Mike Nolan

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  • in reply to: 2023 Garden Plans #39931
    Mike Nolan
    Keymaster

      Probably an issue with too much or too little water, both can affect the ability of the vines to hold on to the fruit.

      Have you had much wind lately?

      in reply to: Kitchenaid Mixer #39924
      Mike Nolan
      Keymaster

        For any bread I've made several times, I go by eye and ear as much as by the windowpane test. I can look at the dough then listen to how it is slapping around in the mixer and have a pretty good idea when it is sufficiently developed.

        in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of July 23, 2023? #39923
        Mike Nolan
        Keymaster

          I'm making a strawberry-blueberry zucchini bread today.

          Maybe I'll try some peanut butter zucchini cookies later on, though it is supposed to get pretty hot here. The high is supposed to be in the high 90's through Friday. But it has been cloudy all morning and the temperatures haven't skyrocketed yet, so I figured I could get away with doing a zucchini bread in the small oven.

          in reply to: Kitchenaid Mixer #39920
          Mike Nolan
          Keymaster

            I mix most breads longer in the mixer than I used to, I concluded most of them weren't getting sufficiently developed.

            In an online class last year, the instructor used a piece of parchment wrapped around the top of the bowl to keep the flour from spilling out.

            When I make semolina bread it is a two-stage bread, so I make the flying starter in the mixing bowl. After it has matured, I add the rest of the flour and other ingredients, including more water, then wrap the parchment around the bowl for the first minute or so of kneading to keep the counter clean.

            Then I fold the parchment to fit my 3/4 sheet pan. The parchment is 16x24, the pan is 14x21. I don't have a good use for 2 or 3 inch wide parchment strips or I'd tear them off. Maybe I'll try to use several of them them to line the loaf pans for zucchini bread to keep it from sticking.

            in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of July 23, 2023? #39913
            Mike Nolan
            Keymaster

              I made a batch of peanut butter cookies today.

              We got to wondering if there were recipes for peanut butter zucchini cookies. I couldn't find any online so I'm going to experiment with a 2nd batch of the chewy peanut butter cookie recipe and add some shredded zucchini.

              in reply to: Raccoons and other Pests #39901
              Mike Nolan
              Keymaster

                Our previous house had a workshop in the back part of the garage, with an exterior door that was the only entrance to the workshop.

                Though we didn't use the workshop much, it did have some tools in it and we sometimes kept bird seed in it.

                I think we must have left the door open at some point on a fall day and a family of possums got in, probably drawn by the seed. We think the door then blew shut, trapping them. We didn't discover this until some time later, I think the following spring. To say the workshop was jumbled around would be an understatement, and the remains of the possum family were decomposed. I probably spent more time in the workshop cleaning up the mess than I did in most years.

                in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 23, 2023? #39899
                Mike Nolan
                Keymaster

                  We went with some take out, though we may have salads later on.

                  in reply to: Add to the shortage list — sugar #39889
                  Mike Nolan
                  Keymaster

                    While I've been one who has complained about the Great Fashion Conspiracy regarding pockets in women's clothing, men and women do have somewhat different nutritional requirements, based on size differences, differences in the amount of physical work they do, and hormonal differences. Body and muscle types also factor into it, but those are largely determined by one's genes.

                    Most of us have too much sugar and too much salt in our diets, and usually not enough fiber or protein. Many of us also have too much fat in our diets, but I know people who have been on ultra low-fat diets and that created problems for them. Everything in moderation!

                    I've been reading an interesting book, "Delicious" by Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez, which talks about the effects taste buds have had on human diets and evolution. Among other things, it suggests that mammoths and mastodons were so delicious that our ancestors ate them to extinction. Cats do not have taste buds for sweetness, so they don't have a 'sweet tooth', unlike humans.

                    in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of July 23, 2023? #39888
                    Mike Nolan
                    Keymaster

                      That recipe makes close to 2 pounds of dough, making two 3-strand challas would mean each strand would be in the 5-6 ounce range, which I think is a good size for rolling out and braiding. I personally think anything smaller than about 3 ounces doesn't roll out and braid as well, and anything over 8 ounces is either gonna be really thick or really long.

                      When I make a celebration two-layer challah, I make about 35 ounces of dough then divide the total dough by 9, then make 3 strands that each use 1/9th of the dough for the upper layer and 3 strands that each use 2/9ths of the dough for the lower layer. But this makes a loaf that is nearly 20 inches long!

                      in reply to: Kitchenaid Mixer #39881
                      Mike Nolan
                      Keymaster

                        He's had it pop off when he's used it at well, I think that's been reported with some of the 6 quart models, it may mean the bowl isn't getting fully locked down.

                        in reply to: Kitchenaid Mixer #39880
                        Mike Nolan
                        Keymaster

                          When I've made some of the Japanese milk bread recipes, they doubled or nearly tripled during final proof, so reducing the size of each roll sounds like the right way to go.

                          in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of July 16, 2023? #39878
                          Mike Nolan
                          Keymaster

                            Today's blueberry zucchini bread is very good, but rather crumbly. Not sure what would make it less crumbly. (The Internet says less oil or less leavening. It only uses a half-cup of oil but 2 teaspoons of baking powder, maybe next time I'll cut that down to 1 tsp.)

                            in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 16, 2023? #39875
                            Mike Nolan
                            Keymaster

                              Found 2 tomatoes that are ripening, should be ripe tomorrow or Monday.

                              We had hot dogs for supper tonight.

                              in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of July 16, 2023? #39874
                              Mike Nolan
                              Keymaster

                                It's in the 90's here today and tomorrow, forecast is for 101 on Monday. Maybe that'll start ripening some tomatoes?

                                in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of July 16, 2023? #39873
                                Mike Nolan
                                Keymaster

                                  If you have a grocery store that has a good sized ethnic foods section, Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies might work for that recipe. I've seen other Goya products in local stores here, though I haven't specifically looked for these. We have a significant Hispanic population and several stores that cater to them. They're also available online.

                                  I just took a buttermilk blueberry zucchini bread out of the oven, I took it to 205 degrees, about 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for. Smells good, but it will be a few minutes before I can remove it from the pan and then it still has to cool enough to slice.

                                  I'm probably doing a strawberry zucchini bread next, and then probably the one with the chocolate chips in it.

                                  I picked 2 more medium zucchini (12/20 ounces) today so I've got plenty of zucchini to work with.

                                Viewing 15 posts - 1,231 through 1,245 (of 7,442 total)