[chocomouse]

BakerAunt, I did notice the smaller size of the bag!! I also bought two bags, because there will be only two of us and I LOVE stuffing!

[chocomouse]

Today I made candied carrots (sliced carrots baked in maple syrup and butter) and stuffing for the turkey. BakerAunt, did you ever find the Pepperidge Farm in the blue bag that you were searching for? That's the only stuffing I will use. I had to search at my store for it, found it on the bottom shelf, surrounded by many many other brands of boxed, top-of-the-stove type mixes, but I knew they had it because I checked their on-line inventory before I shopped.

For dinner, my husband cooked himself a burger on the grill and got one of Ellen's buns from the freezer. I had a green salad. Joan, we think alike!

[chocomouse]

Those braids look great, Mike!

Today I made a two-crust cream pie. I had a bit of trouble with the crust; I've struggled with pie crusts for years, and finally have been using this one with success for several years - but not today!

[chocomouse]

I made two loaves of pumpernickel today, with "the works": dried onion, caraway, mustard, and dill seeds. The smell as they bake is amazing!

[chocomouse]

We ate grilled pork chops, quinoa salad with corn, beans, and tomatoes, and a green salad.

[chocomouse]

Dinner here was tomato soup and egg salad sandwiches on fresh whole wheat bread.

[chocomouse]

I'm sorry the deli rye rolls didn't work out for you, BakerAunt. We love that recipe, one of our favorites! I'm using the recipe that was printed in one of their catalogues, and my notes say I first made it in September, 2017. I never use buttermilk in rye bread, but I always try to use half water and half pickle juice (if I have any on hand) for any rye recipe - although the first time using a recipe I try to behave and follow it exactly! My copy of this recipe does NOT say to use dried onion OR deli rye flavor - it calls for both. There is no mention of onion powder. I used to use vital wheat gluten in all rye recipes, but no longer do that, it's not needed with the stronger KAF AP flour. A warning -- I was in KAF about a month ago, and they have changed some of their rye flavor/sour additives, eliminating one, and everything is in new packaging now, which I find misleading (it's just the way my brain works -- change the packaging and I am sure you have changed the ingredients!). I think they stopped carrying the sour. Anyway, I'm glad you have some other rye recipes to fall back on!

[chocomouse]

I made up the blitz puff pastry from the KAF recipe, making a sort of rugelach cookie. They turned out perfectly, exactly as I hoped they would. (Well, except that I had to rush near the end, got careless, so some were not well shaped and some didn't "seal" at the overlap of the corners). It made a nice flakey pastry, plenty of layers, but fewer than from a true laminated dough with many more turns and chillings. I used cherry pastry filling from a can (Solo brand), and the cookies taste very good. I would use this recipe again.

[chocomouse]

That sounds really good, BakerAunt. And it gives me an idea to make my vegetarian white lasagna in spaghetti squash instead of pasta. I've been craving that white sauce lasagna for a couple of months now.

Our dinner tonight was from the freezer: chicken-broccoli braid, with broccoli soup for me and baked beans for husband.

[chocomouse]

I made pie crust using Mrs M's recipe from the old baking circle; it is my go-to, never fail recipe, although it seems to be pretty basic and just like all the others. I'll make it into a cream pie, an old recipe from my husband's family, for Thanksgiving dinner.

I also made KAF's recipe for blitz puff pastry for the first time. It was a bit dry, but I think it will hydrate a little in the refrigerator. I plan to use it for cookies filled with cherry pastry cream and nuts, similar to rugelach or kolache.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by chocomouse.

[chocomouse]

Dinner Wednesday night was brats with peppers and onions, wrapped in a whole wheat sandwich thin sliced horizontally, with spicy hot mustard.

[chocomouse]

I was wondering how far most of you have to drive to buy groceries. When I moved here, from the suburbs of Chicago, it was a real hardship to have to drive 30 minutes to a typical grocery store. I've adjusted, learned to plan ahead, now have an empty nest (a huge help!) and shop only about every 2-3 weeks. The receipt for a typical trip runs about $60-70. And, I shop at only one store, although there are two others choices of major grocery stores in that area. Of course, it helps a lot that I garden and have two freezers full at this time of the year. I do make an occasional trip to BJs, maybe once a month, for a few certain items. We have a gas station/quick shop to get my husband's gallon of milk when he runs out. There is a tiny so-called grocery store about 7 miles away, but I gave up on that long ago - the produce they have for sale would be in the compost pile at my house.

[chocomouse]

We had chicken thighs with Penzey's Greek seasoning, and roasted brussels sprouts and squash.

[chocomouse]

Chocolate Chip cookies!

[chocomouse]

I made two loaves of whole wheat bread with buttermilk, honey, oatmeal, harvest grains and wheat germ.

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