February 16 Snowstorm

  It's been pretty much a winterless winter. I've recorded just 2.9" of snow here in Farmersville so far and that's probably the least I've written in my weather books since I began taking readings in April 1974. In December we had no snow at all.

 By the way, this is the Golden Anniversary of my weather recordings. 50 years. 18,250 entries.

So when the NWS began forecasting a decent snowstorm on February 16, we all took notice. As the day progressed they warned of possible heavy snow, especially just north of me. And they issued a Winter Storm Watch late in the day.

 The snow began just after 3:30 PM and continued into the evening. We didn't get much - just 2.5" -  but it seemed remarkable after looking at brown lawns for so long.

 After sunset on February 16,  the snow fell at quite a clip for a short while. I went out and enjoyed the view for a few minutes. And the temperature had fallen from a high of 36° and was dipping into the 20's.

 This is my first view the next morning (February 17). There wasn't much snow but it certainly changed the view.

 From the second floor bathroom window I could see that Clayton Road was somewhat clear. Plows had passed the house all through the night. School was cancelled. When Tom drove home from his house he said he almost went off the road on Farmersville-West Carrollton and barely missed our mailbox while he was trying to turn into our driveway.

 A view from  the second floor window at the top of the stairs.

 Tom's car got covered by the falling snow. Parker had been out for her late day constitutional about 9 PM and left tracks.

 I'll admit it: I  brought our patio furniture out of storage too soon. But we've had very pleasant spring-like weather. On 02/07 we topped out at 57°; on 02/14-15 we recorded 53° and 52°. So I had reason to think winter was over.

 

 

A view from one of our security cams on the morning of 02/17.

 Two days later (02/19) I took my first walk in Millie's lane. It was just 12° at 8 AM as I headed back for one lap. I delivered the newspaper and a slice of cornbread. She was surprised to see that I was out and about on such a bitter morning. But I was bundled up and stepped carefully and already saw that the drifts were coming from the southwest. Warmer weather ahead!

 And so yesterday (02/20) we topped out at 59° and most of the snow has melted. Today we're expecting 60°. And next week the forecast promises our first 70°.

 Is winter over now?

Bathroom Faucet Replaced

  Our old bathroom faucet on the first floor has been slowly dripping for some time. The last time I had a plumber here I asked if the washers could be replaced. No, the Sears faucet was made in the 1980's and parts are no longer available.

Sears faucet - 1980's style

 Mom always loved that faucet with the porcelain handles that said Cold and Hot. But most of the lettering on the hot side had worn away, And the drain was non-functional. The only way to hold water in the sink was with a rubber stopper. And the drain hole had begun to rust.

 So it was time to have it replaced. A few days ago when I was in  the car repair shop I asked Greg if he knew of a good local plumber, someone who was working independently. He did. With a replacement faucet on order from Amazon (thanks Eric!), I now had a way to have it replaced as a reduced cost.

 Could I have done the work myself? Possibly. But would I have known the sink lifts off the vanity so it can be more easily worked on? Not on your life. And I have neither the proper tools nor the proper attitude to do plumbing. So I was happy to have a local guy do it.

 The new faucet is also in a brushed gold (Mom's choice to match the wood paneled bathroom) and comes with a popup drain (my choice).  The plumber had everything installed quickly and cleanly. Why did I wait so long?

 Total bill: $80. That was $60/hour for the labor plus $10 each for two new supply lines. I wrote the check for $100 and consider even that amount an embarrassment (but I'll get over it).

 If I get even a decade of use out of the new faucet I'll have gotten my money's worth and more. Mike (the plumber) said parts of this sort are now usually replaced, not repaired.  Since I'm 74 this faucet will likely outlast me.

Coconut Cake

  For many years every January Meijer had a special in their bakery of Coconut Cake. They'd have them out on tables by the doors. For the past two years we've not been able to find them. Tom mentioned how much he missed them so I set out to make something close.

