[chocomouse]

I'm still not sure what I did wrong with the bread yesterday, but the "fix" has worked beautifully! I let the shaped bread rise for about 2 hours, again in the microwave with a cup of hot water, then put it into a cold oven set for 350 for 40 minutes. The oven spring blew the top right up off the bread!! Really - the top 2 inches or so of the loaf literally almost separated from the bottom part!! For the record - I made 2 loaves in cast iron 4.5 x 9 pans. I'll see what the texture is like when I cut into it tomorrow. And will also find if the top and bottom are completely separated!

[chocomouse]

I've been working on an interesting experiment all day. Yesterday I made bread, a recipe I've made dozens of times, with not problems, even with my personal changes. This time, it did not rise. Maybe, a tiny bit, I would say it was a little "puffy." I debated baking it to feed the birds, but really wanted to "fix" it - a nice smelling lump of pumpernickel, rye flavor, lots of seeds. I let it rest in the refrigerator over night, with no change. This morning, I put about 1/3 cup of AP flour and 1/4 cup of water and a 1/2 teaspoon of yeast in my bread machine on the dough cycle. As it mixed, I tore off small chunks of the original dough and tossed them in. I did have to add scant tablespoon of flour. Once it mixed thoroughly, I let it knead for a few minutes and shut it off. I put it into a tupperware and into the microwave with a cup of boiling water, which I reheated after an hour. It rose beautifully. I've now shaped it and it is once again rising with a cup of water in the microwave. I would say that yesterday I forgot the yeast - but I know I did not. I did it differently yesterday, for a lot of reasons, and put the yeast into the mix early, instead of adding it last. And, I went through my usual double-check when I was finished, and ticked off yeast. I was actually surprised this process worked, although it has been successful a few times in the past when I have realized I completely forgot the yeast.

[chocomouse]

That's interesting, BakerAunt - I haven't had a soft-boiled egg since I was a youngster (remember trying to get the egg out of the shell without getting bits of shell throughout the egg??) nor have I seen recipes that call for soft boiled eggs, although plenty of recipes that use fried eggs. Len, I don't like runny slimey!) whites either, only runny yolks. I wonder what is the "standard" for a safe-to-eat egg? I think it is not cooked long at all, but I cannot recall a recipe right this minute.

[chocomouse]

That's so good to hear, I know how worried you were. I think it's due to your feeding him so well.

[chocomouse]

Yes, Mike, thanks. That seems to be similar to what I have seen. I would prefer to use the recipe posted years ago on the old BC, simply because I trust the bakers on that forum!

[chocomouse]

Hi Denise! Happy New Year to you and I'm glad you chimed in! What's the best tip you have learned from this site?

And thank you, Mike - you're the best!

[chocomouse]

I have that thread by Baker Irene, but Thanks. I can't find my other recipes right now (the Microsoft Word formatting got screwed up when I had to do a reset; I have all the info there but it's difficult to find and read). Irene uses white chocolate chips, melted, with flavoring added. The one I'm interested in calls for sugar, cinnamon, corn syrup, and a couple other things, and then it is baked.

[chocomouse]

Dinner tonight was boneless pork chops cooked in a cast iron skillet with sliced potatoes, apples, and onions, and a tossed salad with raspberry white balsamic.

[chocomouse]

Has anyone tried making the DIY cinnamon chips? There are a number of recipes online, and people say they are good. My next big project might be to try making them, since I've thought about doing it for a couple of years.

[chocomouse]

Well, I'm either trying to turn the calendar ahead six months or back six months -- to summer! I'm sick of the sleet and freezing rain weather already. So, we're having a cold salad supper -- chicken-grape salad, plain macaroni salad, and a green salad. None of the veggies are fresh from my garden!

[chocomouse]

I have a pot of split pea soup with ham simmering on the stove for dinner tonight.

[chocomouse]

I made a carrot cake, for husband's birthday.

[chocomouse]

I made orange-cinnamon buns. I just used a basic sweet dough recipe, with a couple of additions for the flavor. I used about 2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate in the dough. After I rolled it out, I brushed the dough with orange juice concentrate, sprinkled it with brown sugar mixed with cinnamon, and chopped candied orange peel (not the commercial stuff, but some that I had made). I put some orange juice concentrate into the frosting also. These turned out really good, although next time I would increase the amount of the cinnamon and the orange peel.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by chocomouse.

[chocomouse]

So sorry your husband is sick, Joan, but hopefully some good will come as a result. I'll be thinking of both of you.

Our dinner was chicken thighs with Penzey's Greek seasoning, butternut squash, and mashed potatoes.

[chocomouse]

We had our family Christmas gathering last night, Christmas Eve. The dinner menu was ham, potatoes au gratin, whole kernal corn, fresh fruit salad, broccoli salad, and frosted rolls. After sharing gifts and lots of memories and laughs (a group of five college age grandkids is a riot!) we snacked from the cookie trays.

Today we'll have dinner with my sister and her husband. I'm bringing appetizers (shrimp, a cheese ball, assorted sliced cheeses, crackers, olives, and a few other simple "open the jars" foods) and wine - so no real cooking happening here.

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