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Input requested: Baking routines

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Jessica asked,

Since you do a lot of baking, how do you determine what you keep 'in stock' at home? Every family is different and has different likes, but I was curious as to how you decide what to keep on hand for cookies, muffins, breads etc. I bake a good bit, but would like to do more and keep it the freezer too. Do you make a list of things to make each week and have the ingredients on hand for it, or do you just keep the same stuff handy and make whatever you can with it?

I don't have a menu for baked goods each week. I do try to always keep certain things on hand, such as granola, a healthy treat (muffins, banana bread, etc.), and a sweet treat (cookies, cake, etc.).

I use the freezer for storing a lot of my baked goods, because I usually want them to last for at least a couple weeks! :) This especially applies to the sweet desserts. I like to make large batches of cookies at one time, but there's no way we can (or should!) eat that many in one week.

I put two different baked goods in Joshua's lunches -- something healthy and something sweet. I decide when and what to make based on what we're running low on... and I also make whatever sounds good to me at the time -- or, if I have ripe bananas, something that uses up what needs to be used! :)

I do keep most of my ingredients on hand, like flour, sugar, raisins, spices, oats, canned pumpkin, etc. I don't buy bananas just for baking, because we usually end up with some extras every few weeks (I do keep those on hand for eating fresh). :)

I also don't have a "baking day", but instead just try to fit some baking in as needed. Yesterday, I noticed that we were almost out of granola, so that was on my list for today. :)

I'd love some input from readers! How do you decide what to keep on hand? Do you put baked goods in your freezer? How do you fit the "extra" baking (i.e. not for regular meals!) into your schedule? :)

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Comments

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2008-03-02 21:24.

Thanks

Hi Tammy,

Thanks for answering my question :) I usually bake like you, whatever we're running low on I 'schedule' it in for the day. Or, if we've got some bananas on the ripe side I'll use them up. But I'm thinking it would be better for me especially in the time management area, to create a baking/cooking day. That way, you get all of the mess out of the way and the work done at one time. Plus if I made enough I could freeze it. But, I haven't actually done it yet.

I generally keep oats, coconut,sliced almonds or walnuts, spices, flour and sugars (we use mostly honey and sucanat)raisins and dried cranberries and bananas on hand. I love pumpkin though and hardly ever buy it!

Submitted by Tammy on Sun, 2008-03-02 22:05.
Tammy's picture

Baking day

You know, I would probably be more inclined to do a "baking day" if I didn't have three little children right now. :) I have to do things in bite-sized portions to keep from going crazy. ;) But I do try to combine things. :) It's definitely easier to just keep using the dishes and wash them once at the end! :) I also do double batches a lot these days... :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2008-03-02 21:31.

We keep chocolate chip

We keep chocolate chip cookies in our freezer - they are my husbands specialty and they are delicious!! He makes up a double batch of dough, forms them, then sticks the raw dough in the freezer.
We pull out a couple and bake them, and in 20 minutes we have fresh baked chocolate chip cookies :)
We also use them for drop in guests, or if we're visiting someone.

I just tried your spice cookies yesterday - YUM! - there is a whole bunch of shaped dough in the freezer now too :) Hopefully they'll bake as easily as the chocolate chip cookies!
Jessica
www.paulsbride.blogspot.com

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2008-03-03 19:18.

I forgot to mention I have

I forgot to mention I have three little children too- 5yrs special needs girl, 4 year old girl, and two year old girl. Sometimes I feel like I worked so hard and got so little done!

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2008-03-04 01:10.

Monthly Baking Routine

I have found it to be very effective in our household to schedule a monthly baking day into my schedule. This includes making enough bread, muffins, and scones, etc. to last us the month. It has been very effective! I freeze all the goodies and pull them out in small quantities. Saves on electricity and energy as well, because most of the items can be baked at the same time. Read more about it here.

Hope that helps!

Lindsay
Passionatehomemaking.com

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2008-03-04 10:24.

I just posted in the KTT

I just posted in the KTT about baking when you have your oven on anyway. Like if your making Lasagna why not toss in some of your cinamin bars or pumpkin cookies with it. that seems to work for me. :) But remember your baby is small. I can never seem to get much baking done till my babies are closer to a year. :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2008-03-04 14:00.

Baking routine

I have Mondays for baking. I bake bread and whatever I feel like baking. I increase the batch of whatever. I should also indicate I don't have little ones running around. But when the kids were small I just included them. There was always someone sitting on a counter or stool.

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