TOTALLY GEEKED!

just Czech · Give Me Grand's!

RE: The Cooking Thread

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

I bet your house smells good, Czech! smile

just Czech · Give Me Grand's!

Fort Worth Mom wrote:
I bet your house smells good, Czech!

It does!

Will take a loaf over to DD's around six, pick op the three oldest, take them to the bb game and a potato bake supper.

So, BREAKFAST tomorrow it is! For the banana bread. wink

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

just Czech wrote:
It even LOOKS divine!

I do have to say that was really good pound cake. It had cheese mixed in. An Italian kind I had never heard of. I also mixed in fresh cranberries and chunks of white chocolate. Poured brown butter down the middle. Once cooked I frosted it with a cream cheese frosting, sprinkled it with more cranberries, and drizzled it with white chocolate. I sent flan a mini loaf so you can ask her opinion too!

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

I need to make banana bread. I'm going to have the kids create dessert tomorrow. I got something easy.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

Okay, today I have to make a piecaken for women's group tomorrow. It's going to be raspberry pie with a dark chocolate cake and a chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

The piecaken is in the oven! Frosting is done. I think it will be tasty.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

You go girl! You are the piecaken queen.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
You go girl! You are the piecaken queen.

Sigh. This one was hard. I did the pie all from scratch. Then I did the cake all from scratch. Then I did the frosting all from scratch! Ugh. Time consuming.

just Czech · Give Me Grand's!

I have cooked from scratch all my life. Box cakes just don't have the same yum factor for us. Homemade frosting is to die for.

Good for you, NJN. :)

just Czech · Give Me Grand's!

I'm not even sure I can cook from a box..

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

just Czech wrote:
I have cooked from scratch all my life. Box cakes just don't have the same yum factor for us. Homemade frosting is to die for.

Good for you, NJN. :)

I stopped using box mixes about a year and a half ago. At that point I started playing with frosting. I love a good home made cream cheese frosting. The tub ones are just too sweet for me. I really have to be honest though. I had started cooking from scratch before. I mean here and there. But it was more special occasion stuff. When my son was diagnosed gluten intolerant I changed everything about the way I cooked.

Tangerine · Guru

If a recipe calls for using a Dutch oven, can I cook it in my crockpot?
I don't have a Dutch oven.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

Tangerine wrote:
If a recipe calls for using a Dutch oven, can I cook it in my crockpot?
I don't have a Dutch oven.

Not one hundred percent sure but I think you can.

Tinydancer · Guru

A Dutch Oven is just an old-fashonioned slow cooker. It's what they used before electric crockpots.

FNW · Guru

Tangerine wrote:
If a recipe calls for using a Dutch oven, can I cook it in my crockpot?
I don't have a Dutch oven.

Yes, but it will need to cook for longer, or on high, depending on the recipe.

Tinydancer · Guru

Mine acually cooks faster in my Dutch Oven but you can't leave it unattended all day like a crockpot.

Tangerine · Guru

Thanks!

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

This thread need bumping.

chef · Guru

I'm making 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies for my Church's Valentine's Day event. I thought about getting a cookie scoop so they're the same size but not sure if I should bother.

Has anyone used a cookie scoop? Should I bother?

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

chef wrote:
I'm making 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies for my Church's Valentine's Day event. I thought about getting a cookie scoop so they're the same size but not sure if I should bother.

Has anyone used a cookie scoop? Should I bother?

Any scoop would work.

We have a great restaurant supply place here that is open to the public.

They have them for about $4.

But I just use a spoon.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

Use an ice cream scoop if you have one.

chef · Guru

Lily: We have a restaurant supply store here too. Walmart has the scoops for $4.

NJN: I have an ice cream scoop but I think it'd make the cookies too big.

I only care about uniformity in this case because I'm making them for an event. Otherwise, I wouldn't care and would just plop the dough onto the cookie sheets with a spoon.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

chef wrote:
Lily: We have a restaurant supply store here too. Walmart has the scoops for $4.

NJN: I have an ice cream scoop but I think it'd make the cookies too big.

I only care about uniformity in this case because I'm making them for an event. Otherwise, I wouldn't care and would just plop the dough onto the cookie sheets with a spoon.

True.

The quality and sizes may vary.

A good heavy duty scoop is going to be a better value.

Ice cream scoop would be too big.

If you use two teaspoons, you can get them pretty consistent.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Or, do you have a medicine dose cup?

"Cut" them with that.

Or weigh them if you have a scale.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

Actually if you are trying for uniformity then a medicine cup sounds like a good idea. Make sure it's clean! I would have to laugh if someone at a Nyquil cookie.

FNW · Guru

Even funnier if it was a laxative cookie.

I use an ice cream scoop with that release. They come in different sizes at Williams-Sonoma. They probably sell cookie scoops there, too. I love using mine. I use it for cupcakes, meatloaf, various things.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

The laxative one is actually a lot more funny FNW.

That's what I was thinking of. The cookie scoop with the release.

chef · Guru

Only medicine cup I have is the one from DS' Benadryl. But, I think it'd make the cookies too small.

I'm going to check the 99cents store for a cookie scoop. Their utensils hold up surprisingly well. If they don't have one, I may just use my melon baller.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

I think a melon baller would work.

chef · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
I think a melon baller would work.

