[BakerAunt]

Tuesday afternoon found me back in the kitchen. I baked my adaptation of Double Ginger Biscotti with Pistachios, using oil rather than butter, with a bit of buttermilk, some white whole wheat flour, and some additional water. This time, I used the slightly above middle oven rack and my heavy baking pans, so I didn’t have the issue of the bottoms overbrowning.

My next project was a Banana Oat Bran Muffin recipe that I worked out last year and tweaked slightly. I made them as six large muffins

My final project, after dinner, is to bake my Healthier Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers from the dough I made last week.

[BakerAunt]

I make my own chicken/turkey broth, but it would be difficult getting beef bones here, and we are not eating much beef these days. I have used the Penzey's beef base and like it. It has less salt than many other brands, but it still has 620 mg per 3/4 tsp., which is mixed into 1 cup boiling water. Alas, it also has a long list of additives. I use it for the occasional recipe, such as that pumpkin black bean soup, where beef broth is needed.

[BakerAunt]

On Tuesday morning, I used 8 cups of the broth I made yesterday to make soup. I started by sautéing carrots, celery, and red bell pepper in some canola oil, then added 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms. I next added 3 Tbs. of dripping from deglazing the pork pan last night. I used Penzey’s dehydrated onion—3 rounded Tbs. rehydrated in 6 oz. of water for 15 minutes. My husband has had some issues with regular onion lately, but he seems to do ok with the dehydrated ones, and I like to have some flavor. I added the 8 cups of broth and 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Vegi-Soup mix (lentils, split peas, barley). For spices, I added 1 tsp. thyme, about 1 tsp. rosemary, and a bit of sweet curry powder. After boiling, then simmering for 55 minutes, I added some cut-up kale leaves. The flavor seemed to need a bit more zip, so I added 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce.

[BakerAunt]

I selected the wrong answer.

Does it depend on how finely ground the black pepper in the tsp. is?

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--Before I had a microwave, I warmed up macaroni and cheese (admittedly Kraft!) in the top of my double boiler. The boiling water below kept it from burning.

Your Thanksgiving leftovers pizza is genius!

I think that a cranberry pizza with a complementary cheese would be delicious!

[BakerAunt]

Italian Cook--You could use the recipe Mike posted but omit the bouillon and instead add spices of your choice. Dried mustard is one possibility.

[BakerAunt]

The pairing of cinnamon rolls with chili surprised me. I have a strong association between chili and cornbread, and it may be that my mother served cornbread with chili. She made an excellent chili--mild, which is what I like.

Whether I brought lunch or had the school lunch depended on where our Navy family was living at the time, and perhaps also the cost of the lunch. I often carried a lunch box and thermos. In high school, there was no choice; it was a closed campus and not only did it not have a cafeteria, it had no designated place to eat lunch. When it rained, which does happen in southern California, we were allowed to sit in the bleachers in the gym to eat.

[BakerAunt]

I’m back in the kitchen on Monday. I started by making Maple Granola. The recipe is in the KAF whole grain baking cookbook, but I use the online update which reduces the oil by ¼ cup and adds ½ cup milk powder. (I use Bob’s Red Mill.) My changes are cutting the coconut from 1 cup to ½ cup and adding ¾ cup pumpkin seeds. The recipe makes a lot, but my husband munches through it almost as fast as he does the healthier cheese crackers I bake.

I also baked Lens’ Rye/Semolina/Whole Wheat Buns recipe. I substitute in ¾ cup buttermilk for that much water. I had 2 Tbs. pumpkin left over from the pumpkin I processed last week, so I added that. I used the Zo bread machine but quickly realized that I had left out the bread flour. I reset the machine and added the flour, and as I was congratulating myself, I realized that I’d used Gold Medal AP flour rather than bread flour. Sigh. I made 10 buns. They rose well and baked well, so my error did not ruin them.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I made the remains of the Thanksgiving turkey into broth. Although I often do broth on the wood stove, my husband was not going to make a fire until evening, so I did it on the stove top.

I also peeled and cut up some sweet potatoes, tossed in a bit of olive oil and roasted at 400F for 30 minutes. Then I drizzled them with some maple syrup and roasted another ten minutes. The sweet potatoes are from the farmers’ market, and because they are fresh, they are very tender. My husband cooked some pork, and we also had microwaved broccoli.

[BakerAunt]

I did not know and selected the incorrect answer, but it is good to know the correct answer.

I wonder if temperature makes a difference?

[BakerAunt]

No baking here today, but I will be baking tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--I'm glad that you are supporting the butter industry, now that I no longer can. I used 1 1/2 Tbs. butter in my pumpkin pie, and 1 Tbs. butter in the mashed potatoes. Ah, how the butter devotee has fallen!

I'm also craving cinnamon rolls now. Maybe I'll make some pumpkin ones next weekend.

[BakerAunt]

We happily continue our turkey sandwiches at lunch and will happily re-run the Thanksgiving dinner one more time on Sunday evening. It's nice to have a low-key day while I pack away the fall décor and begin decking the halls.

[BakerAunt]

I worked out the correct answer.

[BakerAunt]

Leftover turkey dinner with the mashed potatoes and gravy this time. (Dressing again tomorrow!)

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