tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post4606345524986561393..comments2024-03-28T09:27:28.962-07:00Comments on creative savv: The complete guide to essentials in my baking cabinet (and other storage areas in my kitchen)Lilihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-72388075091682281882014-05-22T07:48:10.101-07:002014-05-22T07:48:10.101-07:00Thanks, Regina. I'll be looking for that. I en...Thanks, Regina. I'll be looking for that. I enjoyed reading your post on using lovage.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-81345981186902557052014-05-22T07:13:39.606-07:002014-05-22T07:13:39.606-07:00hi lili,
i will make a post about my sourdough bre...hi lili,<br />i will make a post about my sourdough bread in few weeks.<br />warm hugs,<br />reginaReginas Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12263131368566323993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-39459163288421533352014-05-22T06:20:06.883-07:002014-05-22T06:20:06.883-07:00Hi Regina,
I would love to hear about your sourdou...Hi Regina,<br />I would love to hear about your sourdough bread, what ingredients you use, etc. My sourdough bread recipe is San Francisco-style, using just white/whole wheat flour, white sugar and salt. Does your recipe use flours/sweeteners other than wheat flour, white sugar? I've heard of other flours and molasses and honey used with sourdough starter.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-47598209730017165722014-05-22T02:33:36.574-07:002014-05-22T02:33:36.574-07:00hi lilli,
wow....you have a very well stocked cupb...hi lilli,<br />wow....you have a very well stocked cupbord.i have a similar filled pantry.<br />i love it to baking.sourdough bread is our favorite.thanks for this wonderful post.<br />wish you a wonderful day,<br />love regina<br />Reginas Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12263131368566323993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-78379342915631474392014-05-20T08:15:22.917-07:002014-05-20T08:15:22.917-07:00Hi Jayne,
Can't wait to hear what you bake tod...Hi Jayne,<br />Can't wait to hear what you bake today. When you're away for long spells, I imagine that baking is a nice welcome back home!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-83416161161705799072014-05-20T08:12:59.154-07:002014-05-20T08:12:59.154-07:00Interesting, live and learn. So far, my molasses h...Interesting, live and learn. So far, my molasses has never crystalized. But maybe it takes longer for that to happen. We go through our 1 gallons in 1 1/2 years, max. Honey does crystalize on us, and we've had to heat it up in a pan on the stove for a couple of minutes.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-84396624328104348062014-05-20T08:10:19.350-07:002014-05-20T08:10:19.350-07:00Yum!Yum!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-28389775200862524602014-05-20T07:33:15.367-07:002014-05-20T07:33:15.367-07:00Great post Lili! Makes me want to do a bunch of b...Great post Lili! Makes me want to do a bunch of baking today!<br />Jaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08627803031033137170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-13965654748811917822014-05-20T07:31:45.952-07:002014-05-20T07:31:45.952-07:00Well, I do add just a bit of dark chocolate and tu...Well, I do add just a bit of dark chocolate and turn the blender on to chop it up. ;) Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396716408304381802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-61161468577341570302014-05-20T04:39:20.900-07:002014-05-20T04:39:20.900-07:00Kris,
Molasses can crystallize with time. However,...Kris,<br />Molasses can crystallize with time. However, a little heating with the jar in a pan of water or the jar in the microwave melts them just fine.Live and Learnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-11990256530460034602014-05-19T14:53:34.163-07:002014-05-19T14:53:34.163-07:00Hi Jen,
I do that, too! Well, sort of. (And I thou...Hi Jen,<br />I do that, too! Well, sort of. (And I thought I was the only one crazy enough to buy holiday chocolate for baking.) I buy Valentine's and Easter foil-wrapped chocolates, on clearance. (I think I bought 10 bags of foil-wrapped chocolates after Easter this year. It worked out to $1.20/12 oz, which is the size of chocolate chips packages I usually find.) <br /><br />Mostly we use these for s'mores, but I have chopped some for cookies. I've found because of their high sugar content that they tend to scorch a little on the bottoms of the cookies, so I raise the baking sheet one rack. I'll have to try reducing the sugar in these cookies, too. Thanks for the tip!