[BakerAunt]

Happy Birthday, Joan!

[BakerAunt]

My husband pan cooked pork on Wednesday, and I roasted sweet potato chunks to go with it. We also had microwaved frozen peas and carrots.

[BakerAunt]

Like Joan, I baked a pie on Tuesday, but mine was an apple pie with crumb topping. I have enough Winesaps for one more pie.

[BakerAunt]

On Tuesday, I cooked bulgur in broth again, but this time I mixed it with sauteed celery, red bell pepper, and sliced mushrooms. We had it with more of the roasted chicken and microwaved fresh broccoli.

I also made yogurt on Tuesday, using my new ChefAlarm, which arrived yesterday. It was much easier monitoring the temperature of the milk as it was heating and holding for ten minutes, and I also used it to monitor the temperature until the milk had cooled enough to be added to the starter yogurt. I am pleased with it, so thanks to Mike Nolan and CWCdesign for their recommendations. It has made my life much easier.

[BakerAunt]

We had leftover roast chicken, bulgur cooked in chicken broth, and microwaved frozen peas.

[BakerAunt]

We need a Challah thread!

[BakerAunt]

I roasted a chicken for Sunday dinner and also roasted sweet potato chunks. We had it with microwaved frozen peas.

[BakerAunt]

Over proofed dough can sometimes be punched down and allowed to rise another time (not as long), but as Mike notes, it will not rise as high. I have done this with a set of loaves when we did not get back from a walk in time.

I usually get my lame wet when slashing breads. It seems to help.

Skeptic--I will post the oat cake recipe. They do require Bob's Red Mill Scottish oatmeal, which has a different texture from rolled or steel-cut oats. I adapted the recipe from one on the bag to avoid the butter. These are only faintly sweet, and people biting into one the first time usually expect more sweet. They are somewhat like a cracker. They would do well with cheese, and I also like a smear of jam on them, but plain is fine as well.

[BakerAunt]

For breakfast on Sunday, I made Cornmeal-Pumpernickel Waffles. I froze the leftovers for quick breakfasts.

[BakerAunt]

I agree that the braiding looks good.

[BakerAunt]

We were running out of bread, so on Friday I baked two loaves of my Buttermilk, Whole Wheat, and Grape Nuts Bread, which is probably my husband's favorite. I cut the salt a bit more and used a 1/2 cup more whole grain flour. The house was cool, so the first rise took 90 minutes, and the second about 75 minutes.

While the dough was rising, I baked my Oatcake recipe. Instead of circles, I cut them into small hearts, which resulted in 29 heart-shaped cookies and one leftover blob, whereas I usually get about 16. I baked them for 20 minutes instead of the usual 25 minutes.

[BakerAunt]

I still have two spaghetti squashes from the fall. For lunch on Friday, and for the next few days, I roasted one to make Spaghetti Squash Turkey Lasagna/Casserole, in which the pasta is replaced by spaghetti squash. I made a half recipe, since my husband cannot eat the tomato-based sauce, and it would be just for me. I used ground chicken rather than turkey, and I improvised a sauce with onion, celery, sliced mushrooms, garlic, a can of no-salt chopped tomatoes, parsley, a bit of fresh spinach, some tomato paste, Penzey's Tuscan seasoning, and pepper. I also add some flax meal to it. It was too little for a 9-inch square deep dish, and my next deep dish was about 7-inch square. I ended up with a bit of overflow in the oven, which I had to clean up, but the faux-lasagna turned out well. I will have to keep my eye out for an 8x8, 3-inch deep, ceramic baker--one not made in China.

We had more Lima Beans, Ham, and Rice for dinner.

[BakerAunt]

As a break from our Lima Beans, Ham, and Rice, for dinner on Thursday, I made Salmon and Couscous and Greek Seasoning, which we had with a salad and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing made from the Penzey's seasoning.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Mike and CWCdesign for the recommendation. I have ordered a ChefAlarm in yellow!

[BakerAunt]

I baked my Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers on Wednesday from dough I made last week. If I am lucky, these will last my husband for 10-14 days, with me eating only a few of them.

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