Monthly Cooking Thread - April 2021

[Jamestown1630]

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by miniatures – dollhouses, matchstick cars, all kinds of little models - and I still am. The thing I remember most from the Easter Baskets that my Grandparents gave us, were panoramic sugar eggs – eggs made of sugar, with peepholes and little scenes inside.

I looked recently to see if you can still buy these, and you can; most places may be out of stock by now, but try next year - lots of people offer them, including the Vermont Country Store, vendors on Etsy, etc.

However, if you want to try making your own, here are some instructions from Confectionery House (please note that these are not really intended to be eaten; but can be saved for years, properly stored.)

http://confectioneryhouse.com/blog/post/how-to-make-panoramic-sugar-eggs/

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When I first saw a picture of 'Wool Roll Bread', I couldn't figure out how it was made - until I saw this YouTube from the Apron channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGw0GuSx3_c

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I've been sick the last few days, just sitting on the couch and watching TV. I've become enthralled with this beautiful little family in Alabama, who have a small family farm and a young daughter who is amazing. (I've been a bird aficionada all of my life; but at 67, I still don't know as much about birds as the pre-teen Mary Carl does, and I probably never will. Herewith, the Cog Hill Family Farm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtwRexhVy4w

[mplsconservative]

Hee hee. I knew what you meant. I love miniatures also.

Those eggs are adorable. I’m ‘vintage’ 1960 myself so I have fond memories of those beautiful spun sugar eggs. They were too pretty to eat but it was tempting,

[Jamestown1630]

I had a 1:12 dollhouse when I was a kid, and a plastic Volkswagen for my ‘little people’ to drive around in.

Their alternative car was a plastic model my brother made, something green that looked like it was from the 1930s. Doors opened and everything :-)

Sort of like this - but green, and probably a different model with a ‘rumble seat’:

http://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php?detail=13795

[MomwithHope]

I still have a dollhouse fully furnished that I restored this winter maybe I can post a picture or 2 if you don’t mind.

[sheana]

I live in the Central Valley of California. I swear our hummers don’t migrate. I go through more nectar in the feeders in the winter than I do in the summer. Our feeders are almost always near empty from the amount of hummers that use them.

[Jamestown1630]

I’d love to see!

[leaning conservative]

We have a large carport where we enjoy sitting. The summers last summer were so much fun to watch.

[leaning conservative]

Hummers

[leaning conservative]

Thanks!

[lizma2]

Yep a Maryland west DC suburb.

Went I first moved to the DC I lived on the east side and my parents would visit every spring break.

That was the time of the year that turkey vultures would gather in mass in my yard. (Lived in the woods back then.)

My dad would say “They are wasting their time. No way I’m gonna kick the bucket yet.”

There were tons of them. It was really creepy.

[lizma2]

Back to Easter recipes.

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/southern-maryland-stuffed-ham

I’ve used a spiral cut ham and add a bit of dried Coleman’s mustard.

[Jamestown1630]

Lots of birds that migrate in one region, don’t in another.

My husband grew up in South-Central PA, within a very narrow strip running South/North, where the Robins migrate.

He was surprised to see Robins down here all year, in Maryland, when he came to live here. We looked it up, and saw that he just happened to grow up where they migrate.

(And some birds in some areas who usually migrate, for some reason decide not to do so now and then.)

[Jamestown1630]

You also may have ‘Anna’s’ hummers.

Contrary to popular opinion, birds don’t generally migrate to get away from the cold. They migrate to follow food sources:

http://www.birdadvisors.com/hummingbirds-california/

(Misconceptions like this remind me of Keats’ poem, and the historical predilection of poets to identify the singing nightingale as ‘female’...)

[boatbums]

I forget which year it was but one time we had a HUGE flock of Cedar Waxwings that swarmed in and took to the fresh water in our bird baths and seeds/suet feeders. They were very thirsty. It only happened once or twice the nine years we were there. Messy but pretty birds.

[boatbums]

I haven’t seen any hummers where we are now in Florida. We mostly see sandhill cranes, egrets, ducks and other water birds around the small lake we are on. I sure do miss them.

[boatbums]

BYW...do you make your own nectar (1 part sugar to 4 parts water)? I used to make at least a gallon a day.

[boatbums]

Saw something like this in a cooking magazine today:

It's a cake! Cute idea.

[Jamestown1630]

Things happen in terms of food sources, weather, etc., which cause birds to change their habits. They are very smart critters for their circumstances; and very serious about the essentials of their little bird lives.

Cedar Waxwings appear to be year-round in about the Northern third or so of the US, and they Winter in the rest of the country.

I don’t recall ever seeing one, or recognizing it; even though it’s supposed to be year-round in my area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar_waxwing#Distribution_and_habitat

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/sounds

[Jamestown1630]

LOL!

When we drive home from work - or at least, when we did a year ago - we drive through a wooded area where deer are constantly crossing the road and sometimes getting hit by cars.

Now and then we’d see the turkey buzzard heads sticking up through the brush as they enjoyed a feast.

Once, we even witnessed them pulling some roadkill off to the side of the road, so they wouldn’t be bothered by traffic. Talk about creepy!

[Trillian]

I hope you feel better soon. I love birds as well. I was known as the bird lady where I worked with them when I was younger.

Here is a recipe i’ve made twice before and is delicious. I wrote it in my recipe book as a keeper. It also works well in a casserole dish and with fresh fruit. I made it a couple days ago with fresh strawberries.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Buns

Ingredients
1 cup + 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1/4 to 1/3 cup raspberry preserves

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 20 standard-size muffin cups*.
Combine 1 cup flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar on low speed of an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the vanilla.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three portions, alternating with two portions of milk. Add the remaining 3/4 cup flour and mix just until combined.
Spoon the batter into muffin cups, filling each about half full. Top with a small dollop of preserves and swirl into the batter using a small knife.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Notes
The original recipe is made in jumbo muffin pans with a 1-cup capacity to yield 12 buns. If you use that size pan, increase the baking time by a few minutes.

https://bakeorbreak.com/2009/04/raspberry-cream-cheese-buns/

[caww]

Since you know about birds...

I have a couple wrens trying hard to build a nest under a metal awning only to have the wind take it away while building it. I’ve watched over 12 attempts in a span of 3 days and they still keep trying.

The female is pretty plump and so what will happen to her if she can’t lay her eggs?