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On Sunday, I tried PJ’s method for sourdough sandwich bread from her blog series on KABC called the Casual Sourdough Baker. It’s a batter bread that takes a long time to rise - 8 hours for me, 14 for her. Then you put it in a pan de mie pan and let it rise a couple more hours. It used unfed starter, bread flour, white whole wheat and some rye flour. I may have over baked it as it is somewhat dense and shrank in the pan. There was a discrepancy in temperature for the bread itself - she said hers was 204 and 190 was mentioned in the comments. I think I would have been fine at 5 minutes less. It toasts really nicely and has a good flavor. I will definitely make it again.

Question - PJ used medium rye, all I had was dark rye, but I only used about 60 grams - would that have made a difference?

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Oh my - it sure did. I’ll translate for anyone who was confused. Prefacing panic should have been “pre-baking panko.” This time auto-correct wanted to write Pan Korean.

But there is something to be said for prefacing panic . . . Sometimes it feels that way.

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Belated Anniversary Congratulations to both Joan and Mike! What great milestones to reach:)

BakerAunt, I would love it if you would post the recipe. I like the idea of prefacing the panic - I don't like how pale it looks on baked goods.

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I made slow cooker Caesar chicken and we had wraps tonight. Plenty for the next couple of days especially since Will will be out of town Tuesday and Wednesday.

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I totally agree with you Italiancook. I was just telling my son tonight (I used the crock pot) that it was ridiculous that I could only use it on a day off since the whole idea behind the machine was to set it and forget it.

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Italiancook, my newer crockpot cooks too hot. I can’t leave anything in too long or it is tough and dry.

My solution is to use my Chef Alarm from ThermoWorks. I put the probe in the meat and set the alarm for the proper temperature for the cooked meat. I also use the clamps to keep the lid tight even though Hamilton Beach says not to do that while cooking. My chicken breasts usually take less than 3 hours on low.

As long as your meat is cooked to a safe temperature, it doesn’t matter how long it takes.

A few years ago, some organization decided crockpots weren’t “safe” cooking appliances because they took so long to come to temp - they were worried about it allowing bacteria and stuff so the manufacturers started upping their thermostats to cook hotter. Funny how for years we never heard about anyone getting sick.

If you review new ones, the reviews will let you know if they cook too high - wish I’d read them before I bought my last one.

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Today my car battery died in the parking lot at work. Security came and jumped it with this cool gadget they have - it’s a box with the jumpers and has all the power you need without connecting to another car. I went home, picked up Will. He took me back to work and went to the car dealer. My car turned 3 in April so both the free towing and the battery warranty had run out.

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A quiche might be a fun dinner sometime. Tonight I made a sheet pan salmon, asparagus and baby potatoes.

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At the end of July, Will had to replace the disposal in my “new” home. It leaked all over the cabinet and it hadn’t been very long, but the cabinet is a mess. Can’t wait to see if Cabinets To Go (landlord put them in last year) will replace it - it totally fell apart!

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Happy Birthday, Mike!

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We do have hummingbird nests around our house - haven't found them, but they were coming before we got here. We still only have one feeder which we hung under the eaves during one of the tropical downpours where the wind kept blowing them away from the feeder. They found it again quickly.

There were several that came to the feeder over the course of the evening last night which must have been a sign because of this discussion. I know they come more often, but I'm not always paying attention. I've not seen a male there in the two years I've been paying attention.

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Last night I made a new recipe from my current favorite site, Half Baked Harvest (HBH). It was for chipotle cauliflower tacos. It's funny with a lot of her recipes - the individual parts might be so-so but when you put them all together, they are delicious. The recipe calls for charring the cauliflower, a poblano pepper (store didn't have any, I used green bell pepper) and chopped onions in a large skillet - mine's not large enough so I ended up steaming the veggies, they were still flavorful with the sauce that they simmered in. I did sort of char the frozen corn in a frying pan. But the verde sauce to put on top was delicious - I could eat it off the spoon - jalapeño, mayo/yogurt, bunch of cilantro, some green onions, garlic, honey and lime all whirred up. My tacos fell apart, so I just mushed everything together on a plate and it was wonderful - avocado and feta added to it all. I'm glad I have leftovers for tonight.

Next time I'll either roast or grill the vegetables in a grill pan to get the char. It would be an added step, but one I think would be worth it.

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I made Mediterranean tuna salad with canellini beans and lemon vinaigrette. Will flew up to Boston today so I have my house to myself for a week or so.

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Interesting thread BA. I’m not sure I ever made that cake again - I seem to always be onto the next recipe that catches my eye - squirrel!

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Our county schools closed today - back to remote learning.

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