creative writing: devastation. the life after (part 2)

…continued from part 1.

Wondering what that was, I began to search the apartment. I needed to know more about this guy. Who was he – what was he doing here – why is his stuff all here and where did he go? Not having time to continue, I made a phone call to the management group that I was going to be a few minutes late to the board meeting. After the call, I started looking around the apartment. I sat the voice recorder back on the table. The room was a hollow shell of a person with remnants everywhere. A very methodical lifestyle was apparent despite the last stand coordination. Binoculars, survival books, rolled-up tent, camera, old cell phone, and laptop, just to name a few things. The lined bookshelves were more fascinating. Stacks of composition journals lined them. Each with some coded system that incrementally increases from the top to the bottom of the shelves. I slid one out and glossed over it. It was coded on the spine and cover with writing throughout.

The walls had news articles printed and adhered to the walls. The dates varied but seemed to tell a story coinciding with the context of the audio. Not having the time then, I locked up the apartment and left the room as it was. I knew that I would be back when I had more time. This initial visit was to survey the vacant rooms. This was one of six and the first one on the stop that day. Still having five more to get through, I had to press on. “What happened to you 116?” I wondered. Having recently acquired the property, I did not have all of the documentation yet. File transfers take time and approvals. And considering the age of the property and all that has taken place over the years – record-keeping of this nature was not the highest priority. So I had to do my own investigating. This routine check was only to ensure the room was in generally good order before the teams prepare it for inhabitance again. We do this for each acquisition. I always enjoyed this part of the process; finding out about lives left behind… All of the other apartments were already empty. The doors open where you can see in. Since these six were locked, I needed to verify it.

Room two was mostly empty. The basic things that you would expect in an apartment that was abandoned. A couple of photos were on the floor, along with a couple of books. As I picked up the photos and began to study them, I noticed one was taken in the apartment that I was just in. The age of the photo was uncertain but it was definitely taken some time ago. A young man with brown eyes and very distinct features smiled standing in front of a bookshelf. Journals lined the shelves, just like they did while I was there – but significantly less of them. The middle-aged man in the picture had an intense look to him despite the smile in the picture. His hair was cut really close and he had a thick goatee. The second picture was of a young woman. She had long black hair and a significantly stern look on her face. There was depth behind her eyes and she wore a distinguishing set of eyeglasses. The picture was curved and worn in the shape of a wallet or pocket.

As I looked past the picture I noticed a composition book under the coffee table. I picked it up and instantly noticed the same coding system on the spine from tenant 116. Did they know each other – if so – what was their relationship? While it is not uncommon to have empty or abandoned apartments, the fact that there was some connection between these two tenants and both were abandoned around the same time frame did spark curiosity. The photo was suddenly less interesting and I placed it in my front shirt pocket where it fit perfectly. The composition book was full of writing. A quick flip from back to front showed black and white on every page. The book had above average wear and the pages were tinted lightly from the aging process. The cover of this book was sun-bleached on the corner that stuck out from the table where it faded to magenta from fire-engine red.

I put the journal under my arm, intending to return to the prior apartment and locked up 212 heading to the next. A part of me wondered if I was going to continue finding clues in each room. I brushed the thought off as too much CSI television. I was set at ease opening the next doors. The next apartments had no obvious connection to the other two. I searched through each of them only finding lives that were ages ago. Photographs of a family were on the walls in one and a couple of amateur paintings in another. The last one only had a mattress, lamp, and a deck of cards on the floor. Spades… by that point I was over analyzing and paying attention to everything. Carrying the composition notebook around, I began to wonder what was written in all of the books. The books that were numbered and in some form of order. Hundreds of composition books lining a bookshelf in 116. Were they all filled like the one under my arm? I had the same curiosity that a person has in an estate sale. I wanted the story to unfold. Who were these people?

