wyodreamer - we're not in Wyo any more

[wyoDreamer]

I would probably skip the dry milk also, but I have it in the cupboard and need to use it up.
I was also told to add the dry milk to the whole milk when I make yogurt - to make more of a greek style yogurt.

Pancake mix and cake mixes are my next try. Pancakes this weekend for sure.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

When I used to make yogurt, I always added powdered milk to the regular milk. I figured that it would double the protein and calcium.

 

[Britesea]

word of warning... I tried making up some batches of biscuit mix, muffin mix, etc and vac-sealing it. Every mix that had powdered milk in it-- the milk turned rock hard. I had to let it soak for a long time with water before it made a decent dough, and of course the baking powder had lost most of its punch because of the long soaking time. I don't know why it happened, but it did.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Thanks. I think that any time I've done a master mix, I leave the milk powder out. It might be wise to leave out the baking powder also. Not much extra work to keep it handy, and mark on the side of the master mix container how much to add. I find that the amount required varies depending on what you are using the master mix for, anyways. I've also noticed that baking powder does not rise as well in older mix.

 

[Britesea]

That's because if there is any moisture in the air at all, it is absorbed by the baking powder. It's called "double acting" because it expands once in the presence of moisture, and again with the application of heat. So you are losing 50% of the rising action if the powder is old. This is why I keep the two ingredients that make baking powder on hand without mixing them except in small amounts that I can use up in about a month. Separately, they have indefinite shelf lives. 2 parts Cream of Tartar to 1 part Baking Soda. That's all it is.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Cream of Tartar is WICKED expensive, at least anywhere I've found it. What quantity do you buy and what price do you typically pay? How stable is it (shelf life) by it'self?

 

[Britesea]

I found it in bulk from Bob's Red Mill. Since typically a recipe calls for a couple of teaspoons or less of baking powder, we are talking about less than a teaspoon of the tartar. It's shelf life, and that of baking soda are pretty much indefinite... more like a half-life than a shelf life, lol.

Sorry it took so long to reply. for the last couple of weeks I've been unable to get onto Sufficient Self... I kept getting a message that the site was being upgraded. Did this happen to anyone else?

 

[wyoDreamer]

My Sapphire Gems have started laying! I went to give them water this morning and there were 2 little eggs laying right by their food dish. I know that I checked the nest box earlier this week and it was empty, but this morning there were 6 eggs in there. One had been stepped on, so I tossed that one out, but the other 5 are in the basket in the house.

One of the browns died on Tuesday. It looked like she had prolapsed at some point. I would guess on Saturday, but not sure. There was some blood smears in the coop but all the birds looked healthy and happy so I didn't worry about it too much. Since she passed though, there has not been any indication of egg eating going on. I wonder if she has been having reproductive problems for a while and was laying soft/shell-less eggs and that was what was triggering the egg eating.

If the egg eating has stopped, then I don't have to butcher any chickens until spring. Yay!

 

[wyoDreamer]

This time of year gets me down. I had always loved Christmas, but DH gets upset when I buy gifts for others. oNe year we had a big blow out, so I don't do it any more. If I decorate; it is just for me, no-one else to enjoy it. He says to go ahead and decorate, but I know it means nothing to him but a higher electric bill. I will get him a couple of small gifts, then he will feel bad because he didn't get me anything. sigh.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ahhhh, that stinks. It's hard when our expectations and a spouse's don't line up. I've got no words of wisdom except that if decorating makes YOU happy - do it!