I have never used a ceramic knife. Truth be told, most of the knives in my kitchen are shamefully dull.

the knives in my kitchen are shamefully dull.

Certainly no reflection on the chef I'm sure...

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I have an extremely sharp Japanese vegetable knife called a Santoku knife. I can get though butternut squash and acorn squash easily using that knife. Is a spaghetti squash harder than a butternut?

Well, you don't slice it until after baking the whole thing for an hour at 325, so by then, it's easy. :~)

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I have an extremely sharp Japanese vegetable knife called a Santoku knife. I can get though butternut squash and acorn squash easily using that knife. Is a spaghetti squash harder than a butternut?

Well, you don't slice it until after baking the whole thing for an hour at 325, so by then, it's easy. :~)

I microwave it. Never have baked one. The first one I bought years ago had a sticker on it with microwave instructions on it. So I have been "nuking" them ever since.
Do you have to make a vent hole when baking one?

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I have an extremely sharp Japanese vegetable knife called a Santoku knife. I can get though butternut squash and acorn squash easily using that knife. Is a spaghetti squash harder than a butternut?

Well, you don't slice it until after baking the whole thing for an hour at 325, so by then, it's easy. :~)

I microwave it. Never have baked one. The first one I bought years ago had a sticker on it with microwave instructions on it. So I have been "nuking" them ever since.
Do you have to make a vent hole when baking one?

I stick it with a fork a couple times. ~Don't want an exploding squash incident. ;~)

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I stick it with a fork a couple times. ~Don't want an exploding squash incident. ;~)

Like potatoes. Had something like it happen in the microwave. Thought I stabbed the spud enough. Heard a loud hiss and found about 1/3 of the potato had "sprayed" out and left a deflated skin behind. That was a mess to clean up.

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I bought a bread machine. Keep your fingers crossed!

;-)

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~Sue~

What kind did you buy?

I like to use mine when Eric's parents visit. It is nice to wake up to freshly baked bread in the morning.

I kind of see the pizzaiola's point.

"When in Rome...."

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"La marinara is a pizza rossa," she states frostily. "A pizza rossa is made with tomato and without mozzarella. So you can't have a marinara with mozzarella because there's no such thing."

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33542392

Charming story about pizza logic, by Dany Mitzman from Bologna, Italy. I recommend you read it to the very end, too.

Maybe this will help us foreigners:)
Pizza makers call for 'license to bake'
http://www.thelocal.it/20150720/pizza-makers-threaten-italy-over-european-licence

The Italian Pizza Makers Association says it will take its requests for a European pizza makers license abroad if the Italian government continues to ignore its calls for laws to regulate the pizza making profession.

I kind of see the pizzaiola's point.

"When in Rome...."

I'd have to go along with the pizzaiola, too, but how do you pronounce that? ;~) That's my new word for today. :~)

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I kind of see the pizzaiola's point.

"When in Rome...."

I'd have to go along with the pizzaiola, too, but how do you pronounce that? ;~) That's my new word for today. :~)

It's pronounced pizzajola.
Which btw means "pizza style" :)
Not a person and not even a pizza.

Which btw means "pizza style" :)

Thank you Janne, I thought it meant
the person who made the pie.
Now I know better.



Edit:
I should have asked LSM.

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The bread machine I bought is a Panasonic SD-RD250.

I bought it online with my PX credit card, so my
choices were very limited.

Does anyone have any "favorite recipes" for me?

After reading the instruction booklet I must confess
that I'm a little intimidated. They made me feel like,
if I should mis-measure by the slightest amount, the
whole loaf will be ruined. But I suppose ruining a loaf
or two when one begins is normal.

(Is there another, real word for "mis-measure"?

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~Sue~

When I use my bread machine, I just stick to the recipes provided in the little cookbook that came along with it.

When I use my bread machine, I just stick to the recipes provided in the little cookbook that came along with it.

Oddly enough, no cookbook came with it. I really expected one.

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~Sue~

I do not know if any of this will work for you. But it might give you some ideas. Bread machine recipies

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When I use my bread machine, I just stick to the recipes provided in the little cookbook that came along with it.

Oddly enough, no cookbook came with it. I really expected one.

These make a two pound loaf. Measurement needs to be exact and trick with the flour is to invert the sealed storage containers before opening them and measuring the contents. I use reverse osmosis water but distilled water works as well. I do this because the yeast is affected by the water and has to be adjusted with different water. If you use tap water, you will need between 1.5 and 2 teaspoons. If you use old yeast, you may also need to adjust the amount. These were designed by me to improve our diet and it's the only place I found dry milk to be a good thing. The rest of the time dry milk is pretty bad stuff. Also I bring the water to a boil before putting in the machine. The last two ingredients should be the flour followed by the yeast or else the boiling water will kill the yeast.

WHITE BREAD
1 3/8 cup water
4 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 heaping tablespoons sugar
1 cup dry milk
4 cups white (bread) flour
1 1/4 teaspoon yeast

HALF WHEAT BREAD (Whole wheat cycle)
1 1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 heaping tablespoons sugar
1 cup dry milk
1/2 cup Flax seed meal
2 cups flour whole wheat flour
2 cups white (bread) flour
1 1/14 teaspoon yeast

RAISIN BREAD
1 1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 heaping tablespoons sugar
1 level tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup dry milk
4 cups flour white (bread) flour
1 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 1/2 cup raisins added in second knead cycle

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Suzie, I don't know if you have this but the recipes are in the back of the manual Instruction Manual

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Thanks for your recipes and for your suggestions. I haven't
made any bread yet. I'll let you know how it goes when I
do.

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~Sue~