M.I.A.

I am constantly amazed at people who are really hard workers with really hard jobs. My sisters are good examples of this. One is an ER physician's assistant and the other is an internal medicine physician. They work ungodly hours after little sleep and deal daily with life and death situations. And this is only their job; it does not include life outside of work with family obligations and regular adult duties like paying bills, caring for a home, and figuring out how to feed themselves and others daily. There are millions of people like this all over the world, some working two or three jobs to care for themselves and families.

Even though I worked two jobs this semester, one of which stressed me to the point of having heart palpitations, I know that I do not regularly endure the hard work that my sisters and others complete daily. (Plus, my hard work is dealing with students who are less than competent and writing at a computer... not saving lives... at least, not saving lives directly.)

All of this is to say, that I guess I have no excuse for not baking and posting lately. The only reason I have for slacking is grading and watching too much TV (and making brief appearances in Florence's Nutcracker).

I will say, however, that when I got off my butt and into the kitchen (that sounded a little too 50's housewife didn't it), I made some very yummy goodies.

First, I made gingerbread cookies. I have always loved gingerbread (the bread), but never been crazy about gingerbread (the cookies), mostly because they tend to be the thin, crunchy cookies instead of soft, gooey cookies. But I managed to find a good recipe and they turned out well. I used this on-line recipe, added 1 egg white for more moisture, did not roll the cookies as thin as the recipe said, and only cooked them for 6.5 minutes. I then iced them with cream cheese icing instead of vanilla (confession - I used store bought because I ran out of time). They were a hit at the Christmas party and I can't stop eating them at home. You should definitely try them.

The recipe:
http://www.food.com/recipe/the-most-wonderful-gingerbread-cookies-80156

And here is a vegan recipe that looks similar:
http://www.vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=1243&catId=2

Then I made sweet-potato crescent rolls from my Simply in Season cookbook.

(I think they look a little bit like ducks all curled up and tucking the beak in their feathers.)


The recipe:

Combine:
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat bread flour (I just used regular whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (proofed according to directions on package)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Cook and mash 1 cup of sweet potatoes (about 2 medium baked sweet potatoes will do). Combine with 1 cup milk and 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted.

Add sweet potato mixture to flour mixture and mix until moistened.

Beat 1 large egg into mixture for a couple of minutes. (I did this in my kitchen aid mixer on medium speed.)

Gradually stir in bread flour (up to 2ish cups) until dough is easy to handle. Knead (on a floured surface) for several minutes, place in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled. Knock down and divide in half. Roll each half into a circle (I used my pizza stone to help with the shape), and brush the whole thing with a little melted butter. Cut into 12 wedges and roll like those Pillsbury crescent rolls you loved as a kid (and probably still love as an adult). Repeat with the other half.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown (and slightly orange because of the sweet potato goodness).

These were also a hit at the party and good for breakfast the next morning!

Enjoy! I hope everyone (including my hard working sisters) gets to relax a little this holiday season.

Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving means pie

Although I have only recently considered myself a cook and a baker, I have always thought of myself as an excellent pie baker.

It comes from making the one family recipe that has been passed down consistently through the generations: the famous, Fairchild apple pie.

It is super easy (except the for the cutting of apples part), and super melt in your mouth awesome. There are two tricks to making it the perfect pie. 1) When making the crust, you want to use ice water, and only add a little at a time. Otherwise, you don't get the flakiness. 2) When slicing apples, they need to be paper thin. This makes it more juicy and you are not eating big chunks of half-cooked apples.

The recipe is:

Crust: 2 cups flour, 2/3 cup crisco, 1 tsp salt, ice water as needed
Mix the salt and flour. Cut the crisco into the flour using a fork or a pastry cutter (an amazing tool!). Then add ice water a couple tablespoons at a time, as the dough comes together. Add just enough water that most of the dough sticks together. There should be some flour/crisco mixture that is not sticking together, but will when you roll it.

Make a ball of dough, then roll half of it at a time. Place one half in the pie pan (no need to grease).

You will then add the filling:

1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 6 large granny smith apples (peeled, cored, thinly sliced), butter
Mix it all together. Add about half of the filling to the bottom of the pie. Then add all of the apples (by the end of peeling and cutting them, your hand should ache). Cover with the rest of the sugar filling, and then put dots of butter all over.