Walking back to 116, I pulled the keys out of my back pocket. Modern buildings are all keycard or biometric, but many older buildings still exist. With the dozen-plus keys jingling and fumbling through my fingers, I lost grip of the composition notebook. The book fell flat, spine down, and opened to a worn page set. This section was an apparent journal entry with a date in the upper right corner. Pristine cursive lined the pages, indicative of the educational time frame. You see, since the digitizing of all records became the norm in the States, Optical Character Recognition, did not work well with cursive due to all of the variations. Hand-printed text, while vastly different person to person, was recognizable by the average AI. Cursive was removed from schools, nationally, in the late ’20s. When the pandemic happened, so many people were lost that the world suffered great losses of tribal knowledge. The World Digitization Act of 2025, created the ability and met the need for all documents to be digitized. Anything not printed relied on translation, which was also not the highest priority during that period. The digital rebellion took hold shortly after and hackers wiped large amounts of data from the archives. We are still searching the Black Webs recovering data lost.

Having a family that believed in a diverse education, I was easily able to read the cursive writing. The entry was marked as Feb 20, 2022. My eyes were pulled to the first line which jumped out at me “Day 675. The world has gone mad. Today, leaders of the United States made decisions to convert to a police state…” My phone rang about that time and I realized that I was already several minutes late to my appointment. Diverting the call, I picked up the fallen book, closed it, and finished opening the door. I walked into the room and realized something that I had not before. The organization was methodical. Not in a neat person sort of way, but in a library sort… The way the books were organized and other materials were placed in precise spots reminded me of a forensics laboratory. This room was a record of some sort. I placed the book on the table by the voice recorder. Turning to leave, I stopped, second-guessing myself, and grabbed the voice recorder. I walked out of the room and shut the door behind me, locking it.

The building deemed vacant had been sanitized long before my arrival. As I approached the main entrance I slid my PPE into the engaged position beeping active. I adjusted my access lanyard hanging from the front of my belt into the correct position. Scanning drones are really a nuisance and not worth the hassle of an incomplete read. I zipped up my jacket and pulled my stocking out of my back pocket adjusting it over my mask harness. The winters were cold and a trip to the infirmary was not something that I wanted to mess with. As I exited the building I saw my car start as I approached. I got into the car and sat the recorder on the dash. Replaying images of 116 in my mind, I heard the tenant’s voice over and over, “Better… never came. Well at least not in the way we expected it.” I checked the time and selected manual vehicle operation. I wanted to drive. I pushed the BT connection on the recorder and it paired with my car audio system. “Connection successful,” the AI confirmed. “What else did you have to tell me 116?” I pondered to myself.

(click)

“…we were chasing it after that and have never caught up. And we locked down again. Even tighter…”

[to be continued…]

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creative writing: devastation. the life after.

Today, while clearing out a vacated apartment, I found this audio clip. Dust had settled over the small black device. The air was stagnant and someone had obviously lived their last days here. Set up for lounging and convenience, it looks like the last stand. I replaced the batteries and hit play. (Click) Listening, I was taken to a lifetime ago…

(digitized static comes through the tiny speakers)

(drag on a cigarette – exhale) It has been years since the devastation. Well, that is at least what I have called it. It has been long enough that the memories have begun to lose their shape. But, not long enough that I have forgotten. Kids being born today will never know and the ones growing up have only known this changed way we’re living. I have my pictures which make me feel much older than I am. Phrases like “back when” and “remember” fall out of my mouth when I recall those days. I remember my parents doing that… Look, there I go again. As time speeds on, I can only hope that I can retain my memories. Those are fading though.(cough) An old news article was awaiting me in the chest. That, I am sure is what is sparking this… A voice is sometimes all that I feel like I have left and I have a need to say my peace. To be heard again – and remember what was – and give hope for someday. Some. Day.

“Social Distancing Instituted Across America,” reads the headline. It is a printed article since I never did take to the newspapers. But I wanted to keep it. So, just like I am right now, I can go back into my remember whens. When things were not stirred up yet, or when socials were still a thing. Distancing was something that a person did for introversion. Well, either that or depression, I guess. I guess I never noticed. (laugh) I was definitely an introvert. Back before it was the thing. Oh, how even I miss those days. Too much of a good thing… and everything in moderation as my family would joke with me. I once made a list. A list of things that I did in that all or nothing lifestyle. But that doesn’t matter… This article was so many years ago. Where did they go? I can imagine what a person that lost their sight later in life must feel like. The colors blurring. The associations of images with sounds. The same is true now – just on a different level.

