[BakerAunt]

I missed it. I do like shrimp, but I've never had it with the head and legs.

[BakerAunt]

I baked muffins on Monday morning. I started with this recipe for Pear & Walnut Muffins from Stonyfield:

Pear & Walnut Muffins

As you might expect, I made MAJOR changes in the recipe, so much that I can claim it as my own. First, I didn’t want to grind up ½ cup of walnuts in my small food processor. I think the idea was a “walnut flour,” and it might be quite nice, but I’m lazy about cleaning up the food processor after grinding nuts, so I increased the flour by ½ cup and added 1/3 cup chopped walnuts. The recipe purports to be healthy, but it’s only 25% wholegrain as written. I used 1 cup AP flour and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour. I added 2 Tbs. Bob’s Red Mill milk powder (to increase the calcium) and cut the salt in half. The amount of sugar in the recipe is also high. I cut the brown sugar (used light) in half, from 2/3 cup to 1/3 cup. I used Chobani Greek yogurt, as that is what I have. I deleted the vanilla, partly by accident, but I would not have used 2 tsp. vanilla for a muffin. As it turns out, the muffins don’t need it, but ½ tsp. might be nice. I used an unpeeled Anjou pear, as no type was specified, and that is what the store had. A Bartlett would be nice as well. The original recipe says makes 15 (must be small). I made 12 in a standard muffin pan. I used paper liners but sprayed them with non-stick cooking spray. They are very good plain, warm from the oven.

Muffins are often put on the "naughty" list for nutritional value because they are often loaded with sugar and minimal if any wholegrains. Stonyfield touts this recipe as "low in calories," but as originally written, the recipe, while low in saturated fat, is not particularly healthy.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by BakerAunt. Reason: changed a word

[BakerAunt]

That sounds delicious, Joan!

On Sunday, I made another batch of yogurt.

For Sunday dinner, I made Salmon and Couscous, using Penzey’s Mural Seasonings. We also had microwaved fresh broccoli.

[BakerAunt]

I knew this one.

[BakerAunt]

On Saturday, I made Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers from the dough I made last week.

[BakerAunt]

I think that one of the issues of the now defunct King Arthur Sift magazine had a recipe for moon cakes.

[BakerAunt]

The recipe seems designed to promote King Arthur's white whole wheat flour, which is not often available locally. The Kroger in the larger town where we shop was carrying it but discontinued doing so.

Stand mixers are often on wedding registries, although it is an expensive gift. I bought my stand mixer using gift cards from friends who knew I wanted one, although I also needed to use some of my own money. (I let my husband have the Amazon gift card to use towards a new chain saw, so we are even.) Although a lot of people might receive such a mixer, I wonder how many use it more than occasionally.

Other than the people on this site, I don't have any friends or acquaintances or family members who bake bread, even occasionally.

[BakerAunt]

I chose the correct answer. I looked at the recipe. That is a lot of work. For that amount of saturated fat, I would just eat shortbread, which is a lot easier!

[BakerAunt]

Ah, those emergency desserts in the freezer are so nice, Chocomouse.

To go with stew for Friday dinner, I made cornbread. I made it in two 5-well Nordic Ware heart muffin pans.

[BakerAunt]

Dinner on Friday night is beef stew. I follow my usual recipe and double everything but the beef. This time, I deglazed the pan with some red wine before adding 5 cups of water. I seasoned with 4 Tbs. rehydrated Penzey’s dried onion (still avoiding fresh for my husband), ¾ tsp. garlic powder, 2 Tbs. Penzey’s beef base, 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce; dash of ground allspice; ½ tsp. Penzey’s Tsardust blend; crushed rosemary, 2 tsp. sugar, 2 bay leaves. After two hours, I removed the bay leaves, added a cup of water, red potatoes, small carrots, halved mushrooms, and 2 Tbs. tomato paste. After another 45 minutes, I added frozen green peas, and near the end. I thickened it with ¼ cup Clearjel first mixed with 1/3 cup water. It’s one of my best stews ever. We had it with heart-shaped cornbread muffins, because Valentine's Day should last all month.

[BakerAunt]

I knew this one because I have a pizza recipe that uses assorted bell peppers and red onion tossed in olive oil and topped with feta cheese.

[BakerAunt]

On Thursday, I again baked the Buckwheat Banana Cake that I first baked and posted about on February 1. I was able to score some marked down over ripe bananas when we grocery shopped earlier in the week, I made it with the same changes (half the salt, adding 2 Tbs. milk powder, and replacing the sour cream with nonfat Greek yogurt), but I baked it in two 3”x7” pans instead of the 8 1/2” x /x4 ½” one, so that I can freeze one. I don't make the frosting, which it really does not need, but I'm sure it would be wonderful.

[BakerAunt]

That cookie spatula is great. I also bought one back when KAF carried them, as well as a larger version for moving cakes and sweet breads.

[BakerAunt]

My husband is a dedicated lunchtime sandwich eater, willing to eat the same kind of sandwich every day, perhaps because it was an easy lunch for him to take to work, and in retirement, his habit has not changed. I also like sandwiches, but even when I was working, I preferred to shake up the routine, and now that the fillings I can eat in a sandwich are limited, branching out every now and then is welcomed to me. On Thursday, I made another one of my throw-together entrees. I started by sautéing onion, celery, and carrots in some of the oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes before adding two cloves garlic. I stirred in cooked garbanzo beans with a little broth from the freezer and then some chopped sundried tomatoes. I added 8 oz. cooked wholegrain penne rigate (Kroger makes a good one.), then grated some Parmesan on top. It works well, although I’d prefer chicken to the garbanzos, as that is how I used to use up a roast chicken when I was single. It’s a good lunch, and I have enough for the next few days, by which time I’ll be ready to have a tuna or an almond butter-banana-honey sandwich again.

[BakerAunt]

Fascinating experiments, Mike.

I've never tried a Dutch oven bread, although I have Dutch ovens, and an Emile Henry round ceramic pot (the first one that KAF sold years ago) that I've yet to try. The latter is supposed to rise in the pot then be put into the oven; I think that I also saw a recipe that puts it in a cold oven and starts from there.

I have an Emile Henry long baker, and I like how that one bakes, as long as I take the lid off after the initial baking period. Most of my breads in regular pans seem to do better if spritzed with water before baking than when I just put them in without doing so.

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