In Celebration of National Sourdough Day and National Homemade Bread Day...

[Sqwertz]

...And if there were a National 'Too Fucking Lame to go to the
Store' Day(*):

A sourdough loaf with a Texas Suntan (NTS: Don't ever use a Teflon
bread pan)

https://i.postimg.cc/dQfWWdKH/Sourdough-Loaf-2.jpg

Zweibek and seeded Kaiser Rolls (Jill's favorite) waiting to be
stuffed with cheeseburgers:

https://i.postimg.cc/pr3qpNZb/Zweibek-Kaiser-Rolls.jpg

[Penmart01: "They look like adolescent boobies!!! Ahahhahah!!!"]

I didn't get a pic of the burgers, but here: Have a grilled ham,
salami, and 2 cheeses sandwich on sourdough for breakfast:

https://i.postimg.cc/T1Ktd2nJ/Grilled-Sourdough-Ham-Salami-Cheese.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/mDXdW11r/Fried-Ravioli.jpg


(*) Busted a rib in my back stuffing my fat head and ass under the
kitchen sink to fix the RO water faucet. Found some leftover
Tylenol #4's and chased them with Everclear to make the bread and
survive until now, but now out and down for the count. Please send
more! Broken back ribs hurt 2X more than chest ribs.

-sw

[Thomas]

What did you use for the starter? Looks good.

[Bruce]

On Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:53:53 -0700 (PDT), Thomas <cano...@gmail.com>
wrote:

Ah, Sqwertz has a new ailment to share with us.

[Sqwertz]

On Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:53:53 -0700 (PDT), Thomas wrote:

> What did you use for the starter? Looks good.

Just sourdough yeast.

-sw

[Thomas]

Cool I guess. Never heard of it. I struggle making my own.

[Graham]

Go here! https://www.theperfectloaf.com/
His methods and recipes work. He has also written an excellent
book that came out a few months ago.
Try these:
https://www.theperfectloaf.com/category/recipes/sourdough-for-beginners/

[Sqwertz]

I couldn't keep a tardigrade alive, let alone a starter.

https://redstaryeast.com/red-star-products/platinum-instant-sourdough-yeast/

-sw

-sw

[Bruce]

On Thu, 27 Jul 2023 00:29:52 -0500, Sqwertz <sqwe...@gmail.compost>

wrote:

>On Wed, 26 Jul 2023 18:27:12 -0700 (PDT), Thomas wrote:
>
>> On Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 9:23:17 PM UTC-4, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:53:53 -0700 (PDT), Thomas wrote:
>>>
>>>> What did you use for the starter? Looks good.
>>> Just sourdough yeast.
>>>
>>> -sw
>> Cool I guess. Never heard of it. I struggle making my own.
>
>I couldn't keep a tardigrade alive, let alone a starter.
>
>https://redstaryeast.com/red-star-products/platinum-instant-sourdough-yeast/

Of course.

[Thomas]

We went down this exact path a few months ago.

[Bruce]

On Thu, 27 Jul 2023 01:07:46 -0700 (PDT), Thomas <cano...@gmail.com>

wrote:

>On Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 9:55:27 PM UTC-4, Graham wrote:
>> On 2023-07-26 7:27 p.m., Thomas wrote:
>> > On Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 9:23:17 PM UTC-4, Sqwertz wrote:
>> >> On Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:53:53 -0700 (PDT), Thomas wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> What did you use for the starter? Looks good.
>> >> Just sourdough yeast.
>> >>
>> >> -sw
>> > Cool I guess. Never heard of it. I struggle making my own.
>> Go here! https://www.theperfectloaf.com/
>> His methods and recipes work. He has also written an excellent
>> book that came out a few months ago.
>> Try these:
>> https://www.theperfectloaf.com/category/recipes/sourdough-for-beginners/
>We went down this exact path a few months ago.
>

I've made sourdough bread for many years a long time ago. It's always
tempting to start it up again. Making your own bread is good, but
making your own sourdough bread is a kind of magic.

[Graham]

Yet you are still struggling.