I remember a baseball game. No, not like now. The sport was held in a large stadium. The stadium contained thousands of seats, in rows, uncomfortable but evenly spaced. (chuckle) The awkwardness of moving past the people sitting if you got up to grab a snack or make any movement really. I think I have said “Ooop, excuse me,” and “Sorry..” there more than anywhere in my life. (laugh) Well on the outside anyway. People would pay to sit in those seats. Sometimes a lot of money. The popcorn and the soda were so overpriced. But now, the experience, well, that would be worth those golden kernels. About the only thing, the same today is watching it on a big screen part. I could only afford the nose bleed sections, which meant I was up high, and so far away. So, like now, watching it on the TV. That part is the same. They still play – but the sound of the crowd all around you… In stereo because it was all around you. That was different. Pay-per-view was for certain things – and only a few people actually did it. Well, I am sure enough [people] to keep it going – but not like now. (sigh) I have been away from memory lane for too long.

The world has changed. Not in the sense that things do. It feels more upside down or inside out. Starkly different. It was not sudden. The days that we counted turned to weeks…months even… then we just stopped counting. Better… never came. Well at least in the way we expected it. People would actually go places and the excitement was the crowd of people. I look out the window and the streets are only full of people commuting to and from a space. Those strategically placed cubicles… safe distances… The street corners do not contain a musician or a homeless person bumming pocket change. No one goes outside to just be… outside. And the smell of the air… The unfiltered air… The aromas of the city, which we hated and complained about… but was not layered in between the plastic of a mask, or the scent that you selected on inside of your protection. Only certain people wore those – your job determined that.

My mind is an explosion of joy and sorrow. (sniffs) Memories shine bright when I close my eyes. (inhale of a cigarette) I cannot tell what to feel right now. Similar feelings then, actually. That feeling…that things are unsettled and changing. Headline after headline leaving you wondering what planet we were on. The time when everyone was an essential worker. And it worked. The essential definition just meant you held a job that did something in society. Not like now. Badges to go in and out. Permissions and training to be in the world. Certifiably crazy if you ask me. No one ever did. (scoffs) You could see people’s faces. The shapes of their noses and lips. Whether they had good teeth or not. Did they smile nicely? And running into someone… somewhere. “Hey, Bob! How has it been going?” Or maybe “Jane so nice to see you!” Then exchange a firm warm handshake or a gentle hug. Pat on the shoulder even. The touch… There were no quotas on groups or strict gathering policies. Smiling and seeing a smile was the thing you did on a walk.

Like right now. I am online selecting my groceries from an outlet. Stores do not really exist anymore. They used to. We would go in and read the boxes or check over the fruit ourselves. The look or smell would sell us. Not searching and reading reviews adding to our carts. We would drive to the store, and grab a shopping cart. Load it up with everything we had on our lists and then some. Now, as you know, everything is shipped. Blank non-printed boxes. No need to catch your eye if you only read the reviews. Damn shame. Some stores even had samples. I mean you would go in and someone would have this table full of their products. Small cups of this and that and you would try it. Then decide if you were splurging or not. Ordering it just to try it… God, I miss that (laugh) Oh and driving… everyone drove. If you needed something you would get into your car and go get it. Drones did not deliver. Drones were not even a real thing yet. Well, in that aspect. They were either novelty or served a purpose. Such as spying on you. (chuckles) I had a car that would seat 4 people. And we would get into the car and all go places together. I cannot recall the last passenger vehicle that I have seen that was not special purpose.

When did it fall apart? (drags on a cigarette) I am not certain when that began. I cannot think of any key events. It was like several things happened at once, aligned, and then snowballed. The world came together for a short time… it was an amazing moment in humanity. One of those things that I never thought I would see. We locked down the world and we adapted. The virus spread like wildfire. The distancing helped and we made progress, so we thought. We got used to this situation. People took it seriously, despite the nay-sayers, which I suppose you will always have. We rushed to find prevention methods. The things we normally would do in this type of situation. And we searched for a cure. The world… searching… together. Technology came together and our smart devices would let us track if we came near anyone certified to have it. So many things working together. And I remember we found a vaccine. The news… the rush of people getting it… I thought we came together, braved the storm, and found a solution. Again, things I never thought that I would see. We had hope and slowly life started to resume. Lockdowns were progressively lifted and we could be out again. We did not know that it jumped. The virus evolved… again… We just reinfected everyone. And we were chasing it after that and have never caught up.

