Blessed Easter, everyone!
Summer is coming, and I need to find a way to support my bread habit without having a 450 degree oven on for an hour. I’d really like to have some way to bake it in the basement, where it’s perpetually cool. I’ve given serious thought to this, and even went so far as to price those cute little 30-inch wide apartment stoves they have at Menards. I took a picture so I could remember the price, but some guy who works there said, “Ma’am, store policy says that you can’t take pictures in the store.” Dnag it, if I’d have been quick enough, I would have replied, “Well, it’s my policy to take pictures everywhere I go.” (I said it to the empty air in the car on the way home, and I felt much better.)
Back to the stove thing. I knew a crockpot wouldn’t get hot enough, and I don’t want to buy a toaster oven. ( Decide: are you a toaster or are you an oven? You can’t be both.) I gave a fleeting thought to a roaster, but the only kind they had at Shop Ko was a little oval one.
Well, Friday I went to a different Shop Ko, and they had the big one for the same price! I was hoping my Pampered Chef baking stone would fit inside, but it’s not to be. If I want to make the pain d’epi, I’ll have to get some unglazed tiles or something. For today’s prototype, I made the circle bread from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day on my big plant saucer. I think it’s supposed to be much, much prettier than this, but it’ll do for dinner. As we say, “It’s good enough for who it’s for.”
Maybe in the summer you could bake the bread like Rachel bakes cookies: on the dashboard of the car. It might be an interesting challenge. Plus, it would make your car smell like yeast. Bonus!
Roasters can get up to 450 degrees? Who knew?
Have you given any thought to a toaster oven?
We have an oven in our basement – it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. We can bake to our hearts content and never heat up the house. I love it!
An oven-oven or a toaster oven?
We have a toaster oven and an oven-oven in the kitchen. The toaster oven is for little things (fish sticks, french fries, chicken nuggets). We only use the burners on the oven oven in the kitchen. In the basement, we have another full size oven that we use for all our baking needs – frozen pizzas, cookies, cakes, turkeys (not Arron), and other assorted goodies. We love the toaster oven for the little things, and love, love, love the full size oven in the basement.
Maybe you could find one at a garage sale or auction?
Oh, our neighbor just called about our car (remember the $63 gas cap?) He gave us the coupon to use… Did you ever get a bill for the furnace? Or shouldn’t I ask?
(Don’t ask.)
Ugh. Sorry.
My parents have a full size oven in their garage. Genius!
I have a lead furnace in my garage, too—for casting pistol bullets.
I believe that comment is supposed to be from my dad. My mom stopped making her own ammo years ago.
That’s what happens when you get a new computer and it keeps “Lauren’s mom” in its memory. I will change it!