Cover with the rest of the pie crust, pinching together the edge, and putting some slits to release the steam as it bakes. (I also like to put a little crust apple on top because it makes me feel like Martha Stewart.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350 for 45 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown. (Caution: the juices tend to run over, so if you don't want to be scraping hot apple pie off your oven, you might want to put a baking sheet on the rack under the pie to catch the juices.)


I used to only make apple pie, but have begun taking the crust recipe and trying other fillings. Last summer I made a blueberry pie and a blackberry pie. Both of which were pretty darn good. This week, I made my first pumpkin pie. I used my own pumpkin puree, and the following recipe:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/suzannes_old_fashioned_pumpkin_pie/

Plus, at my husband's request, before I poured in the pumpkin mixture, I put a later of dark chocolate chips in the bottom, adding a rich twist on the traditional pie. I haven't tasted it yet, but my in-laws were raving! (And yes, I completed it with my Martha Stewart crust pumpkins in the middle.)

So, as I eat my Thanksgiving dinner (which my sister and I made all of this year!), I am grateful for the ability to make some scrumptious pies and share them with those that I love. I am hopeful that you were able to share in your own form of food and love this Thanksgiving.

Busy, messy, life

Does any one else's kitchen ever look like this?!

I don't know about you, but whenever I cook, I tend to make a mess in the kitchen. I am the type of cook / baker that likes to get everything that I will need out, and generally keep it out (unless it will spoil) as long as I am cooking. I don't do the clean up until whatever yummy goodness I am making is in the oven. (My husband hates this! He cleans up as he goes, and gets very flustered when the sink is overflowing with dishes!)

I am finding that I tend to do this in other areas of life....
...when I pack a suitcase everything must come out of the closet and go through several sortings before either going back in the closet, or into the suitcase
...when I am working on something, I need all of my papers, post-its, files, etc. in front of me, all spread out over the kitchen table
...when I am organizing anything, everything has to be out where I can see it and touch it and move it as many times as needed


I haven't really thought before why I do things this way. I think some of it might be that I am a little absent-minded and will forget things that are not in front of me. I am also a visual and kinesthetic learner, so I need to seeing and touching things so that I can construct an understanding of whatever it is. But I also think it is me not wanting to leave anything out. I can remember that even as a child, I never wanted to miss out on something. I wanted to see and hear and do anything and everything possible. (I even had many a bathroom accident because I was afraid that something fun would happen the minute I left for the bathroom. I have gotten over that one.) Although I do like things to be neat and clean at the end of the day, I like the business and messiness of life. I like being surrounded by people, food, interesting articles, captivating books, and yes my favorite clothes and shoes. I like being in the thick of it all.

I am not sure what this means for my one day bakery, but I hope that it means it will be a "method to my madness" or "beauty in the chaos" kind of place. Just like life in general.

Winter squash extravaganza, part 1

Now that I have been trying to eat seasonally and use more local foods, I have been finding that I am really excited about when the seasons change and new foods are available. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the copious amounts of squash, eggplant, tomatoes, and okra from this summer, I was overjoyed to see those winter squash and fall apples begin to appear. (Although I do wish tomatoes could be a year round fruit...I would eat them with almost everything.)

My excitement for the fall/winter produce, along with my desire to be productive (but not do actual work) on Friday, turned into a crazy night of cooking. In one evening, I roasted pumpkin to make homemade pumpkin puree (instead of using the canned stuff), roasted the pumpkin seeds (cause those are awesome), made pumpkin bread with chocolate chips (always a pleaser), butternut squash bisque (which was super delicious), and the winner of the evening - pumpkin cinnamon rolls with ginger, cream cheese glaze (seriously decadent).

Once again, I found myself getting lost in the movements of cooking - reading recipes, measuring, reading the recipe again because I can't keep the measurements in my head, stirring, kneading, licking spoons, chopping pumpkins, cleaning gooey seeds, reading recipes a third time just to make sure I did everything correctly. Even when I am making something new that could turn out to be terrible, I feel very free in the kitchen to try new things, perhaps add in my own twist to the recipe, and just be a part of the process.

The only other time I really find myself this free is when dancing, and sometimes when running, biking, or swimming. It makes me wonder what it is that is so freeing for me. Is it being physical and getting to move after a long day of sitting in front of a computer? Is it being creative, or better yet, being involved in the act of creation that I see as a collaboration with my God? Is it that I feel more connected to nature and the foods that have been given to sustain us...or the people who have worked hard to make that food possible? I guess it is all of the above, as well as some mystery that I cannot articulate. No matter what it is, I am grateful for this blessing of being able to cook and eat in the way that I am learning to do. I know that not everyone has the blessing of health(ish), bountiful food, nor the blessing of engaging in an activity they enjoy. As Anne Lamott would say, "thank you, thank you, thank you".

