[BakerAunt]

I'm planning to try this bread tomorrow. I will use my smallest food processor to try to crack the buckwheat groats.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Joan!

We had some of the Barley Pumpkin Bread for dessert tonight. It is so good, and it is moist enough and sweet enough without the oil and sugar that I cut.

[BakerAunt]

I had plans for what to cook for dinner, but at the grocery on Tuesday, we found a 4-lb. chicken marked down $2 from $8.10, and as we qualify for a senior discount of 10%, it was too good of a deal to miss. However, the chicken needed to be cooked today. Thus, our dinner tonight was roast chicken. I also roasted sweet potato chunks tossed in olive oil, and we had microwaved peas. Our dog Annie was ecstatic, as chicken is her favorite meal.

I also made yogurt today.

[BakerAunt]

I made sourdough pan pizza for dinner on Monday with the usual topping of sauce, Canadian bacon, mozzarella, mushrooms, red bell pepper, green onion tops (from my husband's pot), Parmesan, and Greek olives on my half.

I also baked Barley Pumpkin Bread, for the second time, from Mother Grains (pages 43-45). As I did last time, I cut the salt in half and reduced both the oil and the sugar by a third. I also leave out the candied kumquat (where would I even find kumquats?) and the golden raisins, as I have never been a fan of raisins in pumpkin bread. I also eliminate the optional barley malt syrup topping. The grease works well for an easy pan release ten minutes after removal from the oven. I used an older 8 x 4-inch non-stick loaf pan because I thought the loaf would bake better in it than in my standard bread pans. I will let it rest overnight before we begin slicing it for dessert tomorrow.

I started the pizza dough while our contractor and his son were installing our new banister for the stairway. One of the two aluminum holders on the previous banister snapped before Thanksgiving as my husband was coming downstairs. Thankfully, he was not depending on it for support. I have never liked how that first banister was done, as it ended before the final two steps, due to some construction oddities. We took the opportunity to move the banister to the other side and to install an end post. It also now has three iron holders. It is slimmer, as well, so we can easily get our hands around it. We have a great contractor. Not every contractor can figure out a way to correct a previous contractor's mistake.

[BakerAunt]

We had some green tomatoes that finally turned red, so I used them to make sauce for pizza on Monday. I added a bit of sugar and some tomato paste from a tube, along with the usual olive oil and garlic.

[BakerAunt]

We really like that bread. Scott's only complaint is that the small loaf will only last us for three days.

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[BakerAunt]

Aaron--Are there any online baking blogs that you trust where the bakers discuss couches??

Mario the Sourdough Guy has a recommendation in this post on his website:

The Ultimate Guide to Proofing Bread Dough

You have to go down the page a ways before he gives the link to the one on Amazon that is his favorite. Unfortunately, he does not say WHY it is his favorite. Perhaps you could ask?

[BakerAunt]

That's a favorite recipe of my husband and me, too, Joan.

[BakerAunt]

I was in the mood for oatmeal cookies, so I baked Soft Oatmeal Cookies with raisins and walnuts on Saturday.

[BakerAunt]

For Saturday night dinner, I made chicken and noodles with the leftover chicken breast, which my husband cut up for me, sliced carrots and celery, mushrooms, the rest of the gravy, and about 1 ½ cups of frozen broth. It already had seasoning from the broth, from the gravy, and from the chicken, so I just added dried parsley and freshly ground pepper. We have enough for a second meal.

[BakerAunt]

Chocomouse--Sorry to hear that you hurt your hip. I hope you recover soon. And thank you for inspiring me to undertake a recipe challenge for myself this month.

[BakerAunt]

Thank you, CWCdesign and Joan! Your support means a lot to me.

Dinner tonight was leftover roasted chicken breasts and mashed potatoes and gravy. We added microwaved fresh broccoli as the vegetable.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Len and Joan for the cake compliments! If anyone is looking for that heart pan, TJ Maxx online has it on sale. BTW, the grease worked beautifully to prevent sticking.

That is a wonderful looking coffee cake, Joan!

I made dough for Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers on Friday. I will bake the crackers sometime next week.

[BakerAunt]

We finished the last slice of spaghetti squash casserole and had more of the black-eyed peas with brown rice and ham for dinner on Thursday. Enough of the latter remains for me to have for lunch tomorrow. It was a good night for leftovers, as my husband had his check-up with the oral surgeon in Fort Wayne today, which is an hour and 45 minutes each way. I'm thankful that Scott has healed well and there is no recurrence of the oral cancer.

[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday, I baked Apple, Barley, and Olive Oil Bundt cakes. I used a 6-cup Nordic Ware Heart Bundt pan and a 3-cup Kaiser Bundt pan. I will freeze the small one for future desserts. I have loved this recipe ever since I first tried it five years ago. I was unsure about the olive oil, but Cass told me that olive oil goes well with apples, and he was, as always, correct. I put the heart-shaped cake on a heart shaped platter, because why not celebrate Valentine's Day throughout all of February?

I also baked orange Sesame Whole Wheat Muffins to take advantage of the zest of some Cara Cara oranges. (I will eat the oranges.) Some of the muffins are for breakfast over the next few days, and some are destined for the freezer.

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