Field of Dreamz From The Cheap Seatz

Pile up on Aisle field of Dreamz.. Part Two.

2009-11-21T08:08:00.004-05:00

(click here for part one)

Naval Hospital Update:
The phone started ringing, silently, during the Ultrasound. I ignored it and when I, finally answered, it was the registered nurse, at the Naval Hospital. She took down our new information and told me all was well in Navy-land, basically. Disaster Averted? I don't really know, yet.

Trident Hospital - Some personal background..

I have had many experiences in several different hospitals. My least favorite, have been in Trident Hospital. My very least has been at Trident Hospital's Emergency room. I hope I NEVER have to go there, again. If you are post gastric bypass, and your stoma is blocked, even if you think you will die, go somewhere else. They won't treat you for what ails you, for hours, while they are so sure you are wrong. I've done it, there, three times. MUSC is where I want to go, if in that situation, again.

They lack the ability to "listen" and the "right hand never talks to the left hand." Miscommunication abounds there. No thank you, for me, again. Glenn's story was so real, for me.

I, also, have had surgery with two different surgeon's, at Trident Hospital. I have more faith in those attached to Trident, than to the administration of Trident Hospital, itself.

A surgeon is someone we need when we are faced with limited choices. My first surgeon, makes me starve, at the hospital. He has good intentions. But, I don't eat sugar substitutes or MSG, and that makes the trays he requires I be fed, post all surgeries, because I have had weight-loss surgery, toxic to me. There is more to MSG and aspartame than replacing my blue packet with a pink one. Sugar-Free Liquid Breakfast, Beef Broth, Sugar-Free Jello, and plain cream of wheat, aren't cutting it for this girl. I think I should be able to have sugar if I want sugar. Period. Especially, since I *can* tolerate sugar.

My second surgeon, at Trident hospital, doesn't do endoscopy. That's just plan lazy and ridiculous. I was released from my open gall bladder surgery +5 days, when I got a piece of meat stuck in my stoma. This new surgeon also does weight loss surgery, so we called him, from the Trident ER, to see if he could expedite the situation, to find out he doesn't do endo! What? The reason I needed him was because the ER doesn't listen and I was being treated as a "vomitting patient post open gall bladder surgery." I really was a "vomiting patient post gall bladder surgery, with a blocked stoma, because of a gastric bypass!" Hello, people.. sometimes you need to shut up and listen. While you dope me up with Morphine and Delauded, I just need an Endo!

So, there I was.. the non-patient.. wanting the best for my child.. and no surgeon to name.

I went with the suggestion of the Urgent Care Doctor. Jeffrey LaFond. He's great. He did my child the best service, with absolutely great bed-side manner. There is a reason he does thousands of these lap surgeries. He's great. Did I mention he's great? :)

Over the phone, from Summerville Medical Center, Emergency Waiting Room (out patient) he sends us to Trident, for pre-admit, because that is where he's scheduled for surgery, all day, "tomorrow."

I didn't blink. I just did what would help my daughter the fastest. I was worried about her morphine wearing off, through all of this, because as out-patient's, we didn't have a doctor to help, if she went back into full pain.

Trident Hospital - Arriving

When we arrived, at Trident Admitting, just inside the Emergency Room, Girlie's first name was wrong, on the admit order. We had to wait while they contacted the doctor to fix the error. They had her first initial right. haha (There was another patient with a mis-spelled name, too.)

Half an hour later, we were checking in. Half an hour later we were going upstairs, to a private room.

(I have checked the font issues.. and they are all set the same.. ugh ugh ugh.. sorry)
(to be continued..)

busy bees have no time to blog..

2009-11-20T14:53:00.002-05:00

poor little bees.. I know how they feel.. haha

I'm on my way out the door, after I figure out how to make myself decent.. but I wanted to let you know that I'm catching up..

These are off to the post office, for post crossing.

Want one? :)

Meet my two new friendz:

This is Molly..

This isn't a George..

What should I name it?

Pile up on Aisle Field of Dreamz.. Part One.

2009-11-19T14:53:00.005-05:00

We all want the best for our loved ones.. especially our children..

