Puss Reboots

With the nights getting chillier I've started baking bread. I'm doing sourdough bread now. I have my own starter living happily in my fridge. Except for the time needed to wait for the dough to do its thing, sourdough bread is the world's easiest thing to bake.

My first loaf:

My second loaf (with garlic!):

From start to finish, the bread making process takes about 8 hours and most of that time is just spent keeping the dough warm and happy while it rises.

If you want to learn how to make your own starter from just flour and water, go to S. John Ross's site. If you want a little extra help, you can get a starter culture here (just pour it into your starter jar when you add the flour and water the first time).

In honor of pi day, Sean and I will be baking a custard pie. One of the things Sean has loved to do since he was about a year old is bake. I started to teach him how to cook when Ian was teaching night classes to make a little extra money while I was unemployed. In order to get dinner done and to keep Sean entertained, I gave him simple tasks to do like putting in the dry ingredients that I had premeasured for him or mixing the ingredients with a wooden spoon. He's since then gotten very into cooking (and is very good at it).

His short list of memorized recipes includes:

• baking powder biscuits
• pancakes (which we then cook for him)
• waffles (which we then cook for him)
• brownies
• chocolate chip cupcakes
• frosting
• corn bread

He has helped me with pie before but it's not something we do on a regular basis. We'll be making it after dinner when Harriet is in bed and Ian is at a homeowners' associating meeting (he's on the board). It will be like old times for Sean and me.

Current Location: Hayward, CA 94541

Current Mood: cheerful

Current Music: The Night: Nights in White Satin (Moody Blues)

I did some baking again today. I made brownies.

Here's the recipe:

preheat oven to 350° F and preheat the 9x12 baking tin too

3 squares baker's chocholate
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup milk
5 eggs
2 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
handful of walnuts (optional)

Chop up the chocolate and melt with the butter in a bowl in microwave for roughly 3 minutes.
Add chocholate and butter mixture to mixing bowl along with the sugar.
Add in milk and eggs, mixing thoroughly
Fold in flour and baking powder a little bit a time until thoroughly mixed. Extra milk might be needed to losen things up.
Put mixture into the preheated tin.
Place walnuts on the top of the poured mixture.
Place in oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Let cool for at least 2 hours. (Over night in the refrigerator is even better).

Current Location: At home about to eat dinner

Current Mood: hungry

Current Music: Super Smash Brothers Melee

Tonight for dessert we're having freshly baked banana pumpkin bread.

Here's the recipe:

Preheat oven to 350° F

2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 or 3 over-ripe mashed bananas
1 miniture pumpkin (boiled and mashed)
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
2 eggs
handful of walnuts (placed on top)

Mix ingredients and place in loaf tin. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool before slicing and serving.

Current Location: At home feeding Harriet

Current Mood: hungry

Current Music: Local news