[Italiancook]

For the first and last time, I baked a mug cake last night. I was hungry for chocolate, but it was too late to start a regular cake. I turned to Food Network for a mug cake recipe. Didn't have chocolate chips, so I couldn't make what I wanted. I chose Trisha Yearwood's Peanut Butter Mug Cake. The reason I'll never make another is that I still had to pull out the flour, sugar, peanut butter, baking powder, and the egg carton. And put them away! I should have just made my grandmother's chocolate cake while I had everything out regardless of the time. It's easier to make a regular cake & freeze it in portions. Plus, I had a fork (whisking), a bowl, a mug, and 2 small saucers to wash. When I bake, I put the egg(s) on a saucer to take the chill off while I do other tasks. And I use a saucer to hold my measuring cups and spoons to keep them off the counter.

[Italiancook]

I agree with you and Cathy.

[Italiancook]

I baked blackberry muffins. My addition to the recipe said to use 1 cup + 1 tablespoon buttermilk. I measured out that amount at the beginning. When I was near the end, I happened to notice that the cookbook says to use 3/4 cup milk. Without thinking it through, I poured 1/4 cup of the buttermilk into the grease jar. Now that I've eaten one muffin, I realize I should have ignored the cookbook and stayed with my note, since I was using buttermilk! This is the kind of thing of which frustration is made!

[Italiancook]

I made slow-cooker Irish oatmeal for six day's worth of breakfasts.

[Italiancook]

Now, I'm glad I resisted the temptation to purchase new kitchen cabinets and had the old ones painted.

[Italiancook]

I had a head of cauliflower that I'd normally use for cauliflower with pasta soup. But I'm weary of that soup. Instead, I made the Taste of Home Tuscan Cauliflower Soup. I didn't exactly follow the recipe. I used the whole head without measuring it. I used a quart of chicken stock, which was 3 oz. more than recipe called for. The recipe uses a pound of bulk Italian sausage & my husband had that in the fridge. By chance, I had the mushrooms for the recipe, and the cream. Recipe calls for 1 cup cream, but if I make this again, I'll use 1/2 to 3/4 cup. One cup made more liquid than I like in soup, but the extra chicken stock may have played a role. My husband and I both liked it, but with the Italian sausage, I won't make it often. But I will make it again.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, kimbob, for the link! Thanks BakerAunt & Aaron for the info about letting the finished loaf rest before cutting. It's a good thing, chocomouse, that you told me to add water to top off the juice if necessary. I'd been planning I'd top it off with vinegar! LOL But water makes a whole lot more sense! Thanks, chocomouse. I now have all the seeds, although I could use more mustard seeds, because one loaf will use all I have. Now, I am waiting for the flour.

[Italiancook]

I had never heard of putting cream cheese on pizza, Mike.

I watched Julia Child make a Pain de Mie and Raisin Bread tonight. Interesting. She made one loaf by hand and the other in a stand mixer. By hand, she worked her dough much more than I do. She also let both doughs rest more times than I do as she makes it. She was a good teacher, because now I want a Pain de Mie bread pan! But if I had produced a raisin bread as dark as hers, I would have declared it burnt. She claimed the Pain loaf should be wrapped and refrigerated for 2 days before slicing. I guess the cold would retard mold, but I can't imagine I'd ever be willing to take a chance on the lifetime of the loaf.

So I pulled out my husband's jar of pickles to eyeball the juice for the eventual loaf of sandwich rye bread. I think the recipe calls for 3/4 cup, and there might be that much in the jar. So if I wanted to make this bread more than once, I'd need to buy another jar of pickles. Is that what y'all do? Or, do they sell pickle juice without the pickles?

[Italiancook]

Wishing you calmness before the surgery. Also hope it's successful with quick recovery.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, Mike, for the breakdown on dill products. I enjoy the flavor of dill weed, although a little bit goes a long way.

[Italiancook]

Joan, I'm going to try the KAF Sandwich Rye Bread. I like their Classic Sandwich Bread recipe you recommended. My husband has been asking for a softer rye bread for roast beef sandwiches. I don't have the pumpernickel or potato flours called for in the recipe, but I'll order them. So the bread is a ways off. I also don't have dill seeds. I assume I can buy them at Walmart. My Walmart has the best spice aisle in the area.

[Italiancook]

Forgot to mention: The Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars call for 11 tablespoons butter. I subbed 3 tablespoons of it with light olive oil. Finished product fine. Will do this again. This is the third time I've made these, so I know the oil didn't adversely affect them.

[Italiancook]

I made egg salad for lunch. Now, only 1 slice of homemade bread in the freezer.

[Italiancook]

Mike, am I wrong? Can't recall how many years ago, but I thought there was a change to how the government considers groceries in the inflation statistics. My memory tells me they made groceries less important in the overall formula. Am I just imagining this?

[Italiancook]

I forgot, I also put onion in my tuna salad. I had never thought of diced pimento, but I always have some in my fridge. Did your sandwich shop serve the half 'n half sandwich on toast or plain bread?

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