[chocomouse]

Just now, I've been watching a possum on my deck (its 12:30 p.m.), eating the birdseeds that have fallen to the floor. We see it most every night on the Ring camera, but lately it's been out in the daytime, eating apple scraps that the turkeys took down from the apple trees. We leave the possums alone -- they eat ticks!

[chocomouse]

Oh, I'm sure the Harvest Grains mix would be terrific in a "white" (AP) sandwich bread! It would add both nutrition and flavor. I see KABC has a recipe for Harvest Grains Bread that calls for 2 1/2 cups bread flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat. You could just use all bread or AP flour instead. I usually use 2 cups AP and 2 cups whole wheat with 3/4 cups of the grains mix to make 2 loaves. Do you use white whole wheat? You could try that, too.

[chocomouse]

Huge sale at KABC!! Lots of good flours on sale! Harvest Grains, First Clear, Super 10, Artisan Bread, most are about 5.00 off. I'm worried, because often this means they are going to/have discontinued that item. I just resupplied a couple weeks ago, but I can make room in my freezer and will go back there this week -- after I call to make sure the sale price applies to in-store purchases.

[chocomouse]

Except for the ham and the potatoes, we are ready to serve dinner at 6:00 this evening. We've been reduced from 14 to 7 people due to illness and employment. We just changed our plans for Christmas Day dinner with my sister and her husband due to the weather forecast; we have a severe weather advisory due to a prediction of ice over half an inch thick on the roads. Instead, we'll join them for dinner on Sunday.

[chocomouse]

I've never used mustard in rye bread. I don't measure the seeds, just pour some from the spice jar into my hand, but I'd say it's at least a tablespoon. We're having ham for Christmas dinner with family tomorrow night, so will have ham on rye sandwiches for our Christmas Day lunch. Unfortunately, my daughter's family is all sick, so they will not be here. She saw a physician today and was tested for Covid and flu, both negative, so it's sleep, fluids, aspirin. The grandkids, college students home for vacation, also tested negative. Her husband is not sick at all! We are all vaccinated and boosted, but I'm glad they will not be here to spread their love!

[chocomouse]

I made 2 loaves of buttermilk oatmeal bread. And I have the filling made and the dough chilling for Pecan Tassies, a recipe from lsb on the Old Baking Circle.

[chocomouse]

BakerAunt, that was one of the first rye recipes I ever tried, and I still use it as my base rye recipe! I usually add dried onion, sometimes add deli rye sour/flavor. I often sub dark dry, pumpernickel, or first clear flour. If I run out/short on pickle juice, it's OK, I use what I have or sub Greek or regular yogurt, although I do think the pickle juice yields the best rise and flavor. I do reduce the salt, and use 2 teaspoons of yeast. I never worried about the clash of pickle juice and yeast, never had a problem. Somewhere I have stashed directions for scaling it up for two 9 x 5 loaves.

[chocomouse]

I won't be changing my way of doing eggs either. I put the cold eggs into cold water and bring to a boil. Let sit, covered. Original directions said something like 20 minutes, but I always just forget and leave them, often foe an hour or more. Empty the pot and fill with cold water. Let sit while I gather up my equipment, ingredients. Crack the shell and roll the egg around on the ceramic kitchen sink until the entire shell is cracked/crumbled. Peel, making sure to get hold of the inner thin membrane. I've never had a problem, whether old or fresh eggs, the shell does not stick to the egg, no green ring around the yolk. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

[chocomouse]

I"m cooking eggs for egg salad sandwiches for dinner tonight, on fresh oatmeal bread.

[chocomouse]

Lodge makes a couple of pans that might work for you Mike. They have a 10 inch skillet that has short handles on either side. I'm debating about getting that one, thinking that the two handles would make it easier to lift than the one I have which has a long, 6" plus, handle. They also make a 9" pie pan which might work also.

[chocomouse]

Today I made mini-garlic knots for the Christmas dinner bread basket. I also mixed the dough for Cranberry Coconut refrigerator slice and bake cookies for the cookie tray.

[chocomouse]

Today I made Harvest Grain rolls, using a new bag I bought at the KABC sale this week. The recipe is on the back of the bag. I made 16 small (40 gram) dinner rolls and 8 (55 gram) slider buns. We ate a couple of those with our corn chowder. The Harvest Grains blend is one of my favorite things to add to most any bread recipe.

[chocomouse]

I made corn chowder for dinner. We are getting our first snowstorm of the season! So far, we have about 4 inches with up to 8 predicted. I think it's time I had my studded snow tires put on my Jeep.

[chocomouse]

Aaron, I'm also no longer a big fan of KABC, for lots of reasons. I have no need to join Baker's Rewards (the paying version) as I live just 10 miles from the store, so free shipping would be a ridiculous option, a complete waste of earth's resources and ruin to the environment. When they advertise a sale, it only applies to shipped items; the sale does NOT apply to items in the store. However, I am a Baker's Reward member, the free version. Twice a year, December and May (?) they have a 20% off day for Reward members, and I do take advantage of that, although yesterday I spent only $74 plus 34.95 for the 50 lb of Sir Galahad. This was the first time I've been able to buy it on sale - they've said in the past that since it is wholesale, it never goes on sale, but yesterday they said it was included in the sale. Most of the products KABC sells are available cheaper elsewhere. I do buy pumpernickel, First Clear, lemon juice powder regularly, and yesterday I splurged on Harvest Grains - expensive but I love it. And today I regret not buying a bag of the Super 10 Blend, which I also love and I'm almost out.

Baker Aunt, I buy 2 lb bags of yeast at BJs, which is less than half the price of KABC yeast. Do you have a Costco or Sam's near you?

[chocomouse]

I bought A 50 lb bag of Sir Galahad (AP) flour at KABC this morning -- $34.95!!! Wow! I get a bag twice a year, late spring and fall, so I have not bought it since last May-June. (I also supplement it with the seasonal 5 lbs on sale 2 for 5.00 at the grocery store) I don't recall the price at that time, but it usually run around $28-29, wholesale, so it varies. That is a huge jump!

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