Cutting the Cable TV Cord - Part 1

Since it's been a year without a cable contract, so Comcast raised by Triple-Play bill to $240 per month. Ouch! So I decided to cut the cable cord, go cold turkey and figure out the technical details later, if I want to watch TV.

STEP 1:  Replace Land Line

First step is to keep my home phone "land line" & phone number.  My wife doesn't have a cell phone, she's a self professed Luddite, and she doesn't want one.  There are many services out there like Ooma, Vonage, Magic Jack, etc that let you run your home phone over the Internet.  It's called VOIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol.  They all work about the same and you can keep your home number, thanks to the FCC and "number portability."

I chose 1-VOIP, they have been in business for quite some time, not as consumer based as Vonage, Oooma or Magic Jack, and they don't spend money to advertise on TV.  It will cost $8.97month, no upfront, no contract, plug-and-play. NOMOROBO is included on servers so there is no need for my own NOMOROBO account.  An easy web site to control my phone, block numbers, simultaneous ring, voice mail etc.

They use the Cisco SPA2102 Phone Adapter which is standard equipment.  So, I bought one on ebay, but it didn't work because these devices are usually "locked" to a certain carrier and cannot be "unlocked!" DON'T BUY a used SPA2102!  I got my money back and told 1-VOIP to ship me one of theirs (no charge but I have to give it back if I cancel the service).

Cisco SPA2102

 When it arrived, I hooked it up, and plugged my home phone into the jack, it's plug and play.  That means that my Comcast land Line would ring nowhere!  To solve this, I used the Comcast "simultaneous ring" feature, so that if you call my Comcast phone number, it will simultaneously ring my 1-VOIP number and thus my home phone. After a few weeks, I will tell 1-VOIP to "port" my Comcast phone number to 1-VOIP.  It's working great after 1 week so far.

STEP 2: How to Watch TV

Most people say "just put up and antenna" and you will get 20-30 stations.  Normally that would be the case, but everyone in our area has had limited success with antennas.  I got 5 stations and three are in Spanish!  This is not a solution. Maybe a better antenna would work better.-+

Previously, we have been using a laptop connected to the TV via HDMI cable to watch TV series using HDTVSHOWS.NET.   This service has almost all of the TV shows available, but it costs 3 credits to watch a show.  You prime your account with credits using paypal and use the credits each time you watch a show.  Typically it's 3 credits per show or about 30 cents.  I usually buy 120 credits for $12 or 10 cents per credit.  You get a bigger discount if you buy a larger block of credits.  Been using this service for over a year.  Could still use this to watch TV, but no movies.

I think the Amazon Fire Box might be next.

Drying & Re-Activating Sourdough Starter

Last week when I made a some sourdough bread with the California Started (called 'Larry") that I got on Ebay, I deliberately made too much starter.  After making the bread, I decided to dry the starter. The starter dried in a few hours in the dehydrator and then I used a coffee grinder to make fine granules, just like I did with the Garlic Powder ->  Garlic Powder link

Dried Starter

Ready to Grind

I then packaged it up in zip lock bags (2 TBS per bag) and vacuum packed the small bags into a bigger bag with my Food Saver.  I can store this away or mail to friends and family that want to make sourdough bread from this starter.  But first I have to see if I can bring it back to life.

DAY 1:  

To bring it back to life I am following these directions:

1. Mix ½ cup flour with ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm pure water.  We just use tap water because we have a well.  If you have town water with fluoride, chlorine etc, you should use distilled or bottled water).
2. Add in the package of starter, it's 2 tablespoons, that's why you added the additional 2 tablespoons of water to make it 50/50 flour/water.

All Three ingredients in a bowl

3. Stir and mix well, cover with a lid or cling wrap to keep starter from drying and forming a crust on top. Put it on the counter in a warm place.

All mixed well

Covered and warm

DAY 2:

1. Just stir it up in the morning. Let it sit there all day!

 

It's Alive!.  This is just 2 hours after I stirred it!

2. Just before you go to bed, add ½ cup water and ½ cup flour. Stir well & cover.

 DAY 3:

1. In the morning, it should look something like this. It's alive!  Just let it sit for a few hours more.

It's alive. Let is sit for most of the day!

2. About halfway through the day add another ½ cup flour and ½cup water and mix well  (see a pattern here?)
3. You will be doing this for the next few days to create a nice sour starter.
4. If your bowl is too small, get a bigger bowl or throw some of the starter away. (DUH!)

  DAY 4:
1. Boring, but more of the same, ½ cup flour and ½ cup flour, mix well.
2. You could make bread after a while today if you want. To test the starter, put a teaspoon of starter in a bowl of water. if it floats it's ready!

Making Irish Soda Bread

Back when I lived in Fairfield, CT there was a bakery that everyone just loved, Devore's Donuts.

 Every Sunday, people would stop in on their way home from church and pick up doughnuts and other goodies. They were famous for their raised glazed doughnuts and crullers.  They closed down in 2005 and r-opened for a few years on Brooklawn Ave. in Bridgeport, but sadly they are gone too.

The owner published their Irish Soda Bread recipe in the local newspaper, the Bridgeport Post.  My Mom cut it out and gave me the recipe a few years back.  Today I decided to make it.  I made it once a while back, here is the result back then. 

Here's the recipe:

1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Powdered Milk
pinch salt
5 cups All Purpose Flout
2 1/2 cups Cake Flour
1/3 cup Baking Powder
1/2 Cup shortening

 Using my Kitchen Aid Mixer, I put in all the above ingredients and mixed for 5 minutes with the dough hook.

After thoroughly mixed add:

1 cup of eggs (yes your read that right, last time it was 5 eggs depending on egg size)
3 cups water
1/3 Cup caraway seeds (optional)
1 1/2 cup raisins (optional, this time we used dried cranberries)

Mix for 5 more minutes, the dough will be really sticky

Put dough on counter or breadboard and divide into 3 sections and form into balls or loaves.  It will be sticky, don't worry about the flour ruining your mix!

Set each floured ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle a little flour on top. Cut an "X" across the top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes until golden brown. You can check by using a cake tester to see if it comes out clean.

Peaking in the oven. Almost done.

Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool.

More Sourdough Bread: Terra Cotta vs Enameled Cast-Iron

On our last visit to Savers, I found this real nice Terra Cotta dutch oven for $3.50.  It says "Gourmet Topf" on the lid and measures about 12" x 8" at the center.  I looked on ebay and these sell for around $50.  Sweet Deal!

Now that I have this cookware along with the blue Le Creuset, I can bake two loaves simultaneously and save time and electricity. It would also give a chance see if there is any difference between the two for the end product.

I followed the same process as in the other post with a few minor changes.  Since I started late in the evening I didn't have time to do 4-5 proofing and folding cycles.  Instead after 1 cycle, I just left in on the counter overnight to proof.  In the morning, the dough had filled the proofing container just like when we left it to go shopping.  In the morning I just pretended the proofing cycle was over and formed two loafs and continued the process from there.  I put the loaves in the proofing baskets and put them in the refrigerator for about 4-5 hours.

I soaked the Terra Cotta with water and put both dutch ovens in the oven to preheat to 500 degrees.

 At 500 degrees I slid both loaves in using a pizza peel and put on the covers.  After 30 minutes, I removed both covers, lowered the oven to 450 degrees and baked them for 20 more minutes.

Both loaves completed.

 To me it seems like there is little difference between the two  loaves. I am sure they will taste the same also. We will see.

Sourdough bread ready to eat.