Baking Powder vs Baking Soda Videos

Best Zucchini Bread Recipe

This recipe is really great because you can mix and match ingredients so that any combination is a crowd pleasing one. I made a whole wheat zucchini bread in my bread machine a while ago, so I thought that I would sort of replicate it with this new recipe.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

Step 1

Choose from an apple, pear, zucchini, carrot, shredded. Or a banana mashed. Whichever item that you choose make sure that it equals one cup.

I used zucchini because it is delicious!

Step 2

Choose from: Walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, dried cherries, dried cranberries, dried currants, raisins, dried figs, dried apricots, pitted dried dates, rolled oats, chocolate chips, and/or sweetened shredded coconut. Whatever you choose should equal 1.75 cups. Any nut combination should not exceed 3/4 cup.

I used 1 cup rolled oats and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.

Step 3

Grease pan. You can either use 1 9x5 inch pan or 3 6x3 inch pans.

Step 4

Time to make the batter! In a large mixing bowl, combine:
1.25 cups flour (I used whole wheat flour)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Add in your chosen ingredients from step 2 to the batter mixture.

In a small bowl combine:
2 eggs
1/2 cup cooled, melted butter or vegetable oil (I used vegetable oil)
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (Sour cream was the choice for me)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp citrus zest (optional) (I did not opt for the zest)

Whisk all wet ingredients together until well combined. Then add in the choice of your fruit or vegetable to the wet ingredients.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined.

Step 5

Bake! Pour batter into greased pan(s) and bake at 350F for 55 minutes for large loaves or 35-40 minutes for small loaves.

 Cool in pan for 30 minutes on a wire rack, then transfer out of pan and on to wire rack to cool completely.

Voila! A scrumptious bread from a wonderful recipe that just keeps on giving.

Lesson 4: Baking Powder vs Baking Soda

I know what you need right now. Science. You need some in your life. To fill that gaping hole that you have buried deep within your heart. It's ok. That's why I am here, to help you. We can take a little adventure down leavening agent road. For breads that are made with yeast, yeast is the leavening agent. It is the go to apparatus that makes the bread rise and what gives bread such an airy texture. Want to do an experiment? Go to your kitchen. Find a slice of bread, like sandwich bread or a baguette. Look very closely at it. You can see very slight holes in the bread where the gas that was released from the yeast was released when the bread was being baked. Fancy. Now if you are so lucky to have a piece of banana or pumpkin bread at hand, you can see that same airy texture is not there. Breads that do not take yeast are dense, rich, and usually moist.

For breads that are made without yeast, the two most common leavening agents are baking powder and baking soda. These two are very different entities. We use baking powders and baking sodas for the same reason we use yeast, to release carbon dioxide when the bread is baking. The use of baking powders and baking sodas, however, are different. We use these when the dough that we are working with is too runny to hold the gas bubbles in (McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner, 2004).

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Baking Soda

• Is made of sodium bicarbonate
• Can rise bread on its own, if the bread has the right kind and amount of acids to react with
• Milk will neutralize baking soda

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Baking Powder

• Contains alkaline baking soda and acid in the form of solid crystals
• Usually the chemical components are mixed with ground dry starch so that chemical reactions do not occur when in contact with liquids
• When baking powder is added to a liquid it dissolves almost immediately
• "Double Acting": This means that baking powder will help the dough/batter rise when first mixed and then again when it is being baked.

Fun Fact: Baking Soda causes the reddening of cocoa powder when baked. Thus, we have "Devil's Food Cake" source

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* Source: McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner, 2004.

Portfolio # 4

I am a very strategic person. I love lists. I make lists about making lists. I love sequential order. Alphabetizing is my second favorite hobby after highlighting. It makes sense then that I love baking, because a recipe, in essence, is a list. That tells you what to do. In sequential order.

The process of baking is a very straightforward procedure. It is technical and leaves a small room for variance. You never have to guess if what you are doing is correct because some brilliant chef has already decided that for you. It is far from the lateral thinking that we so desire in this class. I suppose that lateral thinking has brought us some of the best recipes, so I know that this way of approaching new information is critical.

I have here a great recipe for Snickers Cupcakes. The great thing about this recipe is that it is very straightforward and is not very difficult, I believe that we all have firmly grasped the concept of stirring something in a bowl. If not, then today is the day that we are going to learn something! These cupcakes are a show stopper. They are gorgeous. They are really tasty also! What we are going to do is not only learn how to make an amazing cupcake that will be sure to impress friends, family members, and peers, but also learn how this process is kind of like running. We are thinking laterally.

