Posts by: Sommersunshine

Hi Homebrewer

Thanks for looking into it for me but i managed to sort something out. Its weird though as some sites are saying baking soda is also known as bicarbonate soda and others say the are individual ingredients. On the Delia Smith site she names them as being seperate items. I found on ebay you can get Baking Soda as a result im unsure if its something we would use much here in the UK or goes by that name here. A mind boggle but my muffins turned out very well regardless.

Thanks again

Hi Livewire

Thanks for looking. I too read that as a replacement of 1 teaspoon of baking soda you can use 4 teaspoons of baking powder so thats what i did and it worked. I think however it working depends on the rest of your ingredients and so i was lucky on this occasion.

Thank you

Hi all

Im desperate does anyone know in Birmingham where i can purchase Baking Soda from.... not baking powder or bicarbonate soda as all 3 are different.

Please help as i need it today Saturday 19th July.

Hi Gastrosurf

Again the information you have provided is of great help and i will take all on board.

Hi JanineL

Thank you for your advice. Unfortunately i have still to make my mind up on which of the Circulon range to go for...i really like the glass lid fitted ones as i have a saucepan that has the same kind of lid that allows no steam to escape but its not made of glass however its been brilliant..however the drawback on the circulon glass lid one is that its the Stainless Steel pan and i wanted the Hard Anodized ones for the durability and dark outside. I feel with time the stainless steel one when cleaning the outside will just look all scratched...i maybe wrong...sometimes things overflow and a simple wipe is not sufficient so a more abrasive cleaner/scouring pad is needed. How do your on the outside still look? As i know you mentioned they are easy to clean but im assuming you were on about the inside which is of dark material anyway. Lol i wish they just did both sets with the same lid option choice!

Its weird you mentioned Costco as my mom & sister went only on Friday gone but i did not know they sold that type of item. Following your advice i have just looked on their site but you cant really purchase off it, so apart from it showing they sold saucepans i was unable to view what they had to offer. I guess when i get some time i will have to try and get over to their Bham branch.

Hi Wise Lady

For me the christmas feeling first touches me when the adverts start for food shopping...however just before the actual day arrives these same adverts then annoy the hell out of me as they are on every minute grrrrr. On the whole though its the whole wrapping of presents only to tear all the paper off on the day in no time at all....that is then considered to be the first part of the day...the next helping finish getting the dinner ready...after that deciding what to put on for the day once finally out of the kitchen as just waiting for the dinner to just finish cooking...then having the family over and the dinner...a game and drinks...more nibbles...then getting rid of the guests...then feeling really fat and cant move so just managing to get a shower...to then flop down and watch a film. Finally saying thanks to loved ones once again for the presents and hitting my bed...thinking God its all over already! HOWEVER the day is not the same for me.....if i have to step outside the house for anything...pick nan up...go to another familys house for dinner...for some reason if i have to go out..my day is spoilt and im just longing to get home.

Hi Gastrosurf

Thanks for the further tips. I still not decided and people are telling me to just wait! Have not been shopping again since Monday but have been for clothes..oh well

Hi Gastrosurf

Ive been shopping again and stocking up on my bake-ware once again i was in Debenhams but i did stop by TK Maxx and grabbed a good sturdy quality muffin tray also which was my bargain of the day! However my eyes keep going to the saucepans as i also popped into House of Fraser on my lunch to see their stock to compare prices. As silly as it sounds i know the style of lid i want for the saucepans...its the lid (which goes deep inside the pan as opposed to just sitting on the outside edge) & handle on Circulon Steel Elite non stick, yet i prefer the body and weight of the Circulon Infinite lol so as you can see im a nutter for sure as its bugging me to the point i wont purchase till i have made up my mind and by then they will probably be discontinued

Anyway all your advice is of great help. I can see your passionate about the whole cook thing/products and nothing wrong with that..everyone has their own passions in life. I would imagine you have made quite a few savings over time with all your findings, so good on you. I on the other hand can stand holding something, looking about, and then after 20 mins plus still put it back lol as my mind is still not made up! What can i say im a woman...a very fussy one at that...and i know you know theres nothing wrong with that Blimey just wait till i have to choose a house!

Hi Gstrosurf

Just a quick one to say many thanks for all you advice i will look into all and let you know what happens.

Hi Gastrosurf...

What can i say? You make a girls mind boggle! Thank you so much for your comments and advice. I have had a look at both site links and have kept them to refer back to. Bottom line is i am looking to purchase a house either before this year is out or early next and have just started to buy kitchen equipment. So any advice on anything is welcome. I purchased 3 items from Debenhams just Tuesday, a Anolon roast tin and 2 baking trays all of which came to £35 and that was in the sale! I wanted good quality stuff that wouldn't look to buckle etc..and hopefully these will fit the bill. However when i got home and was looking on the net i started to see them a lot cheaper only problem is though like you said with the knives i dont know if these cheaper ones are the exact same product or not...however they do on initial appearance look the same but without touching and feeling the quality/weight its difficult to tell.