[Thomas]

I should have typed "struggled"

[Sqwertz]

On Wed, 26 Jul 2023 07:36:08 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> ...And if there were a National 'Too Fucking Lame to go to the
> Store' Day(*):
>
> A sourdough loaf with a Texas Suntan (NTS: Don't ever use a Teflon
> bread pan)
>
> https://i.postimg.cc/dQfWWdKH/Sourdough-Loaf-2.jpg
>
> Zweibek and seeded Kaiser Rolls (Jill's favorite) waiting to be
> stuffed with cheeseburgers:
>
> https://i.postimg.cc/pr3qpNZb/Zweibek-Kaiser-Rolls.jpg

Didn't anybody stop to think and fact check that the end of July
was a shitty week to be having any National "Bake" anything day?
Sheesh.

I just made that shit up, suckers!

But I *just* looked it up:

National Sourdough Bread Day is April 1st.
National Homemade Bread day is November 17th.

What is the halfway date between those two dates?

July 25th - The day I made that those breads.

That's some spooky shit, eh? Now y'all know why dead people visit
me.

(I've claimed all sorts of "national whatsoever day" on Facebook
and nobody ever called me on them(*). I'm giving myself up now).

(*) Like Fibonacci's birthday (he has no birthday, duh!)

-sw

[Cindy Hamilton]

On 2023-07-28, Sqwertz <sqwe...@gmail.compost> wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Jul 2023 07:36:08 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> ...And if there were a National 'Too Fucking Lame to go to the
>> Store' Day(*):
>>
>> A sourdough loaf with a Texas Suntan (NTS: Don't ever use a Teflon
>> bread pan)
>>
>> https://i.postimg.cc/dQfWWdKH/Sourdough-Loaf-2.jpg
>>
>> Zweibek and seeded Kaiser Rolls (Jill's favorite) waiting to be
>> stuffed with cheeseburgers:
>>
>> https://i.postimg.cc/pr3qpNZb/Zweibek-Kaiser-Rolls.jpg
>
> Didn't anybody stop to think and fact check that the end of July
> was a shitty week to be having any National "Bake" anything day?

No. I don't give a damn.

--
Cindy Hamilton

[Bruce]

I asked my artificially intelligent friend:
-It's a busy time of year.
-It's hot.
-It's close to Labor Day.

[Sqwertz]

That's exactly what somebody who was butt-hurt would say.

:-P

-sw

[jmcquown]

Actually, it's what someone who doesn't care about baking bread would
say. :)

Jill

[Thomas]

I bake year round. It is 95f right now outside. My inside is always in the 60's.

[Ed P]

Too cold for me. In CT I used to keep it in summer 72 but got used to
the heat here. Day is a comfy 77, night for sleeping 74.

[Cindy Hamilton]

Mainly I don't care about National "Whatever" Day.

--
Cindy Hamilton

[Bruce]

Apparently, it's Tiger Day today. Or tomorrow for y'all. I just hope
you won't all want to eat a tiger now.

[Leonard Blaisdell]

On 2023-07-26, Sqwertz <sqwe...@gmail.compost> wrote:

> (*) Busted a rib in my back stuffing my fat head and ass under the
> kitchen sink to fix the RO water faucet. Found some leftover
> Tylenol #4's and chased them with Everclear to make the bread and
> survive until now, but now out and down for the count. Please send
> more! Broken back ribs hurt 2X more than chest ribs.

As always, everything looks tasty. Get better quickly.

leo

[Bruce]

On 29 Jul 2023 00:41:49 GMT, Leonard Blaisdell

He'll have a new ailment soon.

[Sqwertz]

A person who wasn't interested in baking bread, let alone my
calculations of dates, would have just shut the fuck up and passed
it by while saying nothing.

(You failed too)

-sw

[Sqwertz]

On Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:30:27 -0700 (PDT), Thomas wrote:

> I bake year round. It is 95f right now outside. My inside is always in the 60's.

You should see a doctor, Zombie dude.

-sw

[Thomas]

At 98.6 out I balance in.