Problem is, I have no idea where DS stuck it.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

chef wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
I think a melon baller would work.
Problem is, I have no idea where DS stuck it.

LOL That IS an issue.

chef · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
chef wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
I think a melon baller would work.
Problem is, I have no idea where DS stuck it.
LOL That IS an issue.

It's truly amazing how quickly he can make things disappear. Must be a toddler gift.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

It is. Be glad it's just a melon baller. When he becomes a teenager it will be your car keys!

chef · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
It is. Be glad it's just a melon baller. When he becomes a teenager it will be your car keys!

Not if he enjoys having freedom!

His butt will be grounded so quick he'd get skid marks on it.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

chef wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
It is. Be glad it's just a melon baller. When he becomes a teenager it will be your car keys!
Not if he enjoys having freedom!
His butt will be grounded so quick he'd get skid marks on it.

You said butt and skid marks in the same sentence! Maybe that belongs on the poop joke thread.

Momala · Great cook-happy wife-superb fisherman

Chef ~
If you have an ice cream scoop, it will probably make the balls too large for your purposes, and if you find the melon baller, it will probably be too small. My technique is to portion out all the dough, then go back and shape them into uniform balls, taking a little from this one, adding a little to that one, then flatten slightly with the bottom of a small glass. frequently dip the bottom of the glass into coarse sugar before flattening the balls.

Good luck!

chef · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
chef wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
It is. Be glad it's just a melon baller. When he becomes a teenager it will be your car keys!
Not if he enjoys having freedom!
His butt will be grounded so quick he'd get skid marks on it.
You said butt and skid marks in the same sentence! Maybe that belongs on the poop joke thread.

It does!

chef · Guru

Momala wrote:
Chef ~
If you have an ice cream scoop, it will probably make the balls too large for your purposes, and if you find the melon baller, it will probably be too small. My technique is to portion out all the dough, then go back and shape them into uniform balls, taking a little from this one, adding a little to that one, then flatten slightly with the bottom of a small glass. frequently dip the bottom of the glass into coarse sugar before flattening the balls.

Good luck!

I bet my little sous chef would love that method! Granted, "his" cookies would have to stay home because I can guarantee he'll lick the sugar from the glass.

I'm not sure what coarse sugar is. Is it the same as granulated?

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

I'm pretty sure that's what she meant. It will stick if you don't. And if you dip it in flour the tops will look funny.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Ok, so far today I have made a dozen hard boiled eggs, a pound of bacon, I have a roast in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots, I made bacon mac n cheese, and I have some chicken bones on the stove for stock. I still have to do the pumpkin bread and beef for tacos. But I need a break. Whew.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

Mellow Momma wrote:
Ok, so far today I have made a dozen hard boiled eggs, a pound of bacon, I have a roast in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots, I made bacon mac n cheese, and I have some chicken bones on the stove for stock. I still have to do the pumpkin bread and beef for tacos. But I need a break. Whew.

Wow, that's a lot. My DH adores my home made pepper jack bacon mac and cheese.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

I am exhausted. But it will be worth it this week. We are going to be so busy this week and I know I won't have time to make anything. So it will be SO much easier for DD and DH to grab what they want, when they want it. And it will be much healthier than throwing something together - cereal for breakfast doesn't cut it. Lol

chef · Guru

Finally getting to use my breadmaker! DH said he never had potato bread so I figured that would be the first recipe I would try. I can't wait until it gets to the baking process. I love the smell of yeast as bread bakes.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

chef wrote:
Finally getting to use my breadmaker! DH said he never had potato bread so I figured that would be the first recipe I would try. I can't wait until it gets to the baking process. I love the smell of yeast as bread bakes.

The potato starch is kept in the Jewish section in the grocery store. Just a little hint since I already had to do the hunt for it.

chef · Guru

Lawyerlady wrote:
chef wrote:
Finally getting to use my breadmaker! DH said he never had potato bread so I figured that would be the first recipe I would try. I can't wait until it gets to the baking process. I love the smell of yeast as bread bakes.
The potato starch is kept in the Jewish section in the grocery store. Just a little hint since I already had to do the hunt for it.

Good to know! Thanks!

I'm using the recipe out of the manual for this one. It called for instant potato flakes. Do you know if the potato starch makes a better final product?

chef · Guru

I need to get a glass jar with a non-metal lid so I can make a sourdough starter. Any idea where such a thing can be found?

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

chef wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
chef wrote:
Finally getting to use my breadmaker! DH said he never had potato bread so I figured that would be the first recipe I would try. I can't wait until it gets to the baking process. I love the smell of yeast as bread bakes.
The potato starch is kept in the Jewish section in the grocery store. Just a little hint since I already had to do the hunt for it.
Good to know! Thanks!
I'm using the recipe out of the manual for this one. It called for instant potato flakes. Do you know if the potato starch makes a better final product?

I've seen that recipe. Let me know how it comes out!

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

chef wrote:
I need to get a glass jar with a non-metal lid so I can make a sourdough starter. Any idea where such a thing can be found?

Get a mason jar. Wal-Mart. Pretty much any grocery store. All the dollar stores around here have them. Hardware stores too.

just Czech · Give Me Grand's!

chef wrote:
I need to get a glass jar with a non-metal lid so I can make a sourdough starter. Any idea where such a thing can be found?

Google will find a recipe for you or Pinterest.