 The whipped cream icing is very close but I think I baked the cake a bit too long and I'd have to describe it as more than a bit "dense".

 I use this Simple White Cake recipe for the cake and I used this Cool Whipped Frosting recipe for the frosting.

 I baked the cake in a 9x9" aluminum pan. My oven is hotter in the back so I turned it at the 20 minute mark. I do believe a 40 minute bake time is too long in my oven but when I checked it at the 30 minute mark the center looked wet.  Next time I'll compromise at 35 minutes.

All I had was Aldi flour and I've found that not a good choice in the past. I far prefer King Arthur Bread Flour for most everything.

 The batter is easily mixed with a spoon.

 After baking, you can see that the center square seems less baked than the rest. And yet I found the cake "tough" and think the suggested maximum bake time is too long.

The frosting is perfect and very close to Meijer's. I suppose the addition of the vanilla pudding mix (instant, not cooked)  allows the frosting to set up a bit. It is still basically whipped cream with a little extra body.

 I thought the cake turned out very pretty with the addition of sweetened flaked coconut.

 This is an easy recreation of the Meijer offering. It's not really white but a light yellow. And Meijer's was definitely a more delicate cake and actually preferable ... if it was only still available.

Martha's Vanilla Pound Cake

  Well, it's almost Martha Stewart's vanilla pound cake. But not quite.

 What's different? I didn't like the idea of unleavened. I wanted to dispense with a mixer or any mechanical device to beat air into the batter. So I added two teaspoons of baking powder. And I certainly didn't follow the directions of adding a bit of this, a bit of that. Maybe it's not as good due to my shortcuts but we had it for lunch and it seemed to meet our needs.

 First, Martha Stewart's recipe can be found here.

 It looks essentially the same as the one picture with the recipe. I love how the top cracks a bit. It looks like it's bursting with goodness.

 My oven is very uneven so I turned it while it baked to give each side equal heat. I did bake for the entire hour and I think a little less would be better. The bottom was a little dark.

 It baked very evenly. I love the texture and the simplicity of the recipe. Yes, I added one more ingredient than was called for but I didn't have a mixer to clean up.

 Next time I'll cut baking time to 55 minutes (maybe even 50). I tested for doneness before taking it out of the oven and I would certainly be careful with a shorter bake time.

 How about a vanilla frosting next time (powdered sugar, vanilla and milk)? Or substituting lemon for the vanilla?

Thick Crust Pizza

  A few weeks ago Tom came home with a vegetarian cookbook he found for me on clearance. He paid just $3. I've been enjoying all the recipes I want to try and one - a Thick Pizza Crust - caught my eye. I have other markers spread throughout  the book  so I know I'll  have a good time trying other recipes.

 The pizza I made yesterday morning is probably my all-time favorite.  I love deep dish pizza and this one is to die for.

 The basic dough consists of just five ingredients:

3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoons sugar
1/2 ounce active dry yeast
2-1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoons salt

 As usual, I warmed the water slightly in our microwave, added the sugar and stirred in the yeast. I waited five  minutes for it to foam. It's always good to "proof" the yeast before using it.

I then added it to the flour and salt already placed in a bowl  and mixed thoroughly.

 I kneaded this mixture for five minutes on a pastry cloth and then formed it into a ball and placed it into a small bowl which I had sprayed with olive oil. Flip the dough to cover both  sides with a thin layer of oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place until doubled.

 The recipe calls for a 30 minute first rise. I gave it an hour and a half.

  I rolled the dough out, stretching it to fit a non-stick cookie sheet and poked it with a fork every couple of inches to allow the steam to escape.

 I placed this in a warm spot and allowed it to slightly rise again. Probably 45 minutes. IT merely puffs up.

 Then I placed it in a 500° oven for about 6 minutes. The top will begin to dry but will not brown  in that  short time.

 It's now ready to add pizza sauce (we were given a bottle of homemade pizza sauce last summer). I went easy to avoid soaking the dough but Tom thinks I should have added more. Probably so.