[Sqwertz]

On Fri, 28 Jul 2023 21:10:07 GMT, Cindy Hamilton wrote:

> On 2023-07-28, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> On 7/28/2023 1:20 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Fri, 28 Jul 2023 09:10:13 GMT, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 2023-07-28, Sqwertz <sqwe...@gmail.compost> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Didn't anybody stop to think and fact check that the end of July
>>>>> was a shitty week to be having any National "Bake" anything day?
>>>>
>>>> No. I don't give a damn.
>>>
>>> That's exactly what somebody who was butt-hurt would say.
>>

>> Actually, it's what someone who doesn't care about baking bread would
>> say. :)
>
> Mainly I don't care about National "Whatever" Day.

Maybe it would give you a reason to get you out your consistent
cooking/eating rut. It does mine. I'm not dead yet and still
want to learn new things. I still hate baking bread, but at least
I did it, dammit - even if I did have to forge the reason for
doing so.

-sw

[Ed P]

I'd be very cold in summer inside in the 60s. In CT, 68 in winter was
ok 74 summer.
Here, 77 during the day is comfy, 74 for sleeping at night.

[Sqwertz]

On Fri, 28 Jul 2023 21:10:07 GMT, Cindy Hamilton wrote:

> On 2023-07-28, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> On 7/28/2023 1:20 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Fri, 28 Jul 2023 09:10:13 GMT, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 2023-07-28, Sqwertz <sqwe...@gmail.compost> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Didn't anybody stop to think and fact check that the end of July
>>>>> was a shitty week to be having any National "Bake" anything day?
>>>>
>>>> No. I don't give a damn.
>>>
>>> That's exactly what somebody who was butt-hurt would say.
>>

>> Actually, it's what someone who doesn't care about baking bread would
>> say. :)
>
> Mainly I don't care about National "Whatever" Day.

BTW: The inspiration for doing this was seeing "Vienna Zweiback"
pencilled in on the Aug 20th 1901 Speigel catalog Greg posted a
few days ago.

Do *you* ever get inspirations?

-sw

[Sqwertz]

Our thermostats are set at 77F and we can only maintain 81F inside
from 2:PM-6:PM. The A/C turns on at 9:20AM and doesn't shut off
until 2:AM (then cycles on/off).

Electric bill was $280-something last month.

-sw

[Sqwertz]

Thank you, Leo. Everclear and US Government subsidized rum. Plus
I have some Tylenol #4 I've collected for a rainy week like today
and yesterday and tomorrow.

-sw

-sw

[Bruce]

On Fri, 28 Jul 2023 21:11:06 -0500, Sqwertz <sqwe...@gmail.compost>
wrote:

When her husband speaketh.

[Michael Trew]

On 7/28/2023 3:30 PM, Thomas wrote:

> On Friday, July 28, 2023 at 2:14:59 PM UTC-4, jmcquown wrote:
>>
>> Actually, it's what someone who doesn't care about baking bread would
>> say. :)
>>

> I bake year round. It is 95f right now outside. My inside is always in the 60's.

Brrr... too cold. When it hit over 80 inside today, it broke even with
the outside evening temperature (high of 94), so I opened the windows
again. It's about high 70's at the moment inside. When I went to
grandma's earlier, with the A/C on 73, I was freezing.

I don't let the weather dictate what I cook. If I want a pot of chili
on a 94 degree day, bet that I'll still spend hours simmering my chili.
I find it unlikely that simmering the chili all day will do much more
than raise the interior temperature by a degree or two.

[Dave Smith]

My AC is set for 76F. Outside temperature today was about 92, and it is
very humid. I had the AC on yesterday and today but turned it off last
night and opened the windows until about 9 am. A couple weeks ago I had
the AC on for two days. We are lucky that our house is well shaded by
trees and stays cool most of the time.

We usually open the windows at night and then close them and the
curtains in the morning. It is only when we get a couple days in a row
of hot humid weather that we need to use the AC.

[GM]

I checked the weather in my Western Illinois home county at 5PM today...

Temp was 96 - and a heat index of __126__ !!!

Yikes...!!!

