[Ad- gifted product] The beginning of the year is often all about trying new things and improving your health. I cut out all at-home soda over a year ago, but still have an energy drink every other day. I just like feeling more awake and tend to drink one all throughout the day. When I heard about Zooz Drink being an energy drink with no sugar, lots of healthy ingredients, and no fuss, I wanted to give it a go!
Continue reading “Zooz Drink – Mushroom Infused Energy Drink”
Every recipe you encounter has water, whether as a direct ingredient or indirectly in other items. Breads in particular are primarily composed of flour and water. Thus it stands to reason that the quality of water will impact the quality of your baking. In this article, we will explore the role of water, common water quality problems and their impact, and adjustments that can be made to improve water while baking.
Water performs several functions in the baking process. Water impacts the texture, crumb, and shelf-life of baked goods. It is responsible for all natural chemical reactions during baking, allows bakers to control batter and dough temperatures, and affects the overall consistency of baked goods. A dough with high water content is sticky and elastic, while a lower water content makes dough stiff and firm. After baking, more water creates a puffier, chewier texture with a generally more complex flavor, while less water has tighter, denser textures that can be bland without additional flavorings. This is because water activates gluten proteins in flour, creating binding structures. It also dissolves and disperses certain ingredients, like salt, sugar, and backing powder, and is the key to activating yeast.
Continue reading “The Impact of Water Quality on Baking Results”
Dann has been talking about Kentwell Hall for as long as I have known him. He went there in school, as some sort of tudor thing, and has always mentioned it when talking about school trips or interesting things at school, though he didn’t know it was Kentwell Hall, until we went there with Claire and her partner David, as a little double date out at light trails! Claire had picked out this location as she had seen the light trail and wanted to check it out. The light trail itself was very interesting!
[Ad- gifted product] Some Monday’s we are a bit pressed for time. That’s when smaller, ice-breaker style tabletop games come out and are perfect to play. That’s Not a Hat is all about bluffing what card you are currently moving to another person. We played as a family, with Dann, Amelia and Robin joining in while Kai played DND at our local Geek Retreat. The game itself was very easy to pick up and start with, which was ideal for our group.
Continue reading “That’s Not a Hat tests your Bluffing and Memory”
We have actually previously done a wonton course at the Harlow Chinese School, previously creating both fried and soup wontons. Even though we had previously attended, we were both excited to come back! The meat in the middle of these wontons were different and so was the broth, so it sounded like a good time to us. The Harlow Chinese School is running their cooking club every other month this year and we are aiming to attend all of them!
Continue reading “Harlow Chinese School Cooking Course – Wonton Soup with Noodles”
