My #Baketogether Bread / Boule Adventure

I recently discovered virtual baking (and cooking) groups.  A “host” picks a recipe or a type of food challenge and posts it on his/her blog based on a regular schedule.  Then all the members of the group use the recipe or challenge as a starting point, posting afterwards on their own blogs.  The participants share their posts and their experiences through links on the host’s blog and by tweeting under the same hashtag.  Each group has its own rules, typically provided on the host’s site.  Sometimes there are competitions and prizes, but not in every group – some are just for fun.  

The first group I found was #charcutepalooza, a year-long challenge centered on salting, smoking and curing meat.  Although the concept intrigued me, I was late to the party, discovering it in its last month, December 2011.  Besides I’m not much for making bacon or grinding my own sausage.

Just after the new year, I found a group that better suited me - #baketogether.  Started by baker and cookbook author Abby Dodge, it is just for fun and has few rules.  The group is about 6 months old, but I felt as though I could jump in now.  (I bought Abby’s book, The Weekend Baker, several years ago.)  When I post my #baketogether results, I’ll link back to her site for the recipe, with my own commentary and pictures. 

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How Healthy Is Oatmeal?

Updated on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 12:22PM by motherwouldknow

Updated on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 12:13PM by motherwouldknow

At least when we're talking about whether it helps to lower cholesterol, the answer as to how healthy oatmeal is turns out to be “it depends.”  

Recently a reader asked me whether instant oatmeal is as healthy as the old fashioned steel cut type when it comes to the cholesterol-lowering properties of the cereal.  It’s a great question, and research to answer it led me to some surprising conclusions.  

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Applesauce Walnut Muffins

When I saw leftover applesauce in my refrigerator, my thoughts turned to applesauce muffins. It seemed like a good idea, but within a few minutes I realized that this was not a well trod path.  I couldn’t find a recipe in any of my cookbooks or online for applesauce muffins, nor could I find one that would easily accommodate my key ingredient.  After all, applesauce is not quite liquid or solid, so you can’t easily substitute it for a liquid ingredient like milk, or a solid ingredient like dried fruit or chocolate chips.  

I suppose I could have gone for a banana bread muffin recipe, figuring that mashed bananas and applesauce aren’t too different in texture.  Or I could have taken a cue from Liam, turning my banana bread recipe into muffins with applesauce instead of bananas.  But I was in a more adventurous mood after all that searching through recipes. 

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