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I agree, Len, that people don't measure flour correctly. However, I think the real problem is that bread machine users think they can "set it and forget it". I always use a bread machine to mix and knead my dough, as I have arthritis and can no longer knead; I use the "dough only" setting, and have never baked in a bread machine (and I'm on my third abm). I check my dough frequently when it is mixing and kneading. I no longer even weigh my flour, nor do I measure very accurately, and much of the time I'm not even using a recipe (exceptions to those comments are when I am trying a new recipe). I almost always have to add more flour or water to get the dough to the correct "tackiness". It would probably take a new bread baker a few tries to figure out what a proper dough looks, feels, and acts like to get a nice loaf. Maybe now, in this time of social distancing at home, Grandmas and Moms can bake with their youngsters and pass on some of their skills.
Pizza.
We got about 8-10 inches of granular spring snow, Monday into Tuesday a.m. But temps Tuesday p.m. and today into the 40s, so it has mostly melted. We're still making maple syrup. And had hamburgers and margaritas for dinner tonight, after my husband shoveled the rest of the snow off the deck.
I made a coffeecake with raspberry filling. The berries were from our garden two years ago, and I used my German cookbook recipe for raspberry sauce with some cornstarch to thicken it for a filling. This was then swirled into the two layers. I used half oil and half applesauce instead of butter, and yogurt instead of cream. It has excellent flavor with a very light and tender crumb.
We have about 3 inches of snow and it is still coming down. It's beautiful, but getting dark out now. Today I made mushroom soup and with it had Gruyere-olive rolls from the freezer.
Mike, I went to the senior special shopping hours the other day, except I screwed up and got there at 7:30 when the hours were 6-7:00. The parking lot was packed, and all the handicap spots were full. The aisles were crowded with shoppers and people restocking shelves - so the selection was fairly good, except no toilet paper, cleaning/sanitizing supplies, flour, dairy products (plenty of eggs). About half the shoppers at that hour were 20-somethings, and half 60-somethings. You are right, who wants to get up at 5:00, leave home at 5:30 because it's a 25 minute drive, just to shop at 6:00! Supposedly everything is freshly cleaned, and the shelves better stocked. I will do this again, it's worth getting up early (and, since we're not doing anything else, we can take a nap as soon as we get back home!)!
BakerAunt, we are expecting that storm to arrive late tomorrow afternoon; glad you enjoyed it! In anticipation of more snow, tonight we had grilled strip steaks, potatoes roasted on the grill, broccoli, and green salad. I'm thinking tomorrow I will use the two pounds of mushrooms I bought yesterday to make mushroom soup for myself, and I'll open a can of Grillin' Beans for my husband.
Dinner tonight was ham, cheddar, onion, pepper omelets with fresh made whole wheat English muffins.
Egg salad on rye, for an evening of boiling maple sap at the sugarhouse.
My husband just snagged the last 50 lb bag of AP flour at KAF. They were putting out a few 10 lb bags, the last they had. It's encouraging to know that so many people are baking from scratch, although I suspect it's mostly for chocolate chip cookies and brownies, made by the youngsters who are home from school closings!
My cat loves tuna fish juice, but doesn't eat the tuna. The only other human food he eats is asparagus. Oh, yeah, he loves butter, too, but we don't let him have that.
Wise dog. I bet she's done some taste-testing already!
Dinner was ziti with marinara sauce made from tomatoes in the freezer; and a green salad.
I'm hoping KAF doesn't get much call to ship out 50 pound bags, compared to shipping 5 pound bags, and will have ample flour in stock tomorrow. Today I used 2 cups AP and 2 cups whole wheat for bread. I'm also out of white whole wheat, but I can live without that - it is not my favorite flour at all.
Dinner here tonight was grilled chicken thighs, roasted potatoes with Penzey's Herbes de Provence, squash from the freezer, and a green salad. I am so grateful to have obtained a huge box of fresh spinach and spring greens!
I went to BJs today for a few items, and was pleased to see lots of parking spaces, no lines, and tons of fresh produce and more being put out. I had read that yesterday it was a zoo, and there was little of anything left on the shelves. However, one thing I need is flour! And there was none! Of course I wanted KAF, but would have purchased GM, or any brand. So, Thursday my husband (retired, but works as a consultant on Thursdays) works almost next door to the KAF store, so he will get me a 50 pound bag of Sir Lancelot.
Most everything is shut down here, all dental offices, all schools, restaurants (which are mostly doing curb side and home delivery),libraries. My daughter-in-law is a cardiac nurse and today she was put under home quarantine as she had contact with someone who tested positive for c.virus. A dental hygienist friend and co-workers were laid off, and the owner said they would then be eligible for unemployment benefits. True, but she discovered that the maximum benefit is 427 a week, and she earns that much every day!! And the office is closed for the next three weeks. A lot of good things are happening too -- people volunteering to shop for the elderly/disabled/ill, small mom and pop stores making home deliveries, checking on neighbors, donating money to food shelves, and on and on.
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