For your own blessing and enjoyment, here are the various goodies and recipes:

The cinnamon rolls...these were supposed to be vegan, but Florence does not have any vegan cream cheese, so the glaze is not vegan (but still awesome - really...I mean melt in your mouth awesome).

The recipe for these can be found at: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2011/10/vegan-pumpkin-pecan-cinnamon-rolls.html#.TpYv105uTVc.facebook

Here is a picture of the pumpkin puree:

This is really easy. Just cut the pumpkin, scoop out seeds, and roast a pumpkin at around 375-400 degrees for about 40 minutes until the flesh is so soft you can scoop it with a spoon. Then puree the amount that you need to use for the recipe. I used a big pumpkin because the pie pumpkins are ridiculously hard to cut into and yield less pumpkin to use in dishes. I froze half of it to use throughout the season.

Butternut bisque...I personally thought this was fantastic soup, just the right taste and texture. William, however did not like it at all. So half of this is frozen as well. I am not sure how well it freezes, but I will let you know in a few weeks.

The recipe is:
* Saute 1 medium onion (chopped) and 1 cup carrots (chopped) in 2 tablespoons butter (I used olive oil) until tender. (I also used a green apple instead of carrots, because I forgot to get those from the store).
* Add 3 cups of veggie broth, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
* Add 2 cups cooked winter squash (I used butter nut, but you can use acorn or other kinds), 1/2 cup plan yogurt, 1 cup evaporated milk (you can also use yogurt or creamer), and 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Stir together, then pour into either food processor or blender.
*Season to taste with salt, garlic, pepper, etc. (sage might be good here too) - I forgot to season it at first and it was still really yummy.
*Serve with some yummy bread.

The pumpkin seeds (roasted at 350 with a little olive oil and Tony's).

Finally, the pumpkin bread (not pictured because we were bringing it to a party and I forgot to take a picture before I gave it away). The recipe however can be found at: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pumpkin_bread/

I substituted chocolate chips for the walnuts, but you can do whatever you like most.

Here's to fall! Enjoy that winter squash! More goodies to come soon!

Plan C

I have a tendency to not read recipes until I am about to start them...most of the time it works out okay, but sometimes it doesn't. At these times, I either realize that I don't have the ingredients I need or that the preparation takes much longer than I actually have time for.

This morning, I had planned to make yummy, cinnamon rolls (see previous post). However, I did not get the pastry flour needed for the rolls, and I did not realize that I needed to prep the dough several hours before. So the cinnamon rolls are happening at another date.

I still wanted to bake a little bit today, so my plan changed to making pumpkin bread. I like to use actual pumpkin puree and not the canned stuff, so I did remember to pick up pumpkins at the market the other day. Usually I use one big pumpkin, but this time I tried to get a few pie pumpkins just to try something different. But when I tried to cut into the pie pumpkins, I couldn't do it.  (I'll figure that part out later, but if y'all have tips, let me know.)

So plan C was to make cranberry bread that I found in my Real Simple magazine. It turned out pretty well for a plan C (and even with me substituting orange juice for the orange zest).

The recipe:
1 cup hazelnuts (I used almonds)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk (I used half and half because we only have skim milk)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (I used orange juice)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (I had some frozen ones from last fall; good thing they freeze well)

The bread turned out pretty well, but could have used a little bit more orange flavor (with either zest or juice).

And the lesson learned is twofold: First, preparation is probably a good thing... (or at least being aware of what I want to get done and if I can realistically do it)! Second, being flexible is always good too. Sometimes you learn the most from just giving something a try and being okay if the result is not perfection. (Or I should just be okay with lack of perfection in general!).

Anyway...here is the bread!

Baking withdrawal

So I have been a busy lady lately, preparing for a conference, going to a bachelorette party in New Orleans (complete with sightings of John Stamos), and working my two jobs. Unfortunately one of the first things to go by the wayside when life gets extra busy is my baking.

Even though it has only been a couple of months where I have been baking regularly, I am finding that I get a lot of joy and peace out of just standing in the kitchen and baking. Plus, it doesn't hurt that we have home baked goods to munch on around the house!