 I added olives (my favorite pizza topping); Tom added fresh mushrooms. We covered the top with  shredded mozzarella cheese.

 Here's the pizza ready to go into the oven. I like leaving the edges free of sauce or toppings. The bread is a treat by itself.

 I baked it at 425° for about 19 minutes. I watched as the crust began to  brown and turned the cookie sheet half way round after about ten minutes (the rear of my oven is hotter than the front).

I did not find it necessary to add olive oil or cornmeal to the cookie sheet since it was non-stick. The pizza released easily. A non-stick sheet or a pizza pan would probably require oil.

 We ate the whole thing. It's certainly more labor intensive than just buying a pizza dough but the taste and texture makes it worth the effort. It's certainly  the best pizza I've ever eaten.

A Better Cornbread?

  I make cornbread fairly often but I only make it for myself. I asked Tom once if he just didn't like cornbread. "No," he said, "I just don't like yours". So I've been looking for a recipe that we both like.

 I trust allrecipes.com for many of my favorites so I thought I'd try one of their cornbread recipes. Their Golden Sweet Cornbread seemed to  fit the bill.

 What's different about it? I usually just use the recipe on the box of Kroger Yellow Cornmeal. This new recipe uses 1/4 cup more cornmeal (and 1/4 cup less flour) but I've made that change before on my own. I think the main difference is the amount of sugar. Kroger calls for 1/4 cup; Allrecipes calls for 2/3 cup. The difference is 0.41 cups (0.66-0.25). That extra sweetness makes  all the difference.

 They use substantially more baking soda, too  1.5 teaspoons more. I doubt that substantially affects the taste but it sure makes it rise nicely.

 The only thing I changed was the bake time. They suggest 20 - 25 minutes. Though it tested done at  the  25 minute mark, I could see that it was still too liquid. Plus I wanted the top more brown. I left it in almost 35 minutes.

 And here's how it came out ...

 I made it in an 8 x 8" glass pan where they called for a 9" round. The extra depth may have required the longer baking time.

Just perfect.  We've each had a taste and even Tom said it was "more like Cracker Barrels". So now I know the recipe I'll be using for cornbread in the future.

Holiday Cooking & Baking

  Tom kicked off the season with a veggie lasagna:

 Actually two. The one pictured above was made with what was leftover and was heavy in fresh spinach. Tom said it's not a true lasagna (though it does use the noodles).

 But this one is the real thing. It's got all kinds of veggies it in. Part of the purpose was to use up vegetables that we had frozen for later use. They're all in there! That was our main meal on Christmas Day.

  Yesterday I made another "no knead" bread. It's nice that it can be quickly put together in a bowl and then left for the day. I do two  rises but they're probably unnecessary. I made it only a month go (click here). This time I got a lighter crust even though I used the broiler on high to brown it.

 To brown the top more I sat it on the pan I made it in, placed upside down in the oven to get it closer to the broiler element.

 The texture is perfect.  I love the crusty top that's has a nice chew. We had some cherry preserves from France that was a gift and it capped off our breakfast just perfectly.

 And two days ago I made a batch of snickerdoodles ...

 I don't remember making  them before and I don't know where I found the recipe. My grandmother first made them in the late 1950's (maybe early 1960's) and she was so proud of them: soft and chewy with an unusual taste. They're heavy in cinnamon, of course, but I wonder if the cream of tartar isn't what provides the special taste?

 My friend, Karen McKinney, uses a different recipe that she says "never fails me". I'll try it next time:

SNICKER DOODLES

1 cup shortening

2-3/4 cups flour
2 eggs  (well beaten)
1-1/2  cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teas. salt

Cream shortening & eggs together good.  Add sugar & vanilla till smooth.
Add cream of tartar- soda & salt to flour & add to mixture.  Roll in balls about walnut size.
Mix equal parts sugar & cinnamon together to dip balls in.
Bake 350°  on ungreased cookie sheet about 15 minutes.

 In any case, we've had some fine desserts and food in the past month or so.