Baking through the pandemic

We are living through some very interesting and difficult times. 

When I was growing up as a child I lived through practicing for nuclear war. We learned to walk in gas mask, raincoat, and plastic bags on our hands and feet to be protected from nuclear fallout. 

Then I lived through the fall of Berlin Wall and Velvet Revolution. I saw the world open up and be free.

Now I live through the world pandemic. I hope that we will make it through alive and healthy.

My work is non essential and I am staying home until my work reopen at some point in the future. 

As a way to keep myself busy with other things than house choirs, cleaning, doing laundry, and to provide food for my family I bake. I have been baking a lot these past weeks and I have sneaked in some pictures of my baking attempts.

Oreo cookie

Some were successful, and some were less. As the weeks go by, I keep trying new things, new recipes, things that takes days from start to finish. In a way it is like knitting. You start with the simple projects, and as you learn you try more adventurous knitting techniques. Sometimes you still return to those familiar projects that are fast, quick, and favorites. Sometimes you try something new.

Week I

Week II

Week III

Week IV

Week V

Pictured 

Week I: Monkey Bread, Bread, Chocolate Banana Walnut Cookies, Bundt Cake, Calzones, Blueberry Muffins

Week II: Blueberry-lemon Bread, Rohliky (Czech Bread Rolls), Herb Cheddar Scones, Strudel with cheese filling, Corn Bread, Bread, Brownies, Apple Strudel

Week III: Apple Strudel, Carrot Cake, Potato Pancakes, Cinnamon Buns with Maple Frosting, Bread, My mom's Crepes, Bread

Week IV: My mom's Crepes, Kale Corn and Jalapeno Muffins, Brownies, Focaccia, Bread, Croutons 

Week V: Linzer Cookies, Dog's Cookies, Leaf Shaped Fougasse Bread, Rohliky (Czech Bread Rolls), Bread, Ginger Bread (my mom's recipe), Two Layers Pizza, Panna Cotta, Future Croissants (dough after the third roll and fold)

Croissants - the beginning

 I have a book "Baking with Julia" written by Dorie Greenspan. Sometimes I look through it and one of the recipes that always caught my eye was the recipe for the Croissants. I have read the recipe so many times, yet I never tried to bake them. It is time consuming and previously my weekends were filled with choirs, housework, laundry, while trying to squeeze in some fun and relaxing stuff as well. This past weekend I finally decide to try and bake the croissants from scratch.

Croissants - WIP

I started on Saturday when I made the dough. Sunday morning I made the butter part and then spend the day rolling and folding the dough and butter together. This morning I rolled out the dough and made the croissants and baked them. I still have the second half of the dough to work on. I have to admit, the croissants turned out good. Would I bake them again? I am not sure. It was a lot of work, and like with knitting, sometimes it's good just to try something new.  

Croissants 

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Food KAL

In the past few weeks I was busy picking up fruits and vegetables from our garden and preserve them for the winter. Even though our plum trees produced only two plums, we are having some yellow raspberries and alpine strawberries to snack on and we still are having an abundance of cucumbers. I have been pickling them at least twice a week.
Our friends and family might be receiving homemade pickles as their Christmas presents.

Dog approves

I cannot really share the recipe for my pickling liquid as it seems to be every time slightly different. I am following the recipe my mom gave me when we started to do our own pickling.
She said: "I use water, vinegar, pickling salt, a bit of sugar, spices (All Spice, Black Peppercorn, Bay Leaves, Cinnamon, Clove), try how it tastes and add what you think is needed. In the jar put some mustard seeds, fresh dill, sliced onions, garlic, peppers, carrots and cucumbers. Fill the jars with liquid close the top and boil in a pot with a kitchen towel on the bottom for about twenty minutes."
We have been using her recipe for some time, experimenting with variety of flavors, adding hot peppers to some jars, etc. Each batch that I make tastes slightly different, and that is what I enjoy about it - the unpredictability of what it will taste like when we open a new jar of our pickles.

Apples

I was also thinking about the next KAL for my group on Ravelry. I decided that we should knit anything that is food related. Aprons, dishcloths, knitted food, knitted parts of a food chain...…
The Food related KAL will run from now until the end of October, when I will pick the grand prize winner and some more winners to win other things as well.

To start the KAL I am offering  a 25% discount on many of my food related knitting patterns. The coupon code is valid until September 25th midnight EST.

Bowls

Use the coupon code Food to receive the discount.

Joint the fun and a chance to win my group Stana's critters etc on Ravelry.

photo by Knitpicks

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Knitting pattern for Cupcakes

Cupcakes (Calorie free version)
by Stana D. S.
Finished Toy Size: approximately 3.5" diameter.
Yarn: This is ideal project for remnants and leftover yarn. You will need a light brown color for the vanilla cupcake and a dark brown for the chocolate cupcake and bright colors for the frosting. What is your favorite cupcake? Inspiration is endless.
Recommended Needles size: DPN US # 3/3.25mm (set of 5)
Notions: Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker, polyester fiberfill (1 small bag),
Abbreviations: KFB = Knit in front and back of the same sts, this creates 2sts from 1st.
SSK = slip st, slip st and knit the 2sts together, this decrease 2sts to 1st.
INSTRUCTIONS: The cupcake is knitted in one piece, from the bottom up. With the light or dark brown and four double pointed needles cast on 20sts (5sts per needle). Place a stitch marker on the first st, and begin working in the round.
Row 1: Knit around (20sts total)
Row 2: *KFB, knit 4; repeat from * around, 6sts per needle (24sts total)
Row 3: *KFB, knit 5; repeat from * around, 7sts per needle (28sts total)
Row 4: *KFB, knit 6; repeat from * around, 8sts per needle (32sts total)
Row 5: *KFB, knit 7; repeat from * around, 9sts per needle (36sts total)
Row 6: *KFB, knit 8; repeat from * around, 10sts per needle (40sts total)
Row 7 - 11: Knit around, 10sts per needle (40sts total) Change the color to frosting.
Row 12: Knit around, 10sts per needle (40sts total)
Row 13: Purl around, 10sts per needle (40sts total)
Row 14: Knit around, 10sts per needle (40sts total)
Row 15: *SSK, knit 8; repeat from * around, 9sts per needle (36sts total)
Row 16: *SSK, knit 7; repeat from * around, 8sts per needle (32sts total)
Row 17: *SSK, knit 6; repeat from * around, 7 sts per needle (28sts total)
Row 18: *SSK, knit 5; repeat from * around, 6sts per needle (24sts total)
Row 19: *SSK, knit 4; repeat from* around, 5sts per needle (20sts total)
Thread the tail of yarn from the cast on stitches on a yarn needle. Stitch through all of the cast on stitches, pull up tight to close the hole, and stitch to secure. Begin to stuff the cupcake with fiberfill.
Row 20: *SSK, knit 3; repeat from * around, 4sts per needle (16sts total)
Row 21: *SSK, knit 2; repeat from * around, 3sts per needle (12sts total)
Row 22: *SSK, knit 1; repeat from * around, 2sts per needle (8sts total)
Finish stuffing. Cut the yarn, leaving long enough tail, and thread the end on a yarn needle. Pull the end through the remaining stitches on needles, gather up and close the hole, stitch to secure.
Finishing: You can embroider the sprinkles, or use small beads. Enjoy the cupcake. It's calorie free.

Copyright: This pattern was design and written by Stana D. S.
The pattern is for personal use only. The finished items may not be sold for profit, except for charity purposes.
Please acknowledge the author. Thank you.