--
GM

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 7/28/2023 11:47 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
It is only when we get a couple days in a row
> of hot humid weather that we need to use the AC.
>

Same here, but we get about 200 days in a row like that. Eases up
October to mid May.

[Thomas]

It is 78 in my kitchen right now 5 am. 72 outside. Window open wide all night.
Ac back on set at 67 for now.
67 summer I love it, 67 winter I am cold.
This is a window unit 10k.
The living room has a split unit and stays in the low 70's.
Bedroom has a window unit, off all day so it hits high 90's.
The bedroom ac I run every night of the year including when it is zero outside.
I am putting a new one in the bedroom today. I will clean the old one and store it.
Wife is very concerned about mold whether there or not.

[jmcquown]

On 7/28/2023 10:45 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
> On 7/28/2023 3:30 PM, Thomas wrote:
>> On Friday, July 28, 2023 at 2:14:59 PM UTC-4, jmcquown wrote:
>>>
>>> Actually, it's what someone who doesn't care about baking bread would
>>> say. :)
>>>
>> I bake year round. It is 95f right now outside. My inside is always in
>> the 60's.
>
> Brrr... too cold.  When it hit over 80 inside today, it broke even with
> the outside evening temperature (high of 94), so I opened the windows
> again.  It's about high 70's at the moment inside.  When I went to
> grandma's earlier, with the A/C on 73, I was freezing.
>

If I kept the inside temp at 60°F I'd be freezing, too. Then again, 73°
is just fine in the summer. (My parents kept the temp at 80° and I was
sweltering.) In the winter, OTOH, the heat at 68° is comfortable on the
coldest day.

> I don't let the weather dictate what I cook.  If I want a pot of chili
> on a 94 degree day, bet that I'll still spend hours simmering my chili.
>  I find it unlikely that simmering the chili all day will do much more
> than raise the interior temperature by a degree or two.

I don't let the weather dictate what I cook, either.

Jill

[songbird]

jmcquown wrote:
...

> I don't let the weather dictate what I cook, either.

i don't mind it at all as it is better to eat what is
in season, fresh, often less expensive and for me what
is grown right outside.


songbird

[Dave Smith]

It is currently 72F here, compared to almost 90 yesterday. The AC is off
and some windows have been opened. Unfortunately, it is raining cats and
dogs.

[Ed P]

In CT it did. Rare I'd grill something in very cold or snow. Never
used the smoker in winter.

[jmcquown]

The only thing growing right outside is grass with some unkempt weeds
and azaelea bushes. I buy fresh vegetables in season, sure, but the
summer heat doesn't stop me from (as Michael suggested) simmering a pot
of chili on the stovetop or using the oven for baking potatoes, etc.

Jill

[jmcquown]

Okay, I don't grill when it's raining. Rain has a tendency to douse the
coals. :)

Jill

[jmcquown]

It's raining here, too. 81F which beats the 90's but it's very humid.
Too hot to turn off the AC and be comfortable.

Another thing to note about humid climates, if you leave the windows
open when it is damp it encourages mold growth. Not something one wants
to deal with.

Jill

[Thomas]

Raining here in PA. 80 now, 78 humidity, 69 inside, 50 humidity.
Ac on. 3 hour rack of ribs in 350 for 2h, 250 for 1. Boiled macaroni for cuke salad, toaster oven for frozen fries.
Put a new ac in the bedroom earlier today after the grocery shopping.
Rearranged my outdoor bag garden. Have some small green tomatoes and a few bell peppers going on.
Had a groundhog ready to take a jump from a wall onto them so I moved them higher up.

[GM]

You should invite that hungry groundhog to yer tasty dinner...

B-)

--
GM

[Thomas]

I was paid a morning visit by a big guy that was almost black. It looked mean.

[Hank Rogers]

Indeed. I remember last year, when your majestie's vagina got
moldy.

[Sqwertz]

On Sat, 29 Jul 2023 09:07:55 -0400, jmcquown wrote:

> I don't let the weather dictate what I cook, either.

You often talk about grilling but forego it because there's rain
the forecast.

