The hidden receptacle.

12/1/19

(Above: This is the grounding prong that I extracted from the hidden receptacle in the Master Blend freezer room.)

Active Summary: Today began with a bout of creative writing which was then ensued by a beef pasture check-up. After that, I ventured to Oldhouse where I put together some bread dough for sandwich rolls, took some tomato broth out of the sauce I had set to cook overnight, added some other ingredients to reduce the salt content (wine, water, and a some cashew milk*), and then I returned to Jacobhouse, carrying the bread dough with me.

Back at the farm, I allowed the bread to rise in Jacobhouse as I set about determining what I was going to do next in the freezer room. I also ventured to the garden and weeded out quite a lot of grass-sprigs and wild geranium sprouts. To finish off the morning, I did more creative writing as the bread rolls cooked.

(7:05 PM Update:) I began this afternoon about 15 minutes early and utilized that time to find the receptacle into which the defunct freezer room fan had previously been plugged. It took a little bit of effort, but I did end up locating the outlet via reaching up into the creepyhole with a thrice-gloved hand. While feeling around I also removed the grounding-prong that had become lodged within the receptacle during the prior fan’s extraction. These activities were followed by an extraordinary amount of cattle-related activities.

TIL: Today I learned how to make a fluffier and softer loaf of bread (though, this time the so-called loaf was in roll-form). From what I can tell, it was a result of two main factors: adding fat to the dough and cooking it for slightly longer on a slightly lower temperature**. I also learned that by incorporating a small amount of pre-cooked water/flour mixture into the dough, it increases softness even further and allows for a much longer shelf-life. This is called the tangzhong technique.

Much of today’s information came from King Arthur Flour’s excellent website. I have long been impressed by the clarity and quality of their methods/recipes.

Commentary: As I write this entry at 1:29 PM, the weather feels to be on the cusp a change. The day is presently quite warm with it almost being hot in direct sunlight. The wind, however, is unrelenting and carries with it a discernable hint of chill. Despite the persistence of that breeze and the strength of its gusts, most of the garden seems to be getting along quite well (albeit some of the broccoli and kale do not appear to be enjoying themselves).

Here is a bonus video taken two days ago when we set up the ladder to climb atop the farm’s office/freezer room building:

Final Note: On December 13^th, I plan on taking a freekend – the first since living in Jacobhouse – to enjoy a new expansion to the online game that I play. As per tradition, I want to see how much I can get done on the Master Blend freezer room before that date arrives. Tomorrow I plan to fashion a plug-in outlet (something that will plug into the hidden receptacle I found this afternoon), and then I shall begin preparing the room for painting.

*An adequate substitution that had to be made because we unfortunately did not have any cream or regular milk available.

** Typically, when I make a dough with 3 cups of flour, I sift in ~ 2 tsp Kosher Salt and then mix in 1 cup of water that has had 2 tsp of yeast already stirred in. Kneading-and-rise times ensue and then are followed by cooking at 400-425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Today’s dough conversely utilized 3 cups of flour, ½ cup of cashew milk, ½ cup of water, 4 tbsp. of melted butter, 2 tbsp. sugar, 2 tsp. yeast and 1 ½ tsp. salt. This was kneaded and allowed to rise just like normal but when it came to cooking, I did so at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.