Done With Orientation

[debka_notion]

Well, I'm now done with orientation, and in minor limbo before beginning classes. The end of orientation was pretty reasonable, there were some actual interesting parts, and a good helping of requisite nonsense. (We're graduate students, one would think that we'd know a. what harassment is, and b. what an archive is.)

gimmelgirl was incredibly wonderful and did in fact loan me a computer- but for the moment I can't seem to persuade it to access the internet, so I'm still computer-labbing it for now. Marvin has been deemed (after a brief spurt of overdone optimism by the repair people) not to be worth repairing. So a new computer will be acquired soon (it'll need a name. Not sure what to go with). Dad's doing a little more research, and then hopefully either hte parents will buy it, or we'll order it online ASAP. So- hopefully I'll be set up on my own in a week or so, give or take.

Today's goals are to clean up and finish setting up the stuff I have in my room currently, to produce a dessert for Shabbos lunch, and maybe even to finish my orientation evaluation. Goal #2 will involve procuring baking powder, either butter or muffin cups (or getting creative with oil), and perhaps vanilla extract, or a conversion for what I need to add to baking soda to make it work in my recipe. Either all that, or plain oatmeal. It's weird not having a set-up kitchen with all the requisite supplies. Very weird.

Comments

[naomichana.livejournal.com]

Well, cream of tartar plus baking soda equals baking powder, but that only works if you happen to have cream of tartar on hand -- I think it might be simpler to acquire baking powder.

As for greasing muffin tins, I find that a standard can of sprayable canola oil (or similar) works just dandy, and makes it easier to extricate low-fat muffins than muffin liners do.

Or you could always make a really easy cake recipe -- I take it you're going for pareve? There are a lot of variations on a very easy chocolate cake made with baking soda, cocoa, and a little vinegar out there. But I can see not wanting to experiment with something you're serving to others.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

Hmm- I played around with my usual recipe, usign baking powder and a touch of vinegar, and the muffins rose just fine- but the taste was off: they tingled a little, and they weren't sweet enough. And yet shirei_shibolim was somehow good enough at hiding this that he had a second muffin. I am quite bewildered.