[chocomouse]

Dinner tonight was easy -- frozen breaded fish fillets, frozen potato puffs, and cole slaw that I did make. This is another meal on our "winter menu".

I also made a cup of boiled cider, using a liter of fresh made apple cider.

[chocomouse]

I'm using the "poke a hole" method and getting a nice smooth surface, I just have to pay attention to the stretching, or I end up with some sections fatter than others. I can't do this quickly, in a hurry, but really need to focus on what I am doing. A few more batches, and hopefully I'll be able to speed up.

[chocomouse]

We had omelets with ham, cheese, peppers and onions, and also fresh bagels.

[chocomouse]

I made bagels this morning! I've got them perfected now, so happy for this.

[chocomouse]

For dinner tonight, we had chicken patties, smashed potatoes, and roasted butternut squash. Delicious!

[chocomouse]

Aaron, I've made English muffins without rings. Just roll dough into a smooth ball, as you would for a dinner roll, and then flatten and pull it into a 3-4" inch "hockey puck". The dough does have a higher hydration rate than most breads, but it is not at all "runny". I think using the rings just makes them have smoother, neater looking sides, although sometimes if they stick to the ring in spite of oiling them, they can look a little ragged.

Today I made Apple Sharlotka, using a recipe from SmittenKitchen. I thought it was good, and my husband really liked it. I followed her directions, except I made a caramel glaze which I poured over the top about 5 minutes after it came out of the oven. I think that made it a little too sweet.

[chocomouse]

We had tomato soup and leftover ham-cheese braid.

[chocomouse]

I baked two loaves of our usual sandwich bread, oatmeal-whole wheat.

[chocomouse]

Today I made a ham and cheese braid for a club meeting. But something went wrong with my oven, and after 25 minutes at 375* I could touch the baking sheet with my bare hands. Warm but not 375. So I turned the oven up to 425 and baked it for another 12 minutes, when it was time to leave the house. The oven did heat up nicely that time. I'm afraid I may have to bite the bullet and get a new stove/oven. I've had too much trouble with this one recently, and it is 35 years old and had almost daily use. Oh, the braid was just OK, if you pretended the undercooked dough was the melted Swiss.

[chocomouse]

BE sure to take pictures, Mike. I'd love to see this!

[chocomouse]

Skeptic, you've sent me over the edge! When Mike posted that his wife wanted bagels, I immediately began craving cream cheese with lots of seeds, garlic and onions. Oh, yeah, gotta have a bagel underneath all that to give it some support. And now, you're going to put cream cheese on pumpkin scones! Everyone is tormenting me. Guess I have to make bagels tomorrow.

[chocomouse]

Dinner was marinated Greek chicken thighs, mushroom risotto, and cole slaw.

[chocomouse]

King Arthur sells 00 flour, in a 3 lb bag for about $9-10. I think they also call it "Pizza" flour.

[chocomouse]

We bought three bushel of apples at a local farm on Wednesday - one each of Empire, Cortland, and MacIntosh. Their variety and supply was pretty meager this year, and we had no apples on our three trees this year. These are for making cider next weekend. I will use two of the Cortland with the pork roast tonight. And I'll use a liter of the cider to boil down for boiled cider. My husband freezes it, to share at gatherings through the year and for football games on TV.

[chocomouse]

I have a pork loin roast in the tagine. I rubbed it with coriander, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and garlic. I will add boiled cider, sliced apples, onions, potatoes and carrots for the last 45 minutes.

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