Monday, a routine trip to feed the troopz, turned into a couple day stay in the hospital.

Without my laptop, I, quickly, turned to the camera, on the phone, and a small notebook, to pen-blog my way through the chaos.

Some stomach cramping and then severe back pain, led us to Urgent Care. I was thinking a quick muscle relaxer shot.. ya know.. that must be it.. although I recognized the symptoms and had been paying attention, before this..

The few times this had happened before (never this severe) were so seldom, Girlie didn't even remember them.

The Urgent Care Doctor administered Morphine and sent us to Summerville Medical Center for a Stat Ultrasound.

But wait.. as we are walking out of the Urgent Care, the receptionist informs us that she has not had a moment to call for a referral, from the Naval Hospital. She hands me a phone number and tells me to call for the referral en route to get the UltraSound.

Umm.. ok..

The after-hours nurses station answers the phone and asks if I require the attention of a registered nurse.

Ummm.. I guess not??

They take down all of our information and then tell me, "Due to heavy call volume, it may take up to one hour for a registered nurse to return your call. Do not proceed until you have been advised by the nurse."

Ummm.. ok..

While sitting in the parking lot, outside where I'm supposed to be getting my child an emergency procedure/test, I'm waiting on the Government Medical to return my call??

The receptionist calls me, from the Urgent Care, to inquire about the phone call.. I'm starting to think this is about getting paid. Hmm. I tell her that the Naval Hospital has told me to wait for the call back..

The receptionist calls me, again, to tell me that the doctor said if this could wait, he would not have ordered it "stat" and to proceed inside. He says he's calling it an emergency.

We go inside and register. We are told that she can not have an ultrasound if she has eaten in the last eight hours. Dinner caused this. While waiting in the waiting room, I over-hear, the receptionist tell someone "the doctor says to do it anyway."

Go Doc!

Clearly, the x-ray tech has some underlying something going on.. we are told that the radiologist will only read films if there are gall stones. She does a 2 second check, before getting started, and says "okay. I'll be right back." Hmm

I watched as the x-ray tech (is that what they are called, because I would not want to offend anyone?) started measuring stones..

Overheard, "There is no denying *THAT.*"

In a whirlwind of information, we were off to be direct-admitted, to my least favorite place, in North Chuck.. Trident Medical Center! (Please know that I'm aware that Summerville Med Center is also Trident..)

(to be continued..)

This little piggy went to market hospital..

2009-11-18T15:07:00.004-05:00

10 Essentials all non-patient's (or parents) need for an multi-overnight Hospital Stay:

Single Dollar Bills. Vending Machines hate coins and eat them, at their own will. I put in four quarters, and it returned 2 quarters and two dimes. Umm?
Cell Phone. The doctor's ask for the number, and communicate via phone. Who knew? Four or five times I was needed, by phone.
Notepad. Jot down names. You need them. Create these type of lists, for blog. ;)
Colored Pens. Keep it fun! When you are too tired to be creative, color your world.
Change of socks. It really makes a difference when you are in limited living conditions.
Layered Comfy Clothes. Now is the time to have on your sneakers, sweat pants, and your barcamp t-shirt. I'm just sayin'! :)
A jacket. I was freezing, most of the time.
Crayons and Coloring Books. Two books, so you don't have to share. ;)
Phone Charger. Even if you have a spare battery, your teenager won't. (Girlie didn't even have her phone, at the beginning, and once on Morphine, tried to hijack my phone.)
Personal Phone Numbers. Don't forget to call anyone! *sigh*
If you drink coffee, bring sugar! This is a hospital feeding you chemicals. *grin*

Comment Moderation in Progress

2009-11-16T13:43:00.002-05:00

I do not speak nor read Chinese.

I'm experimenting with some comment moderation, in the next couple of days. If you have problems leaving a comment, please @ me.

Because the spam comments were coming in one-by-one, back-to-back, I went to complete moderation.. but I've had problems, here, before, with the word recognition.. so we'll see..

We may have to leave Blogger behind, completely? I hope not.

We apologize for this inconvenience.

