Apple chocolate chip muffins

I believe this is from Bake or Break website , recipe modified

added some fresh ground spices not listed of course !

ground spices added

my new grated i was gifted for Christmas

 

not exactly a light muffin, the apples have a lot of moisture , but I needed some chocolate and fruit for dessert.

 

 

 

OK …..i made dough also, bread and rolls BC you can live on muffins alone !

 

 

Apple with cardamon sugar,ginger and cinnamon

Illustrations,

Apple sections , grind cardamom seeds with sugar , grate ginger and cinnamon bark over apple (those adverse to sugar, honey is an alternative.)

Microwave several minutes, or bake

Not only pleasing to the taste but aromatic to your kitchen as well.

Bread and Jam

While at the market, some fresh cherries were purchased  so after eating several and using some to augment the bottle of rumtopf in the  fridge, the remainder was processed for some fresh cherry jam . With minimal additives, only an apple to lend some pectin and sugar to taste, the mixture was steamed then  processed and  boiled till the proper consistency was achieved. Since toast is made often a great accompaniment.

STEAMING THE FRUIT

AFTER THE STEAMING THE FRUIT WAS PROCESSED BY THE FOOD MILL

(the waste is in the dish) 

BOILING AND REDUCTION OF THE PROCESSED FRUIT

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

SOURDOUGH BREAD

The bread making continues, this time a yeast less loaf, high hydration dough mixture literately poured into a heated crock with a bit of an assist from a spatula. About one cup of sourdough starter, and in a separate container, a cup of flour and water, both set out in the morning. I think  there is enough wild yeast floating around the kitchen area as the mixture of the  flour and water  practically started ferment by itself in short order. Both containers left loosely covered during the day. When the temps recede at later evening it’s time to bake when the mixes have been combined, more flour added, and given another proofing to a very wet bubbling mass of sour dough. Baked by the covered/uncovered crock method.

 

The bottom of the bread.

Now the best method I have found is to heat the crock as usual and then just before adding the dough use an oil from a spray can to coat the crock.

TOAST TEST

Broiled, crunchy with soft crumb, very moist bread. Won’t last long enough to spoil !

 

 

out with old , in with the new

file under keeping up with technology……

a simple upgrade… a gift for the holidays…

Before

After

Nothing earth shattering here; finally going LCD 20″monitor vs CRT

apple- America-and-a-squeezed-middle-class

This is mostly a food blog , but sometimes a tech article I read on-line sparks my attention.

and now the news from the current political elections is un-escapable for the most part

 How U.S. Lost Out on IPhone Work

NY Times, Business Day ,The Economy

By CHARLES DUHIGG and KEITH BRADSHER

Published: January 21, 2012

my comments:

Asia is the leader of large scale manufacturing. This

article focuses on the electronics industry.

notes:

“Companies once felt an obligation to support American

workers, even when it wasn’t the best financial choice,”

said Betsey Stevenson, the chief economist at the Labor

Department until last September. “That’s disappeared.

Profits and efficiency have trumped generosity.”

(a)this was creating jobs for the sake of creating jobs.

 

    "…a current Apple executive said. “We don’t have an

obligation to solve America’s problems. Our only

obligation is making the best product possible.”
(b)this is  focusing on making a product, not influenced by political distractions

…

    "For technology companies, the cost of labor is

minimal compared with the expense of buying parts and

managing supply chains that bring together components

and services from hundreds of companies. For Mr. Cook,

the focus on Asia “came down to two things,” said one

former high-ranking Apple executive. Factories in Asia

“can scale up and down faster” and “Asian supply chains

have surpassed what’s in the U.S.” The result is that

“we can’t compete at this point,” the executive said. "

    "Another critical advantage for Apple was that China

provided engineers at a scale the United States could

not match. Apple’s executives had estimated that about

8,700 industrial engineers were needed to oversee and

guide the 200,000 assembly-line workers eventually

involved in manufacturing iPhones. The company’s

analysts had forecast it would take as long as nine

months to find that many qualified engineers in the

United States. In China, it took 15 days. "
(c)Other countries are set up demographically and geographically to make efficient use of manufacturing

supply chains and labor for mass production in shorter time spans. They have the resources and control

mastered.

 

Other governments support and motivate a national pride towards production and manufacturing versus individual

financial gain (very debatable) and have the qualified work force ready.   Some governments are better at a

growing a service economy.

It seems that Asia is the only place to build fast moving (changing technology) products in great numbers at a price that makes

them affordable.

What does that leave us, the U.S. ? In the technical field; programming? software development?

So here is a follow up question , if you will: Multiple choice, no correct answer(s) at this time

What is the United States better suited at producing?
What ones will grow or shrink or remain the same?
(a) legal professionals
(b) Doctors
(c) political parties/ politicians
(d) health care systems
(e) financial/credit systems
(f) welfare systems
(g) an up to date infrastructure
(h) discourse
(i) non-profit organizations and exemptions(too many to list)
(j) Research and development
(k) Political Action Committees
(l) an affordable education system
(m) a chaotic tax code (AKA red tape)
(n) regulations
(o) benefit packages
(n) small businesses/manufacturing
(p) artistic expression
(q) agriculture
(r) defense/law enforcement

(s) computer programming/servicing/software development

add your own

I’m  poking fun at the USA, this is who we are. A diverse culture. Asia has it’s problems too, and no telling where they will be after 15-20 years.

No doubt though that hobbies should be encouraged as they were in past. They are the first step in education of the trades.

Have they been displaced by dismissing them as nonsense as they have no social redeeming value? Personally speaking, a home with out a work bench is not a home.

Crumb Top Apple Pie

Crumb Top Apple Pie

Instead of the tradition double crust apple pie, I have been using this style for a while. Make a one crust pie dough recipe, season the apples, I used granny smiths, lightly with cloves, allspice etc.,lemon juice and a slight bit of sugar, preferable honey or corn sryup with a thickener ,constarch etc. If possible let the apples meld with the spices overnight. The top crust is a crumb topping, a combo of butter, brown sugar,  finely chopped nuts, (pecans) and flour. Assemble the pie as usual and top off with the crumb topping distributed evenly over the top . Bake at about 400 for 15 then reduce heat to about 350 till done. the top should be slighly brown and you should hear the apples bubbling slightly. If you like the apples with a slight crunch don’t over cook. This recipe works well because the apples are not overly sweet and more natural tasting with the contrast of the crunchy sweet topping like a strudel. You could also serve it with cream, ice cream, or whipped cream and garnish if you want to raise it to another level.