tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76037644433688810102024-02-19T02:12:55.467-06:00Obsessive Cooking DisorderManaging Editor by day, baker by night, I'm a total word nerd who loves to bake, cook, cuddle my doggies, and travel with my hubs (otherwise known as the Big Guy) any chance I get. This blog is about the things that make me happy...like baking. And cooking. And foodie stuff. And more baking.Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-59259643538179877342014-02-09T22:01:00.000-06:002014-02-20T08:12:36.240-06:00The Martha Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1ZsSzYxxoWzfLKJfNHdfpoOUJUXQQ4rLwQDzd-2yt-W8UWlweAG9FLxlJS07ylhyphenhyphenil6T42CLohXq4hQh9-Mwg0DxldnJh9X0Q35VXMBiyJx9N1xYwy4Cx4arSlOEIfQhZ76lGrkTX14/s1600/martha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1ZsSzYxxoWzfLKJfNHdfpoOUJUXQQ4rLwQDzd-2yt-W8UWlweAG9FLxlJS07ylhyphenhyphenil6T42CLohXq4hQh9-Mwg0DxldnJh9X0Q35VXMBiyJx9N1xYwy4Cx4arSlOEIfQhZ76lGrkTX14/s1600/martha.jpg" /></a></div>
The Martha Saga continues.<br />
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I know I said she was dead to me, but I just couldn't walk away from her Pullman Bread recipe without conquering it. I made Peter Reinhart's Soft Sandwich Bread recipe from <i>Artisan Breads Every Day</i> a couple of times now, but it's just not doing it for me. Not like Martha's sandwich bread. Evil woman.<br />
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Reinhart's sandwich bread is tasty and has a great shelf life (especially in my handy Tupperware bread keeper). But it's delicate and tears easily when I try to spread it with peanut butter or even just butter. And it doesn't toast as evenly and thoroughly as Martha's denser, heartier sandwich bread. Plus it's a bit too sweet for my taste. So I decided I'm not going to let this she-witch with the minions and the bad instructions conquer me. I'm going to conquer her Pullman Bread recipe if it's the last thing I do.<br />
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So I made it again this weekend. I took notes on how long I baked it and how I covered it. Because I'm still working without a real Pullman loaf pan with the cover, I'm having to finagle the instructions (which Martha's minions lied about being accurate) to get it to come out right. Here is my latest result:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkiW40HMxga0w5a2ivJf2Lp_oxqj07pmbXiaJHaJtSDqX0Of5XnjAVLzTSfvY7LolkSSWNLdEbHlJ9OSgugHnpjsBatfyNx5CMFSMPU6UEz-gw_nFhNmAp7Q5JeU2s64i8moYFuVSK6k/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkiW40HMxga0w5a2ivJf2Lp_oxqj07pmbXiaJHaJtSDqX0Of5XnjAVLzTSfvY7LolkSSWNLdEbHlJ9OSgugHnpjsBatfyNx5CMFSMPU6UEz-gw_nFhNmAp7Q5JeU2s64i8moYFuVSK6k/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="640" width="476" /></a></div>
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Not as pretty as I would like, but not horrendous either. It's taken some serious effort to try to modify Martha's instructions to work with a loaf pan sans lid, though, and I'm not quite there yet. It's tastes magnificent, though, and has a beautiful dense texture that toasts beautifully. The Big Guy and I made grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner with it tonight. Delish!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oHKIAp9rzvxTszasQ5-lmIjs-Htq6miWxlkXuYByZMs3SHWI9SlE36VwX4cLcJd68_KdHv531VJHVbSQ-yzTMuCBQTfIDN_M8VqZLW2TiDgmXGnfdGbAOx_zpxOcbFy-ROLYdSORRGo/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oHKIAp9rzvxTszasQ5-lmIjs-Htq6miWxlkXuYByZMs3SHWI9SlE36VwX4cLcJd68_KdHv531VJHVbSQ-yzTMuCBQTfIDN_M8VqZLW2TiDgmXGnfdGbAOx_zpxOcbFy-ROLYdSORRGo/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
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Here is where <b><i>The Martha Challenge</i></b> comes in. I challenge all you bakers out there to try this recipe also - with or without the requisite Pullman loaf pan with lid - and let me know your results. Are you up for the challenge? Here's the recipe.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">Pullman Bread</span></b><br />
<i>Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook</i><br />
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Total time commitment: about 4-1/2 hours<br />
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"Makes one 12-inch loaf. <i>If you prefer a loaf with a rounded top, you can bake the dough without the lid in place; the baking time should be the same.</i>" (Famous last words, Martha.)<br />
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1-1/2 lb (about 4-1/2 cups) bread flour, plus more for dusting<br />
3-1/2 tsp instant yeast<br />
1-1/2 Tbsp coarse salt<br />
1-1/2 Tbsp sugar<br />
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk<br />
2 Tbsp butter, softened<br />
1-3/4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)<br />
Spray oil, for bowl and pan<br />
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, dry milk and butter. Add the warm water and beat on low speed until the dough is smooth, elastic and uniform in color, about 5 minutes.<br />
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Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and finish kneading by hand, about five times, making sure all ingredients are fully incorporated and the dough forms a smooth ball. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.<br />
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Punch down dough in bowl. Pull the sides into the center. Invert the dough in the bowl so that it rests smooth side up. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour more.<br />
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Generously spray a 12" Pullman loaf pan with spray oil (or brush with vegetable oil), making sure to coat the underside of the lid (if you have one), as well as the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough to a 12" x 8" rectangle, with the long side facing you. Starting at the top, roll the dough toward you, gently pressing as you go to form a tight log. Tuck the ends in to make even. Gently roll the log back and forth to seal the final seam. Place the loaf, seam side down, in the prepared pan and slide the lid three-quarters of the way closed. (If working without a lid, cover with plastic wrap.) Let rise in a warm place until the dough is almost touching the lid, 45-60 minutes. (If working without a lid, your dough will rise in a rounded fashion about a half inch above the top of the pan.) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.<br />
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Close the lid completely (or cover completely with foil) and bake, rotating pan halfway through, until loaf is light golden brown, about 45 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350F, re-close the lid (or re-cover with foil) and continue baking another 30 minutes. [NOTE: These are Martha's instructions. My times were as follows: 30 minutes at 425F, then 29 minutes at 350F, checking it every five minutes in the last 15 minutes of baking. My oven tends to bake fast (fancy Whirlpool AccuBake(R) technology), so your results may vary. Let me know.]<br />
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Martha says to let pan rest of wire rack for 10 minutes, but I always just dump my bread right out onto the wire rack immediately after removing from the oven. Crust should be a deep golden brown and bread will sound hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing. Bread can be wrapped in plastic (or stored in your handy-dandy Tupperware bread box) and kept at room temperature for up to 4 days.<br />
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This is <b><i>The Martha Challenge</i></b>. Are you in? Post your results below! Happy baking!Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-22297178433413743822014-02-09T19:32:00.001-06:002014-02-09T19:32:26.575-06:00Snack Stadium!Have you heard about this whole Snack Stadium - or Snackadium - phenomenon? I first saw a few pictures on Pinterest last year and I was intrigued. People had made these elaborate, mammoth football stadiums out of lunch meats and submarine sandwiches. I started heckling my "sister from another mister" Rachel about building one, since she and her hubby are the queen and king of parties and elaborately theme party munchies. She told me no, she would have to take out a second mortgage to pay for the ingredients! You can kind of get where she's coming from when you take a look at the size and scope of some of these suckers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueCVurhSTorGTl7JFJWTJLLecroMVGKhS-2HjLOwrkY5pMpqW9E_sQr0SS5pcKV7_CZFuwrHSrMPv3i90lFNxRLfD2Gd7MVP_ogIO4RVM2Xop1psUxIB13iDaCu0HNCTetwKKmIOYHmo/s1600/snackstadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueCVurhSTorGTl7JFJWTJLLecroMVGKhS-2HjLOwrkY5pMpqW9E_sQr0SS5pcKV7_CZFuwrHSrMPv3i90lFNxRLfD2Gd7MVP_ogIO4RVM2Xop1psUxIB13iDaCu0HNCTetwKKmIOYHmo/s1600/snackstadium.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAugRRqQyMS5NgbQki3HMWTvRgY8L7E3nEZqKPvo9mJ0Wtur9rNRxkGAajGu0IzkaBScUH3n-tZWj31kOq-ZokLezt_17_jRsaGdxg9mWdh_8CrV70eg8I4ppLXmg4lChcvfWzDWW7-gk/s1600/meat+stadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAugRRqQyMS5NgbQki3HMWTvRgY8L7E3nEZqKPvo9mJ0Wtur9rNRxkGAajGu0IzkaBScUH3n-tZWj31kOq-ZokLezt_17_jRsaGdxg9mWdh_8CrV70eg8I4ppLXmg4lChcvfWzDWW7-gk/s1600/meat+stadium.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Huffington Post</td></tr>
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So this year when I started seeing these foodie marvels buzzing around Pinterest again...and even making an appearance in my favorite magazine, <i>Every Day with Rachael Ray</i>, I started bugging the crap out of Rachel again.<br />
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I sent her pins.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyefzuoPW01HuN7wsETkynagqt1supLRR8Ap07r9bTFa4aFF6FeccxfJqd9UCHVFDc1fsA0_wyN6HsDygowcgTchqDKwIQoENXyX7eeJtug0yuJsjkNKDYWzj9Tq4dOu58CKR2zXUQ2Q/s1600/snackstadium+meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyefzuoPW01HuN7wsETkynagqt1supLRR8Ap07r9bTFa4aFF6FeccxfJqd9UCHVFDc1fsA0_wyN6HsDygowcgTchqDKwIQoENXyX7eeJtug0yuJsjkNKDYWzj9Tq4dOu58CKR2zXUQ2Q/s1600/snackstadium+meme.jpg" height="552" width="640" /></a></div>
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I emailed her links.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8GmOsw7OM5P82XWYDPP15jVenHi3QTvfNK7fcvucWBITZtCW0zQZQyHwM7i6x16xWcY9uqRyIsgPa4-_GrQNbfwljzA3_nRKzHkvlTA5o_mJ4zx3bWkvNEMTjWbCjHoEhDh1TQf9GdQ/s1600/canstadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8GmOsw7OM5P82XWYDPP15jVenHi3QTvfNK7fcvucWBITZtCW0zQZQyHwM7i6x16xWcY9uqRyIsgPa4-_GrQNbfwljzA3_nRKzHkvlTA5o_mJ4zx3bWkvNEMTjWbCjHoEhDh1TQf9GdQ/s1600/canstadium.jpg" height="416" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: http://20somethingbudget.com/ </td></tr>