<br /><br />I do think those larger chocolate bunnies would be easier to chop up than the small foil-wrapped clearance chocolates that I buy. And the bonus would be that it doesn't matter if all that's left are the broken bunnies. :)Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-15465066533427409412014-05-19T14:46:36.496-07:002014-05-19T14:46:36.496-07:00Milk and eggs are up in price, here, too. The best...Milk and eggs are up in price, here, too. The best I can do is make sure I'm not buying other stuff that's expensive, so that I save our budget for these increasing costs on some items.<br /><br />Real maple syrup is definitely a pancake topping, here. And usually for a special occasion, like a birthday or Father's Day. For the most part, I'm fine with that. I'd rather have blueberry pancake topping any day! You are so lucky to live where blueberries grow well!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-14168974436803574712014-05-19T14:42:13.546-07:002014-05-19T14:42:13.546-07:00If you added a bit of cocoa powder to that spinach...If you added a bit of cocoa powder to that spinach-mint protein shake, I'd be very tempted!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-31796772461937684882014-05-19T13:40:17.866-07:002014-05-19T13:40:17.866-07:00essentially, not essentialessentially, not essentialCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396716408304381802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-74585386896762176392014-05-19T13:39:41.894-07:002014-05-19T13:39:41.894-07:00Yes, the erythritol is essential non-caloric as th...Yes, the erythritol is essential non-caloric as the few calories are from sugar alcohol which doesn't affect the blood sugar in most people. I've been experimenting with it some the past year or so in trying to a. lose weight, and b. regulate my blood sugar better<br /><br />And yes, I used to do the same with brown sugar when we had light brown in the house. :) The dark brown has been very molasses-ey tasting lately so I'm not tempted by that. :P<br /><br />The mint essential oil is great for chocolate or in shakes. I like to make myself a protein shake using cottage cheese and a bit of spinach for color and then sweeten it and add two drops of mint. Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396716408304381802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-41141954151595700792014-05-19T13:19:17.706-07:002014-05-19T13:19:17.706-07:00Easter bunnies on clearance (chocolate bunnies , t...Easter bunnies on clearance (chocolate bunnies , that is!) can be chopped for cookies. Reduce sugar in recipe since it's usually a lot sweeter than semi sweet chocolate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-40896196765693063552014-05-19T11:41:16.822-07:002014-05-19T11:41:16.822-07:00It's a cookie recipe from averiecooks.com. I ...It's a cookie recipe from averiecooks.com. I don't know why it never occurred to me to use maple extract instead of maple syrup (there are an abundance of maple syrup-based recipes floating around on the web these days) and I thought, brilliant! Much cheaper and easier to store! On the rare occasions we do have real maple syrup, it gets used on pancakes. Aldi's has maple syrup for $4 (don't remember how many ounces, but I would pay $7 or more for the same amount elsewhere) but I still don't want to bake with it. Not meaning to add insult to injury, but Aldi's chocolate chips are averaging $1.59 for 12 ounces (which is a significant decrease from $1.79-$1.89 the previous year). However, milk, cheese, and eggs have spiked greatly since January ...<br /><br />Your granola sounds good! Isn't it nice that you are so seasoned in the kitchen that you can punt when things don't turn out as planned? Krisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-90179116820506719172014-05-19T10:53:46.131-07:002014-05-19T10:53:46.131-07:00Hi Kris,
just remember, we're 5 adults, here. ...Hi Kris,<br />just remember, we're 5 adults, here. A batch of muffins lasts one breakfast. If I make slices of pie small, we can squeak two night's of desserts out of 1 pie. It all goes faster than I ever expect!<br /><br />What a deal on chocolate chips! I keep hoping for prices like I used to find on them, during the fall/holiday baking season. Maybe this next year. And I can make a lot with cocoa powder, that satisfies my chocolate cravings, especially if I'm the one who gets to lick the bowl and spoon!