Thank you OS and everyone - Merged

spaghetti_monster

In my Jamie Oliver book there are some snap shots of him making the dough and a written description, but I think I'd have to actually see someone doing it to really get the idea........
If you say it takes patience and skill, maybe it's not something for me!

livalot

Hi Alex, I really hope I have not put you off the "crater technique" because it sounds like you had lots of success from it and you are probably a natural.... as you say you just need to be a bit more gentle next time, so that you don't get flour everywhere :T . One of the things that never fails to amaze me about breadmaking/cooking is that there is s never just one recipe to follow or one way to do things .... what suits you will not suit others, just have the confindence to try out different methods...... look at me, I have tried and have found that the bread machine works for me but that was after lots of experiments from me :rotfl: . So I hope you will carry on, home breadmaking not only is moneysaving it is such a lovely thing to do for yourself and your family.

Livalot

spaghetti_monster

I will definitely carry on and keep experimenting. It's interesting what you say about your mother's bread being lighter - I would really like to make some bread like this.
My mum made bread when we were kids (she was and still is very OS!) but it quite hard and chewy and mine did have shades of this..... but I guess you also have so many other factors (exact ingredients, cooking and proving time) I'm willing to keep experimenting!

Fozz

I've had lots of tries at making bread over the years without success, loaves turned out like housebricks! Having read lots of tips on this forum I had one last go, and managed to make some nice bread at last. I think the most important thing I have done differently is to relax! I used to keep looking at the dough and worry about whether it was in a warm enough place etc, but now I just leave it and go off to do something else, and it looks after itself.

Breadmaking is definitely addictive, as is knitting which I've also rediscovered thanks to the OS forum!

spaghetti_monster

I've got some of those enormous knitting needles (you can do a scarf in about 10 mins) so this might be next...........

creamcheese

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have posted recipes for sweets for Christmas. I'm really skint this year so everybody has had a home-made box full of home-made sweets (chocolate fudge, vanilla fudge, turkish delight, coconut balls, peppermint creams and shortbread). I was really worried that people would be offended by home-made pressies (I do have a slightly materialistic family!), but they have gone down a treat.

So thank you and Merry Christmas to all you MSE bods :beer::beer::beer:

serena

I wouldn't be offended, quite the opposite, I'd be thrilled that someone thought enough of me to take the time to make something especially!!

Crazychik

Likewise, I make my own greeting cards, and its always a pleasure to receive them in return! As I know the time & effort which goes into them.

Last year I made my first toiletry gift sets for OH's family. They thought they was shop brought and was that impressed & gratefull. (and they are people who shop at expensive stores) and hard to please at times!

Well done for your efforts! I would be gratefull for something like that, instead of a cheap tack selection box with no imagination what so ever.

charleybabes

today i have cooked a roast for the first time in my life

im 28 and have never been into cooking.. once i met my H who is a chef then there was no need to cook again!!

but a couple of weeks ago he damaged his hand and cant cook at the moment.. ive been thrown in at the deep end and have had to do all the cooking

with the help of this board ive been able to cook from scratch every night and do a varied menu for 3 weeks running

and today i made a roast chicken, with roasties, mash, dauphinoise potatos and brocalli and carrots
all from scratch!!

i am now in the middle of making a chocolate sponge, its in the oven as we speak!!
its all thanks to the advice ive recieved on here and following all the recipe threads

so thank you everyone for your help:T

demented_2

Well done Charleybabes. I bet your OH is proud of you. This is a great site for learning how to cook, with all the tips etc. Anyway i just wanted to say congratulations. Keep at it. I am married to a retired Chef, although i do do alot of the cooking, and enjoy it. Mind you he isn't a GR. All shouting and f ing. I would soon loose interest.
:beer: :beer: