[chocomouse]

I have planted peas and cucumbers in hanging baskets; an experiment, hoping the vines will produce well growing down instead of up. I have a large, waist-high planter with lettuce and spinach, up about 2 inches, almost ready to eat. And I planted 3 rows of bush beans (green) in the second planter. Yesterday I potted up a SuperSweet 100 cherry tomato in a large pot. I need my husband to rototill the in-ground garden and put up the electric fence before I plant there.

[chocomouse]

I made burger buns this morning. To save time, I baked two pans (KAF bun pans) of them in the Breville countertop oven, one below the other. I never bake two levels of anything, in the Breville or the Jennair, because they just don't bake up right. This the result; bun on the left was baked on the top rack, bun on the right baked below it.

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[chocomouse]

Our Baltimore Orioles eat the oranges faster than I can get to the store to buy more! The rose breasted Grosbeaks also like them. Soon, I start giving them cheap grape jelly, and once they taste those, they won't eat the oranges. The bluebirds in the bird house closest to my studio window either have eggs or are feeding babies. We don't have rabbits, but today I planted a SuperSweet100 cherry tomato; our resident chipmunks love to pick and eat the tomatoes, but peel them first and leave the peels in various plant pots.

[chocomouse]

I hope the antibiotic will help him to heal quickly.

[chocomouse]

We grilled a pork tenderloin and had risotto and fresh asparagus from the garden.

[chocomouse]

I use my Breville for all my baking, and use my Jennair oven only for roasting meats, e.g. turkey or cooking large amounts of squash for freezing, etc. It is 39 years old and does not maintain an accurate temperature. Interesting --I've never seen a recipe that calls for a specific kind of oven. As of this minute, I have a sparkling clean Breville that looks almost brand new! When I use the tea loaf pan again, I'll be sure to put a sheet pan underneath the baking pan! Today I baked 2 loaves of bread using KAF's Super 10 Blend and they baked up perfectly in the Breville, as usual.

[chocomouse]

Yesterday I made lemon blueberry bread, in KAF's long "tea" loaf pan. According to KAF, it holds the same amount of batter as a 9 x 5 quick bread recipe. Well - this time it did not! I have baked in that pan previously, but not for a couple of years. I suppose I might have added another 1/2 cup of berries over what the recipe called for. So today, I'll be cleaning my Breville counter top oven.

[chocomouse]

For dinner tonight, I made salads: cole slaw, corn-bean, seafood, and a tossed green salad.

[chocomouse]

I made English muffins yesterday. I plan to make a loaf of lemon-blueberry bread with streusel topping in KAF's long "tea" loaf pan later today. Out blueberry bushes are loaded with blossoms this year; as long as we don't get a frost like last year, I'm expecting to pick many quarts this summer!

[chocomouse]

BakerAunt, here's my favorite Duchess (carrot-cheese) soup ingredients, which seems like it would be good for your husband. I did not include the instructions, but I know you can figure it out. You could thin it down if need be. I sometimes add some ham and potato cubes to make a chowder.

1.5 C shredded sharp process American cheese
Cheddar cheese (optional, to taste)
½ C coarsely shredded carrots I increase this to 3/4
½ C chopped celery
¼ C chopped onion
¾ C boiling water simmer the veggies in this 'til tender

3 T butter
¼ C flour (with the butter, to make a roux)
2 C milk
1.75 C chicken broth (13.5 oz)

[chocomouse]

I use the recipe for Baked Blueberry Pancakes from Taste of Home. It was the first baked pancake recipe I looked at, and we like it. It calls for making a dry pancake mix, and using half of it for one batch, which bakes in a 10 x 15 inch baking pan. I just make half a recipe and bake it in a 9 x 12 pan. I do use buttermilk and add a teaspoon of vanilla. I also use way more blueberries, maybe about 1 3/4 cups. (Last summer I picked 16 pounds of blueberries!) It bakes up nicely, fluffy, with holes, in 20 minutes at 375* in my oven.

[chocomouse]

Dinner was tuna sandwiches on maple whole wheat bread.

[chocomouse]

Dinner last night was salmon on the grill, basted with maple syrup, plus asparagus risotto and a green salad. Asparagus is just starting to show above ground, so we know more good home-grown food will soon be on the table!

[chocomouse]

Skeptic and I had a couple of nice chats at the festival last weekend. I think this is the 3rd (?) time we have met up there and she has shared some baked goods. I do not usually bring her much, as it would be stale after traveling, etc for 3 days. But this time I had ham-cheddar-chives scones, apple cinnamon muffins, and tropical fruit muffins. Her apricot bars were excellent, and I suspect quite healthy.

Back home now, for three days before leaving for the NH Sheep and Wool festival, so I am cooking and baking like crazy. Yesterday I made two huge loaves of maple-oat-whole wheat bread.

[chocomouse]

We had shepherd's pie.

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