[chocomouse]

I often make "pie" in the small (I think 4 oz) mason jars. Cut rolled out pie crust into circles using a cookie cutter just a bit smaller than the jar lid. Bake them. Layer the crust and cooked pie filling (any kind, raspberry was my husband's favorite) into the jars; I recall I usually fit 3 rounds of crust plus the filling into each jar. Screw on the lids (no need to process) and store in the freezer. I started doing this after I gave up making ugly looking pies; now that I have that mastered, I haven't made these for ages.

[chocomouse]

I just posted Chocomouse's Breakfast Cookies recipe under recipes.

[chocomouse]

Yes, BakerAunt. The oven is 34 years old, so I've suspected other issues are possible. I'm thinking the upper element may be not working correctly, although it's not dead yet. That might account for the pale tops and not cooked through yet overcooked/burned bottoms. And, if it is working full strength only part of the time, it might be the cause of fluctuating temps. I've used two different oven thermometers, and they agree. I'm going to have our appliance repairman come back; he has the reputation of being the absolute best for miles arouund here.

[chocomouse]

I've made these several times, and they are very good. I double the recipe. I'm a sucker for anything apricot, but we also like them made with raspberry jam.

[chocomouse]

We cooked chicken thighs on the grill, with Sweet Baby Ray's barbeque sauce, and with it had potato salad and cole slaw. Summer is here! At least, it has arrived in my kitchen if not outside!

[chocomouse]

The Breakfast Cookies are good - usually, and they are fairy healthy. I'll post a recipe of sorts tomorrow, but I think I've never made them exactly the same way! I'm still struggling with my oven and the new element. Old tried and true recipes that I have made many times, for cookies and muffins, are not working out. They are pale and not cooked through. The oven thermometer usually agrees with the temp I have it set for, but a couple of times I've seen it show 25* lower. For this first batch of cookies, I increased the temp to 375, didn't keep a close enough eye on progress, and the cookies were just short of "burned". This second tray was better, but still dry and overcooked (that might be the result of the dough, not the oven temp, but I don't think so). I've also tried adjusting the oven rack. The one constant through all this is my breads - they are perfectly baked -- because I use an instant thermometer, of course!

[chocomouse]

This morning I baked a dozen hamburger buns for my husband's meals when I am away next week, and 5 dozen "breakfast" cookies - with peanut butter, oatmeal, coconut, walnuts, currents and chocolate chips.

[chocomouse]

Veggie lasagna leftover from the freezer and a green salad.

[chocomouse]

Omelets and English muffins with raspberry jam.

[chocomouse]

Tonight we had a pork roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots all cooked in the tagine, and a side dish of steamed asparagus. I cut extra asparagus, about a quarter of our two rows, and will freeze the excess for a meal next winter.

[chocomouse]

My husband hates it when I have a jigsaw puzzle going!! He knows there just might not be any dinner! Tell you husband that burned is better than none; although I guess he might disagree.

[chocomouse]

When we lived in Germany, I remember helping some German friends, farmers, harvest these in the fall, to feed to some of their animals. Cows? Pigs? I don't remember. They also ate them boiled or thinly sliced in salads. I did not like them, so never cooked with them.

[chocomouse]

Dinner was chicken breasts, Greek salad, and cheesy-olive rolls.

[chocomouse]

We had the first meal of asparagus from our garden, with baked potato and salmon on the grill.

[chocomouse]

I made the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies that were KAF's recipe of the year a few years ago, my first time making them. The flavor was fantastic, but I didn't like the texture - they didn't spread at all, and seemed dry. They were brown on the bottoms (bottom element was replaced) but a pale white on top. I have the new element in my oven, but not sure it is working right, although maybe it is just my perception as the old element might have been failing over time, giving me odd results. My hamburger buns and bread, baked on different days, were pale, although I followed the usual recipes. The scones were way over cooked, top, bottom, and middle. Guess I'll just have to keep baking more to figure this out.

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