[Italiancook]

I made a double batch of Broccoli Soup for the freezer. I'm trying to restock, since I emptied it during the summer. I use The Neely's recipe from Food Network. The show is no longer aired, but the recipe is still there as The Neely's Broccoli Soup. I like this recipe, because it uses only 1/2 cup cream (I use half 'n half). I tell myself it's healthier than cream of broccoli soup, because it doesn't have as much cream.

From Martha Stewart's website, I made Potato-Cauliflower & Cheddar Bake for the first and last time. The taste was fine, but it took more back labor than I want to give to a side dish. If I were younger, I'd probably make it again.

I also made Chicken with Dirty Rice.

[Italiancook]

BakerAunt, I admire you and Wonky for all the baking you can do in a day. On Monday, I made Oatmeal Coffee Cake using lime oil for the flavoring. I also put the ingredients for Kelsey Nixon's Slow-Cooker Irish Oatmeal into the crock pot. Then I was through for the day. I couldn't have done more if I wanted. Maybe it's my arthritis, because I've never been a lazy person.

The only reason I know what I did is I took your advice and started keeping track on my computer. I attached a sticky note to the desktop and typed in what I baked and cooked during the week. I don't see that you posted a topic about what we cooked for the week.

Like you, I haven't purchased much from the KAF website or catalog since they shut down the BC. I'm just not going there as much.

[Italiancook]

BakerAunt, all the cooking and baking you do is really great, since you didn't have a grandmother's influence in the kitchen. You're making the memories you missed out on, although you appear to have cute memories of them (Velvetta & rutabaga).

I don't have many grandmotherly memories in the kitchen. I recall one grandmother cooking only for the annual picnic. She would never have allowed a child to help her. My other grandmother made a Banana Cake with me once. I can recall her method for making fried potatoes, but otherwise, nothing.

My dad was the cook from whom I learned the most. My mother canned a lot each summer, but I didn't inherit the desire to do that. Maybe that's the difference between rural-living and city life.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

The 7 lbs. dark chocolate looks inviting enough to dive in head first.

I enjoyed this blog post, Mike. Looking forward to the others. Interesting.

[Italiancook]

Another week unsure of what we ate.

[Italiancook]

I baked 4-1/2 dozen Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, using the recipe on the lid of an old Quaker Oats box. I gave away 2-1/2 dozen of the cookies. We enjoyed the rest.

I also baked Cranberry Banana Nut Bread, which has been discussed in a couple of threads during the week.

[Italiancook]

Glad you and yours made it to safety. I hope you find everything AOK when you return home.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, Mike, for the information.

[Italiancook]

Thanks for thinking about this, BakerAunt. I've certainly given a lot of thought to it. But I hadn't thought about draining the relish. That makes a lot of sense. I'll do it next time. Unfortunately, that may be a week or so, since I have to have ripe bananas and now have none.

I've also decided to eliminate the milk in the recipe, since the batter was so soupy. My Banana Bread recipe uses the same amount of bananas as this one, but obtains all it's liquid from the mashed bananas.

Since I don't know how the flour was originally measured, I will use the scoop method next time. I may opt not to sift the flour, although I really don't know whether that will solve anything.

There will definitely be a next attempt, because I know how special this bread is when made as my mom did. So thanks for helping me think this through. I'll let you know after I make it again.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, S_Wirth for the assist. Next time, I'll scoop the flour.

BakerAunt, the bread bake time was okay. I inserted the cake tester to the bottom of the pan, and it came out clean. But I was worried about it, so I cooked it an additional five minutes. That made the top way too brown.

Yes, it's totally possible that the relish I used is wetter than what Mom used. Maybe I'll cut it back by 1/4 cup next time.

I've eaten restaurant Banana Bread that has the texture and moistness I achieved today. I don't really like the texture of it. Since it's the restaurant's normal, over time, bread, I have to imagine that it's a fully baked product, as I think mine is.

Maybe all I need to do is scoop the flour. Maybe I'll try that next time and use the full amount of relish. I hate to change more than one variable at a time. Or, more probably, I'll scoop, then check the consistency before adding relish. It if seems soupy, I'll cut back on the relish. Yet, it is supposed to be a moist bread.

[Italiancook]

I'll look forward to reading your reports, Mike. I hope you are able to achieve good rest once you're home.

[Italiancook]

Bread is out of the oven. The loaf smells exactly like my memory of it.

The loaf came out of oven with a rounded top. During cooling, the top went down. Now, it's a flat-topped loaf, and that's exactly the way all my mother's loaves of this bread looked. So I'm calling it normal and will add a note to the recipe about this.

I'll report back tomorrow after I eat a slice of the wrapped, 1 day old bread.

[Italiancook]

luvpyrpom, I've often wondered whether I could freeze mason jars. I've been afraid to try; I didn't want a bunch of glass in my freezer. Are your jars made for the freezer? I know there are some that are marketed as being made for the freezer.

[Italiancook]

luvpyrpom, I'm going to make the Cranberry Banana Nut Bread tomorrow. William-Sonoma's relish has arrived. It won't be a replica of my mom's, because the W-S product also has apples -- dried, I think. Since you're interested, I'll post the recipe tomorrow or the next day, even if it doesn't work for me. You can tinker with it if you want, if I don't have success with it.

Thanks for your investigative work with Ocean Spray, BakerAunt.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, rottiedogs, for the link to the relish.

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