BUSTED! ;-)

=-sw

[Bruce]

Graham wrote:

> On 2023-07-26 7:27 p.m., Thomas wrote:
> > On Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 9:23:17 PM UTC-4, Sqwertz wrote:
> >> On Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:53:53 -0700 (PDT), Thomas wrote:
> >>
> >>> What did you use for the starter? Looks good.
> >> Just sourdough yeast.
> >>
> >> -sw
> > Cool I guess. Never heard of it. I struggle making my own.
> Go here! https://www.theperfectloaf.com/
> His methods and recipes work. He has also written an excellent
> book that came out a few months ago.
> Try these:
> https://www.theperfectloaf.com/category/recipes/sourdough-for-beginners/


No trolling, please. Jill won't like it that you are trolling.

[jmcquown]

I mentioned elsewhere I don't grill when it rains. Rain + lump don't
work and play well together. :)

Jill

[Michael Trew]

On 7/28/2023 11:47 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>

> My AC is set for 76F. Outside temperature today was about 92, and it is
> very humid. I had the AC on yesterday and today but turned it off last
> night and opened the windows until about 9 am. A couple weeks ago I had
> the AC on for two days. We are lucky that our house is well shaded by
> trees and stays cool most of the time.
>
> We usually open the windows at night and then close them and the
> curtains in the morning. It is only when we get a couple days in a row
> of hot humid weather that we need to use the AC.

It was similar here. 94 degrees, but the humidity was the killer.
Normally my house is shaded enough to not bother, but the past few days
were the only time I can say that I really wish I had A/C. I won't
install it for use only a handful of times per year. With the rain
yesterday, and mid 60's last night, I was actually quite chilly
yesterday evening and had to shut off the fans.

[Michael Trew]

On 7/29/2023 5:37 AM, Thomas wrote:
>
> 67 summer I love it, 67 winter I am cold.

I'm the opposite way. 67 in the winter feels normal, or even
uncomfortably warm if I've been working outside and I'm used to the
cold. In the summer, I'd be dead at 67. Being used to summer heat,
when it got into the low 70's in here last night, and I had to shut the
windows and turn off the fans from the cool mid-60's breeze coming in.

> The bedroom ac I run every night of the year including when it is zero outside.

That's funny, I know other people who run bedroom A/C year round, and I
just don't get it. That is like running heat in the summer.

[Michael Trew]

On 7/29/2023 6:11 PM, jmcquown wrote:
>
> It's raining here, too. 81F which beats the 90's but it's very humid.
> Too hot to turn off the AC and be comfortable.
>
> Another thing to note about humid climates, if you leave the windows
> open when it is damp it encourages mold growth. Not something one wants
> to deal with.

If I don't run a dehumidifier in the summer, my cellar tends to get a
mildew smell. Yes, I know that you don't have a cellar, but here, the
air from down there circulates up through in the house, and that's
terrible for allergies. It's well worth it to run one through the
summer, despite adding sometimes $20+ to the monthly electric bill. I
think it helps with the humidity upstairs overall.

[Mike Duffy]

On 2023-07-31, Michael Trew wrote:

> If I don't run a dehumidifier in the summer,

> [...] and that's terrible for allergies.

> It's well worth it to run one through the summer,

MUCH worse than the mildew smell or allergies,
is that high humidity (in winter too) can easily
lead to growth of toxic mould within walls, &c.

Usually a house so-infected needs to be demolished
despite being structually sound. Often you will also
need to junk most of the contents. (Furniture, books,
clothes, &c)

[jmcquown]

Didn't you mention a couple of years ago you have (or had acquired) a
window unit AC? I think you said you installed it (aka put it in the
window) to see if it still ran or if it fit in the window frame or
something similar. If it was a working AC I'd have just left it there
for those rare occasions when you want cool things down a bit. No need
to use it when you don't need it.

Jill

[Michael Trew]

True, it does work, and it's sitting on the living room floor below the
window. I did use it that year. Took it out in the winter, and didn't
put it back in. Currently, it's in use as an end table, LOL. Had we a
summer like Arizona (110 degrees), it would be in the window now.