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What have you been trying your hand at?

(67 Posts)
Rosiebee Sun 10-May-20 11:28:00

My dear stepson managed to get me some dried yeast. Mine was several years months out of date and I thought I'd have a go at making Pizza. Made up the quantity of dough suggested but it was for two pizzas and DH and I couldn't manage one each so I froze half the dough not really expecting it to do much when defrosted. I was amazed though that when I used it for pizza again the following week it was just as good. Also made a treacle and soda bread with only, just out of date bicarbonate of soda, [ a few months]. Very tasty and now I have new some soda I'll give it another go. Really enjoying my bread making efforts.

Nanna58 Mon 11-May-20 17:24:18

Made chapattis, brilliant fun watching them puff up! Will cook with grandson when we meet eventually.

rosenoir Mon 11-May-20 16:26:14

Daisyboots mine looked awful, loaf tin and sunk in the middle but tastes lovely.

songstress60 Mon 11-May-20 15:33:45

I cut my own hair, fixed locks on garage and shed. Never tried DIY before, and tried to fix kitchen door by removing hinges and then sanding it down.

mrscake1 Mon 11-May-20 14:14:52

Been making tea wine, gorse cordial and baking bread. Also been painting poppies on a silk scarf. I had the kit to do it but hadn't tried it yet. It was fun but frustrating when the colours began to run together. Looking forward to trying another one.

KnittyNannie Mon 11-May-20 13:53:38

I’ve baked cakes and bread every week for many years. It’s suddenly become difficult because flour and yeast are not always easy to find. I have, however, now started making sourdough bread, which is lovely. I need to keep remembering to feed the starter!

My latest cake is chocolate and banana - a family favourite.

Clarkehouse Mon 11-May-20 13:30:29

I have been using a website called Duolingo and have started to learn Spanish. I am really enjoying it, it is a free site although there may be bits you pay for if you wish, I have avoided those and just stuck to the freebies. I am trying to do an hour a day, it keeps the brain active. There are a variety of different languages people can try.

Daisyboots Mon 11-May-20 13:26:26

Rosdnoir I too made the boiled fruit cake yesterday and it was my worst cooking disaster ever I think. I cooked it in a loaf tin and it sunk in the middle. It was as though someone had cut out a rectangle 1"×4"
Most odd but was tasty nevertheless.

123kitty Mon 11-May-20 13:24:55

I have had great success topping up my tan whilst drinking a glass of bubbles, proud of my multitasking abilities.

squirrel5 Mon 11-May-20 13:03:31

I have been trying to run the freezer down,and found a few bags of frozen blackberries in the bottom ?how old,anyway I made a few jars of jam with them...result-taste lovely,now to make some scones to eat with the jam☺

Alima Mon 11-May-20 12:42:04

I made some of the “easy” scones, three ingredients including lemonade. The resulting blob of dough was enormous and very sticky. Definitely ended up with more scones than intended. DH valiantly ate a couple, declaring them a bit dry which confused me as I thought scones were supposed to be dry. DD2 also tried them and declared them delicious. Still have some lurking in the freezer if anyone is brave enough.
Think I will look up the Fork Biscuits some of you have mentioned. I will be able to prove whether they are easy or not.

Elegran Mon 11-May-20 12:29:49

Sorry, Janipans I spelt you wrong.

Elegran Mon 11-May-20 12:29:10

Oooooh, janipat could we have the recipe? I love those. You can get a jar of Biscoff spread, you know, which tastes exactly the same.

janipans Mon 11-May-20 12:18:00

Biscoff biscuits (the ones hairdressers give you with your coffee). We have just finished eating the 2nd batch and I'm going to make some more today!

elleks Mon 11-May-20 11:38:17

@SuzannahM
Wait until they produce berries, and make elderberry wine instead!

elleks Mon 11-May-20 11:35:42

@jaylucy
I made some coffee and walnut flapjacks yesterday; recipe on the BBC GoodFood website. Funny, I've made cakes and biscuits for years, but never thought of flapjacks. They're lovely.

Noname Mon 11-May-20 11:24:52

I have never made sourdough before but made my starter and a couple of loaves now. Quite pleased with them!

Elegran Mon 11-May-20 11:21:45

Brunette If you can buy ground hazelnuts or ground almonds, substitute some of that for some of the flour, or add a tablespoon of cocoa for chocolate biscuits. I sometimes press them down with the base of a tumbler, (dipped in flour to keep it from sticking) for thinner biscuits than the fork biscuits. They cook faster then so don't need as long in the oven.

The digestives proved a bit sweet, so next time I shall use less sugar. They are good with cheese as an alternative to fattening sweet snacks with a cuppa. Recipe available if you would like it.

Annaram1 Mon 11-May-20 11:20:28

I made vegan banana bred (as I had no eggs) with almost black bananas which usually I would have thrown away. I used 2 year old self raising flour bought when I last wanted to make a cake. Then the baking soda which was ancient. The resulting cake was lovely!! got the recipe from the internet.

cathyd Mon 11-May-20 11:16:03

I've been sewing face masks., would bake but OH would eat it all as I haven't got a sweet tooth and he is eating too much as it is. Next door neighbour passed a large fruit ginger cake over a few days ago and he has almost finished it already. No baking for that reason

Brunette10 Mon 11-May-20 11:04:37

Elegran - I too made Fork Biscuits from Mary Berry's recipe. Could not believe how easy they were to make, I was so chuffed. Easy and extremely tasty, def recommend them.

Craftycat Mon 11-May-20 11:04:21

I love cooking & make a lot of my own bread anyway. I have made some nice cakes over this time- a great Banana one & a very moist Apple cake.
However the real find is that DH can cook!! He asked if he could have a go at a recipe he saw on a Waitrose card in the kitchen. OK- we did not eat until 9pm that night but it was delicious ( & yes- I did have to clean up the kitchen afterwards- you cannot expect miracles & it looked as if he had used every item available.)
He then made a chicken tray bake which was also nice but we had to eat it the next day & I froze the rest- I have explained about looking to see how many a recipe is supposed to feed now.
He now wants to make some bread which I think he will be good at as men are stronger & it will be well kneaded.
Watch this space!!

hulahoop Mon 11-May-20 10:53:20

Forgot to say I have made no sew face masks I know they don't protect you but I thought if we were told to wear one outside at least I had some .

hulahoop Mon 11-May-20 10:50:39

Purple pixie could you post recipefor nanbread .or does anyone have a good recipe for mans or chapati thanks

SuzannahM Mon 11-May-20 10:50:24

Rosyanne please tell me how you did that.

We have a huge elderflower bush which has been covered in flowers for weeks and every year I mean to do something with them and forget. Most of them are getting brown now so it's too late I could kick myself angry

Rosyanne Mon 11-May-20 10:38:56

Not really food but I have just made 3&1/2 gallons of elderflower champagne.