Monday Menu - November 16, 2009

2009-11-15T21:02:00.003-05:00

The Mock Coconut Pie was interesting. I still suck at pie crust. Next time, I'll cut the squash into smaller pieces, so it is easier to eat and resembled coconut, more. I don't like coconut. I'll make this pie, again, if I am going somewhere.. to share it. It wasn't bad.. but only I ate it. The kids wouldn't touch it, knowing what it was. They wouldn't, ordinarily, eat the spaghetti squash, either. bratz! :)

This week is going to be busy, as I run-run-run to finish up the house terrorism. (That's what TheBoy is calling NaHoCleMo.. "terrorizing the house.")

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: No tAcO Tuesday! Fend for Yourself.. Roast Beef Sandwiches

Wednesday: Meatless Minestrone Soup, Oat Bread Machine Bread (with Grapeseed Oil)

Thursday: Stuffed Red Peppers (with blue corn meal,) Basil Butter Green Beans, Green Salad with HM Ranch, and a variation of Black Bean Brownies :)

Friday - Snobby Joes, Wheat Bread Machine Rolls, Green Salad with HM Ranch

Saturday - Vegetable Lentil Soup, Dark Rye Bread

Sunday - Meatloaf (Freezer) Sandwiches on Dark Rye Bread

The week just disappeared on me..

2009-11-15T12:21:00.002-05:00

For a few years, now, since I've returned from my physically disabled life, there have been rooms, in my house, that we just ignore. Boxes, bags, stuff.. every where.. My garage resembled these rooms, too. (add inventory to a past business venture and well.. *sigh*)

For ten days, now, I've been over-doing my physical self, and getting it all back together.

Much of last weeks menu, has not been cooked, yet. I managed, though, to get a couple loaves of meatloaf, 5 pints of stuffed pepper soup, and some casserole that I can't recall, into the freezer. This should make this week's menu simpler, and allow me to finish up what I've started. Every room has gone through some type of transformation and no room is finished, yet. Its a little more difficult than moving!

My van is full of stuff to take up to Good Will. This will be our third run, in a week.

I'm going to run off, again, now, and work on my office/sewing/craft room. I'll post photos as it all comes together. I'll be back, tonight, to post the menu.

I'm banged and bruised and tripping on everything.. but, I can't wait to see it finished.

Have a great week..

Monday Menu - November 9, 2009

2009-11-08T22:25:00.007-05:00

After ruining the tomato bisque, I forgot about the menu. :) So, we'll bring Friday forward..

Somewhere, this week, I'm fitting in this Mock Coconut Pie! Its Spaghetti Squash! Love it. :)

Monday - Stuffed Red Peppers (with blue corn meal,) L/O Basil Butter Green Beans, Butternut Squash Bake, Green Salad with Feta and HM Ranch

Tuesday - Taco Tuesday - Tortilla Soup

Wednesday - Crockpot Broccoli Beef (with carrot and cooked yellow squash added at the end,) Lemon Rice, Green Salad with HM Ranch, Black Bean Brownies :)

Thursday - Stuffed Pepper Soup, Jim N Nicks CopyCat Cheddar Muffins

Friday - Agave and Black Pepper Steak, Shrimp Fried Rice, Green Salad with HM Ranch

Saturday - Meatloaf sandwiches on Hm Rollz, Carrot Souffle, Potato Salad

Sunday - Meatless Minestrone Soup, Oat Bread Machine Bread (with Grapeseed Oil)

Experiment 39764

2009-11-08T21:01:00.004-05:00

When you plan leftovers, for dinner, and there are no leftovers.. you scramble.. and when its late in the day, and your back is killing you.. you almost order pizza and feed the troops, so you can go to bed.

This pasta was so good, though, we didn't miss the meat.

1 pound Farfalle Bow-Tie Pasta, cooked al dente, in salted water (and still hot)
1 - 14.5 ounce petite diced tomatoes, with jalapenos
2 cups shredded cheese (I used about 6.5 oz Gabietou, because it needed to be used, but this would be good with Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, or co-jack, too.)
1/3 cup powdered parm
salt and pepper to taste

I drained the pasta and dumped the rest of the ingredients into the hot pot and mixed it up. That's it.