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I texted her taunts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggVc6QkWK-2fXbSeq_OLFN88Dq7hi1vgz91gOkh9zILd_SiDV8tovjTJi5vkwHO2xrLD1kXyn2BWHLzkRRU2mjvJLe4rOFb9AgDDqM1UP6sd_VxU7XX0lt26Kk762OV2ei6x5uUPZ-Z8/s1600/cupcakestadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggVc6QkWK-2fXbSeq_OLFN88Dq7hi1vgz91gOkh9zILd_SiDV8tovjTJi5vkwHO2xrLD1kXyn2BWHLzkRRU2mjvJLe4rOFb9AgDDqM1UP6sd_VxU7XX0lt26Kk762OV2ei6x5uUPZ-Z8/s1600/cupcakestadium.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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But I think it was the all-out, down-and-dirty, gaunlet-to-the-ground CHALLENGE, accompanied by this image, that finally convinced the party people to give it a shot. I mean, come on. If you can do <i>this</i>, you win. Period. Party King & Queen Forever.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-BzKACk8MMgLRncnVZx5Yh5lxe0qGz_pBTlb2lYrxoHyGdaCc8flH8Zyb1NdVeRCVFg5HANeTiLFYFH5ev7qUsGv3k3Sg0fxYrMttIKERuQdr9GMcBf2-Iyh0zY8ysaOwr3uDxARyZY/s1600/lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-BzKACk8MMgLRncnVZx5Yh5lxe0qGz_pBTlb2lYrxoHyGdaCc8flH8Zyb1NdVeRCVFg5HANeTiLFYFH5ev7qUsGv3k3Sg0fxYrMttIKERuQdr9GMcBf2-Iyh0zY8ysaOwr3uDxARyZY/s1600/lights.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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So Rachel started taunting me about this epic Snack Stadium they were building, telling me to prepare to be amazed. These crazy people were up til 3 a.m. working on it the night before the Super Bowl. And when we arrived at their house for the party, we were, indeed, amazed. Good work, Gollahers!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAVoEIJZF-Zodtt3tklpqM7w6jrD6QWr4RiAEwP_C8SjCsBoCshISPQngU1dzW2WjzyYIQtTwKztd0Yc3_F9IjKcLxEaHUcPMn9YUUIe640o3kLmT4lB7JQpPDZgvc_ZwK_YahMyqQAo/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAVoEIJZF-Zodtt3tklpqM7w6jrD6QWr4RiAEwP_C8SjCsBoCshISPQngU1dzW2WjzyYIQtTwKztd0Yc3_F9IjKcLxEaHUcPMn9YUUIe640o3kLmT4lB7JQpPDZgvc_ZwK_YahMyqQAo/s1600/4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cue angels singing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVwL3sTljBOv5MB3XlFrYC0UmNa4ozP5T7X8E1vMA5PRedDWos8Wdp_Aqtatjmr9L9p3U18mcPeWag-fWCB8aM4gPXHQZiftCEncaXmcKOlL1MnK7cRWcAsr2FJXruzQdvXl2xEq5YV4/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVwL3sTljBOv5MB3XlFrYC0UmNa4ozP5T7X8E1vMA5PRedDWos8Wdp_Aqtatjmr9L9p3U18mcPeWag-fWCB8aM4gPXHQZiftCEncaXmcKOlL1MnK7cRWcAsr2FJXruzQdvXl2xEq5YV4/s1600/3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The football field is a cheesecake. O.M.G.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSEikt8Gb3ASwYOwjAmCtED4W3OQQeLDy7EkSx-cF-wEZFuS0Nve3BIHnn98C7htnwBMsz3INrwDVRqKggA_23rEwILzCL93aUeyo7KwZxmgGw4Ft2SyCGf013JNJxGBaZNwErhCadEQ/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSEikt8Gb3ASwYOwjAmCtED4W3OQQeLDy7EkSx-cF-wEZFuS0Nve3BIHnn98C7htnwBMsz3INrwDVRqKggA_23rEwILzCL93aUeyo7KwZxmgGw4Ft2SyCGf013JNJxGBaZNwErhCadEQ/s1600/1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ariel view from the Goodyear Blimp. Check out the adorable football-shaped brownie bites their daughter made!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKdViTYgALiyDtcEME6t6OL8AxklFVgedtTSqLservp2vqtmw2hyphenhyphenLcODtIfm0UnJKz6a1Zvq5pX7P1gB3I7FAEi_TEz7AV0OedVzdJ_NjesIqcZiTXL3E6CbLcZQ6WJ-TyQnhY7eT_pw/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKdViTYgALiyDtcEME6t6OL8AxklFVgedtTSqLservp2vqtmw2hyphenhyphenLcODtIfm0UnJKz6a1Zvq5pX7P1gB3I7FAEi_TEz7AV0OedVzdJ_NjesIqcZiTXL3E6CbLcZQ6WJ-TyQnhY7eT_pw/s1600/2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the cute little goalposts made of bendy straws!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoLO_iEhx1HyQw_-AQ0JWL-Yi-_M3r5S4oME1sV_dXHlw6TAaJvdXpuazH3ZCHcecr3sitJJEYT5Z1rvolLhf7qzT1GGMvGQUk7S3A1nnbZmkhBo_7dZIndVsqDXvxR80jJoUXLhEgEw/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoLO_iEhx1HyQw_-AQ0JWL-Yi-_M3r5S4oME1sV_dXHlw6TAaJvdXpuazH3ZCHcecr3sitJJEYT5Z1rvolLhf7qzT1GGMvGQUk7S3A1nnbZmkhBo_7dZIndVsqDXvxR80jJoUXLhEgEw/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dips and condiments served separately</td></tr>
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The Gollaher gang once again proved they are the party masters. And this Snack Stadium didn't break the bank! It doesn't have to be expensive cold cuts and cheeses and craziness to be impressive. I told Rachel we need to go into business together to build and sell Snack Stadiums next year for Super Bowl. (She thinks I'm kidding but I'm kinda not.)<br />
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So, what impressive snack stuffs did you have for Super Bowl??<br />
<br />Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-7507364184362721362014-02-09T17:37:00.002-06:002014-02-09T19:35:55.139-06:00Life Takes Over...But Baking ContinuesThe Big Guy was chastising me last night for not posting a new blog entry in a couple of weeks. But that's what happens when you have too many irons in the fire.<br />
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The last couple of weekends have been busy! I tried three new Peter Reinhart recipes, all of which turned out splendidly. And all of which came from his book <i>Artisan Breads Every Day</i>. I've referenced page numbers below.<br />
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My biggest problem when it comes to blogging about my baking experiments is remembering to take the darn photos. I get all caught up in the process of baking and forget about the need to document the steps visually. Or, I remember to take a few photos during the process, but when the finished product comes out, it's so delicious that it gets devoured before I remember to snap a shot of the end result. That's what happened weekend before last. We served the French bread - using Reinhart's Lean Bread recipe (page 46) - to guests on Saturday night with dinner, and I was too busy entertaining and enjoying the evening to capture it "on film." The sandwich bread I have no excuse for other than laziness. I thought about taking pictures of it a couple of times before we devoured it, but was too lazy to go do it. Meh, it happens.<br />
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Here are the baguettes made from the Lean Bread recipe and the Soft Sandwich Bread (page 105) loaves as they were rising:<br />
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Pretty, aren't they? I wish I had captured the finished products as well. But as the title says, life takes over.<br />
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The Lean Bread recipe tasted great, but the dough was a bit tricky to work with. So the next weekend I went with Reinhart's Classic French Bread recipe (page 49) to fulfill the request for bread boules for the Super Bowl party we were attending. <a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2014/02/snack-stadium.html">My girl Rachel was going all out with a Snack Stadium</a>, so I had to bring the goods in the baking department to accompany her soups. This time I remembered to take photos of the finished product but not of the steps it took to get there. Feast your eyes on these beauties:<br />
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I made them small so that more people could try them, and so that no one was tempted to fill up on soup and miss out on the glory that was the Snack Stadium. When making these bread boules (pronounced "bowl" by the majority of the world, but "bow-lay" by my dear hillbilly co-worker Heather), I went with a tic-tac-toe pattern of scoring on the top so we would have a guide to cut around to remove the centers of the boules for soup. Since there was not a scrap of bread left in the end, I'm calling this one a winner. Woohoo!</div>
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Now, you want the recipes? Go buy Peter Reinhart's <i>Artisan Breads Every Day</i>! I promise you that even if you are a complete novice baker you'll find these recipes simple and easy to follow. I would reproduce them here, but every recipe comes with 3 pages of instructions. Don't be intimidated by that! The 3 pages of instruction is what makes these recipes so easy to follow. Reinhart doesn't leave out a single detail, therefore you're not left confused (unlike with Martha's recipes) and wondering if you've done it right.</div>
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Get in there and start baking! Or ask me for samples. Either way. Enjoy!</div>
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<br />Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-2337172616791582712014-01-19T21:14:00.001-06:002014-01-19T21:37:11.455-06:00Latin Yum-Yums<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't mind the sazon stains.</td></tr>
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A few weeks ago I was bragging on Facebook about this awesome dinner I made featuring a carnitas recipe I found on Pinterest and Puerto Rican-style rice, and a bunch of people started hounding me for the recipes. So I'll share them with you all here.<br />
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The rice is part of a recipe the Big Guy got from a lady he worked with when we lived in Orlando, Florida. Liz was half Puerto Rican and half Polish. Her cooking could get interesting, to say the least. But this was one of her Latin favorites. The Big Guy fell for this recipe when Liz brought some to work and shared with him. He told her his Midwestern white-bread wife needed to learn to make stuff like that, so she wrote down the recipe for me. It's a little sketchy on details (but I'm learning all the best recipes are), so I'm sharing it here with my modifications made through trial and error. You can see in the photo it's been well-loved (and a little splattered-upon).<br />
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<b><i>Chicken Wings & Yellow Rice</i></b><br />
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1/2 cup (or less) cooking oil<br />
2 packets Goya Sazon con Azafran (yellow packet)<br />
2 large serving spoons full tomato sauce<br />
1 Tbsp salt (or to taste)<br />
dash of oregano<br />
1 Tbsp minced garlic<br />
1 Tbsp sugar<br />
12 chicken wings/drumettes<br />
2 cups long-grain rice<br />
2 cups water<br />
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In a dutch oven or medium stock pot, combine first 7 ingredients and wings. Saute wings until lightly browned. Add rice and water and stir together, making sure you can see the rice under the surface of the water. Boiling uncovered on high, let the rice "dry," stirring occasionally. When water is pretty much all absorbed, turn heat down to low, stir rice up into a mound, cover with aluminum foil and place lid on pot. Cook for about 30 minutes on low. After 30 minutes, stir - scraping all the burnt rice up off the bottom of the pot. (Hint: You're going to want a wooden spoon or metal spatula for this part. It really does get burnt and stuck on down there.) Check to see if rice is tender. Turn off heat, cover the pot, and let sit for another 10 minutes. Stir and serve.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade pressure cooker? Sure, why not?</td></tr>
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**To make rice only, reduce cooking oil to 1/8-1/4 cup and omit chicken wings.**<br />
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I can hear you now..."BURNT rice??" Yes, burnt rice. I freaked out the first time I made it, until the Big Guy told me to calm the hell down. That's what it's supposed to be like. I didn't believe him...until I took my first bite. In the middle of all my perfectly cooked rice were these little bits of crunchy grains that EXPLODED with flavor. It was so amazing. Black beans pair really nicely with this rice.<br />
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The carnitas recipe is based on a couple different recipes I found on Pinterest, but mainly the version found on <a href="http://www.mykitchenescapades.com/2012/11/pork-carnitas.html" target="_blank">My Kitchen Escapades</a>. Here's my adaptation and a little meat porn.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Pork Carnitas</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(<i>adapted from <a href="http://www.mykitchenescapades.com/" target="_blank">My Kitchen Escapades</a></i>)</span><br />
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8 lb bone-in pork butt (trimmed and cut into 2" cubes) (Could also use a 4 lb boneless butt, trimmed and cubed)<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
3/4 tsp black pepper<br />
1 tsp ground cumin<br />
1 large onion, peeled and halved<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
5 cloves garlic, smashed<br />
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice<br />
2 C water<br />
1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves<br />
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Adjust oven rack down to lower-middle position and preheat to 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven, including orange juice and spent orange halves. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered. Cover and place in preheated oven. Cook 2-3 hours, or until meat falls apart easily when tested with a fork. (Mine took a full 3 hours.)<br />