And we locked down again. Even tighter… (click)

*** Author’s Note***

I am playing around with a story concept. My mind reads the news articles – and as the dates for “normal” keep getting pushed back, I wonder if we will ever have the world we knew. I do not think the world will be post-apocalyptic or dystopian “as seen on tv.” I do think we will be forever changed and what was normal will not exist and what now is will continue to evolve into the expectation. The story takes place years after a global pandemic. A landlord assuming ownership of a building is going through the complex. All of the tenants that are no longer there and finds a room, preserved for several years. A time capsule of what was. The audio is from a tenant reflecting.

If you like this story – I contemplated expanding on it. Like or comment to let me know what you think. About anything, really. Let your mind wander…

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blueberry muffin bread (bread maker or loaf pan)

I needed to try a fruity dessert. So I nabbed a blueberry muffin bread recipe off of Pinterest.

Ingredients:

• 1+ cup white sugar ( I make a heaping cup…)
• 1/2 Cup Salted Butter (Melted.)
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Milk
• 2 Cups All purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 2+ Cups Blueberries (I added a bit more – but you can add to your liking. I used frozen so that they would not mash in all of the mixing.)

I mixed the butter, milk, and sugar together to create a cream just like the recipe stated. Then I added the vanilla extract and eggs and made a semi-homogenous mixture. I placed this in the bread maker then put the flour on top and blueberries on top of that.

I used the Sweetbread setting on the mixer and 1.5 lb. setting. It was still soft when the bread maker was completed so I had to use the oven (which I suspected before the maker finished) 350 oven for 15 m. more. I think I could have upped the size to increase the bake time or (as the original recipe stated) standard oven at 350 for 50-60 m.

Callout if using a bread maker… The berries heavy in the mixture, sunk to the bottom. So adding them in later in the mix cycle or using the oven may be better. Thought being, if you use the oven it will harden the dough quicker and lock the berries in place.

This blueberry muffin bread was a PERFECT texture, consistency and bake. The downside, if any, is that the berries settled to the bottom – so you will want to be aware of that. It is a KEEPER though. It reheats very nicely too. Enjoy.

ww. joe

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people. frustration. mental wandering.

Most of my entries have been recipes as of late. I think that is partially because there is an end. I did something, saw an outcome and in most cases, rewarded. I mean in a short time I made something. Made. Something. And the something had a sweet taste which lent to a smile for myself or the people that I shared it with. In a text to the family today, I made a comment that today feels like every other day – just different weather. Groundhog’s Day seems to be the theme.

Life is not terrible. I am really in a good place. My family is safe and the people close to me are in a good place. But the overwhelming aimlessness takes over. It creeps in like a draft through a cracked window or door and before I know it the furnace cannot keep up. I have been spending a lot of time working on self-awareness and what the ego (self) is telling me. Based on a recommendation from my therapist, I reread The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. I have been studying, in an awareness sense, cognitive distortion and the perceptions for realities. Some days I feel like Dorey in Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming… just keep swimming…” And also like Dorey, I forget where I am, was going, or what I intended… It is funny, really. Ironic. We are less bombarded with stimuli than we were months ago – and in a sense more overwhelmed. And while I do not think that is completely true – it is a perception that I am wrestling with.

The news is full of what people do when they feel powerless. Complaint. Rebellion. Complaints about rebellion. Opinions about opinions and so many people (myself included) disagree with what is – but do not have the answer for what should. Compound that with a million we could’s and we get a sh*tstorm in social media. Not to mention the country leadership lends itself to mushroom management. While I do not find myself being super politically charged – it is hard to not have an opinion (yay or nay) on the matters at hand. With everyone searching for the right answers and sharing the ones that they do have, I find myself in analysis paralysis. The overwhelmed feelings that have complied this week were boiled over, for me, and came out in a couple of tears while watching this comforting song and the text you are reading now. I just needed to get it out there. So there!

I do not know if I should be scared. Or should I feel safe? Do we have this under control, or are we still awaiting the other shoe to drop? Articles like this, give me hope, but if I read much more, I will find just as much reason to want to lock the doors, crawl under the covers and only let my eyes show (imagine a child hiding from a monster in the closet). Because we do have something like that going on. We do not know if it is there – or not – but the feelings exist which makes it very real… to me. So with the gloomy weather outside, and a cold front taking over, I will sip my coffee and continue to explore these thoughts. Eventually, I will likely give up and work on one of the projects that I have. (Just started my personal branding, joepederson.com… but it is not complete yet.)

