Social Distancing Log

[soc_puppet]

Welp, my paid time off has been extended through early May, so that's. That's a thing. The hotel was using the quarantine as an excuse to complete renovations with no one around, and now renovations are taking a bit longer than expected. We were previously scheduled to open back up right after Easter (so no Easter brunch, and not having to worry about that was already a load off my mind), and now there's another three weeks on the end of that. So. Wow.

I was pretty close to going to the grocery store today; I might actually go tomorrow. I'm on my last container of my favorite juice, and there are a few practical things I want to pick up. (Also maybe sushi, because our grocery store sushi is actually not terrible.) Otherwise, it was business as usual: Driving around to visit Poké-stops.

Dad went out and delivered three more loaves of bread to various people; no-contact drop-offs, all of them. He got a free oil change from the previous bread drop-off, from some elderly neighbors who weren't going to be leaving the house any time soon to get it themselves, which worked out well for everyone involved, IMO.

I've gone through about half my jar of instant dry yeast so far, which is considerably more than I expected to, and maybe a third to half of the 20lbs of bread flour my parents brought home a few weeks back. It's still nice to be baking at home. I may have to start thinking about alternate leaveners, though; keeping a sour in the fridge is definitely an options, but not a terribly viable one at my house (our fridge is usually a mess and/or over-full, and not infrequently both at once), but there are other methods, baking soda and powder among the easier of them.

I think Mom's only been out to walk Chester, but I'm not sure. And that's everyone!

Comments

[alexseanchai]

oh good! Silver's paid time off also got extended, by which I mean the library's idea of when it should end is earlier than the governor's current idea of when the stay-home orders should end.

[soc_puppet]

Oof. That's rough. I mean, I'm glad it was extended at all, but I also sure hope the rumored government relief checks go through, for everyone's sake.

[alexseanchai]

update: governor added another month

IRS dot gov has instructions, which for people who have filed 2018 or 2019 already is basically "do nothing", so since my 2018 return is still in "one of my W-2s never got here and another is wrong" hell because I have not composed a letter to either employer about this, my 2019 return is currently in our mailbox with the little flag up. the paper has a lot of zeroes on it, all on different rows.

[soc_puppet]

Hmmm.

Well, that's something! I took care of my taxes in early March, so I should be good to go; my parents also filed theirs a week or two ago.

[caprices]

I don't know which recipes you are using for the breads, but some of the longer-sitting ones (baguettes, no-knead, etc) use only a quarter teaspoon yeast per, say, every 3-4 cups of flour. If you are looking to extend your supply, that is.

I keep my starter in a small jam jar or screw-top tupperware, since I only keep about a quarter cup from day to day (add in a quarter cup water, mix well, dump half or put into levain, add 2 tablespoons flour to remainder). And if you are baking daily, it can stay on the counter since you'll be feeding it.

Yay for sushi!

[soc_puppet]

It is a pretty yeast-y dough. I might look into no-kneads, but the baguette recipe I have is not terribly well suited to a standard home kitchen. Last time I tried to make it at home, it got a quarter-inch thick crust from how long I left it in the oven just trying to get some color in it. In the end, I only got the barest hint of tan on it. I've been thinking of trying no-knead loaves anyway, so once I finish Dad's commission (he ordered nine loaves), I'll probably switch to that. Thanks for the suggestion!

Oh, nice; I'll have to bookmark your care-and-feeding instructions for if I ever start a sour. I don't care much for sourdough myself, but I do like collecting information and recipes, and I may change my mind later, so yay!

Yes indeed! Om nom nom nom sushi.

[mommy]

I went to Fareway today and only two people were wearing masks, one person was wearing gloves, and the workers didn't have any protective gear. I don't know how things are at Hy-Vee. It might be worth bringing a mask of your own if you decide to go shopping.

Congrats on the continued paid time off!

[soc_puppet]

I haven't been to the grocery store in... probably close to three weeks now, so I'm not sure. I'll check with my dad, but I was planning to come up with a mask for myself as well anyway. I keep "wondering aloud" on Tumblr if there's a similar movement to make masks for food service workers as there is for healthcare workers; I know healthcare workers get first dibs (and rightly so), but I feel like food service workers could also stand to be part of the mask donation chain. And if appearance/branding is a problem, there's ways to fix that.

[erika]

This yeast geneticist on twitter would like you to know there's never a shortage of yeast and provides instructions on how to remedy a perceived lack.

Have not followed instructions but they might help!

[soc_puppet]

Yup! Shoelaces3 there is basically describing how to make a "sour" 😀 It's one of the oldest types of leaveners (things that make bread rise), and has been used for millennia. These days it's mostly associated with sourdough bread, and is how said bread gets its tang. I hadn't heard it could be done with fruit skins or dried fruit, but I suppose it makes sense; I'm mostly aware of the "Just mix some flour and water together and then wait" method of sour-making. Yeast is everywhere and will grow wherever it finds a place.

It's a bit more work than I'm particularly interested in going to, I think, especially with the regular upkeep involved, but it's definitely an option!