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Remove pot from oven, move oven rack up to middle position and turn oven to broil. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from the pan and place on a large, foil-lined jelly roll pan. Remove and discard everything else from the cooking liquid and place pot over high heat. Cook liquid down until thick and syrupy, about 20-30 minutes. There should only be about 1 cup of liquid left when you're finished.<br />
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In the meantime, break chunks of meat up using two forks. Pull each large cube of meat into about three pieces and discard any hunks of fat or gristle that didn't break down during cooking. Once liquid is reduced, gently stir meat into liquid, trying not to break up the meat any further. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.<br />
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Return pork and liquid to baking sheet and spread meat out evenly in a single layer. Broil until meat is well-browned and slightly crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Using a large spatula, turn meat over and broil on other side until well-browned and crispy, about 5-8 more minutes. Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings.<br />
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We used corn tortillas, lightly toasted in a skillet, and topped them with a little bit of queso quesadilla cheese (TRY IT! Sooo much more flavor than jack cheese or Mexican blend!), chopped romaine lettuce, sour cream and sliced onion. You could also add some cilantro - or use it instead of lettuce - if that's your thing. I, personally, hate cilantro, so we did not use it.<br />
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The queso quesadilla cheese was so delicious, we also sprinkled some over the top of our rice. You can never have enough cheese. Cheese is good. Cheese makes everything better. Here was the finished result:<br />
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Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-19875624103511149172014-01-19T18:43:00.000-06:002014-01-19T18:43:37.502-06:00Ciabatta RedemptionAfter last weekend's epic ciabatta defeat, courtesy of Martha Stewart's Baking Painbook, I went back into the kitchen this weekend determined to redeem myself and wash away the stink of failure that still hung in the air. In my hands was my new favorite book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinharts-Artisan-Breads-Every/dp/1580089984" target="_blank"><i>Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day</i></a>.<br />
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Taking many of the same recipes from his earlier work, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Bread-Bakers-Apprentice-Extraordinary/dp/1580082688/ref=pd_sim_b_2" target="_blank"><i>The Bread Baker's Apprentice</i></a>, and distilling them down to the basics for the home baker, Reinhart has created the perfect go-to companion for crafting beautiful, insanely delicious breads without special equipment or impossible techniques. He also takes the time to break down professional techniques into easily understandable steps, with helpful accompanying pictures. His ciabatta bread - or <i>pain à l'ancienne</i> - covers four pages in book, with three-quarters of one page being step-by-step photos, plus a fifth page featuring only a beauty shot of the finished product. That's three and three-quarters pages of deeply detailed instructions.<br />
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On Friday night, the Big Guy and I got to work. He's such a great helper. He got all my ingredients out and helped me get dishes done from dinner and get everything ready to work while I carefully read Reinhart's instructions for the ciabatta and his streamlined bagel recipe.<br />
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You may remember I've been using Reinhart's original <i>Bread Baker's Apprentice </i>recipe, as adapted by <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/09/bronx-worthy-bagels/" target="_blank">Smitten Kitchen</a>. So I was curious to see what he had done with the recipe for Artisan Breads Every Day. Let me tell you...he has streamlined it to perfection. It still takes up six pages in the book, but that includes the requisite full-page beauty shot plus another whole page of photos showing the step-by-step shaping instructions, which turned out to be key to the whole process.<br />
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Normally when I make bagels, it's about 3-4 hours of work on day 1 and about 1-2 hours (depending on how many batches I've made) on day 2. Last weekend when I tackled six dozen bagels plus ciabatta bread all in the same day, it took the entire Saturday, plus 4 hours on Sunday to accomplish the task. I'm ecstatic to report that this weekend we spent less than 2 hours on prepping dough Friday night, then about 3 hours on Saturday to finish shaping, rising and baking. Granted, we only made one dozen bagels this weekend vs six dozen last weekend, but still, time will be considerably less no matter how many dozen I'm making because he has switched to more cold fermenting of the yeast vs warm proofing. So now there are fewer steps, fewer ingredients, and less on-the-counter rising time.<br />
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I was excited to try the new method of rolling the bagel dough out into ropes and then pinching the ends together to form a circle, rather than my previous method of just poking a hole in the middle of a ball, which produced majorly lopsided bagels sometimes. The rope method will be my go-to from now on. Look at these beauties:<br />
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The one in the middle was formed using the rope technique. The one on the right used the less-than-scientific "poke a hole in it" method. I decided we needed to make some cheese bagels this time. Why we hadn't tried cheese yet, I don't know, because we're both big fans. So I grabbed a giant bag of shredded parmesan and started spreading the love:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_su4JAB9b4_mJGC3rsNtN6xwvb47rJaxwfzaFzq50JItEV8VB9JpFy2IihFut_VnQeUU7gHGoOUe1X-KhOWBwXYeRPMqIvDEDfTNMT82OYGqFdsbgzXhDjoZI_voJSSdHXRWoLW2kFw/s1600/IMG_0536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_su4JAB9b4_mJGC3rsNtN6xwvb47rJaxwfzaFzq50JItEV8VB9JpFy2IihFut_VnQeUU7gHGoOUe1X-KhOWBwXYeRPMqIvDEDfTNMT82OYGqFdsbgzXhDjoZI_voJSSdHXRWoLW2kFw/s1600/IMG_0536.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1yApj6Y0UNJFYZavdBoyVlmBaxtrgEFwWfAHIRvtWeO0lsySnopz9Idy_G3EmNSgp7NqH8fLC8YG8bWT-CRFKUlH76GuKKuYgQww-YOkKDf2NfNXEaDO6SZmRieOhGPs4avicbEXGIs/s1600/IMG_0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1yApj6Y0UNJFYZavdBoyVlmBaxtrgEFwWfAHIRvtWeO0lsySnopz9Idy_G3EmNSgp7NqH8fLC8YG8bWT-CRFKUlH76GuKKuYgQww-YOkKDf2NfNXEaDO6SZmRieOhGPs4avicbEXGIs/s1600/IMG_0537.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a><br />
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With my oven set to "screaming hot", I slid them in to bake. A short 20 minutes later, here's what we ended up with - cheesy, golden heaven:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBQQ_au9KEp3dhrb70s5mXkJ2Y_2puoPvRL2WtIZ2Y2IVPL0kR0Ae05FCZWvCdvhd6CZbBuc-q6VPkaGVEV9dblheMT81-JTN5VPOUFicL4n91hlUqb70ftHGhsP4NnCZEwq-YLwUkCM/s1600/IMG_0540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBQQ_au9KEp3dhrb70s5mXkJ2Y_2puoPvRL2WtIZ2Y2IVPL0kR0Ae05FCZWvCdvhd6CZbBuc-q6VPkaGVEV9dblheMT81-JTN5VPOUFicL4n91hlUqb70ftHGhsP4NnCZEwq-YLwUkCM/s1600/IMG_0540.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8cXBaHcKx7o2lZYeqnSv8GVUM6VsJrzehIPK1bgRQtxqy6UMQWV7U7TTkbYndZzS9c-zWT8ud8IOurfl__rhsB2I1dPBj3mnnB5R7tDv1Rm-QLARikPgWYRZRkqSKMkCYYbIQFUrinY/s1600/IMG_0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8cXBaHcKx7o2lZYeqnSv8GVUM6VsJrzehIPK1bgRQtxqy6UMQWV7U7TTkbYndZzS9c-zWT8ud8IOurfl__rhsB2I1dPBj3mnnB5R7tDv1Rm-QLARikPgWYRZRkqSKMkCYYbIQFUrinY/s1600/IMG_0541.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a><br />
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You'll notice a few of them have "snail tails." I still need to work on perfecting the rope technique. But for a first try, I think I did pretty darn well! The ciabatta came out beautifully also - just need to brush off more flour next time before baking. And it tastes awesome.<br />
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Then, after all this was done, just for fun I decided to try pesto parmesan bread from a recipe I found on Pinterest. I have all this pesto sauce in my freezer from the overabundance of basil in last summer's garden, so we're finding creative ways to put it to use. And since my girl Rachel was feeding us lasagna Saturday night, what a perfect complement! I used the <a href="http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/13059/">Braided Pesto Bread</a> recipe from <a href="http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/" target="_blank">Confections of a Foodie Bride</a> (how cute is that??). It was tasty and a huge hit with nearly everyone, but it was a pain in the ass to make, if I'm being honest. I even went back to the blog to check the comments to see if anyone else had as much trouble braiding this damn loaf as I did. But either all of the people who made it are much more skilled at braiding unwieldy dough than I am, or they're just not as easily irritated about stuff like that as I am and so didn't bother mentioning it when they commented. Either way, it was annoying. But tasty! Here's what it looked like:<br />
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More adventures next weekend, I'm sure! But for now, that's all I got. Now off to relax before tomorrow morning brings another busy week. Bye, y'all!</div>
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Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-27103293974457028162014-01-17T16:58:00.000-06:002014-01-17T16:58:16.862-06:00New baking books!After last weekend's giant Martha fail, I decided she and I should break up. At least for a while. So after I put up my last blog post Wednesday evening, the Big Guy and I headed over to Barnes & Noble to get some better guidebooks. We came home with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/King-Arthur-Flour-Bakers-Companion/dp/158157178X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389999197&sr=8-1&keywords=king+arthur+flour+baker%27s+companion+cookbook" target="_blank">The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook</a> and <span style="line-height: 1.3;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinharts-Artisan-Breads-Every/dp/1580089984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389999247&sr=8-1&keywords=peter+reinhart%27s+artisan+breads+everyday" target="_blank">Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day</a>. We're getting started tonight with a couple of Peter's recipes, and I CANNOT WAIT. *squeal*</span><br />
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Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-49261900043036509622014-01-15T17:52:00.002-06:002014-01-15T17:52:13.254-06:00Ciabatta bread fail...and other weekend food adventures<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVmNM57Ah3s6d-y_UiS133Xe0v2dAb8an_5f9knWFWguY4OcF-m8sIDzWXRqKW-881Ct7tckIYvOZOYhvfaFKDPgZn89pPqTzhA5fq9Y5yK9DYavEz3xMTSNtnZoH9SoXzpdKD-mCgvc/s1600/MARTHA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVmNM57Ah3s6d-y_UiS133Xe0v2dAb8an_5f9knWFWguY4OcF-m8sIDzWXRqKW-881Ct7tckIYvOZOYhvfaFKDPgZn89pPqTzhA5fq9Y5yK9DYavEz3xMTSNtnZoH9SoXzpdKD-mCgvc/s1600/MARTHA.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like the meme? Came across it while browsing memes. <br />
Thought it might be appropriate for this post. Made me lolz.</td></tr>
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I'm always on here like, "Look at what neat thing I made today! It was soooo yummy!" like I'm the greatest cook/baker on Earth. The fact is, however, I'm not perfect.<br />
<br />
As a perfectionist, it really hurts to say that out loud. I'm not perfect. Ugh. I actually cringed after I typed that. But it's true. I do fail sometimes when experimenting with a new recipe...and sometimes with old recipes too. It happens. But this weekend I experienced an EPIC FAIL when I decided to tackle another Martha recipe.<br />