So I have found that when I don't bake, I feel like something is missing. I would not trade that bachelorette weekend in for anything, but it does remind me that I need to put work aside for a day and let myself spend time in the kitchen for a little while. I am now looking forward to Sunday where my plan will be to go to church, go for a walk, read my Real Simple magazine, and then bake up a storm.

Here is a hint of what I am going to try and make this weekend...
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2011/10/vegan-pumpkin-pecan-cinnamon-rolls.html#.TpYv105uTVc.facebook

(but don't tell William that they are vegan...that will be our little secret!)

Mmmm....cookies.....

For my consulting job, I have to spend a lot of time on the phone with Head Start teachers. When put on hold the other day, there was a recorded message from WIC using the cookie monster to encourage kids to eat broccoli. While I think it is fantastic to encourage children to eat their veggies, the message inspired me to make cookies!! (Well that, and this recipe I found from Jamie Oliver.)

http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/recipes/OATMEAL_RAISIN_COOKIES

I substituted craisins for the raisins because that was what we had, but I also really loved dried cranberries. The recipe is super easy and uses whole wheat and oats (so I feel I can ignore the whole stick of butter and brown sugar in the recipe). Mmmmmm.....COOKIES!!!

verdict

The biscuits are pretty d#%m good if I say so myself! I love it when this baking thing works out!

Avoidance

I hate grading. I don't know if all teachers hate grading, but I feel like I can't be alone here. I am not exactly sure what it is about grading that I hate, but I think some of it has to do with reading the same mistakes over and over. It also takes for ever. This semester I tried making rubrics to make the grading go a little faster, but I am still leaving just as many comments as without a rubric, so I am not sure that it is working.

The problem is worse when you have a ton to grade. It sort of snuck up on me this weekend, but I realized yesterday that I had to grade activity plans for all four classes, quizzes for three classes, and review discussion posts from our online class this week...in addition to preparing classes for the week and beginning my other full-time job.

So today instead of doing all of these things, I have cleaned the house, gone for a run, gone to church, read, taken a nap, and baked some biscuits. While I am learning to appreciate and participate in a weekly sabbath, I find myself wondering how in the world will I get everything done this week. And all too often, my method of dealing with feeling overwhelmed is to do other productive things and ignore the things that I really need to get done. (Note to my friends with children....I am amazed that you get anything done ever. I can't imagine working as hard as I know you do and taking care of young children. Way to be the most amazing people ever!)

I chose to bake biscuits today mainly because I am running out of ingredients to make other things...not enough bread flour, no eggs, no buttermilk, etc. However, I did have some heavy cream left over from a lasagna I a made last week, and I coincidentally came across a biscuit recipe that used heavy cream instead of shortening and buttermilk. Here is the recipe:

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
(I didn't quite put enough in because I got distracted by the little packet in the salt to keep the salt fresh. Really...isn't salt itself used as a preservative. I really don't want that in my salt! So I took it out and then forgot to keep putting the salt in the mixture.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1 cup heavy cream

Mix the dry ingredients. Using a fork, slowly mix in the cream to form a soft dough. Knead the dough a little bit on a floured surface. Roll or pat it out to be about 1/2 inch thick and cut into your desired biscuit size (around 2-3 inches). I don't have a biscuit cutter so I use a coffee mug. Bake for 15ish minutes at 400 degrees until golden brown (or however you like biscuits).

Although I have not tasted them yet, I think they have turned out better than the first time I made biscuits, judging only from looks. I even have one biscuit that looks almost perfect. I'll let you know what they tasted like!

Back to baking

William and I went to a pot luck the other day with other faculty from his department. At some point, one of the women in the department came up to him and said, "Your wife hasn't baked anything lately", giving a not so subtle hint that maybe I should make something for him to bring to campus.

So today I made two batches of chocolate chip muffins for him to take into the office tomorrow.

I also thought that I would share the recipe (and will dutifully cite that it came from Simply in Season by Lind and Hockman-Wert).

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon (ish) cinnamon (I think I put a little bit more in)
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil)
1/4 cup honey (I use 1/3 cup to make it a little bit sweeter)
1 1/2 cup berries of your choosing (or 1/2 cup of chocolate chips if you so choose; there is also a zucchini version in which you put 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini if you are so inclined)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, mix liquidy ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet to the dry and mix. Add in berries or chocolate or zucchini or whatever. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar or brown sugar. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes (in my oven 16 is the magic number). Enjoy!

