[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Mike. All I have in the house is low-fat mozzarella (in the freezer--thanks for that tip!) and 2% cheddar, which I had to buy grated (with the usual additive), as no one around here carries 2% cheese. The comments on the recipe suggest that mozzarella, in combination with the zucchini, is too bland. I have the asiago because I bought it for a bread recipe that I'd made twice and was going to bake again--and then I had to reduce saturated fat in my diet, so it has been sitting in the refrigerator, unopened. With a third person here, it's a chance to get help eating it.

I have only a little less than 1 1/4 pounds of the zucchini, so I'll use4 oz. of the asiago and some Parmesan. I've decided to try sliced tomato (drained on paper towels) and sliced mushrooms on top of the zucchini. I'll probably use that "frozen pizza" seasoning and perhaps a bit of garlic powder.

[BakerAunt]

I deduced the correct answer.

[BakerAunt]

This evening I used the berry screen that I bought from them a few years ago. I'd added it in to get free shipping. It's about 15 inches wide, and I put the berries in it and shake them, and any stems and leaves fall out. It is the kind of inexpensive tool that is wonderful to find at a cooking/baking store. It's not high-tech or glamorous enough that most cooking stores will carry it, but it is oh, so useful.

[BakerAunt]

I used our snow peas in a stir-fry for dinner tonight. We have harvested a few beans as well--not yet enough to use. The Carbon tomato has green tomatoes--in spite of a deer eating off the top of the plant! I have put some coffee grounds out to deter them. The other tomato plants have flowers. There is a little bell pepper on the pepper plant. No flowering from the broccoli yet.

[BakerAunt]

We took advantage of cloud cover and went blueberry picking on Tuesday, coming home with 20 pounds of blueberries. After dinner, I made blueberry cobbler, using my mother-in-law’s recipe as the base recipe. I am trying to make a healthier version, so I substituted in 25% barley flour, added 1 Tbs. powdered milk, used buttermilk rather than regular milk and adjusted baking powder and added baking soda. I reduced the salt. I reduced the sugar in the topping from ½ to 1/3 cup and the sugar in the cake part from 1/3 to ¼ cup. I reduced the butter from 4 Tbs. to 3 Tbs. I expect it will be sampled at breakfast tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

We had a nice rain in the late afternoon, and it is rather nice outside tonight.

I made a stir-fry for dinner on Tuesday, using green onion, celery, carrots, 8 oz. mushrooms, broccoli, snow peas from our garden, shrimp, and soba noodles. I had planned to use rice, but my stepdaughter likes the soba noodles as much as we do!

[BakerAunt]

I missed it, but I'm glad to have the information.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for the tip about the chilis, Mike. I will look into it.

I made broth this Monday afternoon from the bones of the rotisserie chicken we had last week.

For dinner, I made salmon and couscous, using Penzey's Greek seasoning.

It seemed a little cooler this evening than it has been. We may try to pick blueberries tomorrow at our favorite place.

[BakerAunt]

It doesn't involve using the stove, but I'm putting this entry under cooking;

On Monday afternoon, I made salsa. Although tortilla chips are usually banned from this house due to saturated fat, they have entered while my stepdaughter is here. I will control myself. I made salsa as well, using my recipe of two cans Walmart brand no-salt diced tomatoes, chopped onion, minced garlic, and my last jar (12 oz.) of 505 Southwestern Hatch Valley Flame Roasted Green Chiles that I brought with me from Texas. I can’t find anything comparable here in our area of Indiana. After having these, no other brand will work.

[BakerAunt]

I did not get it correct. I've never used a thermometer to see what temperature warmed up leftovers have reached. We use the microwave.

[BakerAunt]

The white-chocolate-butter-cream cheese frosting, with a bit of vanilla worked very well with the Neufchatel cheese. It does not harden as the frosting with the regular cream cheese does, but stays soft. We actually liked it better this way--and we cut down at least a bit of the saturated fat.

I forgot to mention that, in the cake recipe, I replaced 1/2 cup of the 2 cups of AP flour with 1/2 cup barley flour. I didn't use the instant Clearjel or cornstarch. The cake was tender and delicious. I often substitute some barley flour into cakes, and I think it makes the cakes more tender.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

With the continuing hot, humid weather, we've decided to have leftover quinoa salad for dinner tonight.

[BakerAunt]

I baked this recipe as buns. They were as soft as Len says and the taste is wonderful. My only changes is to proof active yeast with the honey in 1/4 cup water, replace the rest of the water with buttermilk, and add 2 tbs. special dried milk. This recipe kneads beautifully in a bread machine. (I do the rest without the machine.)

I've now baked it as an 8x4 braided loaf, using an 8x4-inch USA pan. I baked it at 375F for 38 minutes to 203F. The recipe should also work nicely as a free-form loaf.

[BakerAunt]

I knew this one, even though I've never baked this kind of bread--at least not on purpose. 🙂

[BakerAunt]

On Saturday, I baked in my new Wolf oven for the first time. I baked Len’s Wheat/Rye/Semolina roll recipe as a braided loaf in an 8x4-inch loaf pan. I baked it at 375F for 38 minutes, to 202F. I’m looking forward to cutting into it tomorrow.

I also baked KAF’s Favorite Fudge Birthday Cake. I won’t be using that frosting, however, as this cake is for an “early birthday” for my stepdaughter, who is visiting for a few days. The real star of the cake for her will be the white chocolate cream cheese frosting. I’m trying the frosting with the Neufchatel cream cheese, so let’s hope it works well.

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