<br />
F*cking Martha.<br />
<br />
I'm on a sandwich bread kick, so I decided to try her ciabatta bread recipe on page <span style="background-color: white;">329 </span>of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Baking-Handbook-Stewart/dp/0307236722/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389816556&sr=8-1&keywords=martha+stewart%27s+baking+handbook" target="_blank">Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook</a>. After <a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2014/01/tackling-martha.html" target="_blank">my last Martha adventure</a>, I decided to read the recipe completely <i>several times</i> before even starting. Everything appeared to be in order, so I got to work. And everything seemed to be going according to plan for the first couple of hours. (Don't freak out. It was like 5 minutes of work and 2 hours of proofing.)<br />
<br />
But, see, the other problem I have with Martha's Big Ol' Baking Book is the lack of pictures. Oh sure, there are lots of pretty, well-staged, well-styled photos of mouth-watering pastries and breads. But there are next to no photos of the PROCESS of getting to those drool-worthy finished products.<br />
<br />
So I end up reading the description of what the first phase of my dough should look like after proofing and thinking, "Yup, it's pretty <span style="background-color: white;">wet, slack and sticky, alright</span>. I guess I'm on target." Boy, was I wrong. The Big Guy helped me scoop it out of the mixing bowl onto the pile of flour I'd laid down...and the dough prompted oozed everywhere - nearly off the counter, even. This was not good. I spent the next 15 minutes trying like hell to "fold" this glorified pancake batter like a freaking envelope while "not getting too much flour on top," cursing Martha the entire time. My mother would blush at the words that came out of my mouth. Sorry, Mom.<br />
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It was such a horrific experience that I didn't even pause for photos. Not that I could have, even, since my hands - and the Big Guy's hands - were covered in this ooey, gooey, sticky mess. But we went through all the stages, the combined total four and a half hours rising time, and it was finally time to bake the ugly, misshapen bastards. So I turned back to Martha's minion's instructions: "place baking stone on floor of oven."<br />
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This is where it really got ugly. Thank God I had already cooked the roast we were having for dinner, because what followed was a nightmare. It's been three days, and I still don't have the guts to open my oven and confront the situation.<br />
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I placed my Pampered Chef baking stones on the floor of my oven. Luckily I have a fancy oven with hidden heating element. Hey, Martha...what should one do with her baking stone if she has an exposed heating element like most of middle America? Hm? Anyway...$50 worth of Pampered Chef goes down on the bottom of my oven. "Preheat oven to 450." Ouch. With the stones ON THE FLOOR? Okey-dokey, Martha. You're the "expert." Here goes.<br />
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I returned to my dinner prep while the oven heated up. (<i>Yes, I was making chuck roast, mashed potatoes and corn while trying to "gently fold" this blasted dough into submission. I didn't plan it this way. I just couldn't turn down that beautiful piece of meat when I saw it at the butcher shop the day before.</i>) Pretty soon I noticed smoke rolling out of the vent on the back of my cooktop. Ruh-roh. I had the Big Guy take down the smoke detector before I opened the oven door. I held my breath, opened the oven, and a giant cloud of smoke rolled out...and set off a second smoke detector in the house. Awesome. Big Guy made a cute remark that earned him the Asshole Husband title for the next two days.<br />
<br />
Nothing was on fire, and I figured it was just a little something baked into my stones combined with the high heat that was making things extra exciting. Figured it would settle down in a few minutes. Besides, at this point I was committed to baking this damned bread. So I very carefully started lobbing dough blobs onto the stones on the bottom of my oven (because nobody actually owns a peal, Martha, seriously). Halfway through I ran out of room, said eff it, threw the rest of the formed rolls onto a baking sheet, slid it onto the rack (which was way up top out of the way of my stones), and slammed the oven shut.<br />
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More smoke. Opened windows in 40-degree temps. Dogs confused. Eyes watering. Asshole Husband walking around making cracks about smoke detectors "singing the song of your people." Stink of failure hanging throughout the house, even in the garage. Neighbors could probably smell it.<br />
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Finally pulled them out, and here's what we ended up with:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty on top. Slightly doughy in the middle. <br />
Didn't get that nice crunch on the bottom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOZgAjbxLLgVcONda0n2Smk-SF3UGRe-5m_AUtM0n33xwZOau4lcOyjSX_JB6VEfUJNuEPVCnvwZ-HtHqV6JHbNn_EMWKPl1gizyhoAXuIM1b60I8W-8lghjQyr4OmLmeSfCzFAGLQvM/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOZgAjbxLLgVcONda0n2Smk-SF3UGRe-5m_AUtM0n33xwZOau4lcOyjSX_JB6VEfUJNuEPVCnvwZ-HtHqV6JHbNn_EMWKPl1gizyhoAXuIM1b60I8W-8lghjQyr4OmLmeSfCzFAGLQvM/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White on top. Black on bottom. <br />
Fantastic in the middle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5STCoOqMjfL_0FU9qX8c1F-2NnIPGopfx2BxHiUnuS-cPS_12tmk6F4UxGbMLeKvi_hf4nhCtN5l5DRWtfqXbg2xyNOsh0yraK3XJx3h5QMJAJGKAYityAn9RzPYptThMqWDcReLgN_o/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="239" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A whole pile of tasty failure.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOwhkQQscfR-_0Ws-9a1WS8WZrTuk3R1sOagkQ8NHC5VYJfHqV8AN8vdSLxT-20Yo0uW-aFOu3FhjtcA1saB2MwfM-8JKcsvjJWn8Ib2HHC635QAYII6Db_A-UNcPUxs3jJ19E8xG32U/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOwhkQQscfR-_0Ws-9a1WS8WZrTuk3R1sOagkQ8NHC5VYJfHqV8AN8vdSLxT-20Yo0uW-aFOu3FhjtcA1saB2MwfM-8JKcsvjJWn8Ib2HHC635QAYII6Db_A-UNcPUxs3jJ19E8xG32U/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burnt stones</td></tr>
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Now, if you think my stones don't look too bad, I invite you to come to my house and get a close-up look at the soot for yourself. We actually left the stones in the oven overnight to cool off, they were so hot. I'm hoping they clean up ok. We'll see how it goes. And except for the burnt parts, these tasted pretty good. But it was murder getting to the finished product. And the house still reeks with the stink of failure.<br />
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So I'm done with Martha for now. I'll probably go back to her for some cookies or crap like that, but I just don't trust and her and the minions with bread anymore. It's over, Martha. We're breaking up. For now.<br />
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I'm on a mission tonight to pick up a book written by the man who is quickly becoming my Bread Hero - Peter Reinhart. He's the dude whose bagel recipe I use. And he knows bread better than Martha knows self-branding and house arrest. He's my man. Bugger off, Martha.<br />
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In other news, the Big Guy and I picked up that half a hog I told you about. Here's what 90+ pounds of custom-butchered pork looks like in your freezer, if you were ever wondering:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJDPPzbJjh0w0T8agSIl3gz85fgSIBDH4VROxav2fxnIUax8cWp6MWlDkfEMcIpv2OO8wBHoaXWBQSWe0A4dP00r3LQDsVpMDpzSda4n82fhIZzV1zI7IXLI1uaMw46eCapoksPksRMY/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJDPPzbJjh0w0T8agSIl3gz85fgSIBDH4VROxav2fxnIUax8cWp6MWlDkfEMcIpv2OO8wBHoaXWBQSWe0A4dP00r3LQDsVpMDpzSda4n82fhIZzV1zI7IXLI1uaMw46eCapoksPksRMY/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not pictured: 4 lbs of lard</td></tr>
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Now, the question is, what do I do with the feet? I'm scared to unwrap them. That's a little too much for me, I think.</div>
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Can't wait to start grilling, frying, smoking, and eating this piggy! Yum!</div>
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Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-50382681945522645762014-01-10T18:54:00.000-06:002014-01-10T18:54:00.404-06:00Big weekend ahead!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOnIgYsLBk-f4LJBftEMPEocUvfMPqfgXzC3CAPNKFtuGZdQr8EbhTYO1TIo7HLS4LXG3NzdwpHYIji9OSYqAtBI6Q0DS3u7jT_9cIPlAiBNb5L6mpB84XQnxfdDitlaMfiaC99QIOj8/s1600/medium_3490869804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOnIgYsLBk-f4LJBftEMPEocUvfMPqfgXzC3CAPNKFtuGZdQr8EbhTYO1TIo7HLS4LXG3NzdwpHYIji9OSYqAtBI6Q0DS3u7jT_9cIPlAiBNb5L6mpB84XQnxfdDitlaMfiaC99QIOj8/s1600/medium_3490869804.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
I'm doing a little happy dance this evening. This weekend is going to be full of food, fun and family time.<br />
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I've planned more bagel baking for tomorrow, and I'll be experimenting with some new flavors. Currently, I only do "plain" bagels topped with the basic things like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sea salt, and a combination of all of the above plus onion and a touch of garlic. But due to popular demand I'll be trying out cinnamon swirl, blueberry, and cheese tomorrow. Fingers crossed!<br />
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I'm also thinking about trying out another Martha recipe tomorrow; I just can decide which one. Should I go with baguette or croissant? Hmmmm...decisions, decisions.<br />
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Baking gives me joy. I don't know why; it just always has seemed to make me happy. It might be because of the instant gratification - of being able to immediately see and taste the results of my efforts. It might be the feeling of raw bread or pastry in my fingers - there is nothing like pounding a piece of dough into submission to really work out any frustrations. It might be because it stimulates the creative side of my brain - I don't have the artistic talents of my dad or grandmother or cousin when it comes to drawing or painting or design, but I can take simple ingredients like flour, water, eggs, and yeast, and use them to create something wholesome and beautiful. I can step back after a couple of hours and say, "I did that. I made that myself, and it is beautiful."<br />
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The other thing that has me jazzed is pork. Yes, pork. Tomorrow we'll be heading up the highway to Haubstadt, Ind., to visit processor <a href="http://dewigmeats.com/" target="_blank">Dewig Meats</a> and pick up the half hog we ordered after Christmas - a present from the Big Guy's parents. By tomorrow afternoon our deep freeze will be packed with about 90 pounds of piggy goodness. So excited! While we're up there I plan on cruising the whole store and picking up some other yummy treats - like cheddar Polish sausage. So good. These folks know their sausage.<br />
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The third thing on my agenda - though not third in importance by any means - is some quality time with the Big Guy and the puppy-dooders. After the week we've both had, nothing sounds better than doing a little shopping, turning up the tunes and baking (and dancing around each other in the kitchen) all day, then enjoying some cuddle time and a nap while the rain comes down. Hallelujah, by the way, for RAIN and not SNOW or ICE. Ugh. That was some cold snap earlier this week.<br />
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Another post to come in a couple of days with pictures of our Dewig discoveries and baking adventures. Ta-ta for now!