Simplicity

For me, part of the appeal of baking (and cooking) from scratch is that it makes my life more simple. There is something very simple and calming about chopping and stirring various foods in my kitchen. I can actually focus better on my tasks than I do during my work day, and it is the one time of day where I do not feel the need to have music going or want to watch something on TV. Instead, all I want it to be a part of making these different ingredients turn into one or two yummy dishes.

I have been reading a book of essays by Barbara Kingsolver called "Small Wonder". All of these essays in some way have to do with living simply, whether it is by eating locally or using fewer fossils fuels or watching less TV or learning to say no to a way too busy life. I knew that she made gardening and eating locally a large part of her life, but I was amazed to learn some of the things she has said no to, simply because they use too much fuel. For instance, she does not do book tours and turns down most speaking engagements (even though these would earn her more money) because she cannot justify the amount of fuel and pollution it would take for her to travel around the country.

I am inspired again by this woman who lives in a way that to many people seems outdated or inconvenient. It makes me dream of being able to live in a small farming community, have my own garden, and spend much of my time outside doing the manual labor of keeping up the garden, and the rest of the time cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

However, I am also convicted. I am sad/angry/guilt-ridden at myself and at our Western, capitalistic, dominance-oriented way of thinking that living simply is an active choice that we have to make, and how so often, we do not make that choice. Take this weekend for example...I have a new computer for work and so I have been cleaning off my old computer and organizing files for much of the weekend. So I choose to do this activity while watching hours and hours of TV, rather than reading, listening to some calming music, baking, sitting on our balcony, etc. Maybe that's not the best example, or rather the worst thing I could have done. But I think it is reflective of how easy it is for us to turn on the TV instead of reading, to choose processed foods instead of fresh, whole foods, and to consume more than our fair share of the world's resources.

And herein lies my dilemma(s)...I want this more simple life. I think that others want it too. I think that if we were all living more simply and more connected to our local communities, we would not have such a problem with the economy and climate change and war, poverty, etc. that we have. But I work two jobs and by the time I work, workout, and make dinner that day, I am so tired that I choose the convenience of TV instead of the work of reading or connecting to other humans via volunteering or a small group. Or I make my small choices of recycling (which is ridiculously difficult in Florence) and buying farmer's market food, but do not follow up on (what I see as) my responsibility to help others do the same. Why is it so easy to choose the convenient path, the path that in many ways destroys our connections with one another and with our earth? Why do I care more about missing what was on TV than missing out on living life outside of our apartment? Even though it may take more energy in the beginning, I know that these actions of living simply and connecting to others will be more fulfilling in the end, and yet I often do not choose them.

In the midst of this depressing post (sorry about that), I want to make the active and hopeful decision today to do things that are life giving, not only to me, but also good for those around me. I will take this Sabbath day and instead of watching TV all day or fretting about work or the state of the world, I am going to choose baking, reading, talking to friends, and going for a walk outside. I am going to turn off the electronics (which I do want to say are not bad in moderation) and live a little more simply today. I hope that you are able to do so this week as well.

Positive feedback

I think I have always been the kind of person who needs at least some positive affirmation on what I do, how I look, etc. I know that there is probably some psychoanalytic reason for that and it is all probably rooted to my perfectionism and people pleasing. However, the older I get (and perhaps the more busy / tired I get), the more I am learning to trust my own instincts in things. I am learning to be confident in who I am and only make apologies about my actions when they are destructive or hurtful, rather than my usual tendency to apologize for every little thing, even if I did not have control over it.

Nevertheless, I still enjoy a good pat on the back every once in a while. So it felt really good when my husband came home the other day to say that he received compliments on my baking efforts. The faculty in his department thoroughly enjoyed the blueberry muffins and zucchini bread (see below) that I made in the past couple of weeks. One woman confessed to William that she took two muffins for herself even though there were only 12 to go around. And the kicker...a man came up to William at the urinal in the men's bathroom to let him know that they were the best blueberry muffins he had ever had.

Although I am not sure that the blueberry muffins were that amazing, it made me smile to hear that someone like them enough to accost my husband in the bathroom.

Side note: I think that some of what makes the baked goods taste better is that they are freshly made with quality ingredients. I know, shocker, but we are finding that many people in Florence are very attached to their processed and packaged foods. Hopefully, if I do go into baking full-time this means that business will go well!!

