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Baking And Other Sundries
Aug. 20th, 2010 07:06 pmSomehow this ended up being a very baking-oriented week, I don't even know. So I figured a baking log would not be remiss, just for posterity's sake.
Saturday: orange-cranberry-honey scones. The orange-honey combination is my favorite variation on my standard scone recipe so far; it's very tender and just a little sweet, and the orange flavor isn't strong at all. This time I threw in some tangerine zest, because I was eating the tangerine anyway, which made the flavor a lot brighter, and also a couple handfuls of dried cranberries, because dried cranberries are one of the greatest things ever invented. This was technically a house-warming present for the friend we were supposed to help move, but made enough for me and my mom to have some for lunch with apricot preserves. I don't know what it is about scones that makes me actually like jam, but it's weird (if delicious).
Wednesday: honey-wheat batter bread. God I go through honey so fast lately. This was...pretty good. I don't know if it's the weather, or the recipes I'm using, or some bizarre personal failing, but the last couple weeks I've had a hard time getting my bread the shape I want it. I just want a proper loaf shape, is that so much to ask? But slightly squashed shape notwithstanding, this tasted fine. I love whole-wheat bread, especially since I make peanut butter toast for breakfast quite often, and nothing makes better toast. All nutty and chewy and whole-wheaty, mmmm.
Today: hamburger buns. Roommate Guy is starting treatment for a fairly serious, seriously un-fun medical condition, so we decided to have a bacon cheeseburger party for him + the girlfriend and her kid. Last time I made hot dog buns, I screwed something up and they didn't turn out that good, but this time everything went perfectly. I never cease to be pleased by how excited people get by the idea of homemade buns - it's not actually that difficult, especially since I use the bread machine, and they act like I just invented sliced bread.
Also Today: bagels! Man, this recipe is a pain in the ass. The sponge has to rise for ages, and then there's all kinds of weird stuff with shaping and testing the dough with water and retarding it in the fridge overnight. And bagels are really dense, so it uses up a ton of flour. But sometimes you just need bagels and cream cheese more than anything. At least this time I probably won't be bageling at 1 in the morning.
I'd say I'm ready to be DONE BAKING, but that would be a lie. I've already got plans for a buttermilk bread for next week (in my defense, when my dad buys bread he only buys wonderbread, which is revolting, so I offered to bake every week instead so we have bread to use for sandwiches, breakfasts, etc. IT WAS THIS OR WONDERBREAD). I hope I'll be able to keep this up - maybe not quite this much baking, but a decent amount - when I get back to school. I find it really relaxing, and it's a lot of fun. And I have delicious baked goods to eat!
At least I don't have to worry about affording groceries this quarter. I just got my tuition bill for autumn, and because I am not paying for a meal plan this year, for the first time my financial aid actually exceeds my tuition costs. Theoretically this is a stipend for buying food for myself, but there is no way I could spend $1200 on food in three months, even if I didn't have a job that will cover most/all of my grocery bill. I guess I know where the money for my graduation tattoo is coming from. :)
PS: is anyone else watching the Bundesliga? Please tell me I'm not the only one who was so bereft at the lack of hot Germans after the World Cup ended that she followed them back to the club leagues? Not to mention that football has somehow fallen into that extremely narrow category of sports that are actually entertaining to watch, even on television (hockey, on the other hand, is my favoritest sport ever live, but I cannot watch five minutes of it televised).
...go Bayern
Saturday: orange-cranberry-honey scones. The orange-honey combination is my favorite variation on my standard scone recipe so far; it's very tender and just a little sweet, and the orange flavor isn't strong at all. This time I threw in some tangerine zest, because I was eating the tangerine anyway, which made the flavor a lot brighter, and also a couple handfuls of dried cranberries, because dried cranberries are one of the greatest things ever invented. This was technically a house-warming present for the friend we were supposed to help move, but made enough for me and my mom to have some for lunch with apricot preserves. I don't know what it is about scones that makes me actually like jam, but it's weird (if delicious).
Wednesday: honey-wheat batter bread. God I go through honey so fast lately. This was...pretty good. I don't know if it's the weather, or the recipes I'm using, or some bizarre personal failing, but the last couple weeks I've had a hard time getting my bread the shape I want it. I just want a proper loaf shape, is that so much to ask? But slightly squashed shape notwithstanding, this tasted fine. I love whole-wheat bread, especially since I make peanut butter toast for breakfast quite often, and nothing makes better toast. All nutty and chewy and whole-wheaty, mmmm.
Today: hamburger buns. Roommate Guy is starting treatment for a fairly serious, seriously un-fun medical condition, so we decided to have a bacon cheeseburger party for him + the girlfriend and her kid. Last time I made hot dog buns, I screwed something up and they didn't turn out that good, but this time everything went perfectly. I never cease to be pleased by how excited people get by the idea of homemade buns - it's not actually that difficult, especially since I use the bread machine, and they act like I just invented sliced bread.
Also Today: bagels! Man, this recipe is a pain in the ass. The sponge has to rise for ages, and then there's all kinds of weird stuff with shaping and testing the dough with water and retarding it in the fridge overnight. And bagels are really dense, so it uses up a ton of flour. But sometimes you just need bagels and cream cheese more than anything. At least this time I probably won't be bageling at 1 in the morning.
I'd say I'm ready to be DONE BAKING, but that would be a lie. I've already got plans for a buttermilk bread for next week (in my defense, when my dad buys bread he only buys wonderbread, which is revolting, so I offered to bake every week instead so we have bread to use for sandwiches, breakfasts, etc. IT WAS THIS OR WONDERBREAD). I hope I'll be able to keep this up - maybe not quite this much baking, but a decent amount - when I get back to school. I find it really relaxing, and it's a lot of fun. And I have delicious baked goods to eat!
At least I don't have to worry about affording groceries this quarter. I just got my tuition bill for autumn, and because I am not paying for a meal plan this year, for the first time my financial aid actually exceeds my tuition costs. Theoretically this is a stipend for buying food for myself, but there is no way I could spend $1200 on food in three months, even if I didn't have a job that will cover most/all of my grocery bill. I guess I know where the money for my graduation tattoo is coming from. :)
PS: is anyone else watching the Bundesliga? Please tell me I'm not the only one who was so bereft at the lack of hot Germans after the World Cup ended that she followed them back to the club leagues? Not to mention that football has somehow fallen into that extremely narrow category of sports that are actually entertaining to watch, even on television (hockey, on the other hand, is my favoritest sport ever live, but I cannot watch five minutes of it televised).
...go Bayern