This was a complete experiment and a perfect Kitchen Miracle.

Mexican style tomatoes.. French cheese, only available, once a year, and parm!

Ode to Maize.. Sweet or Savory..

2009-11-07T16:59:00.009-05:00

My waiter, whom will remain nameless, for the protection of the guilty, told me, "since you are a cook.. I'll tell you how to make them" and then he proceeded to tell me to use Jiffy Cornbread mix! *gasp* haha

Bless him! Cheddar cheese and lots of butter.. that's my next experiment.. but I'll add fire roasted chilies, eh? and bacon.. :) Maybe I should just substitute 1/2 corn meal, for flour, in my Savory Muffins? Yes! Good idea.

Have you had the corn muffins at Jim N Nicks?

I was blog-hopping, while making Green Chili Sauce, for HM Breakfast Burritos, this afternoon.. Oooh haa haa!

what's new, right? *smile*

Have you met Laura?

Laura, of Real Mom Kitchen, shared Pumpkin Cornbread! I must try this, sans canola oil. Umm.. what is a Canola? I'll use butter. (I'm always looking for recipes, with pumpkin, but I still can't get into the idea of chocolate, with it. Maybe I'm afraid that I'll like it!)

In the name of Soup and Bread, Laura deserves a spot in Foodie Heaven on Earth!

Have you seen Heather's GF Corn Bread and Andouille Dressing? It is good!! I'm thinking blue corn meal and chorizo sausage, white corn.. red/white/blue for July. With the extra egg! *wink*

Speaking of Andouille sausage, Joan, and her Shrimp and Gritness, has my attention. I haven't liked any grits, I've ever made. Grits is not up there on the Southern Cali menu.

Oh! The pork is tender.. I'm off to make a Roux..

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad soup!

2009-11-06T19:00:00.004-05:00

Start by roasting the veggies, from the recipe. Puree.

Store, over night, in the refrigerator.

Make a roux, with a few tablespoons of butter and flour. (I didn't measure.)

Think that you should add 4 cups of heavy cream, but measure out 3.5 and realize you don't have four cups.. and convince yourself that you really only need 2 cups of cream... put rest of cream back in fridge.

Add four cups of water. Immediately "remember" that you only needed 2 cups.

Add puree'd veggies.

Taste.

Tastes like cold cream. Very little tomato flavor.

Panic.

Start yelling for someone to find some condensed tomato soup. Add family size can of condensed tomato soup.

Add a 6 ounce can of tomato paste and a 12 ounce can of reduced sodium V-8 juice, for good measure.

Taste again.

Add another 12 ounce can of reduced sodium V-8 juice.

Taste.

Soup now tastes like tomato juice. That raw, uncooked kind-of taste.

Give up and serve the toasted cheese sandwiches, made with Havarti Cheese, American Cheese, and One Whole Fire-Roasted Chile. (Be too tired to take a photo of your gunky sammich full of yum! :) )

30 minutes later.. remember you didn't add the better than bouillon.. and never needed the tomato paste or V-8 juice, and really did need four cups of cream..

*sigh*

Full of Yum Hummus

2009-11-05T18:35:00.000-05:00

Roasted Red Pepper Chipotle Hummus

(This recipe started as my basic hummus recipe.)

2 - 15.5 oz cans Chick Peas
2/3 cup Tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large or 3 small limes, juiced
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp coarse ground pepper
1 jar roasted red peppers (7 oz?)
1 tsp chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce, blended

Add to the food processor and turn on.. drizzle in 2/3 cup olive oil.

Serve with Tzatziki Sauce and fresh chopped vegetables, of your choice and Whole Wheat Mediterranean Flat Bread.

Oh, the menu! smile

2009-11-03T20:47:00.004-05:00

Monday - I, finally, made the Potato Leek Soup. I had to do some major adjustments, so I'll post the recipe, soon.

Tuesday - Taco Tuesday - Fajita Burritos, with LeftOver (L/O) Ribeye's, sliced red bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, and sliced onion.

