[Italiancook]

This evening, I baked cinnamon muffins. I used my go-to muffin recipe and added 1/3 cup cinnamon chips with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. I taste-tested three for my dinner. The rest are for a couple breakfasts and the freezer.

For the first time, I used KABC Sparkling Sugar, and I don't "get" the purpose of it. Yes, it looks shiny in the jar, but when I sprinkled it on top of the muffin batter, I couldn't see the sugar. Baked, I still couldn't see the sugar. It didn't make the top of my muffins sparkle. Yes, it added a sweet taste, but it didn't look any different than granulated sugar. Do any of you know what this Sparkling Sugar is used on?

[Italiancook]

Len, your bread is spectacular! Looks like great grilled cheese sandwiches. Your scoring is beautiful!

[Italiancook]

I had never heard the term "bride biscuits." Now that I know this term, I'll be sure to give this recipe to brides in a creative way. Don't know what that'll look like, but I have a while to think about it.

I don't like regular biscuits, although I have been known to make and eat cheddar biscuits with red chili. I enjoy Angel Biscuits, because they're softer and higher. I'm a roll-person.

[Italiancook]

Janiebakes, I just posted my tried & true recipe for Angel Biscuits in the recipe section. If cwdesign finds a recipe for them, you can always compare & contrast them.

[Italiancook]

I had a pie crust in the pan, ready to go into the oven for blind baking. The electricity went off. The energy company's automated message warned of a long outage. I put the pan and crust into the freezer. Then, I regretted that move as it meant I'd let some of the cold air out of the freezer. Tomorrow, I'll bake a Lemon Meringue Pie. The last time I baked one was when Mike first started this site. At that time, I reported I found the task too onerous and would never again bake that type of pie. Things change, or I'm hungry for Lemon Meringue Pie. It'll be interesting to see how I feel about the task after it's done tomorrow.

[Italiancook]

I bought a Le Creuset Dutch oven years ago from TJ Maxx. I have no idea the size. I use it to make soups that include a quart of liquid. Plenty of room for all the solid ingredients. I prefer to serve soup from the stovetop, and this dutch oven holds in the heat making the second serving just as hot.

Later I bought the 4 quart Le Creuset, but I rarely use it. I have a glass stovetop and none of the burners are the right size or heat for the 4 quart.

I've never used either for bread. I've read with interest BakerAunt using her dutch oven for rolls, but haven't tried that either. I would only be willing to put the bread into a cold pan.

[Italiancook]

Late afternoon, I made the dough for Angel Biscuits. I scraped it into my 4-quart dough bucket and put it in the refrigerator. I hope to turn all the dough into biscuits tomorrow, but if that doesn't happen, Friday will do. Recipe says dough can be refrigerated for 7 days.

[Italiancook]

Thanks BakerAunt and Mike for your input on my bread rising disappointment. Since it wasn't the yeast, I'm off on a new tangent. Maybe it was my scoring. The recipe says to make an X. But I was in the mood for wheat stalks. Based on Mikes experience with his honey bread, it may have been a flukish rise, however.

[Italiancook]

I made Mushroom Bruschetta for lunch using day-old homemade bread. Intentionally, I didn't slice the boule until today. The problem with that was that the bread felt day-old when I buttered it for a tomato sauce-spaghetti dinner. But we ate it anyway.

[Italiancook]

The price is right and the offer good, but I have to pass. I instituted a new rule before the pandemic: If I buy something for the kitchen, I have to get rid of something by giving it to the thrift store. At the moment, I can't think of anything I can part with.

[Italiancook]

I made 2 boules Cuban Bread. I'm unhappy with the rise -- not tall as normal. I keep my yeast in the freezer and thought it'd last almost indefinitely there. Am I wrong -- does yeast have a shelf life?

[Italiancook]

I made Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake yesterday. Recipe from jennycancook.com. Oil recipe; no butter.

[Italiancook]

cwcdesign, thanks for your helpful information. The crockpot I used for the pork loin is newer -- 3 or 4 years old. It doesn't lock, it's pretty basic. It seems to me that making the pots run hotter defeats the purpose of a slow-cooker. At least for people who depended on them while working outside the home. I'm going to look into the Chef Alarm. Thanks for mentioning it.

[Italiancook]

For the second time, I made Trisha Yearwood's (Food Network) Slow-Cooker Pork Loin. Recipe says to cook for 4-5 hours. Both times, the pork reached 210* in 3-3/4 hours. Both times, it was too dry. I'm not sure it's safe to crockpot cook for less time, but I'll try this recipe one more time & cook for 3-1/4 hours then check the temperature.

I served it for lunch with roasted potatoes & roasted carrots. It was my first time making roasted carrots, but they were scrumptious, so there will be other times.

I put the liquid from the slow cooker in the fat separator. I'll use it tomorrow to make gravy for mashed potatoes, leftover pork loin, and marinated artichokes.

[Italiancook]

chocomouse, after we had an under-sink kitchen pipe leak, my husband bought a plastic storage container. The bottom completely covers the floor under the sink and garbage disposal. The plastic bottom holds all our cleaning supplies and is high enough that if something leaks, we'll probably catch the leak before the plastic bottom overflows. I've tried to convince him to buy something for under our bathroom sinks, but he wants to rest on his laurels of having had a great idea in the kitchen.

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