<br /><br />Real maple syrup is soooo expensive here. I couldn't imagine baking with it. Last night I was making granola for the week. Somehow my mixture was turning out too salty (I added all the bits from the bottom of two cans of mixed nuts, which probably had a lot of salt). I already had it spread in the pan, ready to bake, when I discovered this. So instead of turning it all back into a bowl to remix it, I dumped in a bunch more oats, some cinnamon, and poured over all, some homemade pancake syrup, which was made with maple extract, sugar, water and molasses. I tossed with a spoon, and baked. It turned out very good, with just a hint of maple flavor. I also use maple extract for maple-nut cookies (chocolate chip cookies, minus the chocolate chips, substituting the maple extract for vanilla extract, and using chopped nuts equal to the amount that I would have used of chocolate chips. They turn out very good. Maple extract is also good added to pumpkin pie in the fall.<br /><br />With molasses, no I've never seen any crystals form. A gallon jug lasts for about 1 to 1 1/2 years here, and in that length of time, no crystals form. I don't know about it, if I had it longer in the pantry, but I kind of doubt it. My mom only used molasses once or twice per year, and would have a small bottle of it in the cupboard for many years at a time, with no crystals.<br /><br />Hope the recipe with maple flavoring turns out well! What is it, by the way?<br />Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-52941724328357552992014-05-19T09:52:38.725-07:002014-05-19T09:52:38.725-07:00Wow! You DO bake a lot! I knew you would blow me...Wow! You DO bake a lot! I knew you would blow me out of the water with breads, but wow, you do with desserts as well. My family would love you. :) <br /><br />Not surprisingly, we have very similar baking pantries. I've never considered buying huge vats of molasses--do you find it granulates as it ages? My in-laws occasionally give us sorghum (similar in consistency and somewhat in taste to molasses), which we use as a pancake topper, and I have found that it granulates as it ages. <br /><br />I don't really care for candied fruits so we skip these, but I can get chocolate chips and other baking chips for a great price at Aldi (yes, for real chocolate) so I stock a lot more of that than you do. At Christmas this past year they ran sales for $1.29/12 oz bag, so I bought a lot. I smiled at your comment about the cocoa--typically I purchase Aldi's baking cocoa which I'm sure doesn't meet "snob" requirements, but no one has yet complained about my baked goods using them! I also buy honey periodically. I recently bought maple extract for a recipe because I thought, hmm, if it works, maple flavoring is delicious but I refuse to use real maple syrup to bake with. I still haven't tried the recipe ...<br /><br />Thanks for giving us a peek! Krisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-70193879505876094762014-05-19T07:08:31.606-07:002014-05-19T07:08:31.606-07:00Hi Cat,
I used to buy brown sugar, until I discove...Hi Cat,<br />I used to buy brown sugar, until I discovered that some members of our household (won't name and shame the culprits-ha ha!) were eating the brown sugar straight out of the container! Can't blame them too much. My sister and I used to do the same, as girls.<br /><br />I had to look up erythritol, as I'd never heard of it. It's a non-calorie sweetener, right? Your flavorings sound interesting. I tried to make a mint oil last summer (didn't turn out). There are a few chocolate recipes that I'd like to have mint flavoring for. I'll check into essential oil.<br /><br />I do really love having the already whipped cream in the freezer. If a mound is too large for me, I simply cut one in half, while frozen. And they make preparing an elegant-looking dessert much simpler.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-18393441156497897342014-05-19T06:43:01.380-07:002014-05-19T06:43:01.380-07:00Very interesting! I do love seeing what others ke...Very interesting! I do love seeing what others keep in their cupboards/pantries. Ours are actually very similar. I don't currently have sourdough starter going, though. And I do buy brown sugar...had a bad experience once mixing white with molasses so I prefer the pre-made. But I usually buy the dark and just cut it a bit with white sugar if I need it lighter. Otherwise, I also use lemon and mint essential oils in place of those extracts and keep coffee and caramel extracts/flavorings for some recipes. Also almond and coconut flours, unsweetened shredded coconut, granulated erythritol and stevia extract, and unsweetened baking chocolate (for making sugar-free chocolate chips).<br /><br />I will have to try whipping the heavy cream before freezing...love that idea! I have cartons frozen and they whip okay after thawing, but have to be completely thawed to get it out of the carton first.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing!Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396716408304381802noreply@blogger.com