[chocomouse]

We've got snow!! About 1/4", with flurries to continue all morning. I never plant tomatoes, peppers, etc until Memorial Day. This year, I've put off buying any starts until after Mother's Day, because nurseries/garden center will be swamped until then. In this area, we are allowed to order plants online/phone, and are given an appointment time for drive-through pick up. You can also make an appointment at some greenhouses for a half hour in the greenhouse, one person at a time. I'll try to to schedule both of those for the same time.

Mike, you will not regret growing year-round under lights. We eat a lot of green salads, so we do have to supplement with store bought greens too. I have a large Aerogarden that I grow herbs in, and a baker's rack with Gro-lights attached for each shelf, which I use for lettuces.

[chocomouse]

We had salmon with pasta and broccoli.

[chocomouse]

I've been spending some time recently cleaning out my study, and have several piles of recipes I've collected but not tried. I'm finding many that I clipped from KAF catalogues, and discovering I'm still interested. Sometimes I find the recipe posted on the KAF website, but most are so old they have been cleaned off the site. I have two right beside me now that I found a week ago, and I'm planning to type into my computerized recipe stash: Greek-Style Spinach-Cheese Pie and Spinach and Red Pepper Quiche. These two might come in handy if supplies of pork, chicken, beef dwindle - as long as we can get eggs, which have been missing from the shelves from time to time.

[chocomouse]

Dinner tonight was meatloaf, baked potatoes, and maple candied carrots.

[chocomouse]

Today I baked two loaves using whole wheat, oatmeal, and Super 10 Blend.

[chocomouse]

Grilled chicken thighs, potatoes roasted on the grill, broccoli, and Birdseed Butterflake Rolls for dinner tonight.

[chocomouse]

That time is good for me, and either Friday or Saturday works.

[chocomouse]

Yes, I posted the Breakfast Cookies recipe. It's a very flexible recipe.

BakerAunt, I was so disappointed a few weeks ago when I had used up the rest of my cornmeal and it was on my grocery list. The only cornmeal in the store was Quaker brand. I always buy my cornmeal at that store (a large, but Eastern chain) and it comes in a bag, from a small mill, and is much better tasting (and better price) than all the other cornmeal choices. The best cornmeal I ever had was from a mill northwest of Chicago, when my son's 2nd grade class had gone on a field trip to the mill, and each students was given a bag of freshly ground cornmeal. It was wonderful.

[chocomouse]

Fajitas and cilantro-lime rice.

[chocomouse]

I have breakfast cookies baking now - with oatmeal, maple syrup, applesauce, coconut, walnuts, chocolate chips, chopped dates, and craisins.

[chocomouse]

Salad night here last yesterday: broccoli, ditalini, and seafood.

[chocomouse]

BakerAunt, I don't know where KAF gets their maple syrup/sugar; I know they don't process it. There is a large processing company near here, in NH, and one just over the border in MA, and they both sell a lot of syrup to "commercial" entities, who bottle it or further process it and package it with their own labels. I'll ask around.

[chocomouse]

My understanding of how KAF operates, from friends who are employee-owners, is that just as KAF works with a small number of farmers who grow the grains, the farmers ship to a small number of mills. After the grains are processed and packaged at the mill, they are shipped to several distribution centers. From there, they fulfill customer orders. The issues are complex, and change from week to week (even day to day) and can differ depending on the distribution center. At the KAF store in Norwich, most of the administrative staff is working from home; however I learned the other day that some of them are now helping man the phone lines, to answer the questions of folks who have never before done any baking. Also, we can call the retail phone number, not the ordering number, to order and pay, and then pick up our order curbside in a couple hours. So far, the local stock of items has been very good; they've been out of a few things, but only for a few days at at time. We are not hearing that "this item is back ordered until June whatever". The shelves in our local stores, however, are pretty much empty of KAF flours, SAF yeast, etc, just like everywhere else.

[chocomouse]

We had leftover ham-potato soup and olive-gruyere rolls.

[chocomouse]

I remember that first post -- I was so worried, you really sounded like you would NEVER, not EVER, try again!! I was afraid you were going to spend a life-time missing out on really good pizza! I'm so glad you got the help you needed to persevere. BakerAunt's advice is great - I trust her to not make suggestions if she has any doubts about whatever it is. And I support using semolina in pizza dough 100%! Hey, maybe we should celebrate with a virtual pizza party!!

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