Now is a great time to be a creative. Or have some projects that you have always wanted to do. Being Sunday (today), I am going to make some lists of goals for the week. Then maybe cap it off with exploring another world in my mind. Now, which project to pick?

ww. joe

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craisin cinnamon bread recipe

I am going to develop health problems by the end of the COVID-19 lockdown. I got my 1lb of yeast. Well, 3 packs were $10. 1 lb. was $18. Why not? Considering Amazon is backordered until May in many stores and the local stores seem to be out… I may just be the corner dealer. Man – what-chu-got? Yea-st. No? Ok then.

Another tweaked recipe that I found on Pinterest. I was aiming for denser and sweeter than the original recipe. Maybe I will make some frosting as well. Not sure yet. Regardless, I used the Sweet setting and 1.5 lb. loaf setting. I added the liquids, then dry ingredients. I made a pocket in the corner and put the yeast in. It ended up much more dense (in a good way – like homemade bread often does) than I expected. It was a smaller loaf so there is a lot of room to tweak things to get the bread lighter and fluffier (add an egg or yeast). The results were much more homemade-bread-like. A little more dense and heavier but not a loaf of dough. Slather some butter and it has the sweet salty appeal. You could always switch up the craisins to raisins or reduce the amount if this bread looks too fruity for you. Regardless, I think this one is a keeper.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. room temperature milk (subbed for water)
• 3 tbs. margarine/butter (added 1 tbs.)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 c. flour
• 4 tbs. sugar (added 1 tsp.)
• 3 tsp. ground cinnamon (added 1 tsp)
• 2 1/2 tsp. active/dry yeast
• 1 1/4 c. craisins (added 1/4 non packed)
• 2 tsp. brown sugar ( added 2 tsp.)

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It’s not if, but when we get it…

Knowing when you have been exposed to someone with Coronavirus (COVID-19) is not as far away as you may think, according to an article in my news feed. Using Bluetooth and location settings – you can be alerted. The idea could apply to just about anything, really. I suddenly imagined a world where criminals (sex offenders) etc. are monitored even more closely. And that brings an entire debate for me. I have to digest that a bit more before I comment. It is a fascinating technology, though. It does not change the future though. It is still largely reactive…

Considering influenza, aka the “flu,” and how it passes around every season and how we chase it… It does not disappear. We gamble with an educated guess for the strain of the year with vaccines and try to get ahead but people still get it. I imagine that COVID-19 will be the same way. It is not a matter of if – but when we get it, in my opinion. It is hard to hear. Maybe even scary. We are putting all of this work together – methods – protocols – lockdowns… but is it only delaying the inevitable? And there is a significant chance, I believe, that each of us will get the corona at one point or another. I am unsettled thinking about it. The disease which is responsible for a large part of the world shutting down may be here to stay. I do not think we will escape it. But by that time, hopefully, we will be in a much better place.

Our goal needs to be to avoid the virus as long as possible. I do not think – going back to normal and having a Corona party (a reference to a chickenpox party for the earlier generations) is the way to go. Each day we learn something new about it. How it transmits or which fomites it can survive on… We are experimenting with so many new things. Cures, vaccines, treatment protocols, and social norms. We have so much more to learn. This “flattening the curve” effort is crucial to our futures. The longer we can delay it, or slow it down, we recover more of our resources. Hospitals free up – and doctors can take deeper looks at treatment protocols. Everyone will not be in a triage state.

I am still tired. And every day is a circus of what Trump said. What Fauci said… Who tweeted about who. Or now, Trump is withholding funding from the WHO due to some questions about the approach to the disease. This is not a time to be drawing lines – making political points or building a platform. I do not care which president said it. Or which monarch made the point… We need to be developing a longer-term plan. Be preparing for surges. Investing in education and transparency to prepare the public. We are still not in a good place. We have priorities that we need to attend to. We can come back to dot the i’s and cross the t’s when we stabilize or at least have a solid plan (not debating behind closed doors a super-secret committee’s plan). We can review processes and who did what right – or wrong later. Though we should be agile and learn as we go. Too much time looking back and we trip going forward. It is time to just march. Pick up your neighbor and carry them if you need to. We need each other. When we go back to “normal” we will be anything but… We then need to prepare for what’s next… a surge… panic… whatever. The strategy shouldn’t be political.