Snickers Cupcakes

Recipe from www.mybakingaddiction.com

Makes 24-30 cupcakes

For the cake:
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs; lightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon of vanilla
24-30 frozen Snickers Miniatures

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line (2) 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, vanilla and water.
4. Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared pans.
5. Gently push a frozen Snickers Miniature bar into the center of the batter and smooth the surface making sure to cover the candy bar with batter.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool cupcakes thoroughly on wire rack.

For the frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter; room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup caramel topping; plus more for drizzling
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method
1. Cream the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract, salt and caramel syrup and combine well.
2. Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, give it a taste and decide if you want to add in more caramel syrup. For thicker frosting you can gradually add in a little more sugar.

Garnish with chopped Snickers bars and a drizzle of caramel of caramel syrup.

Here is part of a 6-week 5k Training Plan

5k training Plan

source

Week 1

Monday: Walk briskly for 1 mile. Run 2 minutes every half mile until you reach 3.5 total miles. Walk 0.5 mile.

Tuesday: Walk 3-5 miles.

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Walk 1 mile. Run 3 minutes every half mile until you reach 3.5 miles. Walk 0.5 mile.

Friday: Off

Saturday: Walk 3-5 miles, including 10 run/walk intervals (run 30 seconds, walk 1 minutes) in the last mile.

Sunday: Off

Week Total: 16-20 miles

Week 2

Monday: Walk 1.5 miles. Run 5 minutes, walk 5 minutes; do 3 times. Walk 1-2 miles.

Tuesday: Walk 3-5 miles.

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Repeat Week 1 Thursday.

Friday: Off

Saturday: Repeat Week 2 Monday.

Sunday: Off

Week Total: 18-20 miles

So, how do these two connect? In a recipe you always are given the list of ingredients first. This makes sense. You do not want to be halfway through mixing and realize that you need baking powder when all you have is baking soda. These two items are not interchangeable. This is similar to training for a race. You need to find a race to run in, have the means to get to the race, and even find and/or make a team. 

After the list of ingredients, there are always step by step bullet points for you to follow to ensure that you complete each step in the order that it needs to be in, so that you do not ruin your batter and that your resulting baked good is the best that it possibly can be. In running, you have a training plan. A training plan outlines what you have to do each day so as to train your body, build endurance, and make sure that you do not injure yourself.

As far as I can see. These two processes are almost identical. One is tastier, but that is besides the point.

Portfolio # 3

Happy Halloween!


On October 1st of this year I completed my first 5k. It was an amazing experience! I have always enjoyed running and I thoroughly enjoyed my first race, so much so that I am now looking for my next race. One of my goals in life is to run a marathon. I know that it takes a lot of hard work and an incredible amount of dedication to complete such a task, but I truly believe that it is.

One of the most daunting tasks in preparing for a race is how to properly train. It is essential to have enough time to develop endurance, build muscle, and recover. One of the fastest growing trends in the world of running is the run-walk method. This method was developed by Jeff Galloway, an avid runner and a familiar face when it comes to marathon races. He has developed a system in which a runner takes breaks during long distance runs. Instead of slowing the runner down, his method has proven to better the time of many runners.

How could this be possible? After many trials, many runners continually recorded significantly faster times because they did not have to decrease their speed at the end of a long run. The muscles of the legs, when continually used at such intense paces, like during a marathon run, tire very quickly. These muscles tire because they are used in the same capacity for hours on end. By taking walking breaks, one is using a different set of muscles, allowing for a more used set of muscles to have enough time to repair. Using a run-walk method then displaces the tedious task of running long distance over several different muscle groups.

To use the run-walk method during a marathon, a runner must only utilize this method up until the 18 mile. The run-walk method has the best effects when a runner uses the technique immediately, not when they begin to feel fatigue. Galloway also has described a training pace for a correct run-walk ratio:

8 min/mile- run 4 minutes/ walk 35 seconds
9 min/mile- run 4 minutes/ walk 1 minute
10 min/mile- run 3 minutes/ walk 1 minute
11 min/ mile- run 2:30 minutes/ walk 1 minute
12 min/mile- run 2 minutes/ walk 1 minute
13 min/ mile- run 1 minute/ walk 1 minute
14 min/mile- 30 second run/ walk 30 seconds
15 min/mile- 30 second run/ walk 45 seconds
16 min/mile- 30 second run/ walk 1 minute

Running in a race was one of my greatest accomplishments. It instills a lot of pride in oneself, knowing that you can put your mind to something and complete it. I highly recommend that everyone try it out, you will not be sorry!

Jeff Galloway Training Program Article

Fantastic Bread Machine Recipes

Old World Rye Bread Recipe

Swirly bread with cornmeal and flour sprinkled on top.

Crusty!

Crusty Rye Bread 

(for bread machines)

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2/3 cup water at 105-110 degrees F

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2/3 cup of buttermilk

1.25 cup of bread flour

1 cup rye flour

1/3 cup mashed potato mix, dry variety

2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed

1.25 tsp salt

2 tsp bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine, starting with the liquids and ending with the yeast. Be sure to keep the yeast out of contact with the liquids or salt. Select dough/manual cycle and let it rip!

