Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's

Opening in Spokane on October 28, 2011 !!!!!!

French Bread Extra-Ordinary

Long time no see.  Well, I have been busy doing other things.  Working.  Retiring.  Vacationing.  Golfing.  But you can see all that on my Facebook or www.flyrv7.com

This space is EXCLUSIVELY for my pathetic attempt at learning how to bake.  I got out the old bread machine tonight and found a recipe for using the machine just to knead the bread dough and allow it to rise.  The loaf was then baked in the conventional oven.  If you can read the print, it called for putting a pan of water under the rack where you bake.  For moisture I guess.  We'll see how it tastes tomorrow.  I was afraid to try it tonight.  It looks like it's blanched and not baked completely.  I also made some home made ragù,  made with fresh ingredients from my garden; tomatoes, onion, red chili, basil, oregano, thyme.

Tomorrow I will reheat the loaf, brushing some milk over the crust and we shall see how it tastes.

Manga!

Pies .... ugly but consumed.

Turns out that high fructose corn syrup..... tastes great.  There is a reason someone invented it.  Wonder how they made pecan pies before it was around. I forgot to take a photo of the dark chocolate pie... it looked much like the one in the example, except my autumn leaves weren't so exquisite.  I definitely need a pie crust 101 lesson.  It's an art.

Pecan Pie = 536 calories per slice!

Pumpkin pie #1 

Saggy Granny Apple Pie (I didn't put enough apple filling in it so the top crust sank when it cooled)

Pumpking #2  I used a different pie crust recipe.

Oh crap... I have pie duty for Thanksgiving!

Going to a big shin-dig in Seattle for a bunch of family and friends.  I'm on pie duty.
One my suggest going to Costco and bringing 3 inexpensive large and tasty pies with no hassle.  I will bake on Tuesday night.  If all else fails Costco is still open on Wednesday.

Attempting

1) Apple - cranberry lattice topped pie
2) Chocolate creme pie
3) Key Lime pie
4) Cheesecake with cherry topping
........................................................2 regular crusts, 2 graham cracker crusts

cross your fingers..........

Submission to Sunset Magazine

This month Sunset challenged the recipe senders to come up with an easy recipe using red bell peppers, any type of sausage and broccoli.  Don't ask me why I decided to do this.  Too much time on my hands?  Hungry?  HOOT.        (Husband Out Of Town)

It's sort of a jambalaya.

apple pie

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Banana Cake .... she's back

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese & Whipped Cream Frosting

Found this recipe online... like I do most recipes.  This one from All-recipes.com called A number 1 Banana Cake.  I didn't have the buttermilk so I used regular milk with some white vinegar added to it.  For the frosting I had some made up whipped cream from the night before and I mixed 1 package of creme cheese with 3/4 c of brown sugar and 1 c of bakers sugar , then folded in the whipped cream.  I didn't measure very much, so I likely will never be able to repeat it.  But this one was a success.  

To celebrate.. today I bought a cake plate at Macy's.  It weighs a ton.  It's lead crystal and it's versatile too.  Use it as a cake plate, fruit bowl or chip and salsa dish. If only it fit into my refrigerator and I could lift it.

Sourdough bread

No longer counting the days.  Today I made sourdough bread from a recipe I found on youtube.  I originally found a recipe for sourdough starter .. also on youtube but it got forgotton and turned to a bubbly bowl of fuzz.  I tossed that and tried again and after day 3 I didn't like the result.  Then I found another recipe for a starter with more ingredients than flour and water.  And you didn't have to watch it grow and feed it.  Hence.. it is probably not officially sourdough.  This recipe called for some bread flour and yeast, warm water and sugar mixed and covered for 2 days..... I think it sped up the process.

Anyway.... here's how it turned out.

So far so good...it's rising

Looks and smells good...

Tastes great.  Not as "sour" as I would like, but delicious!  (hot w/butter)