This week / weekend I made use of the summer's bountiful zucchini and made some zucchini bread (from 1,000 vegetarian recipes) and oh so good zucchini chocolate chip cookies. This recipe comes from Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" which you should check out here: http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/. It is a great book and includes really yummy seasonal recipes. The best thing about the zucchini cookies is you don't need to feel as guilty eating them because they include whole wheat flour, zucchini, and dark chocolate chips - all of which are pretty good for you (at least in moderation).

And for your viewing pleasure...

Bon Appetit!

Some tricky biscuits

At some point after our first anniversary, William and I instituted Saturday morning breakfast, the point of which is to have a meal that is not eaten in front of the television and to have a fun way to ease into the weekend. (And yes, I realize that we could not eat in front of the television on other days, but I am saving that fight for when we have kids.)

As I finally remembered to get buttermilk from the store, and I had been promising William I would try biscuits, our meal this morning was cantaloupe, fried eggs and bacon (for William), and biscuits with homemade blueberry jam.  Here is the recipe (via Alton Brown and my friend Alisa): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/southern-biscuits-recipe/index.html.

And here is how they turned out....

They tasted okay, but weren't quite as fluffy and flaky as buttermilk biscuits should be. I am learning as a burgeoning baker and sometimes cook that there is this weird balance between following the recipe and not. Sometimes it works to improvise and use what you have or are in the mood for and sometimes you should follow the recipe. These tricky biscuits (and my failed squash casserole this week) are those recipes that you just have to follow.

So next time I have learned...don't be shy with the buttermilk, it is your friend, and that we need to have some white flour in the house. I like the taste of whole wheat flour and it is is better for you...but when you're going for Southern buttermilk biscuits, the point is not that it is good for your body, but that the yummy, flaky, melt in your mouth, buttery goodness is good for your soul.

So sometime soon I will get some white flour and try these again!

On a different note, I did make honey, whole wheat bread and that was super yummy! (I forgot to take a picture before cutting because I was really hungry! Thus, the half eaten loaf.)

Pecan Pie

Historically I have not been a fan of pecan pie. In fact, although I love nuts by themselves or in salads or sides, I am not crazy about nuts in sweet things like muffins, breads, cookies, pies, or worst of all, ice cream. I am not quite sure why, but I suspect it has something to do with crunchy things in foods that should be moist, fluffy, or soft. Those just don't go together for me. (Or for William...he says that he doesn't like "aggregates" in his baked goods. He is a rhetorician, you must forgive him.)

All of that is to say that I tried some pecan pie the other day, and I liked it! I will still choose a fruit or chocolate pie over a pecan pie any day, but it wasn't too bad.

So I am adding pecan pie to the list of things to learn how to make. I guess I couldn't be an official Southern baker without being able to make that. (If anyone has an amazing recipe for pecan pie, let me know!!)

Step by step

First off...side note...
For those of you who don't know, I LOVE 80's music. I love it so much that I cannot say phrases like "the right stuff", or "step by step" without thinking of New Kids on the Block and dancing/swooning a little.

Second, I am realizing that trying to bake three things from scratch, plus make most dinners from scratch, plus get used to a new job is a little much to take on for a week.

I did not bake a single thing last week, and my perfectionist self had to struggle with my own limits and that it was okay for me to veg out on the couch for a little (okay...maybe it was a lot) instead of baking. (Well, I did make homemade chex mix for William, but that is actually just mixing processed foods together, so I figured that doesn't really count as baking.)

This week I decided to make two things that were a little bit easier, and then will save the breads and more involved things for the weekend.

So you get whole wheat and oat blueberry muffins and some yummy granola (so I could have breakfast this week). 

Pictures first....

 They are in the to go tins because they are going to Will's work. (Sorry Earth...we will reuse and recycle the tins...we promise!)

 I don't know how to rotate the picture, so you get gravity defying granola!

And...lucky you...the granola recipe is from a friend's mom, so I can share it with you!

I generally double the recipe, just so it will last a few weeks.

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar (I usually put just a little bit less than this...not too sweet)
1 tbsp-ish of cinnamon (I don't measure this)
1 cup of almonds

Mix this up, then....

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 honey in a small skillet, just until they coagulate.

Add the liquid to the dry stuff and mix just to get it all sticky.