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31878512@N06/3490869804/">Neal.</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-84245598203353972382014-01-01T20:06:00.000-06:002014-01-02T16:50:58.406-06:00Tackling MarthaTackling Martha Stewart sounds like fun. Taking that snooty broad down and wiping that smug smirk off her face would be.... Wait, that's a different blog. What I'm talking about is tackling Martha's RECIPES, not her physical person. Because that would be illegal. And two felons don't make a wicker basket or some shit. I digress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGVBKykD87Z_cByEANop-fCcmVEY74JMMV6_AKWBBsnO94fpJJzJ-BBNgGb6kJ5dwmf5TjCfg0DS_s-C1KjFDTe22EYBJmc53wfaTpaPF6BJP_h5hH7u2TGmf_xli3iwsqiewrR611dE/s1600/martha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGVBKykD87Z_cByEANop-fCcmVEY74JMMV6_AKWBBsnO94fpJJzJ-BBNgGb6kJ5dwmf5TjCfg0DS_s-C1KjFDTe22EYBJmc53wfaTpaPF6BJP_h5hH7u2TGmf_xli3iwsqiewrR611dE/s200/martha.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>
<a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/10/rising-to-occasion.html" target="_blank">In a post a couple months back</a>, I told you about the book my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas several years ago: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Baking-Handbook-Stewart/dp/0307236722/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381113204&sr=8-1&keywords=martha+stewart+baking+book" target="_blank">Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook</a>. I made a meme and everything. You should go check it out. I still giggle when I see it.<br />
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Well, that blog post has been taunting me for weeks now, and so I finally dusted off that book, re-read some of the recipes I had flagged years ago, flagged a bunch of new ones, and picked my first recipe to try. I wanted to try a nice, simple sandwich bread, so I went with Pullman Bread on page 297.<br />
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The recipe sounded simple enough, and even though I don't have a lidded pullman loaf pan, she said I could still make the recipe. So I got started early in the day, allowing plenty of time for all the rising, punching, rising, shaping, and rising again. Finally, I had a beautiful pan of swollen yeast dough, perfectly rounded on the top like I imagined it would be. I referred back to Martha for the baking instructions, which, of course, all talked about the lid and opening and closing it. So I double-checked what I had read earlier about baking without the lid and I double-checked for specific instructions about baking sans lid. At the top of the page, Martha (or I should say Martha's recipe-writing minion) clearly says, "If you prefer a loaf with a rounded top, you can bake the dough without the lid in place; the baking time should be the same."<br />
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Lying bitch.<br />
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Since the directions said to rotate the pan halfway through the first 45-minute baking interval, I opened the oven about 20 minutes in. Much to my surprise, I had one seriously dark loaf in the oven! And according to Martha/Martha's minions, I still had 55 more minutes of baking time to go. Yikes! So I carefully tented the loaf with foil, reduced the heat as directed (albeit 25 minutes earlier than indicated) and let it go another 5-10 minutes. At that point, I looked again - still dark brown - and tapped on it. Hollow-sounding, like it should if it were done. So I decided to just pull it out and check the bottom. My beautiful, dark brown loaf slid easily from the pan, and when I tapped on the bottom - hollow-sounding! I moved it to a cooling rack and decided to just see what happened.<br />
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About 20 excruciating minutes later I was a bad girl and carved a slice off of the still-warm loaf and schmeared it with butter. Oh my Land O' Lakes! That was one delicious, perfectly baked slice of bread! Which can only mean two things:<br />
<ol>
<li>I am Super Baker. Hear me roar.</li>
<li>Martha and her minions are fallible. </li>
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In other words, Martha's baking instructions are wrong. You're WRONG, Martha! WRONG! And even though you're WRONG, I am Super Baker, and I made one helluva delectable loaf of bread. <b>Warning: graphic food porn image shown below...</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SSsyRGw77eQwpwpl0nPGpKk4b1ogV_qsdFMI7O46r6VoqizlMKUWdQ0GRa7mYPR11zheeVS4n_D_lViGphNqztgJgLre4UN4o2ffLK4wcdbkT0ryGwTJamRP9O6aqzUkOimuNLn0a4U/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SSsyRGw77eQwpwpl0nPGpKk4b1ogV_qsdFMI7O46r6VoqizlMKUWdQ0GRa7mYPR11zheeVS4n_D_lViGphNqztgJgLre4UN4o2ffLK4wcdbkT0ryGwTJamRP9O6aqzUkOimuNLn0a4U/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Isn't that sexy? Sure, it's a little dark, but on the inside it's white - but not too white - soft, dense but with a light texture, and slightly salty. I may not go back to store-bought after this. Now the hunt is on for a lidded pullman loaf pan to see what kind of difference that makes, though, with regard to the baking instructions.<br />
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Tonight had breakfast for dinner - a longtime favorite of mine - and I sliced up the rest of this loaf for some rich, thick French toast. Yummers! Turns out this is the perfect bread for French toast!<br />
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Suck it, Martha. I will conquer you and your terror-inducing recipe book filled with errors.<br />
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Love, KristaKristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-7673426820453541872013-12-29T16:35:00.000-06:002014-01-02T21:05:09.054-06:00Salty, Carby Goodness: Pretzel RollsBrowsing through my "dough" board on Pinterest looking for my next baking challenge, my eyes rested upon one from <a href="http://une-bonne-vie.blogspot.com/2010/08/pretzel-rolls.html?spref=bl">une bonne vie: Pretzel Rolls</a>. Warm pretzels are pure ecstasy to a salt and carb lover like me, so I decided to make this my next baking adventure.<br />
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I had an ulterior motive for making pretzel rolls aside from my rabid drooling. Right now there are only two places in town I know of where you can buy pretzel rolls: The Fresh Market and Schnucks grocery. After hearing some friends wail on Facebook about having to wait for their next trip to Cincinnati to stock up on some decent pretzel rolls, I figured I should try making them and see if I can't become their favorite in-town supplier. So I got to work on these right after I finished all my Christmas cookie baking.<br />
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Here is the recipe direct from <a href="http://une-bonne-vie.blogspot.com/2010/08/pretzel-rolls.html" target="_blank">Une Bonne Vie</a>:<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pretzel Rolls</span></b><br />
<u style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The Dough</u><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">6 - 7 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">1 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">3 tablespoons canola oil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">2 teaspoons active dry yeast</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">2 1/2 cups milk, slightly warmed</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">1 cup water, slightly warmed</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Coarse sea salt for sprinkling</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />
<u style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The "Bath"</u><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">7 cups water</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">1 tablespoon salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">4 tablespoons baking soda</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">In a small container, mix yeast with warmed milk and let rest for 10 minutes. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Whisk 5 3/4 cups of flour and teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Add canola oil and warmed water to yeast mixture. Pour into bowl with flour and salt. Knead in the bowl until dough is mostly smooth.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b> </b><i>Only add more flour if your dough cannot be easily handled</i>.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The dough will be somewhat stiff.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> Cover the bowl with a dish towel and put in a warm place to rise for one hour.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Punch down dough and knead in bowl for one minute. Cut dough into 15 pieces. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">(Cut more pieces if you would like smaller size rolls.)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> Form balls by pulling the dough under. Place on a well-greased surface. Let the dough balls rise for 15 minutes.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">While the dough balls are rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and get the pretzel "bath" ready. In a large pot, bring water, salt, and baking soda to a rolling boil. Plunge three dough balls into the water and let them "poach" for 1 minute total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a well-greased baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut 2-3 lines across each roll and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pretzels are a rich brown. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">These are best eaten the same day they are made.</i><br />
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Here are my notes and results:<br />
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Since it was pouring down rain the day I made these, I think I ended up using about 9 cups of flour before getting the dough stiff enough. (Tip: Humidity affects yeast goods. The damper it is outside, the more flour you're gonna need inside that dough.)<br />
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The Big Guy and I scarfed a couple down while still warm, and they were sooo good. I went easy on the sprinkling of sea salt on the top, and I think they could've done with more. But maybe that's just me and my salt craving talking. They were also delicious lightly warmed in the microwave the next day. But after a couple days in a Ziploc bag on the counter, they were definitely not good anymore. I have a bag left in the freezer to test out how they are frozen for later use. Will report back on that in a future post.<br />
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The true test, though, was in giving a couple of these rolls to those Facebook-ranting friends. We delivered a roll to each of them along with their bag of holiday goodies, and a few days later I checked in for an opinion. According to Friend #1, who gave me his brutally honest opinion (as always), there was not an even enough distribution of salt throughout the dough, and they were a bit uneven in bake. The center was too doughy to work properly as a sandwich roll. Overall, though, I think he thought I did well for my first attempt. Persnickety bastard.<br />
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I appreciated the candid feedback, though, and now I know what to do differently next time. I'll be more diligent in whisking the dry goods together, and I'll make them smaller to try and avoid the doughy center. I think because of the amount of extra flour, the dough was probably larger than the original poster's, so my rolls were probably larger than hers. They did seem pretty big - like a VERY large hamburger bun. But boy, were they pretty. Check it out. *drool*<br />
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<br />Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-56669189524011013592013-12-28T16:00:00.000-06:002014-01-02T16:50:40.249-06:00Family Traditions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Christmas has come and gone, and it was all such a blur. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, whatever you may celebrate. Ours was quiet and peaceful, just the way I like it. Bonus: I managed to revive two family recipes this year.<br />
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This year I continued my tradition of making homemade gift baskets and bags for family and friends, though weather and illness prevented me from doing all that I wanted to do and delivering all the finished goods within the necessary timeline. Here's to better success next year!<br />
