Davina's diary vol 3, life goes on... continued

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

This is still running 10 Chrissy!! Well I knew I should have stayed home yesterday, nothing would go right down the workshop so I gave up. Will see how it goes today after a good nights sleep.
 Damp and dreary today, more rain later but at least its warmish.

Sometimes you get those days with anything technical! Knowing when to stop, sleep and come back is a very important skill! Then you find it easy and wonder what the problem was. Hope today goes better.

Charlotte 😻

[davina61]

Today bought on a bout of CBA so making a loaf of wholemeal bread (if it rises!) and cheeses scones, brain still mussy from over sleeping.

[davina61]

Well it did rise, I turn the oven on for a bit and let it prove for an hour. Came out fine, just had a crust while it was still warm with butter.

[Lori Dee ✅]

I love the smell of fresh-baked bread.

When I lived in Germany, I had to get up early to catch the bus to the base for work. It was a small town, but it had three bakeries. Waiting at the bus stop was a treat. The whole town smelled like freshly-baked bread.

[Stottie Girl]

Well it did rise, I turn the oven on for a bit and let it prove for an hour. Came out fine, just had a crust while it was still warm with butter.

I taught myself how to make bread during Covid lockdown. There's nothing like baking your own. Kneeding the dough is really theraputic and the smell, mmmmm. I don't bother with proving in the oven though. I find it rises just fine on the window sill.

Looking at the time of your post though, there's no way I would be alert enough at 05:54 to start making loaves and scones! I class myself as a lark but you have taken it to another level! You could have been a professional baker ha ha!

[Stottie Girl]

I've just realised I'm being thick here! The site time isn't GMT is it?

[davina61]

Yes it was 10am when I started. Still didnt rise as much as it should have, the yeast seems to stop working to soon.

[Stottie Girl]

Key things for me are water at right temp (24 degrees ish - use a thermometer) tsp sugar, 10 min knead important to get the air into the dough then pop it into a proving basket. On to the window sill next to the radiator. I do tend to have my heating on at around 19-20 degrees in winter, no need in summer. Bobs your uncle it doubles in size every time. I cheat and use fast action yeast sachets

[davina61]

Yes did all that but must be doing something wrong as it comes out a bit dense, maybe its the way I kneed it? Anyways off to the garage, colder and wet today but have to tackle that awkward bit between body mount/boot floor and rear inner wing. TBH I think that is the worst bit left to do, the rest of the panel work is "straight forward" !!

[Stottie Girl]

Sounds like it could be kneading issue, like maybe there's not enough air in there? I use the french style slap and fold method as you can do that with fairly wet dough. There are videos out there on Youtube to show technique. It's actually quite fun when you get the hang of it. It looks like it will never form an elastic dough then suddenly pow you have a lovely stretchy dough.

Never been one for car maintenance myself. Too cold, too dirty! But I'm always impressed by people who do.

Anyhow, Happy baking!

[davina61]

Got that welding done, not as bad as it could have been. It was cold though so gave up at 2.30, nice hot shower and hair wash did the trick.

[ChrissyRyan]

Got that welding done, not as bad as it could have been. It was cold though so gave up at 2.30, nice hot shower and hair wash did the trick.

Glad you finished up!

Chrissy

[davina61]

Damp and foggy this morning but its warmed up again and could be as much as 10C. Finish weld where I had to cut the n/s sill (rocker to the state side) and a bit on the door skin. Have to lug the passenger seat down the workshop to make mountings then take both seats back home as lack of storage space in the workshop. I have been given another engine so plan is to collect it on the 10th, flat inspection on the 11th so lots going on next week.

[davina61]

Thursday food shop again, weeks flying by. Only feels like a week ago !!! Not sure what to get for dinner, spinach with something, might be chicken or do I make a dhal? I have loads of dhal I don't use so will look for a recipe before I go.

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

I'm with you on this. The weeks just seem like they don't exist. For me it's fortnightly bin collection that just comes round so often!

Once again you make all the nicest food.

[davina61]

I made spinach and chana dahl and recipe book said serve it with tomato curry, that has hard boiled eggs in it that I cooked in airfryer. 6mins at 180C and they come out perfect and shell peels off fine. Dried red chillies in both and I bit into one hidden in the spinach! That was warm and made me sweat for a bit.
 Also bought a whole duck as it was on offer, will be stuffed with rice, nuts and spices.

[Sephirah]

See, when I looked how to cook hard boiled eggs in an air fryer, people were saying 120C for 15 minutes. That also works. I'm kind of scared of doing them higher. I once did some scotch eggs in the microwave and they literally exploded like hand grenades. It was all very... messy.

[davina61]

Woke very early, comfort break! and then lay there trying to go back to sleep, ended up putting radio on at 6.30. 7.30 went back to sleep for an hour and a bit, need to cook that duck so gave up on going out today. I need to do some house work before flat inspection anyway.

[davina61]

Got on well yesterday, the side panel and rear wing tacked in place. Will see what it looks like this morning as a fresh look can show up mistakes. Arms and legs ache after loading passenger seat into my car and then getting it into my workshop as well as putting drivers seat in my car and putting that back in my home storage. The BMW seats are very heavy ,need a good clean as well due to mould on them from the damp.
 Sunday fun day, off to see mum first. Floods are up, playing field is a boating lake and not sure if the one main road is closed yet.

[davina61]

Got fed up grinding welds down yesterday, even with earplugs in it was getting wearing on my ears. D keeps saying I wont get it finished if I keep leaving it but my wrist was hurting from holding the grinder as well so have to rest that. Anyway off to my friends for 1.30 to go pick up an engine, going to strip it down as much as I can to put it in my car. Nick said its an hours drive from his place to John's so will be late when I get back home. Flat inspection tomorrow morning so have a few hours to clean up this morning.