Closed - An Unsettling Settlement

We finally did it.

I find the "Buying and Selling" post comical at this point. Did I actually think there were going to be no more surprises? Because the first few steps went so well, I was delusional I suppose.

Just about every thing that could go wrong, did. While the end result turned out to be better than we had ever imagined, getting there was stressful and terrible. We had a mortgage broker completely flake out on us (think two separate week long periods where there would be no contact whatsoever). We lost the opportunity to get into a needed program for the mortgage. Then - when everything seemed to be falling into place with a new, better mortgage co. - we had appraisal issues (too low) in combination with a stubborn seller. We actually were forced to go look at other houses less than two weeks before we were scheduled to settle. Apparently this showed the seller we weren't messing around and he lowered the sale price to the appraisal amount (by $20,000, mind you).

Settlement ended up going mostly smooth and we found out that the house is much older than we thought - the first recorded sale of the property was 1809! We'll have a bicentennial party next year.

So now that we're moved in - and sort of unpacked - we're eager to get working. We're starting a few small projects. Unfortunately, the first major step is removing some load-bearing walls and that is something that we don't consider DIY. Contractor's will be coming by to give some quotes and I'll have some pictures and updates as work progresses.

A Basic Bread

I was very pleased to know a pastry guru a week ago. He is a friendly and sharing person. We had a wonderful tea time with his creative "Strawberry Red Bean Mo Chi".

I told him my bread making failure then he was so generous and gave me a live demo straight away in my kitchen. He easily picked up a recipe book from my bookshelves and took a basic bread recipe to start his demonstration.

He left us during the second proofing by leaving the rest of the instruction and promised that the bread will be very nice and soft. That's true!

This is the bread that been baked 40 minutes at 190'C. Later on, I was advised to increase my oven temperature to 210'C to achieve a golden brown color but it was too late as the bread had been cool down for a while. Anyway, that is pretty much optional.

I was very impressed when I've produced this square bread. It was very soft and tender with no yeasty flavor. The texture had no different compared with those Gardenia bread.

The only different is the bread did not contain any preservatives or bread improver. It's just the right homemade bread I have been looking for.
We finished eating the whole loaf in 4 days. The bread is still quite soft in the 3rd day, hence I kept the leftover bread in the fridge.

We toasted the bread with some "Anchor Salted Butter" in day 4, the smell and texture was fantastic!
Since we had finished the whole loaf, I would like to try to make one on my own. Hopefully it turns out the right bread as the demo one. I was very happy with my first result. This bread is almost in square shape. The texture and smell was exactly the same as the previous one.
All thanks to WL! Recipe instructed by the guru:

• Mix all the dry ingredients: 270g bread flour, 30g wholemeal flour, 3g yeast and 6g sugar
• Add 6g salt.
• Gradually add in 240ml cool milk and mix it by a flat beater at low speed until everything just combine.
• Add in 12g butter continue to mix for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Change to a dough hook continue kneading for about 10 - 15 minutes at medium speed.
• Off the machine and clear the stick dough at side of the bowl and add 1 tablespoon bread flour. Continue kneading for few seconds.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface until the dough smooth but not sticky.
• Shape it into a smooth round dough, cover with cling film and let it rest for 20 minutes.

• Knead the dough and punch out the gas until the dough smooth and elastic.
• Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll to form three even 'ball' shapes.
• Flatten a dough and roll out into a longish shape. Roll up the dough like a swiss-roll.
  Flatten the rolled-up dough and roll out again into a long rectangular shape. Roll up the dough tightly. Do the same for the two remaining doughs.
• Place the rolled dough in a greased bread tin.

• Spray with some water around the tin. Place it in the oven with door close, proof for 60 minutes without lid on.
• Put the lid on when the dough rise near to the top. Take out the tin from the oven and preheat the oven at 190'C.

• Bake approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown. (I increased the temperature to 210'C for extra 10 minutes until the bread had a golden brown color)
• Take out the bread to cool down before slicing into pieces.
• Store leftover bread in airtight container without slicing it into pieces to let it stay fresh for the next serving.

Pumpkin Halwa in Microwave

Pumpkin halwa is part of almost all breakfast menu served for brahmin marriages. If its not this sweet, then mostly Kesari takes its place. Every time I taste the halwa for marriage breakfasts, I wanted to try it at home. And this is the first time I am trying. I am happy that it came out well. I didn't have any recipe to follow. I think basic method for preparing any vegetable halwa/sweet is the same.

Ingredients

Ripe pumpkin grated - 2 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Orange color - 1/4 tspn
Cardamom powder - 1 tspn
Ghee- 1 tblspn



Take a MW safe bowl. Mix grated pumpkin and milk. Mix the food color in a tablespoon of milk and add to the milk+pumpkin mix.


MW high for 4 minutes. By then the pumpkin must be cooked and milk be fully absorbed. Its alright If pumpkin is cooked and some milk left.


Stir in sugar. MW high for 12 minutes. Keep stirring at every 4 minutes. By then it must have cooked to form a homogeneous mixture.


Add a tablespoon of ghee and powdered cardamom.


MW for another 1 minute.

Timings may vary according to your MW and the texture of pumpkin used. Adjust accordingly.
Cooking in MW doesn't call for constant attention as on stove top method.





Now coming to the 2 awards I received last week.
Thanks Gaurav and Uma for passing the awards for me.

Gaurav has passed the Good Chat Blog award.


I in turn pass this to
Aparna
Sunshinemom


Uma feels I make her day. Actually, you made my day Uma with this award.


I pass the award to
Sowmya
Jayashree


Please accept the awards, even if you have already received them.