New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

Saved up over the last two months to get this beauty...

KitchenAid KP26M1XNP Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer, Nickel Pearl

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KP2...5275899&sr=1-1

Let the wheat grinding, bread making, sausage stuffing, pasta making begin! :signs1:

Re: New addition to our survival preps....
 

Mmm...homemade bread.

Ever made any homemade banana nut bread? Mom mom makes that every once in a while...mmmmgooood

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

That's totally pimp RMac. I developed an appreciation for quality mixers in culinary school. Kitchenaid mixers have a great reputation for lasting a long time. :beer:

Re: New addition to our survival preps....
 

Absolutely, banana bread rules. Find the blackest bananas you can because they are perfect for banana bread. In fact, hmm, I've got a couple on the counter right now that would be perfect for the occassion! :banana:

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

I went for the larger wattage, so it wouldn't struggle on the dough. If I run into a limited power situation, I can always run it at a lower setting. All the reviews I read pointed to this one.

I liked the 1000W Viking also, but there were not enough attachments available to have made it worth the cost. Of course the best at planetary mixing is the Hobart, but at 1.6K for their countertop model I passed.

Re: New addition to our survival preps....
 

Our model is white, and had it about 20 years. Except for the handle on the bowl, and the splash guard thing, looks like the exact same machine......built to last a lifetime.

By the way, the BEST grinder for whole wheat flour is a Vita-Mix blender.....you can turn 2 cups of wheat berries to the finest dust of whole wheat flour you ever saw in about 10 seconds......absolutely amazing !

All this stuff pre-supposes we have electricity, though....

Got Solar ?

:D

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

I'm going to ask this again in case somebody hits this thread that knows.
I need a sourdough culture, anybody know how to start one?
Older is better but I gave up on that already. I will have to make and season my own.

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

can't vouch for it but......

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/239...-glezer-recipe

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

I have heard that in a pinch you can develop a starter culture from popple bark[aspen too?]. I have yet to try it, but have wondered what was used before cultured yeast. Also, you can do wonders with the old hand crank grinders if you take the time to carefully sharpen the blades with a small file.

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

Curtman-

Go to a bookstore and thumb through

Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery

Bought Honey a KitchenAid Commercial mixer some 15 years ago.
She hasn't been able to break it yet!

dtnwn

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

Ok, thanks for that info.

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

Nice machine, Mac.

Curtman, making sourdough starter is capturing wild yeast. Kind of like yogurt began as lucky soured milk that went sour with favorable micro organisms.

I'll fish around online sometime, but you can too. I suspect instructions are google findable.

In our encyclopedia of country living the author just mixes a cup of flour, a cup of water, and a tablespoon of sugar and puts it in a warmish spot in ceramic or glass. And waits to see what she catches. It might mold or sour in a bad tasting way or might catch a good wild yeast floating around and become great starter. But that is why sourdough was popular on the fronteir - you can make it just from staples and nature.

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

This page gives good instructions on catching good yeast.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/233

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

I may even see if this bread machine loaf is ok-ish since baking is a lot of work, but sourdough bread is so useful. It won't be as good, I am certain, as any hand kneaded, oven baked bread, but machine bread sure is convenient, and fresh baked, warm so so bread is pretty good.

http://www.armchair.com/recipe/breadmk2.html

Giving up toast and sandwiches entirely is not my idea of great eating.

Re: New addition to our survival preps is on the way....
 

Here is another set of instructions for making starter.

http://bread.123basics.com/starter.htm