Remove dough and place on a lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest for ten minutes.

On a greased cookie sheet, sprinkle cornmeal.

Roll dough with hands into a 25inch rope. Curl the rope into a coil shape and tuck the end underneath the dough. Place on cookie sheet and let rise 45 minutes, meanwhile heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush water on top of dough, and sprinkle with cornmeal and a tad bit of flour. 

Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and onto cooling rack.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

Recipe from Betty Crocker Cookbook for Bread Machines

For a 1.5lb loaf (12 slices, unless you live in my house then 8 slices) you will need:

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp warm water (105-110 degrees F)
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 cups bread flour
3 Tbsp dry milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves

Add last!!
2 tsp active yeast

Combine all ingredients in bread machine pan in the order as listed.

Set bread machine to desired loaf size, crust color, and setting (I used the whole wheat setting).

Let it do its thing!

I love watching the bread machine mix all the ingredients, it is addicting and far superior than television :)

3 hours later...

Voila!! Zucchini bread! 

Lesson 3: What is a Bread Machine?

Baking has been around for a very long time. I mean a very long time. That being said, the world of baking has made some great advances making it not only easier for the average Joe to do, but also making it more accessible for more people. One of the greatest inventions in the history of baking, in my opinion, is the bread machine.

Bread machines are basically a one step process for making any sort of bread, without really having to do it with your own hands. I mean, I love baking and everything that goes with it, but I do have a life outside of the kitchen. Bread machines are literally a machine, that has a bucket/baking pan, a kneading paddle, heating/baking element, and several different programs. You can choose which program you want based on what kind of bread or dough you would like to make.

As with any aspect of baking, there are specific rules to using bread machines. The order of the ingredients that you put into the bread machine is critical, it should go a little something like this:

1. Liquids (water, butter, etc.)
2. Flour
3. Sugar, Salt, other seasonings
4. Always always always add the yeast last. 

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The programs will vary in baking, kneading, and resting time based on what program you have selected. Also there is the convenience of choosing the kind of crust color you would like and what size loaf you would like. 

Great video!

Portfolio # 2

Have you ever heard of "Pink Medicine"? I had not heard of it either until I came upon a really interesting article that explained just what the philosophy and main goals of pink medicine is. As defined by the article, Pink Medicine is "an intuitive, collaborative, heart-centered, empowering, feminine way to approach an expanded definition of health that includes not just physical and mental health, but also interpersonal, emotional, spiritual, sexual, professional, environmental, and financial health, all of which profoundly affect the health of the body" (source).

Pink Medicine really has a lot to do with valuing yourself as an individual. If you were, for instance, diagnosed with a severely debilitating illness or injury, Pink Medicine would encourage you to believe that you are worth both the fight of keeping you alive and restoring your good health. A main facet to Pink Medicine is believing that your body can help restore itself. This is not to say that physicians who practice Pink Medicine do not use the most up to date forms of treatment, it simply means that a patient believes that their body will react well to the treatment and that they will get better.

A great deal of what Pink Medicine is based on is related to Psychology. Essentially, Pink Medicine helps prevent patients from developing "learned helplessness". Learned helplessness is a concept in psychology that occurs when an individual loses hope and sees no options for making something better or ameliorating their pain. If an individual was diagnosed with a terminal illness, it would be very easy to fall into the learned helplessness way of thinking. It is difficult to hold onto hope when faced with a tragic diagnosis. Learned helplessness is also related to depression. Depression in individuals with severe illnesses, such as cancer and AIDS, is very common and may have detrimental effects on how a patient reacts to a treatment.

Patients who practice Pink Medicine do not believe that doctors can simply rectify their problems. They are not looking for a quick fix, rather they are developing a spiritual plan that will assist them in the troubling days ahead of them. Essentially, patients take control of their healing process since they are the sole proprietor of their own body.

Introducing Pink Medicine Article

Best Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Hey there! Feeling a little blue? Craving those carbs? Hey, we've all been there. Try making these cookies...for someone else. Trust me, you will be happier knowing that you made someone else's day a little brighter with a sweet treat than if you merely gorged yourself.

Recipe from mybakingaddiction.com

Best Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs. With an electric mixer, mix ingredients on medium speed until fluffy.

Hey there! Feeling a little blue? Craving those carbs? Hey, we've all been there. Try making these cookies...for someone else. Trust me, you will be happier knowing that you made someone else's day a little brighter with a sweet treat than if you merely gorged yourself. 

Add in baking soda, salt. Gradually add flour until dough is thick.

Gently fold in chocolate chips.

