain is if the body can produce enough of these vitamins, or so says the person whose doctor makes her take 2000 IU of Vitamin D per day, although that may be to go with the 1200mg calcium, only 300 of which I take in a pill form, preferring to get the rest in diet. The rationale is that 1) older people (when did I get "old?) do not produce Vitamin D as efficiently, and 2)people who live in more northern climates, particularly in the winter, do not get enough of the minimal sun exposure necessary to produce an adequate amount

I write the above, fully aware that a LOT of sources are now saying that there is no advantage to large doses of Vitamin D. Sigh.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

In an email today, King Arthur acknowledged that it is having an issue with flour availability. I'll paste the relevant passage here:

"If you’ve shopped on our website in the last few days, you may have noticed that a number of our products have sold out. An unexpected volume of sales have made this March unlike any other. It’s the same on grocery shelves. Know that we’re in contact with our mills, production partners, and stores to replenish stock as soon as we can. These are abnormal times and we’ll continue to pour ourselves into maintaining the highest level of service possible while supporting the safety and well-being of our team members. We also recognize that every day carries with it some new unknown, and we’ll keep you informed of any relevant updates."

Chocomouse--Your husband might want to call before making the trip.

[BakerAunt]

Dinner on Tuesday was Salmon and Couscous, with Penzey's Sunny Paris seasoning. We also had microwaved fresh broccoli.

[BakerAunt]

Wolfgang Puck's approach to restaurant closings:

https://www.foodandwine.com/news/wolfgang-puck-coronavirus-relief

[BakerAunt]

Our dog would definitely have been on board with such a plan before we retired, but now she has us around most of the time, there is no incentive for her, especially if it might interfere with dog food deliveries.

[BakerAunt]

My husband thanks Joan and Len for their birthday wishes. Last year's cake came out dry (I blame the apt. oven), but this year's is just right. It's a tradition that we cut the cake at lunch rather than waiting until dinner, at which time, we have another slice. The tradition started when we traveled here on spring break every year, and we needed to eat up most of the cake before heading back to Texas, although we would take it back and eat it along the way. As is also a tradition, I set the cake on his mother's candlewick glass pedestal cake plate, that she always used for their birthdays, to cut it. As the cake plate has no cover, the cake is on a plate that I can put back into a plastic cake holder after dessert.

I should mention that I use half bittersweet chocolate and half semisweet chocolate for the filling and the ganache. Ah, heaven!

[BakerAunt]

I talked to a friend in California who is a Dental Hygienist. She was relieved to be declared "non-essential," and to be able to stay home. Her dentist's office was still open, but that likely will change shortly, except for emergencies.

We were at the local grocery today, as Tuesdays are senior discount day, when we re-fill our water jugs and buy a few items. Their truck didn't arrive until after we left, so there were more bare shelves than usual. (We have a community-wide email list, so such matters get announced in emergencies.) Bananas would have been nice. I've told my husband that he can start eating from the supply of York apples that I had reserved for baking. We noted that the local grocery had been cleared out of toilet paper. I could make a joke, but I won't.

In the community email, a store manager said that they are having trouble getting bread and have even sent someone to drive to the distribution center to try to get more. My husband has always been glad that he married a dedicated bread baker, but if his joy could be increased, it would be now.

Like Italian Cook, I'm thinking about cooking meals that extend what we have on hand, although I'm hoping that the supply chains will settle down in a few weeks.

Restaurants in town, with one possible exception, are trying take-out and delivery, partly to support their staff members who will take a major hit. However, the people who usually come up here at spring beak may be staying home--and if home is Indianapolis and Chicago, that should be encouraged. It would have been a bustling time for the restaurants.

[BakerAunt]

I got it, too.

[BakerAunt]

Indiana has closed all bars and restaurants. The local restaurants in town are turning to take-out and delivery to try to make it through the tough economic time ahead, while responding to the public health needs.

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