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I tried some new cookie recipes and was sadly disappointed. If any of you have any tips or tricks for successfully using a cookie press, please share them! I just ended up with a glob of cookie dough hanging from the end of the press without releasing to the cookie sheet. It reminded me of the old Play-Doh Fun Factory...minus the fun. Maybe it was the dough I used (though the recipe specifically stated it was for use in a cookie press), but I ended up so frustrated I quit and tried rolling and cutting my shapes instead. That was spectacularly awful as well. My dough spread out into shapeless blobs of chewy grossness instead of the light, buttery, whimsical shortbread cookies I was going for. This photo I saw on Pinterest kind of depicts my cookie strife:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1r1ux_wxrwvwIcIwWF44eKduNhU3zrUW1CqYCA17AtqV-OYuz-yKVfnAhqIg6GMhgvQrNDqtmVV9ofjQOi4qawwSYtXQtu1y118P7eUKQvNyQGyQK0mJgSfluWvBT_sxB4ay5xhyJEE/s1600/blob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1r1ux_wxrwvwIcIwWF44eKduNhU3zrUW1CqYCA17AtqV-OYuz-yKVfnAhqIg6GMhgvQrNDqtmVV9ofjQOi4qawwSYtXQtu1y118P7eUKQvNyQGyQK0mJgSfluWvBT_sxB4ay5xhyJEE/s320/blob.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disclaimer: This is not me. I am not a skinny blonde. (Though my kitchen is exactly this shade of green. Weird.) <br />
This is some random chick from Imgur: <a href="http://imgur.com/dcY336C">http://imgur.com/dcY336C</a></td></tr>
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So, in true Krista fashion, I got pissed off, threw it all away and moved on to the next recipe.<br />
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One family recipe I revived this Christmas was my grandmother's sugar cookies. Again, they spread out more than I wanted, which I didn't understand. Mom and I used to make them every year, and every year they were beautiful. This year not so much. I might try them again for Easter or something and see what I did wrong. But they were tasty, if a little flat. My goal for this year had been to learn to make royal icing. I had visions of my grandmother's sugar cookies lovingly decorated with fancy hard icing, but as happens so often, life got in the way and I ran out of time.<br />
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Our freezer cooking group had planned to meet mid-month to make goodies to swap for our homemade gift baskets and help one another with some larger tasks, like making my grandmother's Swedish meatballs - my favorite family food tradition. Sadly, sickness and work got in the way - though surprisingly it wasn't MY illness or work this time! My mom also lacked the spare time to make these delicious bites of meaty goodness as well, so for the first Christmas in memory, we didn't have them, which made me very sad. We still had the cocktail wieners and some frozen meatballs in grandma's traditional beer/chili sauce, but it wasn't even close to the same. I may have to schedule a game night just as an excuse to make some damn meatballs. They are so time-consuming, with all the rolling and browning, but every savory bite is worth the effort.<br />
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In an effort to make up for the lack of meatballs - and in the spirit of trying new yeast recipes - I reached out to my Great Aunt Ethel for her yeast roll recipe. I've heard about these light and fluffy "biscuits", as she calls them, for decades, but I've never had the opportunity to taste them. When my grandmother was alive, she and my Pa hosted dozens of extended family and friends on Christmas Eve, and according to Mom, Aunt Ethel would bring her delicious rolls to town with her, already risen and ready to pop in the oven for dinner. After my grandmother passed away (before my second birthday), our family's Christmas Eve traditions changed and slowly each part of the extended family began to form their own annual traditions closer to their homes across Indiana and Kentucky. I know how much my mom misses these Christmases that pre-date my memory, so I decided to bring a piece back to her.<br />
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It's been many years since Aunt Ethel (now near 90 years of age) attempted to make her biscuits but, bless her heart, she gave it a go after Thanksgiving just for me, since these rolls were never made from a written recipe. It was always just one of those "use about this much flour and knead until it feels like this" processes. Unfortunately, too much time and memory had faded for her to make them successfully, but she knew she had taught her daughter Pam to make them several years ago. Though she warned me, Pam makes hers differently now.<br />
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Hip-hip-hooray for Pam taking notes on the original process and then saving them where she could easily find them! A few emails later and I had Pam's notes on Aunt Ethel's original yeast roll method. They were loose, and I was a little nervous starting out, but as I carefully walked through the process I could see and feel what was conveyed in the notes, and I knew I was on the right track.<br />
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Once you start working with yeast recipes, you get a feel for what's right and what's not right. Like I talked about in an earlier post, your fingertips come to learn what "lukewarm" feels like exactly, and you just know it's right. So I credit my recent baking experiences with giving me the knowledge I needed to successfully make these rolls. They were so beautiful as they were rising.<br />
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When we baked the first batch up at Mom's house on Christmas Eve, though, they were HUGE (like Grands biscuits on steroids) and ever-so-doughy in the middle. But everyone agreed they were delicious, and Mom said they tasted "just right." Score! The Big Guy liked them so much he sweetly asked me to go through the entire six-hour process again on Christmas Day for dinner with his folks. I couldn't say no to those big blue eyes, plus I wanted to try again with smaller rolls and a little melted butter after baking. So, on Christmas Day, I made them half the size of the previous day, and when I pulled them out of the oven (at the Big Guy's suggestion), I brushed them with some melted butter before serving. HOLY YUM! We were so excited to tear into them (and the rest of the meal) that I forgot to take a picture until we were digging into the second pan. Now, mind you, there were only four of us eating these things, so I think I can safely say they were a hit!<br />
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So, here is a great big THANK YOU to Aunt Ethel and my cousin Pam for helping me bring back this yearned-for recipe and Christmas tradition in our family.<br />
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I hope all of you enjoyed your holiday traditions this year - and maybe even added a new one or brought back an old one. Here's to a happy and healthy 2014, y'all!<br />
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Top of page photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mukumbura/4180968389/">Mukumbura</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-50710590734124261552013-12-14T17:25:00.000-06:002013-12-31T17:26:28.833-06:00Chicago EatsThis year the Big Guy and I decided to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary with a trip up north to his hometown: the Second City, city of big shoulders, Sweet Home Chicago...you get the picture. It's a city of myriad cultures, monikers, personalities and peoples - a true Midwestern melting pot. When you combine that many people from so many places, you end up with some seriously good eats.<br />
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One of my favorite parts of our trip was the mode of travel. This marked my first U.S. passenger rail trip. (I don't count the commuter rail from Princeton, N.J., into NYC. It was like being on a subway car.) And we traveled Business Class...oh yeah. That's how we roll. If you've never traveled Amtrak and you have the opportunity, I encourage you to look into it. We saved a boatload of money by driving 90 minutes over to the closest station and taking the rail, then using public transportation once we arrived in the city. You can get an unlimited seven-day bus and train pass from the Chicago Transit Authority (the actual government agency, not the band) for around $25. In a city where overnight parking can cost you $65/day and just a few hours can cost $10, public transit is the way to go. Add in the savings on gas to drive 600 miles round trip, and it just made sense all the way around.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMYhwR7jVkj4XxU6aqmN04NtizEWqL7q_amb3i2QPuxRquez1EUtAwGSM62mau0DFIH2U-mXDI4nhIM3Y6LNwSkG-Q7agJsGGqWE9GV-Rj9Iq0MEl3FkEtb-orM8MCfBpqVfZke-CvAc/s1600/Dublins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMYhwR7jVkj4XxU6aqmN04NtizEWqL7q_amb3i2QPuxRquez1EUtAwGSM62mau0DFIH2U-mXDI4nhIM3Y6LNwSkG-Q7agJsGGqWE9GV-Rj9Iq0MEl3FkEtb-orM8MCfBpqVfZke-CvAc/s200/Dublins.jpg" width="150" /></a>We chose to take an afternoon train on our way up, which meant we didn't arrive in the city until late. Once we were checked in to the hotel and starving, it was almost 11 p.m. That late in the Gold Coast neighborhood where we stayed meant our dining options were limited. And the poor desk clerk was used to business travelers with bigger budgets than ours, so he directed us to the trendy dining district. Little did we (and he) know, there was an OUTSTANDING dive bar and hot dog takeout joint right around the corner, which we discovered a day or so later. More on that later.<br />
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On the plus side, we got in a nice mile or so walk that night - much needed after several hours in the truck and on the train. We ended up at a little Irish bar called <a href="http://4sq.com/6Dkn1L" target="_blank">Dublin's</a>. It was just what you would expect - loud, dark, hot and jammed full of slightly intoxicated business people. And the food was just meh. A little on the pricey side as well. I had a breaded chicken sandwich with little to no flavor, but the Big Guy said his corned beef was pretty tasty. The portions were way too big for a midnight snack, but hey - beggars can't be choosers. The interior was kind of cool, though, if you don't mind a weird green tinge to everything from the rope lights against the stainless steel ceiling tiles. The place appears to have maybe been a diner at one time, and it retains some of that flair.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJXa6XULqm1MJECJj5d6K75zB_nq79C5XNGvQEHc1EkauBuyL9d6wG7vay3hTSHNbU_r3k4OlhYwv56TkoxCLCh4_oq0l0V9ZHVe9fOUUIl09oWmFPBW8NYS0IyRgAoyIhanekuuLb-o/s1600/BillyGoat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJXa6XULqm1MJECJj5d6K75zB_nq79C5XNGvQEHc1EkauBuyL9d6wG7vay3hTSHNbU_r3k4OlhYwv56TkoxCLCh4_oq0l0V9ZHVe9fOUUIl09oWmFPBW8NYS0IyRgAoyIhanekuuLb-o/s200/BillyGoat.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
The next morning we went on a mission to find the legendary <a href="http://youtu.be/LZMds-QA95A" target="_blank">Billy Goat Tavern</a>. If you've ever seen the SNL Cheezborger Cheezborger skit, you know what I'm talking about. We found this gem hidden underneath Michigan Ave. in a basement, serving up the cheapest and best breakfast in the city. What struck me most as we sat in the quiet, near-empty bar, long before most patrons would arrive, was how much it reminded me of our favorite local neighborhood bar - Fred's. I'll have to ask Fred the next time we're there whether he's ever visited the Billy Goat. The similarities are so striking that, in my mind, I imagine Fred modeled his place after this historic underground watering hole.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgME6M6RBCwV_NHSXKRiqsVtEsKb2h99p55FzwwF4QcgMp0h_jM9O46a4QarxZ8zQQVZgO7Q2wQMSWYpzfurwWHv9EsITPXo9OeGV0e2WlxZRHbcT3a7HhcdHGlmDL-Z0JdgzIvwcQKQ1w/s1600/Freedom_From_Want.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgME6M6RBCwV_NHSXKRiqsVtEsKb2h99p55FzwwF4QcgMp0h_jM9O46a4QarxZ8zQQVZgO7Q2wQMSWYpzfurwWHv9EsITPXo9OeGV0e2WlxZRHbcT3a7HhcdHGlmDL-Z0JdgzIvwcQKQ1w/s200/Freedom_From_Want.jpg" width="156" /></a>Our next stop after the Billy Goat didn't have any food for consumption, but what a feast for the eyes it was! When the Big Guy - not usually one for the fine arts - asked me if I wanted to go to the Art Institute of Chicago, my mouth dropped open. Big Guy? Volunteering to go to an art museum?? This is one of those times you just say yes. Don't question it too much lest he change his mind. So off we went to visit the lions and get some culture. Our plan of eating our way through the city actually married well with the featured exhibit - <a href="http://www.artic.edu/art-and-appetite-american-painting-culture-and-cuisine" target="_blank">Art and Appetite: American Painting, Culture and Cuisine</a>. Sadly, this was the one place in the museum where photos were prohibited. But I'll forever treasure the memory of walking through the doors of the gallery and being greeted by Norman Rockwell's <i>Freedom from Want</i> - the iconic <i>Saturday Evening Post</i> cover featuring a family sitting down to their Thanksgiving feast. Like so many infamous paintings, it was much larger than I expected. And the stunning photographic quality was amazing. I could've stared at it all day. But there was much, more more to see and explore.<br />
