Still At It

2-19-2010

Okay, I'm still lost in that I can't make this do the things I want it to do, so much for a semester of web page design.  I'm very certain I don't like the look of this blog.  I do like the shooting star chalk drawing but I would love to make it smaller and don't know how.  I tried the "fish" gadget and decided I didn't like it.  Removed it.  Put it back.  Customized it and decided, no, I really don't like it and removed it permanently.  There is something I'd like to add but having spent 45 minutes so far, I've decided to move on to the actual blogging.

I find the whole idea of blogging to be a bit intimidating.  I like the idea of writing for the sake of writing and the thought that there would be a need to update now and again.  I find my self-editing feature to be doubly active knowing that my inane dribble is to be out there, and on display, forever.  I am certain these entries will be bland bland bland as a result.  I make it a point not to utter every thought that comes into my head.    

My ten year old niece Coco spent the night last night and as always we had fun cooking.  She enjoys the kitchen, especially working with my gadgets, and asked if we might make "bread."  Upon further inquiry it was determined that she wanted to use the Cuisinart.  And specifically she wanted to make pizza and with just a little more effort and a little tweaking of the recipe, a second batch for donuts.  We also made caramels.  Oh what fun we had.

Her dough came out perfect for both dishes.  As it turned out I didn't have any powdered sugar for glaze but that proved not to be a problem.  We had ten donuts so we made some cinnamon sugar, some were glazed with some store-bought frosting that we softened in the microwave and added vanilla to, that worked out well.  And I wanted chocolate, which proved to be challenging, but actually very good in the end.  Very rich very chocolate-y and very shiny.

The pizzas (2) were awesome, the recipe makes two thin crust pies and these were great.  She had bacon and olive and I had an italian sausage and sun-dried tomato.  The dough is easy, cheap, quick and can be used for any number of applications; pizza, foccia, breadsticks, pretzels, bagels, pita, burger buns, pasties, really versatile dough, it all depends on how you treat it.

Dough

in the Cuisinart put in the following order:

1 cup 100 degree water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar (or honey)

2 tablespoons olive oil (for pizza)

1 scant tablespoon (2 teaspoons) quick rise yeast (one package)

=>take your time, give the yeast a few minutes to bloom, or not then add:

2 and 1/4 (to start, it might go to 3 cups) all purpose or bread flour

=>Pulse several times to combine ingredients.

Take it out when it forms a ball around the dough hook and the dough itself isn't too sticky, knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, place in a greased bowl to, cover with a damp towel and leave to rise for an hour or so or until when you poke it with a finger the indentation remains. Form into desired shape leave to rise again. Bake or fry as desired.

Same thing for donuts, just add a little fresh grated nutmeg and vanilla, use a milder oil (or melted butter) and you want the dough just as soft as you can make it and still handle it.  

Super Easy Caramels

In a 2-quart Pyrex measuring cup:

1/2 cup melted butter (no margerine)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup karo corn syrup

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

=>Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes stopping to stir it once halfway through.  You are looking for the soft ball stage.  My microwave takes 8 minutes. Pour into a buttered 8 X 8 pan and cool completely before cutting into pieces.  Wrap in pieces of waxpaper to keep them from sticking.

Bon appetit.  Catch you soon.  Hugs, K.

Just To Get Me Started

Here it is my second attempt.  I must thank my uber helpful niece Kyndra.  I thought I was starting this for the first time and came to realize that I'd already tried this once before.  Perhaps it will stick this time.  My renewed interest in blogging came about not so much from wanting to blog, though I have thought it might be something to consider in the sense that it might just sharpen the wits a bit.  I can already see that I'm not going to like the spell check not being automatic.  My fingers tend to cross one another and what appears to be typos are actually confused fingers.  The name Grumbles and Grunts came about because the name I wanted and variations thereof were taken so I chose this and like it even more because it has that whole double meaning thing going for it.  Grumble I do well and it sounds a lot like a very good dessert "crumble" and for those that don't know a grunt can also be the name of a dessert not unlike a cobbler.  With my interest in food...well it works in my mind!

This current interest in blogging was brought about because I was looking online for a free sharps container.  Kaiser wants to charge me for the containers for my insulin syringes. I think this is criminal.  They used to include the syringes with the insulin and the containers with the syringes.  Now they charge for all of it.  It is my contention that folks would be more willing to do the right thing, for example keeping biohazard waste separate from regular garbage if the right thing to do was easier to do.  Certainly don't make it harder, especially don't make me pay for the priviledge.  

So my search lead me down a couple of bogus sites and then to one interesting site that offered free books in exchange for a 200 word review on your blog and some commercial site.  Okay.  First I must create a blog.  And to that end I will endeavor and should I survive this exercise, and live to blog once more, I will see you then.  Hugs, K.