I like to make things, especially my own food. I believe that it is quickly becoming a lost art. Also making my own food is a lot cheaper than eating out all the time, and in these times frugality is the new black.
As anyone who reads this knows I can, freeze or otherwise preserve food during the summer and fall, with varying degrees of success. Part of this is because I am new to this skill, but the other part is because I try to preserve things in small quantities. For example my friend who cans tomatoes, does so in 1 litre jars, my tomatoes are canned in 500 ml jars. I tend not to need a litre of canned tomatoes. This need to make things smaller extends to most of my food.
Most recipes are far too much for one person, thus I am usually on the look for good recipes that are for 1 or 2 people. I have found some cookbooks that I regularly use and through trial and error (usually a lot of error) I have modified a number of my favorite recipes. Most meal type recipes tend to make 4 servings. In general I find that these are the easiest recipes to half. Yes there are some recipes that I make the entire amount, chili is one, but this is because I freeze the unused portions and later have them for lunch at work.
However I find making a couple of cookies or one portion of cake, or even just a bit of bread to be much more difficult. I have found that you cannot just half baking recipes. The few times I have done this have not been pretty or tasty. So when I want a cookie or two, or some cake I usually go to the baker and buy something. Really this can get expensive and while individual cookies are easy enough to get, but 1 piece of cake can present some problems. Yes I could go to Safeway, but then what do I do with the plastic clam shell. As to making a normal sized cake, again it is only me and I do not like having the leftovers in the house. Far too tempting.
However I have found a cookbook that is looking promising. Small Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos. I am not sure how things will turn out, but perhaps there is cake in my future. I'll let you know the results.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
It's Snowing Again...
Again, I am such a bad blogger.
As I type it is once again snowing outside of my apartment. Yes it is picturesque, beautiful, serene, Christmasy if you will. But I am tired of it. I know I should not complain, I am Canadian and snow is a part of being Canadian. Furthermore, I do not have to shovel it anymore. I am sure most Canadian kids, and some adults, would agree that the person driving the snow plow dumping even more snow on the driveway is not the favorite. Thankfully I no longer have to shovel snow. I live in an apartment and this is taken care of strata.
Forecasts indicate that this will continue with the possibility of rain for a day or two, changing again to snow. In other words it is gonna get ugly. Thankfully, I have the next week off, and of course I have enough food to last me many months, let alone a week. There is entertainment, I do have the Internet, cable, books, and a thousand other things. But...I live alone, well not alone, there is George and Sweetie Pie, but they tend to sleep a lot, as cats do. I may be starting to feel some cabin fever. It has only been a few days, but I am missing just being around other people. Of course if you talk to me after having company for a week, I am sure my thoughts and feelings will be quite different.
As I type it is once again snowing outside of my apartment. Yes it is picturesque, beautiful, serene, Christmasy if you will. But I am tired of it. I know I should not complain, I am Canadian and snow is a part of being Canadian. Furthermore, I do not have to shovel it anymore. I am sure most Canadian kids, and some adults, would agree that the person driving the snow plow dumping even more snow on the driveway is not the favorite. Thankfully I no longer have to shovel snow. I live in an apartment and this is taken care of strata.
Forecasts indicate that this will continue with the possibility of rain for a day or two, changing again to snow. In other words it is gonna get ugly. Thankfully, I have the next week off, and of course I have enough food to last me many months, let alone a week. There is entertainment, I do have the Internet, cable, books, and a thousand other things. But...I live alone, well not alone, there is George and Sweetie Pie, but they tend to sleep a lot, as cats do. I may be starting to feel some cabin fever. It has only been a few days, but I am missing just being around other people. Of course if you talk to me after having company for a week, I am sure my thoughts and feelings will be quite different.
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