Saturday, January 5, 2019

Boston Brown Bread (and, I found the lima beans)



I prowled deeper into Kriegers, today, still in search of canned lima beans. Everything our larder lacked for BBB was on Laura’s list. I need lima beans, preferably canned. I’ll address that first. In the extremely olden days, when I still lived in Lake County, after all my cookerers were gone, I had to (gasp) prepare meals.

After little experimentation, I settled on the following recipe:

Cook one bag of noodles, drain, set aside
Melt one stick of butter in the noodle pot
Add one can each, tomatoes, lima beans, corn, peas
Add stuff in season, like chopped up peppers
Add noodles
Eat one soup bowl of above every night for supper
Go out one night per week with someone for dinner
Go to mom’s one day of the weekend for nutritious meal
Repeat

Now that I am more sophisticated, I bet I’ll figure out how to add onions, garlic and herbs.


I lived nicely this way for several years, until I fell in again with a cookerer. I do not need lima beans at once, but I will come spring. The back story is, Laura went over to her mother’s side years ago, which I always suspected. But recently she tipped her hand brusquely and I was too crushed, on reflection, to carry on.  I’ve been rowing upriver long enough. At the end of this school year, Laura goes back to mom.


Look at this! Just chop spinach or kale or greens of choice and stir in. But back to the discussion at hand:

My three bedroom unit is too much space, and I think two bedrooms are, too. I spotted the cutest little pup of a unit the other day, and asked the manager. Yes, it’s one bedroom. It’s occupied, so she can’t show me.

However, the next unit to be placed is one bedroom, right behind my neighbor, Cathy. The rent is nearly half as much! It has my name on it. When the manager is back from vacation, next week, I’ll try and finalize some details, like a ramp to the deck and a walk in shower. I could be happy for the rest of my life.

Back to Boston Brown Bread. I found a recipe for baked and many recipes to be steamed on top of the stove. Because I strongly recall baking the bread, I settled for that, first time. I’ll try steamed in a pot next time. My bread pot will go either way, I hope.


When we moved here, Linda outfitted our kitchen with anything we wanted from Alberta’s kitchen. One thing was a large “coffee cup” that Alberta used for wooden spoons and spatulas and such like. It’s resided unused in the back of a cupboard, and I spotted it. We measured it at over four cups. Bonanza.


The red tin cup went into a glass pan of boiling water and into the oven. It has its own lid, but I don’t know how well that will work. I have it well greased, at any rate. Stay tuned for a taste test report.



46 comments:

  1. The new digs sound good. May the move go smoothly! The red tin cup is a brilliant idea for the BBB. I await your report on how it comes out.

    ps: is the water bath to keep the interior of the bread at a constant temp?

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    1. No idea. The gist of it seems to have been immersing it 2/3 of the way, at least, and I could not think of anything. Then the casserole came to me, but I decided everything was too hot, including slopping water, to make a transfer mid way, so I let it alone. Another technique to try. I just ate a crumb from coming out of the can (perfectly). Oh, how good.

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  2. Sounds like good stuff all around.

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  3. Change is rarely easy, but often good after the initial shock and discomfort. I quite like your thoughts on how you will manage your cooking in the future.

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  4. Live your own life now...will you have room for your weaving?

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    1. Oh, yes. I'll have the whole kitchen!

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    2. Super! For your one stop cooking do you know kashouri...we ate it in Egypt and it has been my standby ever after. Cook up rice, lentils, chickpeas and small pasta...separately...bung in fridge. When you want to eat take enough of each to make a meal, heat in microwave and add whatever you please by way of flavouring.
      Garlic and lemon sauce, ratatouille (another long keeper in the fridge) stir fry veg...

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  5. Good for you, Joanne...I am sorry that things worked out this way with Laura. But all your plans sounds well considered. Be well!

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  6. Hari OM
    No garlic, no onions - your 'survival' recipe is perfectly good without them and is pretty much a variation on my own choices! Over here we also get ready-made rice packs that microwave for two mintues and to which can be added stir-fry anything (Uncle Ben's - am sure you will be able to find them). The little 'lodge' sounds perfect! YAM xx

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  7. Sometimes we use terracotta flower pots to bake bread...

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  8. I do hope things have worked out for the best for you Joanne. I shall be thinking of you as you move along into your new place.
    At least you have the satisfaction of knowing that you have done you absolute best - you can be proud of that.

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  9. I think that the BBB needs to be steamed- that's part of what makes it what it is. Thus, the water bath. Or, as you said, you can steam it in a pot on the stove.
    Will you be able to move soon, do you think? That sounds perfect!

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    1. The unit is yet to be delivered, so plenty of time to negotiate my couple of improvements.

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  10. Sorry to hear of the conflict with Laura, but glad to hear that a perfectly-sized apartment will be available to you. Looking forward to hearing how the BBB turns out.

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  11. I'm sorry to hear the latest Joanne but I think Laura is old enough now to move on and you certainly have given her a lot of support, love and skills to help her along the way. You are now able to focus on your own needs, reduce costs and enjoy some hobbies and so on. I wish you all the best and happiness in your new unit.

