What are you been cooking today

[Very Happy Jan]

OMG Look at the six packs on those firees. I'm too old now 

[CreamPuff63]

  as I open up a window to let some cool air in, the mind just boggles...

[andiesenji]

I have often wondered why so many of you make their bread in the Thermie and bake it in their breadmaker.  Wouldn't the breadmaker handle the entire job just as well.

I've been wondering the same thing.  I have several bread makers and I mostly use them for mixing and rising the dough, then removing it after it signals the final "punch down" then shaping and baking in the oven. 

I stagger the start times so they don't all finish at once as some require higher oven temps or longer final rise times.

I like using the bread machines for all the preliminary work because that allows me time to be doing other things. 
I'm sure people think I am nuts but with the arthritis in my hands I simply can't do prolonged kneading and while I have the DLX for large batches, so many of my specialty breads are for two loaves - too much volume to bake in the bread machines but they have no problem with mixing and rising it. 

[Twitterpated]

I have often wondered why so many of you make their bread in the Thermie and bake it in their breadmaker.  Wouldn't the breadmaker handle the entire job just as well.

There was a post a while back suggesting that the dough was prepared in the TMX (for time reasons) and then baked in the breadmaker so as not to heat up the kitchen as the hot weather is now upon us.

[nola276]

Andie, I can't knead bread either because of arthritis.  I am all for using a machine to do whatever it can.  I wouldn't have made a very good first settler .  You on the other hand would have been a brilliant first settler I am sure.  It seems that you still do a lot of the things that other people run down to the supermarket to buy.  (clapping icon needed)

[andiesenji]

Andie, I can't knead bread either because of arthritis.  I am all for using a machine to do whatever it can.  I wouldn't have made a very good first settler .  You on the other hand would have been a brilliant first settler I am sure.  It seems that you still do a lot of the things that other people run down to the supermarket to buy.  (clapping icon needed)

I'm sure I would not have been able to cope with things that my paternal grandmother did when she was my age.  All my dad's sisters married young and had large families (but all lived within "spittin' distance" of the homestead) and while she had hired help, she always seemed to do a lot more than the help.

I was raised by my mother's parents, my dad and mom divorced when I was two and my grandpa was rather well off so most of the "real" work was done by the help but I loved hanging out in the kitchen and being allowed to "help" (when I wasn't in the barns with the horses or with my grandpa). 
My great grandmother, who was a very aristocratic lady and I don't think she every cooked anything herself but she was an avid collector of "receipts" during her travels in Europe, and the near east during the latter half of the 19th century.  I think it was her stories and influence that created the love of food in me.

As far as I am concerned, homemade always tastes best and I know exactly what has gone into it.  I don't trust food additives that I can't pronounce!

[achookwoman]

today made 5 Xmas Puds,   4 pressies.  2 Xmas cakes.  very strange recipe.  will post if Ok.

I am the person who mixes the bread in the TMX and cooks some loaves in the Bread Machine.  This process suits me when I am busy in the garden as it is so predictable.  I also don't like the slash that the bread machine leaves in the base of the bread.  This way, just a small hole.  The fruit loaf that I posted is particularly good,  and I have made it several times..  I think the texture of the bread, kneaded in the TMX, is better than when the whole loaf is made in the machine.  This may be a personal preference,  or even my machine.  The whole process takes 1 1/2 hours.  Of this time , less than  10 mins. Of my time is used. Pretty good for a good loaf of bread.

[nola276]

Now I understand.  I must admit, I only use bread mix in my bread machine, as I have never made a successful loaf with a recipe in the breadmaker recipe book.  I have not yet tried to make bread in my Thermie, but will do so when I finish my diet

[kezza]

Like chookie I am a fan of kneading in thermie and baking only in bread maker.  So much easier, and I am mostly making sourdough bread.  6 seconds to mix dough, then 20mins rest, then 2mins kneading and take out and let it rest and rise for 4-6 hours depending on weather, and then shape and place in bread tin for a couple of hours, and then bake in machine for 1 hour.  Plenty of time to do other things in between.  Chookie, I must give that fruit loaf a go this weekend, my DH will love it.

[fundj&e]

I have made rice to use for fried rice or a curry, bread dough, a pizza slice from the dough i had it for breakfast , nutella and ricotta tarts and i have the veg stock on   

[andiesenji]

I've been processing some dried fruits, steaming, chopping, for inclusion in future goodies.

I'm also baking a loaf of stollen - in a loaf pan this time, to see how well it turns out and I want it for toasting!

[judydawn]

Today I have made Gretchen's Pistachio pate, Uni's Almond Meal Biscuits, Rara's Cherry Bites and Amanda's version of caramelised onions. 

[Halex]

Wow JD you hsve been busy, well done

Me too

Issis rolls
1 spinach & mushroom quiche
1 bacon & egg pie
3 batches of meagan Janes melting moments
24 i lovebimby cupcakes
1 batch of raras muffin tops, but as muffins this time
Ton of butter icing, well not really a ton, but a lot!!!!

H

[judydawn]

I think I have finished everything for the Christmas hampers I want to give out on Saturday Hally, now tomorrow will be most of the salad making.  Yours sounds like it is coming along nicely too, one more day then we can both hopefully relax and enjoy it ourselves.

[andiesenji]

Here's the stollen I made yesterday.  Used a somewhat different technique in that I mixed the fruit into the dough instead of spreading it on the stretched and flattened dough and folding the dough around it and then baking them on a sheet pan.  And I baked it in one large loaf pan instead of making two flatter loaves.   Nice even crumb.

I like it this way, much easier to slice and toast.