Wednesday - Ground Beef Gyros, Mediterranean Bread, Hummus, Tzatziki

Thursday - Roasted Tomato Bisque with Grilled Cheese sandwiches made with Whole Roasted Chilies and Mexican Sunset Bread.

Friday - Crockpot Broccoli Beef, Lemon Rice, Black Bean Brownies :)

Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner

Sunday - Leftovers

What is a Marshmallow?

2009-11-02T10:44:00.006-05:00

I had planned to post this, yesterday.. but my back won the fight.. (so just pretend its still Sunday..)

I never really considered marshmallow candy, before. I don't really know why.

What is a marshmallow?

Well, let's say..

Candy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia via kwout

Sugar Stages are what the hot sugar syrup does when a bit is dropped into ice water. (I prefer the thermometer method, personally.)

Suckers are hard candy on a stick.. syrup that got real real hot before being molded onto a stick. (hard crack stage)

Taffey is syrup that got a little less hot, and had air pulled into it. (soft crack stage)

Marshmallows are syrup that got even less hot, and had air whipped into it. (soft ball stage)

The color changes are amazing, to me. My syrup was brown. My vanilla extract is brown. My marshmallows ended up white.

I can cheat, with my candy thermometer, and I don't have to "know" any temperature stages, by number. When I graduate into Alton Brown category of candy making.. I'll put a chart on the inside of the cabinet door.

HM Corn-Free Marshmallows Recipe

Menu Monday - November 2, 2009

2009-11-02T10:38:00.002-05:00

When all else failz.. use paper towelz.. in the van.. while waiting!

I'll get this menu posted, as soon as possible..

Soup for the Freezer

2009-10-30T16:17:00.002-04:00

I'm thinking about buying two cases of freezer jars and putting up these soups, for a rainy day..

Tomato Soup (Do I like Fennel?)
Tortilla Soup
Hot N Sour Soup with Shrimp (maybe not a good freezer idea?)
Asian Noodle Soup (Noodles in the freezer? Hmm?)
North Woods Bean Soup (Kale instead of Spinach?)
Won Ton Soup
Thai Shrimp Bisque
Chunky Potato Crab Soup

Could you make me a shopping list, from those ingredients? Thanks.

Breathe.. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5..

2009-10-30T13:42:00.004-04:00

(After photo uploading hell and writing out this post to have it disappear upon "publish"...)

I'm here, under all these piles!

After being very house-bound, for many weeks, I can, finally, drive again. This meant days of errands..

I can't seem to leave the house, to run an errand, without spending the entire day.. out.

My vehicle is as trashed as my house.

They've brought out the much detested (by me) Halloween Box.

There are days of shopping to put away.

Baskets, full of previous projects, are serving as resting spots for piling crap.

But, with all of this, there are good things to come to a blog post near you..

Pie pumpkins to bake
Baking center to set-up, with updated ingredients
Soup recipes to try
Poblano Peppers to Stuff
Rye Flour!
New Glass Baking Dishes
Burnt Orange Table Cloth, napkins, and tea towels

Welcome Fall. Where Fall-Back only means Fall-Behind.

What's on your November Agenda?

10 Reasons I haven't blogged, this week..

2009-10-28T21:10:00.005-04:00

1. @HeatherSolos kidnapped me and made me go shopping. :)

2. My vitamins melted and had to be replaced. (see photo above)

3. It took 1.5 hours to get gas, for .47/gallon.

4. Mt Pleasant is not in my back yard, but it is the only place to buy real yogurt.

5. There are no silver colored crimp beads at A.C. Moore, unless you buy the $10 kit. (which I did.)

6. You can't go to Sam's, to buy tortillas, and leave before you spend $174.08. I can't make the tortillas for this project because I can't make them as fast as they disappear, in my kitchen.

7.Danielle, my cheese-friend, is going to have a baby! :D (Do you think it would be too much to post photos around Whole Foods?)

8.Sr Tequila makes excellent Spanish rice. (I was just too tired to eat it.)

9.Its Jacob's birthday and we had to stand, in Publix, and read all the musical greeting cards.