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After digesting all of that rich history and beauty, we were starving again. Our breakfast sandwiches were good, but we'd missed the lunch hour in the museum and needed to refuel. Being in the city and relying on public transit burns calories, yo! So we made our way back to that trendy dining district near our hotel, where we had seen a location of our favorite Chicago-style pizzeria the night before: Lou Malnati's. A former Anthropologie store, this location has more urban flair than the last location we visited, down near the Merchandise Mart. And it being mid-afternoon, the joint was empty. No three-hour wait like at dinner time! A small deep dish is all two people need - leaves room for a fantastic stuffed spinach bread appetizer.<br />
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After a little post-pizza nap, we headed down to the Daley Center - you know, the plaza with the Picasso sculpture - for the city's annual <a href="http://www.christkindlmarket.com/en/" target="_blank">Christkindlmarket</a>. Cozy little Bavarian huts are lined up all through the plaza with vendors selling their handmade wares - from painted glass ornaments to beautiful wood carvings. And in between in a throng of people drinking, wandering around lost, and generally getting all up in my personal space. About halfway through, I needed some hot cocoa and a break. Thankfully, I got both. One in a tiny $7 souvenir mug and the other in the form of benches outside the plaza being entertained by a couple of super-talented street musicians. Christmas carols on the tuba, anyone?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGz50SErgrEiplyoi-JmXMWKG6DRn1VTPB3V7uySqu1uLVYYKd7_gmFeDCl5l2h2dkMVvwqCMnDYBtVTLfXg2schU__gak_RWRwa7GLfzRaVSC_PySi5rma5lWWXl4Vqo4o9beXjpXfrg/s1600/pippins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGz50SErgrEiplyoi-JmXMWKG6DRn1VTPB3V7uySqu1uLVYYKd7_gmFeDCl5l2h2dkMVvwqCMnDYBtVTLfXg2schU__gak_RWRwa7GLfzRaVSC_PySi5rma5lWWXl4Vqo4o9beXjpXfrg/s200/pippins.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>Now, remember that dive bar and hot dog joint I mentioned earlier? At some point in this day, we had discovered it while walking between the hotel and the "L" (train) station. It's tiny. It's loud. It's cheap. It's open until 4 a.m. Its menu is from the hot dog joint next door. And it may just be the best little slice of heaven in Streeterville/Gold Coast. It's <a href="http://rushanddivision.com/pippins-tavern/" target="_blank">Pippin's Tavern</a>. Go there, get a drink, get a dog, and just sit back, listen and enjoy the show of locals and regulars.<br />
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The next morning, we ventured down to the Merchandise Mart just to see what was there. Much to our delight and surprise, we found a food court location of the Billy Goat! I had the best Monte Cristo that morning. Not exactly what you would expect to eat from a food court version of a tavern known for its greasy cheeseburgers and surly Greeks, but there you go. After wandering around a bit looking at ridiculously gorgeous kitchens and baths we'll probably never have, we decided to head up to the River North area and stroll around the neighborhood near the old Cabrini Greens housing projects. The Big Guy remembers this area well, as his dad was a student at Moody Bible Institute when my guy was a kid. He knew the old projects were gone and the area had come up, but we were both blown away by how decidedly hipster this neighborhood had become. One of the things that drew us to the neighborhood was a chance to sample the Truffle Fries at <a href="http://4sq.com/bpFYwT" target="_blank">BIG & little's</a> - a cool little sandwich shop featured on our favorite Food Network show, <i>Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives</i>. Foie Gras & Fries might seem like an odd menu item at a place with picnic tables and a walk-up counter, but being located next to Le Cordon Bleu brings it all into perspective. Good eats at this joint. For sure.<br />
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I'm not sure how many miles we walked this day, or how many calories we burned, but I promise you it was a lot. We decided to check out the store windows and beautiful Christmas decorations at Macy's - the former Marshall Field department store. The giant tree in the storied Walnut Room did not disappoint. And neither did the stroll through the candy shop in the basement or the touchy-feely turn we took through the Fur Vault. Mmmmm...furrrrrrr. (Animal lovers, don't hate.)</div>
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That evening brought the opportunity for a night out with friends and some delicious burgers, fries, and fried green beans up in the Andersonville neighborhood. We met up with one of my old college friends and his partner to catch up and chow down. <a href="http://www.hamburgermarys.com/chicago/" target="_blank">Hamburger Mary's</a> was the destination - a little bit gay sports bar, a little bit restaurant, a little bit drag show venue and a whole lotta good eats. We hung out in Mary's Rec Room - the sports bar side - so Steve could catch the Blackhawks game at the same time. Priorities, you know. Andersonville was a long bus ride up from the hotel - nearly an hour - but worth it. We had planned to meet up again a couple days later with my college buddy to check out the Swedish festival, the Swedish bakery, and explore the neighborhood a bit more, but the weather report back home was looking bad and we decided we needed to cut our trip a little short. We'll definitely be checking this area out more on a future trip. In addition to the cultural draw (the Big Guy has Scandinavian roots), two of the most historic cemeteries in the area are along the same bus route and are on our list of sites to visit during warmer months.</div>
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Slightly hungover, we started our next (and sadly, final) day in Chicago with an incredibly decadent breakfast at <a href="http://www.toast-chicago.com/" target="_blank">Toast</a>, near DePaul University. This tiny breakfast and lunch spot with way-cool signage is just across from Oz Park - a nice green space featuring statues of characters from the Wizard of Oz. The coffee was strong, and my stuffed French toast was out of this world. The guy who decided to fill a piece of bread with mascarpone cheese, dunk it in egg and fry it is a frickin' genius. Another piece was loaded with Mexican chocolate, and the third featured pureed strawberries. The strawberry one was ok, but the other two blew my mind. Definitely going to visit this place again. I'm glad I ordered the ridiculously overpriced side of Applewood bacon to go with it, though. The salt and smoke kept the sweetness from becoming too overpowering.<br />
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We spent the rest of our final day - not yet knowing it was to be our last - wandering around neighborhoods and checking out more local food establishments. One of these some might even call an institution. <a href="http://www.dinkels.com/" target="_blank">Dinkel's Bakery</a> opened in 1922 in the Lakeview neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago. And though they've moved a few times (all along the same street), the store looks much the same now as it did 80 years ago. Glass case after glass case displaying mouth-watering delectable desserts and pastries. The shelves behind the counter are home to dozens of loaves of freshly baked bread, and a little dining room off to the side is a haven for breakfast or lunch on a cold winter's day. Walking through the doors, my nose was filled with the scent of memories. My mind was flooded with thoughts of being seven years old, walking with my mom to our now-extinct neighborhood supermarket, Great Scot, and smelling the fresh bread and donuts. Until that moment, I had forgotten Great Scot even had a donut counter! Scent memory is a wonderful, amazing thing. The Big Guy and I ordered a pastry each and cups of their house recipe hot cocoa to try to warm up, while my mind was still spinning with nostalgia. We sampled bits of Christmas cookies they left on a tray near the register, and I have to say - not to brag or anything - but my cookies are way better. No contest. I'll give them credit where credit is due on the hot cocoa and pastries, though. Delicious! And I can honestly say I've never made a cake as beautiful as theirs. But they've been at it a lot longer than I have. <br />
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After another nap to sleep off the sugar coma and rest our weary legs, we took another look at the weather. A nasty winter storm was moving in to our home area, and I was beginning to dread that 100-mile drive back home from the train station more and more with each ice warning. So the Big Guy and I decided it was time to call Amtrak and see what could be done. We changed to a much earlier train, leaving just after daybreak the following morning, and started packing. We still had a few places to explore that evening, so it was time to kick it into high gear. The first stop was dinner at <a href="http://www.wowbao.com/" target="_blank">Wow Bao</a> in Water Tower Place. My first bao experience was a bit disappointing, but the side of Thai curry noodle salad wasn't half bad. The Christmas lights in the mall were pretty, though.<br />
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We bundled up tight and headed back out into the cold to catch the bus to our next destination - <a href="http://www.lpzoo.org/events/calendar/zoolights" target="_blank">Christmas lights at Lincoln Park Zoo</a>! I gladly paid for another overpriced cup of hot cocoa to keep my gloves warm as we shivered our way along the brightly lit paths. So thankful I bought one of those little headband/earwarmer thingies before we left town! We were icicles when we got back on the bus and headed for Michigan Ave. But the light display was worth it. Best part? Free.<br />
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Back down in Gold Coast, we were on a mission for <a href="http://www.garrettpopcorn.com/" target="_blank">Garrett's Popcorn</a>. The line was out the door, but we made lots of folks back home happy with giant bags of the best cheese and caramel corn I've ever put in my mouth. By this time I was starving and needed to warm up. Those hot Asian buns didn't stick with me long. (I guess because I didn't eat more than a couple of bites.) So we ventured back around the corner to our new favorite tavern and dog shop for our last meal in the city. The bar was just too packed, so we ducked in next door at <a href="http://rushanddivision.com/downtown-dogs/" target="_blank">Downtown Dogs</a> and pulled up a barstool at the counter to people watch and dig in to our insanely delicious Polish sausages and RC Colas (which I was totally shocked to find in Chicago, by the way).<br />
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We were sad to have to leave so quickly, but the trip was everything we had hoped and more. New places discovered and more to-dos added to our list for future adventures. Can't wait for our next trip in March for the St. Paddy's Day parade! I'll have another post for you then for sure. </div>
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<br />Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-50886734233283442782013-12-11T18:30:00.000-06:002013-12-11T18:30:00.791-06:00Chicago<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<pre style="word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we left Chicago Saturday morning, these words of Carl Sandburg are what I envisioned in the Big Guy's head...</span></pre>
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<b>A TEAMSTER'S FAREWELL
</b><i>Sobs En Route to a Penitentiary</i>
GOOD-BY now to the streets and the clash of wheels and
locking hubs,
The sun coming on the brass buckles and harness knobs.
