's lovely

[ailbhe]

One of the loveliest things about being Linnea's mother is that she's still young enough that I can tell her over and over again how much I love her and she thinks it's lovely, not embarrassing or weird or crazy. This morning I danced wildly around to Queen (she particularly liked "Another One Bites The Dust" and "We Will Rock You"; her sense of rhythm is excellent) while clearing the two downstairs rooms for hoovering, and she was delighted with my exhuberance. We just grinned like loons on loon tablets at each other until I put the hoover on and she ran away. I agree that "Bohemian Rhapsody" is not improved by hoover noise, but the carpets certainly were.

It's spring! I can tell, because the thought of leftovers as a salad for lunch was pleasant, not a dread and dire duty. And I was able to tell Linnea how much I loved her for trying to cut her ham up to eat it. She's getting really very good at buttering bread.

The bread was made by Rob to a recipe found on the internet and hastily converted from American cups by me. It didn't rise as much as it ought; we shall be making experimental changes to the recipe this evening. With luck, we will soon be making all our own bread in the breadmaker; it's foolish to have it and only use it when we're going to have soup, which is pretty much what we were doing. All the breadmaker recipes I found online called for skim milk powder, which we're not using. We're open to other suggestions, though.

Another thing we need to do this weekend is try to make a chocolate sponge. The last one I made ended up like shoe leather (slightly thicker than shoe leather; shoe-sole leather), so I haven't tried since. That was in 1999. It's a test-run for Linnea's birthday. I ought to see about invitations for that, too. A friend will let us borrow her printer to print them off.

And another thing we need to do is find a home for a printer which is old, but has all its manuals and packaging, and refuses to do paperfeeding at all. I assume someone could fix that, given the inclination and expertise, but we have neither. Printers are Rob's bête noir - and I see from that that I have read far too much Anne of Green Gables lately.

Comments

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

All the breadmaker recipes I found online called for skim milk powder, which we're not using. We're open to other suggestions, though.

They only call for milk as a "dough conditioner" - it's supposed to make the bread softer and more Wonder-bread like (is there a UK equivalent to spongy white wonder bread?). Ignore at will.

"Rustic European Breads for the Breadmachine" (or something like that) is my favorite breadmaker cookbook. It tells you how to make all kinds of nice crusty wonderful breads - the big thing is that you use the breadmaker for what it's good at - kneading and proofing - and use your oven for what breadmakers aren't so good at - baking and putting a nice crust on things.

[buzzy-bee.livejournal.com]

Seconded on the milk powder. I always leave it out because even when not avoiding dairy I don't have it in the house. Never noticed any ill effects.

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Best kitchen thing I've bought this month is a measuring cup which gives US cups as well as metric and Imperial measurements. £8 in Debenhams. It's opened up even more breadmaker possibilities, although I have to say the most favoured item so far is apple jam, rather than bread.

[ai731.livejournal.com]

Seconded. I have one since half my cookbooks are North American and the other half are UKian. Mine also has the gradations on the side to tell you how much is 8oz of flour, sugar, rolled oats, etc. I use it all the time. I think I got mine at John Lewis.

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

You can get US cup measurements in the UK? I've only come across UK cups so far. Thanks! *runs out to buy one*

[k425.livejournal.com]

http://www.fastq.com/%7Ejbpratt/recipes/dairyfree/breadbreak/breads1.html Right at the bottom, a couple of dairy-free bread recipes.

Oh, there are some 'milk' recipes here
http://members.tripod.com/~iskra/nomilk/altmilk.htm

[heraldis.livejournal.com]

"And another thing we need to do is find a home for a printer which is old, but has all its manuals and packaging, and refuses to do paperfeeding at all. I assume someone could fix that, given the inclination and expertise, but we have neither"

Freecycle? Broken printers go super-fast round here.

[thereyougothen.livejournal.com]

yep, freecycle, someone will take it!

[ailbhe]

That was plan A, yes. It took 40 minutes once I'd gotten Rob to give me the specs. We now have space again.

[astrogeek.livejournal.com]

you can substitute the milk powder with a non-dairy coffee-creamer powder.

[thereyougothen.livejournal.com]

I tell my kids I love them about 17 times a day. TT often tells me even more often that he loves me, and N now says it about once a week. Keep telling her!

As for the bread machine - we have converted our favourite recipes to weight, just because it's easier to stick the pan on the scale.

I mneasure everything, Bill guesstimates everything except the flour. Guess who makes the nicer bread?

Try putting porridge oats in a loaf, we find it makes it really nice. And this month we seem to be putting pumpkin seeds in every loaf. Yumm

[tiggsybabes.livejournal.com]

Kate & Holly both love kisses & cuddles. Long may it last :)

[ailbhe]

Linnea's not into kisses and cuddles as much as I'd like; never has been. It involves too much staying still, I think.

[tiggsybabes.livejournal.com]

Holly was never a cuddly baby, but she's getting into it more now over the past month or so. I think they both like cuddling as it's a good way of getting quality mummy time as most of the time they have to share me.

[oldbloke.livejournal.com]

If Jack sees us having a cuddle he likes to join in.
We keep the "bouncy hugs" behind closed doors...

[barakta]

We've never used milk, or skimmed milk powder in our bread machine bread. We tend to substitute 'butter' with sunflower oil which works just fine. I don't see the point of not making bread vegan when it's not difficult.

[st-lemur.livejournal.com]

There's a Linda Ronstadt lullaby version of "We Will Rock You"...I've got it on mp3 somewhere...

[ailbhe]

Could she bounce and clap in time to the stamping and clapping? She liked that bit. A lot.

[the-warwick.livejournal.com]

I have two choc cake recipes that come under the headings of 'fairly easy' and 'damned hard if your oven won't hold a low temp. Conversoin to dsir freee is already done. Waaaater doesssn't like thissssss keyboaaaaaaard.

[nicolechan.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way with Alie. I figure it's best to proclaim my love for her now as often as I can before she grows to old for it. I also love smothering her with kisses.