Ok, I have to stop. Soapbox is getting higher up there and I need to digest all of this. I wish you all well. Stay safe – educated – and open-minded. Above all else – show compassion and be prepared.

ww. joe

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apple cinnamon dump cake cobbler sort of thing

I need to find my writing mojo. Instead of spending energy here or on my research, I decided to bake again. I mean, what goes good with cinnamon raisin bread? Cinnamon apple cake – of course, silly! And this makes a ton of it. So cut back where you need to.

Ingredients:

• (1) 16 oz. White or Yellow Cake mix
• (1) Stick of butter
• Brown sugar to your liking
• Walnuts or other nuts if you please
• (3) packages of 16 oz tubs of prepared Hormel cinnamon apples
• (You can use pineapples, cherries, or other fruit. Just remember that you will need moisture for the cake to wick up. I have found the apples are just about right. Maybe 25% sauce, so maybe 4oz of a creamy sugary cinnamon mix.)

Dump the (3) containers of apples into a 13 X 9 pan with the sides buttered. I had a few apples that were still good – but the texture wasn’t appealing (uncooked). Looking back, I would have only added 1/2 of the third container considering I added (3) sliced apples. It cooked over a bit *oops.* Spread evenly. Dump the dry cake mix on top of the fruit. I then spread it as well. Cut the stick of butter into think slices and line the top of the cake with it. Place into the oven for 20 m. at 400 degrees. After that, I brought it out, applied brown sugar and nuts. I placed back in for 20 more minutes. I had to pull it and put tin foil over the nuts and back in for 10 more mins this time. Normally I do 415-425. Hello, experimentation. The nuts will burn if too hot for too long (hence the tin foil).

I hope that you get to try this cake. Canned cherries work well also, or a mix of pineapple and cherries. The cherries, by the way, have the right amount of sauce for the cake mix. I also leave a little of the pineapple juice in when dumping. I had to experiment to find “just the right amount.” ~Goldilocks.

Today was sort of meh. Work was a slog – and the weekend, while peaceful, contained a lot of aimlessness. I did write a lot. I also got my social platforms set up. I may have mentioned that earlier. I wrote my last prison penpal today and mentally, I have check out. Well, that is how it feels. The constant alertness and negative news bombardment may have worn my down. I am sifting through the thoughts to figure that one out.

WW. joe

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avoid the corona and make some cinnamon raisin bread

Avoiding the corona, and more than social just distancing. My brain capacity seems to be shrinking. So I decided to bake. I have cooked quite a bit recently – but a treat sounded much better. I have not written for awhile, since all that I have been reading or hearing about is COVID-19. It is exhausting – and I cannot imagine being in a place like NY. I spent the last few days working on my book with whatever time and energy that I had. I have started researching about a gamer’s life. Between lining up all of the platforms (website, social site, etc.) I have been occupied. Both in a busy way – but also distracting. So – maybe I can help distract you for a minute. It was nice to be doing something. (PS. Since the yeast is now a scarce commodity, I had to cut back on baking bread. The stores as well as Amazon are out. I had to order 1lb. of yeast in order to get it before May.)

So I went to Pinterest, and found a cinnamon raisin bread recipe. I ended up at this website and proceeded to make some bread. I did some tweaking as well – go figure. It turned out really fluffy and light. So if you want it more dense then you should probably tweak the recipe, or check this one out (which I made a couple weeks ago). It turned out a little more dense. They are very similar though.

• 1 c. Milk (room temp)
• 3.5 tbs. Softened Butter (I increased .5 tbs from the original 2 tbs.)
• 4 tbs. Honey (I imagine you could use Agave – or the like)
• 2 tbs. Brown Sugar (I increased vs. the original of 1 tbs.)
• 1 Egg (Warmed to room temperature)
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1.5 tsp. Cinnamon (I increased from 1 tsp. from the original)
• 3 c. Bread Flour (I used traditional white)
• 2 1/4 tsp. Active Yeast
• 3/4 c. Raisins (The original called for 1 c. but I didn’t have that – so I put other sweeteners in – see above)

Settings: 1.5 Loaf Size, Sweet Bread Setting

I added the ingredients pretty much in order. Except that I made sure the yeast was in the corner and not touching anything but the flower until I was ready to start. The bread is about the consistency of “store bought” white bread. You may want to add more honey – or some sugar as well if you want it sweeter. Maybe cut back slightly on the yeast for a smaller rise or perhaps removing the egg – if you want it more dense. Just some thoughts.

