[BakerAunt]

Today I made scrambled eggs and bacon for a hearty breakfast to send my younger stepson and his friend off on their trip to Mammoth National Park. I used 1 tsp. of Penzey's Mural Seasoning in the eggs and cooked them in a bit of bacon grease. The guys were impressed. I had four slices of bacon left over, so I made Kid Pizza's Mother's Spinach and Lentil Soup. As it is still cold here, I cooked it on top of the wood stove. I sautéed the onion and the garlic in a bit of bacon grease before adding them. For seasoning, I used 2 tsp. sage. I used green French lentils, and I did include sliced carrots. I had a little taste, and it is very good. It is a versatile recipe that lets the cook make use of whatever is on hand. I will freeze what we do not eat before we leave.

[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday, I made a double recipe of Native Grain Hotcakes from Better Homes & Gardens New Baking Book, p. 319. It uses mostly buckwheat flour and cornmeal and is sweetened with honey. It was a good breakfast for a day when we had another three inches of snow overnight. I probably could have made just 1 1/2 times the recipe, but I was unsure how much the guys would eat. I put the remainder into my large-sized muffin pan and baked at 375F for 20 minutes. These will go nicely with tomorrow's breakfast.

I am also baking another recipe of my variation of Ellen's (Moomie's) Buns as rolls to send with my younger stepson and his friend who are heading home tomorrow by way of Mammoth National Park.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks, RL.

Dinner on Tuesday evening was roasted chicken quarters and cut up sweet potatoes drizzled with olive oil and maple syrup, then sprinkled with rosemary. Steamed green beans completed the dinner.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I order my medium rye flour from them, and I usually mix it with Bob's Red Mill Dark Rye flour.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt. Reason: fixed typo

[BakerAunt]

My younger stepson and my husband have birthdays only a couple of days apart this week, so they will share a birthday cake. Today, I baked the KAF Favorite Fudge Birthday Cake, which I've been baking for them for about five years now. I'll assemble it tonight.

[BakerAunt]

Our caravan of rental truck, long-bed pick-up truck, and Ford Explorer arrived in Indiana around 8:30 last night. When has there been snow on spring break? We did miss most of it, but the vehicle are covered with salt.

For a quick dinner, I brought with us the ingredients for tuna casserole made with evaporated milk, since we did not have time to stop at a store. I had to use canned rather than frozen peas, but I used spinach noodles and Gouda cheese. Our starving crew (my husband, younger stepson, and his friend) likely would have eaten anything, but they all praised it, and I have to admit, it is delicious. It's been a while since I've cooked for this many guys.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt. Reason: added information

[BakerAunt]

Bob's Red Mill gives free shipping for purchases over $50, and they have a variety of grains, flours, and dried beans. I like their dark rye flour in my Limpa bread.

[BakerAunt]

Riverside Len--I'm going to have to try your Oat Fruit bars. I particularly like your reduction of the sugar.

On Saturday, I baked a double batch of my version of Ellen's (Moomie's) buns as rolls. I also baked Eggnog Scones (had some frozen eggnog), and I baked the double batch of Sourdough Cheddar Crackers. All of these are for our spring break trip.

[BakerAunt]

That recipe looks great, Joan. Thanks for posting it.

On Thursday, I made a batch of Chex Party Mix and a batch of my variation of Nutritious Pop 'N Fresh Cookies. That recipe comes from a Pillsbury Booklet, #30 that came out years ago. I've been experimenting with the recipe over the years. This time instead of 2 1/4 cups Gold Medal Flour, I used 1 1/2 cups Gold Medal and 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour. I also added 1/4 cup flax meal. I used pecans and chocolate chips. Tomorrow, my younger stepson is going to help us load a rental truck, so I need snacks on hand, and we will also take them on our trip.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--When you mentioned pancakes, I thought that I recalled a KAF recipe that used malted milk powder in pancakes. If you go to the KAF site there are several.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--your tip solves a problem for the coconut vs. non-coconut household. My husband has problems with coconut, so I only get to bake coconut cookies when I am taking cookies somewhere or else am baking a small stash for myself. Now I know that I can add some coconut to some of the chocolate chip cookies I bake, and we can both be happy.

[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday, I baked the lemon cake from Susan Purdy's The Perfect Cake and assembled it that evening--with lemon curd between two layers. I take it to the office tomorrow for a birthday celebration. I used Hudson Mill bleached flour this time, and the cake seems to have baked far better. (Thank you, Cass!).

I also tried the Lemon Drops recipe from Peter Reinhart & Denene Wallace's The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking, because one of the two staff members having a birthday has some kind of gluten intolerance. I tasted them-YUK. My husband agreed. There is a weird aftertaste. Maybe it's the Stevia in the Raw. I threw them in the trash--which is a sad waste of ingredients not to mention time. It's the first recipe I've tried from that book. I'm not sure if I will try another.

I also baked two loaves of my Buttermilk Grape Nuts Bread, which is my husband's favorite.-

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Thank you Navlys for letting us know. Now I'm going to have to take a look at that recipe!

[BakerAunt]

On Tuesday, I baked Orange-Barley Pound Cake. I posted the recipe on this site last year, after Kid Pizza kindly corrected the original recipe. I've now baked it three times. My husband and I really like it. I also mixed up the dough for a double batch of Sourdough-Cheddar Crackers, which I will bake later this week to take on our trip.

[BakerAunt]

On Tuesday, I used Bob's Red Mill Vegi-Soup bean and barley blend in a turkey-vegetable soup. This time I used Penzey's Bouquet Garni as the seasoning. I added some tomato paste, and a few dashes of fish sauce. I also made a small batch of applesauce and froze it. (We will have it at Easter.)

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