Pandemic driven buys…written up in my Black Book

Started making Bread and bought two Bread Baking eBooks. The Heart Charity email had recipes.

Fruit Loaf by hand using a 3L Pyrex bowl

75g butter

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 bananas

225g sugar

200g plain flour

80ml water

200g of any chocolate chopped into chunks (or nuts if you prefer) Used a hammer to press down and flatten the nuts

Sprinkle of brown sugar for the top

Followed the METHOD

Step 1 Preheat the oven 180 degrees

Step 2 Whisk the sugar and butter together with electric whisk. Used a Kenwood food processor spf 120

Step 3 Whisk in the eggs, banana, and water

Step 4 Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt in to the mixture and whisk

Step 5 Add in chocolate and whisk for the last time

Step 6 Put it all in the tin

Step 7 Sprinkle with brown sugar on the top

Step 8 Place in the oven for 50mins to 1 hour. Check first to make sure it is cooked in the middle.

Step 9 Serve warm and enjoy!

Happy eating and it only lasted the weekend.

After about 6 months

Researched online and bought a Russell Hobbs Bread Maker, Model 23620.

So far French and Whole Wheat loaves, looking for Granary flour. Fruit Cake (below) and Chocolate Bread are all looking and tasting good. Jam (need to recycle jam jars). Pizza (will need to research toppings). All looking good and plan to do Gluten-free Breads with ordinary ingredients.

Fruit Cake used Program 4

Lemon juice 3g (¾ tsp)

Free range eggs small x 2

Vanilla extract 2g (¼ tsp)

Butter (Melted) 38g

Mixed dried fruit 132g

Plain flour 188g

Soft Brown sugar 113g

Cinnamon 2g (¼ tsp)

Nutmeg 1g (¼ tsp)

Baking powder 7g (1½ tsp)

Unable to find Vanilla extract and Nutmeg in the Supermarket.

Instead of mixed dried fruit used mixed nuts! Some stuck between the heating element and the inner casing and burning causing some smoke but managed to push them down with a small knife handle to stop it.

Used 5 tsps. full of butter and about half a bag of nuts, flour and sugar as close as the Pyrex measuring jug indicated.

Tasted good but thought flattening nuts with a hammer made it taste better.

A lot of trouble with hand can openers

Trying to open cans of fruit or beans so bought a Kenwood CO 600 Can and bottle opener and on the back a Knife Sharpener.

Given up on Halogen Ovens!

Two have gone faulty. So now use the £14.99 Cookworks 3.5 litre Slow Cooker with Recipe booklet and Care and Instruction Manual.

The Slow cooker is easier to use and a lot cleaner than the Halogen Ovens.

Cut up the Chicken into quarters. Cook with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and swede. Two large teaspoons of Bisto Onion Gravy powder, salt and pepper and tasted good.

Will try the Lamb and Vegetable Curry recipe next and follow that with the Vegetable Soup.

Egg Steamer

About £10.00 and well worth it. But the measuring jug spike is too weak for putting a hole in the bottom of the egg, so use a scure.

Samsung Smart Oven

Normally used for cooking with a 3 L Pyrex Bowl and lid.

Cook potatoes and vegetables in water for 20 mins. With microwave and convection combi setting.

Turn the lid over, put in about two tbsps. of vegetable oil and add burgers, chops, mince, and fish for another ten minutes each side.

On the second turn add tomato and mushroom cut in portions.

Do scrambled egg and porridge using a Pyrex 1L bowl with lid (Bought two of these).

Summary

Bought time saving kitchen and cooking products. Giving more time to try different ways of cooking meat and fish and baking bread.

1 x 3L Pyrex bowl with lid

2 x 1L Pyrex bowl with lid

1 x Samsung Smart Oven with combi setting or oven, grill, microwave, etc

1 x Kenwood food processor spf 120

1 x Kenwood CO 600 Can and bottle opener and on the back a Knife Sharpener

1 x Egg Steamer

1 x Cookworks 3.5 litre Slow Cooker

1 x Russell Hobbs Bread Maker, Model 23620

1 x Sieve for rice and flour

1 x Plastic Spatula to remove loaves from Bread Maker