WW. joe

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easy cream cheese frosting, made from scratch.

Simple ingredients. And I did cheat, a bit…

My partner had a birthday today and I wanted to bake a cake. I am learning to bake, as noted in my prior post, so I cheated for the cake. (1) Yellow cake mix. Plus, honestly, I did not have a lot of time. Her parents were sneaking over and I am known for last minute things… this was one. Yes… we did social distance…

I also included the variation of the cake. It was a yellow cake mix from Aldi but I subbed ingredients. I tend to like coconut oil more. It makes a mean brownie as well. Just say’n.

Yellow Cake

• (1) Yellow Cake Mix
• (3) Med/Lg Eggs
• (1/3) c. of Coconut Oil for Vegetable Oil (melted)
• (1) c. Milk in place of Water

I mixed all of it together until there were no clumps left.

I used a 13 X 9 greased pan and put in the oven while it was preheating to 350 degrees for 25 minutes. It had been preheating for maybe 5 mins already (while I mixed the batter together).

I got the frosting idea from a recipe called “Insanely Delicious Cream Cheese Frosting,” which I pulled from Pinterest. Great recipe. I needed to tweak it just a bit since I did not have all of the cream cheese – and frankly, I was not sure that I needed 3 c. of frosting. (By the way – the amount that I made generously covered this yellow cake, and still have a container left over.)

Joe’s revised “Insanely Delicious Cream Cheese Frosting”

• (1 3/4) c. Powdered Sugar
• (6) tbs. Softened Butter
• (6) oz. Softened Cream Cheese (sat out of the fridge while I mixed the cake; not frozen)
• (2) tbs. Milk
• (1) tsp. Vanilla Extract
• (?) Drops of food coloring (I chose green)

I mixed all the wet ingredients until there were no clumps and it was smooth. Then I dumped in the powdered sugar and repeated the process. Then voila – it was good.

After the cake came out of the oven I let it cool on the stove – and then put it in the fridge to speed up the chilling process. It also allowed me to put the frosting on quicker.

The finished work. Ignore the green streaks – while writing a message with icing the tube burped or something- and green dots went everywhere. I spooned it off and reapplied. I wanted it perfect, darn-it!

Enjoy.

ww. joe

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Yummy and Easy Sweet Fluffy Hawaiian Bread-maker Recipe

Recipe’s are not my normal thing – but I thought that I would start sharing the ones that I like and make (and the tweaks that I try). Also, the random things that I pair together, that end up being nommie. Sometimes – it’s a fridge mashup. I really enjoy playing around in the kitchen. With my background (training), I know a lot about meat science, however, I am learning about baking and other food sciences.

I wanted bread. Homemade bread. So I decided to make some and I used an Admiral bread maker that I got at GoodWill and picked a recipe. (If you do not have a bread-maker and want one – there are usually several to chose from at your local thrift stores.)

The recipe:

Put the liquids in first. Flour on top. Salt in one corner, sugar in another and yeast in another. To make, I used the basic setting, which is (1) program on my maker.

• 1 c. pineapple juice (I squeezed some from actual pineapple and minced a few pieces that I squeezed into the cup.)
• 1 tablespoon of water (probably could add a little extra juice instead.)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

The bread turned out a little darker than I would like – so I would be aware of that inside of your maker. The recipe (as shown above) is super fluffy. It didn’t turn out as dense as some of the “homemade” bread recipes that I have made. I would also consider adding more chunks of the pineapple. It also did end up being a littler more dry than I like – so butter is my friend today. I am not an expert so you may want to tweak this to your liking. I added about about 1/2 c. more flour than the recipe called for (reflected in the recipe above). Removing that 1/2 c. may also be better considering the finished product. I also pulled it out (being impatient) so it did fall a part a bit. Oh well. Still tastes the same Easy enough that a kitchen novice could do it.

Take my experiment, tweak it to your liking – and enjoy. It is really yummy.

ww. joe

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