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  12. Replies
    1. Don't cram your mouth full, young man. Savor them one or two at a time. Turn one over in your mouth, bite, feel the skin pop. Feel the flavor on your tongue. Velvet curtains indeed!

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  13. Everything comes to it own in its own time. Downsizing is the right thing to do.

    We used to steam Christmas pudding like that. But keeping track of the water was the thing to remember. How did it all turn out?!

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  14. I'm of the opinion that a child belongs with their mother if the mother is fit to raise the child. I hope the mother is in this case, but like someone else said Laura is old enough now to hopefully take care of herself if need be. You did a great job with taking care of the children entrusted to you. I hope they remember the lessons learned at your place for as long as they live.

    betty

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  15. Your noodle recipe sounds nutritious at least, but now maybe you could change it once in a while to use olive oil instead of butter unless you prefer butter and add sauteed onions and garlic (both chopped) and chopped spinach about five minutes before serving.
    I hope you find your lima beans, I dislike them myself, I gave up on them long ago along with lentils. Just can't stand them.
    I think the cup should do well as a bread baker, the mix might rise and tip off the lid, but then you can just adjust ingredient quantities.
    Very, very sad that Laura is also going back to Mum. But she's almost an adult and must make her own choices. I just hope she remembers all that you taught her.

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  16. You gave the grandchildren wonderful tools for life, from now on they can cope alone.

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  17. Oh yes, the universal student bean pot! A rather posh local supermarket printed the recipe out last month on one of their cards with the addition of equally posh tinned cherry tomatoes (twice the price of ordinary ones), vegan bacon bits, scallions, lots of fresh herbs and guacamole.. I decided I couldn't really afford it!

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    1. I wouldn't like the upscale ingredients either. They would get mushy.

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  18. so Laura is going back to her mother. why wait? send her now. I imagine your daughter has been doing her best to undermine you all this time. if she succeeded and they are all arrayed against you, it's time for her to be the parent.

    that was my question too, will a one bedroom be big enough for the loom. and your beautiful garden, what will become of that. so, how long has it been since you lived alone?

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    Replies
    1. It's been thirty odd years since I lived alone. On the other hand, I was alone, on the road, putting on shows forty odd weekends a year, for more than twenty years.

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  19. The one bedroom unit sounds like just the place for you, Joanne. I'm glad you have found a solution to your BBB production issue, and concur with Anvilcloud that lima beans taste like velvet curtains, although I might have called it tasteless cardboard if left to make my own analogy! Sorry, not sorry :D

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  20. I'm looking forward to the report.
    So sorry about Laura. I disappointed my much loved grandmother when I was in my 20's and regret it to this day.
    Limas...brown a thin cut pork chop. When it is almost done, open a tiny can of brown limas and add. I love this but cannot find a can of these brown limas. Darn.

    My biggest problem living in a two bedroom unit is, one is really a bedroom, one is an office with five computers, and the dining room is my work area. I miss eating off a table. Love that you can save a lot of money with a one bedroom, but where is the loom going to be tucked?

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  21. PS: Why not send this once nice child back to mom now. :)

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    1. I should. But it's the middle of the school year, and she's going to an inferior school. It could happen still...

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  22. Hey lady, you tried your best for as long as you could.
    We are fond of that cabbage soup weight loss plan that is all over the internet.....not really as a weight loss thing, we just really like that soup!

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  23. a new year and a new unit. Also, fresh brown bread is great anytime. Do you put raisins in it?

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  24. Another one here echoing the thoughts of others that we hope in years to come young Laura remembers all the love and teaching life skills you invested in her.

    Have you tried a crock pot aka slow cooker- they work wonders in small places.

    Do you do anything special to the beans you are craving to remove the fart ingredient ??

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  25. Sorry to hear about Laura..but you've worked hard and done your best for her..now live your life.. literally and figuratively, get weaving!!!

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  26. No Grandma could have done more, the rest is up to her. As long as your new place has room for two, you and Toby, plus space for your loom, all will be well.

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  27. Three cheers for reduced rent!

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  28. A smaller place will be so much easier for you to care for Joanne. And the rent will be less which is great. It is time to retire from parenting as a grandparent.

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  29. I, too, have had trouble finding canned lima beans certain times of year so from now on when I do find them at Marc's I stock up. Holidays are naked without succotash.

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  30. I am sorry to hear about Laura - but you have done all you can for her and maybe she did her best too. YOu never know how things will turn out in the end, I'd be surprised if a lot of what you taught her doesn't stay with her, though. I never heard of Boston Brown Bread but I just bought a breadmaker so I won't be trying hand baked loaves for a while, at least not unless it breaks down pretty soon.

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  31. Will there be room in the one bedroom unit for your weaving equipment? I'm sorry to hear about Laura...you worked so hard for herr.

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  32. The first time I read this, I missed the bit about Laura moving out. I wondered how a smaller home would be big enough. Now I know. You seem to be seeing the positives in the situation.

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