Put it all on a baking sheet and bake for  20-30 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring every 10ish minutes until golden brown. (Can bake at a lower temperature if you want...just watch carefully cause it can burn quickly).

You can also add dried fruits or other nuts or chocolate chips post baking as desired! Enjoy!

Stayed tuned...

Coming this week from our kitchen in Florence...

1. Honey-Oatmeal bread
2. Blueberry muffins
3. Buttermillk biscuits

A Sifting

We have a flour sifter (see the picture below), but I don't think either of us have ever used it. It just sat in the cabinet gathering dust. However, now that I am exploring baking, I keep wondering...should I sift the flour, or is that an archaic way of doing things? None of my recipes thus far have called for sifted flour, but is it one of those secret tricks that only real bakers know and still do?

One of the many skills I have learned from graduate school is the skill of questioning everything and doing your own research. So I was curious...what do other bakers say about sifting? What does it mean to sift? If it does change the result, how?

Well...here is what I found. Sifting, though it used to be necessary because of the junk that could get into the flour when it was milled, can still be a handy trick. It can make your measuring more accurate and thus make whatever you are baking a little lighter. (See http://kitchensavvy.typepad.com/journal/2005/07/sifting_flour.html for more details.)

I think what is more interesting however, is the actual meaning of the word sift. According to Dictionary.com, there are several meanings to this short word.

1. to separate and retain the coarse parts of (flour, ashes, etc.) with a sieve.

2. to scatter or sprinkle through or by means of a sieve.

3. to separate by or as if by a sieve.

4. to examine closely.

5. to question closely.

I am struck by two things in these definitions. First, I like that there is an element of separation in sifting. My step-mom reminded me the other day (when I had been rejected from a possible assistant professor position) that sometimes it feels that we are being sifted, that we are being separated, scattered, or even falling through an uncomfortable sieve. During this sifting we may feel out of control or separated from what we once knew. We may not really know what is going on. But it seems that, generally, we come out on the other end, better prepared for our next step, perhaps even with a lightened load because we were holding onto some thing that we needed to let go. In my case, I think I was holding onto the idea of what I am "supposed to do" with my degrees, what is expected of me (namely a tenure track professor position). Because of the difficulty of not finding a job right away, I think I have been able to begin to separate myself from various expectations and ask myself, "What do I want to do?". It has been freeing to think of things this way and even though I am still unsure what my immediate occupation may be, I feel a little lighter and a little less anxious about the possibilities. 

The second thing that strikes me is along a similar line of thinking. I like the fourth and fifth definitions of sifting: "to examine or question closely". Again, this is something I think I have been trained to do throughout my life and especially in graduate school. It is because of questioning things closely that I have become the person I am, with my particular beliefs and thoughts, relationships and actions. Thus, I am grateful for the various siftings in my life that have helped me to separate from things that are no longer necessary for my growth or to question things that have helped me find myself in the midst of the craziness of this world. 

So...although it might seem old-fashioned to sift flour, I think I am going to take it up as a regular baking practice. Even if it is just to remind me that an occasional sifting in life is a good thing. 

 

Flours from my boo

I don't know how many of you have seen "Stranger than Fiction" (if you haven't, you really should), but there is one particular scene that I love.  (Side note: the website is really fun - http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/strangerthanfiction/site/home.html)

Without giving too much away...Will Farrell is an IRS auditor who is auditing an eccentric baker played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. As he tries to win her over, he brings her "flowers", or rather a box of a dozen different flours. It is a really touching scene that lets her know that he is different and that he is learning what might make her smile, what makes her tick.

Well, after my discovery that you really should use bread flour when making bread, my husband surprised with some flours.

So here is my sappy post today. My husband is wonderful. He knows how difficult graduate school and job searching and agonizing over what I should do with my life has been. He supports my crazy dreams and whims (and not only because he gets good food out of it). He allows me to be me, even when I know I am driving him crazy. And he knows that bringing me flours will make me smile.

3 breads in 3 days

So enough talk about me...let's get to the baking!

In the last 3 days, I have made three different kinds of bread and made a few discoveries.

Day 1: Regular white bread, enjoyed with homemade blueberry jam (super easy to make), and...

then the next morning as french toast. Yum!

Discoveries 1 and 2: First, apparently bread flour is a different from all-purpose flour. The bread still tasted yummy, but it was pretty dense. So...if the recipe calls for bread flour, you should probably get that type of flour. Second, I think I already knew this, but my husband can turn anything into a sexual innuendo (mostly for shock value). As the bread was baking he looked at me and said (in his trying to be sexy voice), "I am literally about to butter your bread and put it in my mouth." (Which I followed dutifully with a "that's what she said").