10. I still have a couple google wave invites, for the asking.

Guess what I found?

2009-10-27T19:25:00.002-04:00

My lost GummyVitamins. Yeah. I was good to not leave them in the hot vehicle, all summer long.

I found them, on the floor, in the back seat, in front of the heater vent.

I'm glad they are natural enough, to melt? *rolling eyes*

Oh boy!

10 11 Kitchen Tips FTW!

2009-10-26T15:32:00.003-04:00

Home-Ec101 is hosting a book give-away that speaks to the Kitchen Geek, in me.

Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft

Just like Alton Brown's "I'm just here for the Food," and most health-related "dont's," the why helps me adapt, easier.

I'd really like to read this book, without buying it, so I'm entering this post as a second entry, in the contest to win the book. :)

As I read through the comments, many of my tips were repeated.. but I'm going to list them anyway.

10 Kitchen Tips

1. Read the entire recipe, before you begin. Think it out and know if there are things missing or misunderstandings.. and especially to see that you have all the ingredients.

2. Start baking and cooking by filling your sink with hot sudsy water, for dishes.

3. Let the cake cool, completely, before you cut it, so the steam doesn't zap out all the moisture, and leave you with dry crumby (crummy) cake. Your hot piece may be the best piece, but being more patient makes every piece that way. (and the whole cool before frosting just saves you clean-up, of the melted frosting mess..)

4. When baking, check your oven temperature, (to make sure you've turned it on and given it adequate time to pre-heat) before you add liquids to the dry leavening. I've been pre-heating my oven 50 degrees warmer than I want it, and then I turn it down, as I put the dish into the oven, to prevent the heating element from popping on, right away.

5. Always add starch, for thickening soups and gravies, to COLD liquid, to prevent lumps. Mix together and then add to the hot soup/gravy.

6. Use ice-cold water for pastry crust.

7. Use cold non trans-fat shortening/butter when making biscuits.

8. Other than mentioned above, when baking, have all ingredients at room temperature.

9. When making bread, in the bread machine, stand-by, as it starts to adjust the recipe, with Tablespoons of flour or water. If there is flour around the pan, that is not incorporating into your dough ball, add water,by the Tablespoon, each minute, until it does. If your dough ball is loose, and sticking to the edges of the pan, add flour, by the Tablespoon, each minute, until it stops sticking and forms a ball. Depending on the humidity, in your kitchen, your flour/water ratio sometimes needs adjusting. I, usually do not use more than 2-3 Tablespoons, though.

10. Fluff your flour before you measure. Or weigh it.

11. (Yeah I know I said 10.) RecipeZaar baby!

Monday Menu - October 26, 2009

2009-10-25T19:05:00.002-04:00

Monday - Basil Pesto Pasta, Garlic Parm Rolls, Butter Basil Green Beans, Green Salad with HM Ranch

Tuesday - Ground Beef Gyros, HM Tortillas, HM Tzatziki (a taco tuesday spin)

Wednesday -Apple Pancakes, Fried Potatoes with onion and red bell pepper

Thursday - Salmon Patties, Potato Leek Soup, (Easy Rolls)

Friday - Snobby Joes, Wheat Bread Machine Rolls, Green Salad with HM Ranch

Saturday - Rib Eyes on the Grill, Baked Potatoes, Whole Wheat Ranch Bread

Sunday - Leftovers

We interrupt this weekend..

2009-10-24T05:41:00.001-04:00

For BarCamp!

Veggie Cous Cous

2009-10-23T17:39:00.002-04:00

Saute, in 1/4 cup grapeseed oil:

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1 cup diced yellow crook-neck squash
2 garlic cloves, minced

When veggies have softened, add 2 cups vegetable broth (I used better than bouillon in warm water.)

Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat. Add two cups cous cous (I used tri-color). Stir together and cover.

Let stand 5 minutes.

While Cous Cous is standing, toast nuts (I used sliced almonds, but pine nuts are good, too.) on dry skillet.

Uncover cous cous, fluff with a fork, top with toasted nuts and serve warm.

