Plodding along

My Mewlarm went off at six, so I got up and let the lot of them out. I made myself coffee and settled for a lazy morning in front of the PC ...

I did the laundry - even folded and packed it away! On the same day! Yeah, I'm wondering about myself, too ... I promise I won't make a habit of it!

Two things in this place driving me up the wall: the buzzies and cupboards! Buzzies are all those flying insects, flies, mosquitoes and the teeny tiny mini buzzies, that get sucked into your nose when you breathe in! Seriously, that is the worst! And then cupboards: How the heck are you supposed to get stuff from the back of the shelf without having to first take out everything in the front? Trying to get to the tin of baking ingredients behind the flour and things I frequently use ... frustrating!

Anyway, I baked a small wholewheat bread. I really like the texture of the wholewheat flour I'm using, it's stone ground and unsifted, so it's pretty rough rather than fine flour. The only problem is, that it has more moisture than fine flour, which I need to take into consideration when I add the other ingredients. And, of course, I don't know how! I'm no baker, just an amateur who needs to follow recipes. Well, I was a bit worried when the dough didn't seem to have risen enough. But it turned out fine.

I did go shopping yesterday and bought a raw Leberkäse. Now, what I did was to smear that raw Leberkäse onto the rolled out bread dough, then roll it up like a swiss roll, let it rise again and then baked the whole thing! Deeeelicious! Absolutely delicious! Especially with the lovely texture of that flour! I've cut it into slices and packed it into lunch boxes for the week - which I've put into the fridge! Not going to risk any of it going off!

I did, however, eat the end bits - that's how I know how delicious it turned out!

For breakfast, I had a slice of Bienenstich - a German type of cake, with a creamy center and almonds on top. Yesterday, I treated myself to a slice of a nutty, marzipan chocolate cake. Yes, I went to the Brotstube :) I also got myself 2 Brezeln there. I had one last night and one for breakfast.

While the dough for the bread was in the machine, I washed the dishes ... and then cleaned the spice-rack corner of the kitchen. It needed it, but I don't know where the energy came from. Well, I'm not really using much energy, as I'm plodding along at the speed of a snail ... just shuffling along, wiping a bit here, cleaning a bit there, pottering around.

I packed away the sausages and the cold meat I had bought yesterday. I bought sliced Leberkäse as well, sliced quite thickly, as I want to put that into rolled out bread dough, too. And then I got some cheese as well. German Emmentaler. I tasted a piece, yesterday, and it is delicious! And not too expensive, either!

I took a nap in the afternoon, but, again, didn't really manage to fall asleep. I got up again, and looked up the double-chocolate cookie recipe and decided to give that a try.

I meant to first crumb the Kotlett and Schnitzel I had bought, then put them into the freezer, crumbed - but I'll need flour for that, and I might not have enough left afterwards for the cookies. So: cookies first!

Basically, the cookies is just melted chocolate and a little bit of dough (flour, baking powder, eggs, etc.) Lots of chocolate, though. And some butter. I couldn't imagine that turning into cookies ... and I was right, ha ha! They turned out like chocolate pancakes! I mean, honestly, how is that batter supposed to hold any kind of shape? It's just going to spread on the tray, right? Well, that's what happened, anyway. Very nice, albeit a bit hard - very moist, though!

Part of the problem is, I think, that I'm baking in a gas oven. Everything I bake tends to burn at the bottom and stay raw-looking on top. All my breads and rolls as well. If it isn't burned at the bottom, then it isn't done. I've been stabbing loaves with a stick trying to avoid the burned-at-the-bottom bit ... no dice! I've read about that difference between gas & electric oven ... I still don't know how to get things to come out right, though. It's because there's heat ONLY from the bottom - no circulation. And, of course, it all goes into the tray, which gets extra hot and just crusts whatever touches the tray. Ah, well, I'm not trying to bake anything for sale - just for me! And for me, the taste is what matters most!

Well, Lady Jane is eating again, Mewthos' paw is normal sized again - but now he has a scratch across his nose, from his left eye to his right nostril! Don't ask - I have no idea! And the vomitting seems to be finally over as well! Whichever mip it was.

Oh, and my cat deliver arrived on Friday, as well! That was quick! But they're in Jo'burg, not Cape Town, so there's no flight involved.

Mewthos made me laugh last night! He came running with something he'd caught, and at the front door he put it down ... and it flew away! It was a dragonfly! Unharmed, apparently! 

Well, tomorrow, I have to wash the dishes again, crumb the pork and freeze it ... hmm, maybe I'll have one for dinner tomorrow night. With all the bread and cookies I've eaten today, I'm not really hungry tonight.

Right now I could use another two hands! I've got four mippies stretched around my bed, all loving their tummies tickled, happily purring away!