The silicon utensils with metal insert i will look for.

I didn't think to use the grill rack! However you have lots of knowledge and advice so i would therefore think it safe to use the metal cake rack i do have also.

I have so many items i'm looking into at present that its like looking in the candy shop. Saucepans is also bugging me i love the look of the Le Creuset sets but now looking at the Circulon 2 cookware, as i purchased the frying pan of that set and was impressed with it....oh my minds all over the place.

So im gonna just shut up now before i bore you to tears.

Many thanks once again for your help and wisdom.

Hi Gastrosurf

Hmmm the only wire rack i have is what one would use for cooling the cakes on and i dont trust using that in the oven even though its metal for some reason. I suppose i could just place it directly in the oven as the tray is purely to stop spillage but my mixture was not thin or anywhere near the top for fear of it going everywhere. So looks like now i will try it without greasing and put it direct on the shelf and then another time with grease but on the tray/in oven directly...oh what a to do..but i guess its all about trial and error at times. Your comments about the silicon spatulas and spoons was interesting as i have felt them and now their floppiness put me off as i didn't feel they had much substance to them especially if something was slightly stuck in a a tin/pan/tray unlike the metal. I went to TK Maxx myself yesterday as i saw your comments to another person on here about knives and the chef at work mentioned to me a few wks ago that they had some good knives in that suited for all purposes and for a domestic kitchen he said one good knife is enough. Anyway i seen the Henckles knifes but they looked like seconds from the description of "second choice" so i ummed and arghhhed then didn't bother I think i may go back in then and have another look at the silicon utensils to give further consideration in the meantime.

Hi Gastrosurf

Thanks for your comments.

I did try my silicon cake pan out and i used it to make a banana sponge cake. The texture and taste was perfect. I know what you mean about the floppiness though so i put mine on a baking tray first as they suggest to avoid spillage. I didnt grease it as i wanted to see just how non stick it was however a small fraction of the cake stuck to the bottom. I guess the downside is you cant put a Knife at the bottom like you would on a lose base metal tin to do a clean sweep to ensure its free. I also had to use a rounded edge knife to loosen the cake from the sides but that was no big deal and came away easily. As i said the jury is still out on this for me so i will try another asap and use a little grease to see what happens. I do think temperatures and qualities of the silicon could play a major role in this. My pan cost £3.95 for Livsstil in Birmingham City Centre its a 8cm/20inch pan and i considered it a bargain so thought i would try it. I have a feeling i will probably stick with metal pans but who knows so watch this space Anyway just because somethings floppy does not mean its no good So come an join the club and purchase one and tell us what you think.

Hi Kamila

Thanks for your comments. I did sponge in the silicon cake pan and it turned out well and tasted good. As it said non stick i decided i would try it without greasing the pan. I did find i had to get a rounded edge Knife to loosen it from the sides and then tap the bottom to get the cake out. Only one small part was stuck to the base and pulled away. I will try it again this week and will try using a little grease. I guess the heat of peoples ovens can also play a part in this but who knows As i said to another person who posted comments i think i may prefer using metal pans but the jury is still out on this one.

Hi Grisinni

I can confirm i tried out my sponge cake in the silicon cake pan and the texture and taste was the same so no complaints there. However i had to gently just loosen the edge of the cake away with a rounded knife so as not to pierce the pan, whilst most of it came away easily on the underside one part of it did not and therefore a small amount stuck to the pan. Due to it supposed to be non stick i did not grease the pan on this occasion!. I cant personally say i smelt any funny smells other than the nice baking smell. I did put it on a baking tray first to avoid spillage. I think i prefer normal metal pans though but will give it another try but with lightly greasing the pan first. As taste and texture were fine i would not rule it out for others to try.

Thanks for your response Graca Queen. Due to the mixed information i have found myself off the net i think im gonna do the same receipe and try it with and without to see if there is a difference. I cant help thinking though that i too will prefer the old fashioned way as just looking at the item makes me skeptical however i will give it a whirl!

MaggieW - Thank you for sharing your comments. If you are saying yours stick then maybe the answer is to lightly grease the silicon first. I think we are in for trial and error on this material for now.

Many thanks to you alc28 for looking into it further for me...i too went looking but was getting mixed reviews...so im none the wiser lol...i guess i will have to try both ways and see what happens.

Thanks alc28 - im unsure how i respond to u or if u just pick this up generally - but even non stick metal i would grease...have u used silicon urself?

Hi all

Can anyone tell me if they have used silicon bakeware yet? If so do you grease the cake pan or not?

Please answer asap
Many thanks

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me if when using the new style silicon bakeware products if you have to still grease the cake pan...I want to try it out and bake a sponge cake but it does'nt say.

Please answer asap.
Many thanks