(Drizzle extra grapessed oil over top, before topping with nuts, for a bit more moisture.)

Whole Wheat Ranch Bread

2009-10-21T20:25:00.001-04:00

While I was researching dough conditioners, I fished around on the Mormon Foodie's Bread Maker Blog and found some inspiration to use my Ranch Dressing Mix, with my Whole Wheat Bread and new Dough Conditioner.

I get brave, like that. Sometimes. :)

(I, successfully, have substituted 1/2 the flour in my corn bread recipe, for tamale pie, with 100% White Wheat Flour. I, also, used Pinto Beans and Black Beans, in it, to make it more colorful. So, feel free to experiment with beans. Yay me.)

So, anyway.. where was I?

Oh, yes! My first Whole Wheat Bread, from the Bread Machine. Its ugly, eh? A Bread only a mother could love? I love it. :P

This is not as dense and heavy as my previous whole wheat experiments. I will do this again. The texture was more sandwich-able. The size, sliced straight down, resembled that of a traditional commercial slice of bread, too. Yay!

Here's what I did..

I piled these ingredients, in this order, into my bread machine bread pan:

1 cup water
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Powdered Milk (yeah, I know.. glutamates)
2 Tablespoons Grape Seed Oil
300 grams 100% Whole Wheat Flour (I weighed it, after I measured it (3 cups) and used less.)
2 Tablespoons HM Ranch Dressing Mix
1 Tablespoon Vital Wheat Gluten
1 teaspoon HM Dough Conditioner
2.5 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Settings:

Whole Wheat
Loaf Size: 1 pound
Crust: Medium

The Whole Wheat Setting has a pre-heat cycle, so you need to hang around, a little longer, to make sure your dough forms a ball, after it starts mixing. I ended up adding 3 Tablespoons water before all the flour, in the pan, was combining together.

The right side, of my loaf, appears to be sunken in.. but it is baked evenly.. I'm not sure what I need to do to make it look nicer.. but it tastes fantastic, so I'm not real worried about it.

Dough Conditioner??

2009-10-21T16:57:00.005-04:00

Last week, I went to the King Arthur (Flour) website, to look at Rye Flour.

I was, quickly, overwhelmed with all these new "terms":

Deli Rye Flavor
Rye Sour
Rye Bread Improver
White Rye
Light Rye
Medium Rye
Dark Rye
Cream Rye
Clear Flour
Barley Flour

Okay, so Dark Rye is Pumpernickel. That's, at least, something I've heard of..

Malted Barley Flour? Oh, this is not information I want to know, about my flour, I already have.. "la la la la la"

.. and I read on..

What is an Improver? The ingredients made my head spin..

Okay. Maybe I can't make HM Rye Bread.

.. and I read on..

Did you know that they make Pizza Dough Flavor? The Pizza Dough Blend mentioned Dough Conditioners..

wha..?

This make-your-own bread thing.. seems to require a scientific degree!

I thought I had mastered the difference between White Wheat Flour and Red Wheat Flour. I was curious about these conditioners.. what did I not know?

So, then, I went for some Google Juice..

"dough conditioner" and then "dough conditioner ingredients"

then.. I went to Google Blog Search. I can't be the only one blind to this "stuff."

Bread Maker Secrets by Mormon Foodie: Secret Breadmaker Ingredients via kwout

Just as I was swimming in chemical-hell.. I found Dora's Bread Dough Conditioner, Tammy's Blog - Natural Dough Conditioners..

Then, I found it. I found the tree, in the midst of the forest.. I found Adventures in Beanland. I found a Whole Wheat Bread Primer.

I, instantly, understood, why my wheat flour spends more time in the canister, than in my oven.

And a dough conditioner recipe, I could almost live with. (Remember Malisa's dough conditioner had ingredients I didn't think I could figure out how to replace.)

So, I replaced the cornstarch, and came up with this, to experiment with:

3/4 cup lecithin granules
3 Tablespoons Powdered Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
3Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder (most recipes replace cornstarch 2:3 so I may not need as much.. don't really know, yet, if it will make any difference.)
2 Tablespoons Ground Ginger

and the experimenting beginz..