On an ungreased cookie sheet plop down the dough and bake for 11-13 minutes. 

Big cookies vs. little cookies 

That way everyone is happy!

Once out of the oven cool on hot sheet for 1-2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

These are a guaranteed hit! 

The Ten Commandments of Yeast Use: Lesson # 2

Yeast and I are great friends. Well, we are great friends now. Our relationship has had its ups and downs, but it has finally mellowed out. There are some mistakes that every novice baker will make when it comes to baking with yeast, after all it is a very tricky operation. Never fear because I am here to give you the ten commandments of yeast use.

The Ten Commandments of Yeast Use

1. Thou shall not mix yeast with salt.
2. Thou shall not mix yeast with water.
3. Thou shall not mix the yeast with any liquid that is over approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Yeast should be added last when mixing ingredients.
5. Yeast should be kept sealed air tight, or in the refrigerator.
6. Yeast loves sugar, so no sugar substitutes in recipes.
7. Yeast is affected by the weather.
8. Yeast is affected by the temperature of your kitchen.
9. There are several different types of yeast, some are not interchangeable.
10. Respect the yeast.

Yeast is a leavening agent, which means that it helps the bread rise. There are several different types of leavening agents (which we will discuss later on) and the main purpose of these leavening agents is to make gas bubbles. Depending on what kind of leavening agent and how much is used, one's baked goods can be very dense or extremely airy. 

So what does yeast actually do? This is so very not complicated. It releases gas. Specifically, it releases Carbon Dioxide. Baddabing baddaboom. 

I know what you are thinking, how does it release gas? You asked the right girl. Yeast likes to eat sugar, it's what it does. When the yeast reacts and metabolizes the sugar, the carbon dioxide gas is released. 

I would watch this video.

It's very entertaining.

There are puppets.

Portfolio #1

I am a Psychology nerd. It's the truth. I live, sleep, eat, and breath Psychology. One of the most fascinating aspects of Psychology is how it can relate to every nuance of the human life. From our love interests to our career goals, a psychological explanation can be accounted for. There is even an effect on the food choices that we make based on Psychology. Food and Psychology? Hello bliss.

In a fascinating article from Psychology Today, I have learned that a lot of our cravings and food preferences are psychologically driven. For instance, two brain chemicals by the names of neuropeptide Y and galanin retain control over our cravings for fat and carbohydrates. Foods rich in fat and carbohydrates are quickly becoming the first choice of many individuals in these times and there are consequences for that, such as becoming obese.

So what is the source of these cravings and seemingly bad food choices? The answer is neurochemicals. Neurochemicals are basically small little doodads in the brain that greatly affect how a person is feeling. For instance, many times depression is caused and/or severely affected by a minute amount of serotonin. Antidepressant medications are prescribed so as to increase not only the amount of serotonin but also how long the serotonin stays in the synapse. Neurochemicals that are not balanced in an individual can lead to severe problems, including not only depression but also eating disorders.

Our appetites are affected by several different entities, one being age. Children tend to eat less fat, instead they crave carbohydrates as a source of energy and protein so as to help in the growth of their newly forming muscles. When children hit puberty, an increase in the amount of fat consumed increases drastically. In females, fat consumption especially spikes after menarche. Males entering puberty focus on ingesting food high in fat content but also pair that fat with a protein as to help build muscle. So, women will crave cake, chocolate, and sweets. Men, on the other hand, will crave steak, ribs, etc.

As human beings, we are no strangers to stress. Stress has a very large impact on one's appetite. When we feel stressed our body sends out a hormone called "cortisol", which originates in the brain from the hypothalamus. Cortisol's purpose is basically to help us survive if we were truly in a life or death situation. So whether you were being chased by a tiger or taking an exam that you did not study for, your body would interpret your stress level in the same way. When it comes to eating, Cortisols main purpose is to increase the amount of Neuropeptide Y. Neuropeptide Y controls one's appetite for carbohydrates. This may lead to weight gain and overeating.

So how does baking tie into all of this? Well I know that from my own experience whenever I feel upset or blue about something I tend to bake something a little sweeter, whether that be a batch of cookies or even biscotti. There is just something very comforting about the smell and the taste of these baked goods. Whenever I am having a good day, I try out different recipes that may not be so sugar centered, such as French baguettes or rye bread. Not only does the chemicals in my brain affect what I bake, they affect what I eat which can have great effects later on in life.

Baking + Chemistry + Psychology = Fun!

Food Psychology?

This field is awesome!

Chemistry and Craving Article

Julia Child's French Bread

I love this video for several reasons. Firstly, it features Julia Child, one of my culinary idols. Secondly, French bread = delicious. Thirdly, the two chefs in the video talk about the chemical composition of flours, the gluten in flours, the effects of temperature on baked goods, and the importance of keeping the yeast happy and alive.