Here is William eating the bread.

Day 2: Whole wheat French baguette, made for friends who had us over for drinks and dessert.

Because this one was for friends (who I am calling our new best friends because they are the only people we have hung out with in Florence and they remind me of our friends the Pells), we did not taste it, but it smelled really good!

Discovery 3: Even though I halved the recipe to make one baguette, I have learned that that half makes one really gigantic baguette and should from now on be split into two. That way, we can give one away and selfishly get to keep one for us!

Day 3: Basil foccacia, toped with bruschetta.

Discovery 4: Using bread flour does make the bread lighter, and foccacia is awesome with basil and olive oil. I think the next time I make foccacia though I am going to try to make it into smaller loaves to use for sandwiches. Mmmm, a caprese sandwich with farmer's market tomatoes and homegrown basil....mmmmmm.

Overall, I think the past three baking days have been successful. Next on the list is to make homemade biscuits.

PS - I am not posting recipes right now, because they are not my own and I am not sure about copy right stuff. However, the first two came from Brother Juniper's Bread Book, and the last one came from a Mennonite cookbook called, Simply in Season. Email me if you want more information!

Method and Metaphor

In academia, having two titles for articles or other writings is pretty common. I have even heard somewhere that the likelihood of getting published is increased if you have a colon in your title. So I have learned to be drawn to books and such that have two titles. I was actually introduced to Brother Juniper's Bread Book: Slow Rise as Method and Metaphor by my husband who was giving it as a gift to a friend around the time we got married. I liked the title, but at that point in my life and my dissertation, I did not have the energy or time to read it.

When I began to think about baking seriously, I started a list in my head of things that I need to know how to bake: croissants, bagels, muffins, cookies, scones, and of course, yummy bread. Not knowing where to start, I picked up Will's copy of this small book on bread.

What is most interesting about the book is not the recipes (I am guessing you could find similar recipes in other books or websites); it is the way the author relates the baking of bread to the ups and downs of life, and how patience and hard work can bring about simple beauties which make life worthwhile.

As Rienhart says, "Slow rise has taught me and is still teaching me a way to live, a way to be, and a way to see. It is a window into an understanding of the things that go on around me, a way to make sense of the seemingly senseless scenarios we are exposed to throughout life. Yes, slow rise is a metaphor but you might also say that is is a frame of reference, a context in which things find their proper place."

In these past few months, as I have been anxiously trying to find a job, I have found this metaphor particularly calming. It helps me remember that, while I need to do what I can, there is also merit in having patience, in waiting and trusting that things will work out and perhaps be even better than I ever dreamed.

I have always hated the question, "So what are you going to do after graduation?", that everyone asks, sometimes even when you still have years until you graduate. My response would always be something simple. During undergrad, I would say that I wanted to work with children (but not be more specific); in grad school, I would just say teach college. I would give the easy answer that would not let people know that I really wanted to join the peace corps or dance for Alvin Ailey or start a cultural arts center. I also secretly thought to myself that the perfect opportunity would just fall in my lap and everything would be fantastic. Often times, it actually has. All of my jobs and school and moves thus far, have worked out and been great places for me.

However, as my tenure at graduate school came to an end, and my husband and I prepared for our move to small-town South Carolina, my job possibilities looked a little bleaker. Still tired from the long hours of grad school and not wanting to have a job where I sit in front of a computer all day, I decided that my newest career goal is baking.

Other than the having to get up at ridiculously early hours (which I am not sure that I can do), I have these crazy ideas of greeting the locals with a cup of tea and fresh baked muffins, asking about their days. Later in the day, I would make them sandwiches (with local produce of course) on freshly baked breads and maybe talk them into a warm cookie or piece of pie. I am sure there are other things that would be difficult about owning a bakery, but right now it excites me.

I decided that if I really do want to be a baker, then I can't wait for the opportunity to fall in my lap. This is something I have to work toward. Plus, I am guessing that you have to be a good baker to have a successful business, and other than an amazing apple pie, I don't do a lot of baking right now. Thus, in true Julie and Julia style, I am teaching myself to bake one yummy treat at a time.

So...welcome to the beginnings of me becoming a baker...let's see what happens, or rather what rises!