The muscles of the horses sliding under their heavy
haunches,
Good-by now to the traffic policeman and his whistle,
The smash of the iron hoof on the stones,
All the crazy wonderful slamming roar of the street--
O God, there's noises I'm going to be hungry for.
We've only been back a few days and I miss the city so much already. All the hustle and bustle, the variety of people and places and things and eats. Oh, the eats! A look back at my Foursquare check-ins makes it seem we ate our way through the city.
Check back in a few days for a breakdown of where we ate and walked and ate and shopped and ate some more. We've already decided on the dates for our next two trips to Chicago, and we're working on our list of things to do then.
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/usachicago/8413551275/">Chicago Man</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a></span>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-53320589897690769542013-11-23T06:30:00.000-06:002013-11-23T06:30:01.759-06:00Things to be thankful forIn Southern Indiana, Fall brings beloved "sweater weather" alternating with shorts and t-shirt weather. It's good times. Except when those alternating weather patterns bring tornadoes, like they did last week. Some of the little towns in Illinois where my mother-in-law grew up were hard hit by the killer storms, as were some Southern Indiana towns. It was a similar situation to November 5, 2005, when a twister cut a path through my hometown and many smaller towns, taking lives and destroying scores of homes - like that of my current next-door neighbors, who are blessed to have lived through it. I'm thankful that this time our city was spared, and I pray for those who were affected by this November's tornadoes.<br />
<br />
I'm thankful for so many things that it would be hard to list them all. We are blessed beyond belief. But one thing I've been particularly thankful for recently is my friends. As you grow up and grow older, friends come and go. Those you thought would be with you til the end of time fade gently away; those you've been with through thick and thin suddenly decide there is no room for you in their lives anymore; those you quickly bonded with and shared laughs with in adulthood just as quickly move back out of the picture through physical distance or busy schedules; those you thought you'd lost in growing up come back into your life and bring a new and different joy; and those you've simply been acquainted with - sometimes for years - you wake up one day to realize have slowly, quietly become the ones you hold closest to your heart.<br />
<br />
One of those old school friends (should I say imaginary high school nemesis?) helped make this freezer cooking adventure a reality. I'm thankful for my friend Christina and for her being back in my life. She's smart, witty, caring (no matter what she says), giving, a good cook, and a helluva mom and wife. And I have her to thank for introducing me to her neighbor and fellow freezer cook Kathi.<br />
<br />
A fellow animal lover and all-around super-nice person, Kathi has been fun to cook and plan with, and I've enjoyed getting to know her. She was even nice enough to share her dad's chili recipe with me - which was used in last weekend's freezer cooking adventure. And even better - she's letting me share it with y'all. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>My Dad's Chili</b><br />
<i>Courtesy of Kathi F.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEal8Ge5xT3kjKjO8_lnNMKEsSItbOf1AE8J_1rGpF0J3ADoAYWc9bIywbpvm44ghfhorODrw1aMaLVxqeA1SQl_ZQ83c_fma9Z8OHco7aAPYpxt-26eGtuKvxsAFkmPGqVWR-M9MCM-8/s1600/small__333408304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEal8Ge5xT3kjKjO8_lnNMKEsSItbOf1AE8J_1rGpF0J3ADoAYWc9bIywbpvm44ghfhorODrw1aMaLVxqeA1SQl_ZQ83c_fma9Z8OHco7aAPYpxt-26eGtuKvxsAFkmPGqVWR-M9MCM-8/s1600/small__333408304.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
1 lb ground chuck<br />
1 medium yellow onion, chopped<br />
1 large can condensed tomato soup<br />
1 15.5 oz can diced tomatoes<br />
1 medium can Brooks chili beans<br />
Chili powder to taste<br />
5 handfuls of elbow macaroni (optional)<br />
<br />
In large pot, saute onion in oil until caramelized (fancy for browned). In a separate skillet, brown the ground chuck; drain. Add drained beef to onions. Add tomato soup, diced tomatoes, chili beans and chili powder. Fill tomato soup and Brooks cans with water and add to pot. Stir well.<br />
<br />
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to simmer for at least an hour, stirring periodically. (I do not cover because I like my chili thicker and not so runny.)<br />
<br />
OPTIONAL: Add macaroni about 10 minutes before ready to serve. Chili is done when pasta is al dente.<br />
<br />
TIP: For thicker chili, cook uncovered; turn heat off when done and let sit for a bit.<br />
<br />
<br />
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vox_efx/333408304/">Vox Efx</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-71832569080453394352013-11-20T19:02:00.000-06:002013-11-20T19:02:00.685-06:00What the heck is a "pilau" anyway?I am such a dork sometimes.<br />
<br />
There's this recipe I found in Southern Living magazine about 10 years ago and have been making ever since. It's called Chicken & Smoked Sausage Pilau. And for 10 years, every time I made it, I thought to myself, "What the heck is a pilau?" But I never thought until this week to just Google the damn word. Turns out it's just another variation of "pilaf." Which got me thinking, what exactly is a pilaf anyway? I know in general American restaurant terms it's just seasoned rice. But since general American restaurants have a tendency to generally bastardize everything, I looked up the term pilaf as well.<br />
<br />
Here's what <a href="http://dictionary.com/">Dictionary.com</a> tells me about pilaf/pilau:<br />
<br />
<div class="header" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<h2 class="me" data-syllable="pi·laf" style="color: black; display: inline; font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
pi·laf</h2>
<span style="bottom: 1ex; font-size: 0.75em; height: 0px; line-height: 1; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> <span class="pronset"><span audio="http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/dictionary/audio/luna/P04/P0448600.mp3" default="http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/P04/P0448600"></span> <span class="show_spellpr" style="display: inline;"><span class="prondelim" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[</span><span class="pron" style="display: inline; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pi-<span class="boldface" style="font-weight: 700;">lahf</span>, <span class="boldface" style="font-weight: 700;">pee</span>-lahf</span><span class="prondelim" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">]</span> <a class="questionmark" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/Spell_pron_key.html" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://static.sfdict.com/en/i/dictionary/newserp/Sprite_New.png); background-position: -176px -215px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-size: small; height: 16px; position: relative; top: 2px; width: 16px;" target="_blank"></a> <span class="pron_toggle" style="display: inline;"><a alt="Toggle for IPA" class="pronlink" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7603764443368881010" style="color: #999999; cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px; margin-left: 11px; text-decoration: underline;" title="Click to show IPA">Show IPA</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="pg" style="display: inline; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; padding-right: 3px;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">noun</span></span></span><br />
<div class="luna-Ent" style="background-image: none; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">
<span class="dnindex" style="color: #7b7b7b; display: block; float: left; font-weight: bold; width: 28px;"><span id="hotword">1.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">Middle</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">Eastern</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">dish</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">consisting</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">sautéed,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">seasoned</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">rice</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">steamed</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">bouillon,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">sometimes</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">with</span><span id="hotword" name="hotword">poultry,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">meat</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">shellfish.</span></span></div>
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<div class="luna-Ent" style="background-image: none; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">
<span class="dnindex" style="color: #7b7b7b; display: block; float: left; font-weight: bold; width: 28px;"><span id="hotword">2.</span></span><br />
<div class="dndata" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 37px;">
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">rice</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">cooked</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">meat</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">poultry</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default;">broth.</span></span></div>
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">Also,</span> </span><span class="secondary-bf" data-syllable="pi·laff, " style="display: inline; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">pi·laff, </span><span class="reference-bold"><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pilau" style="color: #333333; font-weight: bold;">pilau</a></span><span id="hotword">, </span><span class="secondary-bf" style="display: inline; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">pilaw.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="ety" style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana; font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<b><i><span id="hotword" name="hotword">Origin:</span> </i></b><br />
<span class="rom-inline" style="display: inline;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">1925–30;</span> </span><span id="hotword"> < </span><span class="rom-inline" style="display: inline;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">Turkish</span> </span><span class="ital-inline" style="display: inline; font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">pilâv</span> </span><span id="hotword"> < </span><span class="rom-inline" style="display: inline;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">Persian</span> </span><span class="ital-inline" style="display: inline; font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">pilāw</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="ital-inline" style="display: inline;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="ital-inline" style="display: inline;">Ahhh, that makes sense! The recipe is basically chicken, smoked sausage and rice. But the time, labor and seasonings make it so much more than what those three simple ingredients imply. And so it quickly became a favorite in our home. And since the recipe makes way too much for two people to eat - even taking leftovers and lunches into consideration - I always freeze half of it for later.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="ital-inline" style="display: inline;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="ital-inline" style="display: inline;">So, for my freezer cooking friends, here's the recipe - with my modifications from over the years. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="ital-inline" style="display: inline;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="ital-inline" style="display: inline;"><b>Chicken & Smoked Sausage Pilau</b></span></span><br />
<i>Adapted from Southern Living</i><br />
(Cook time: approx. 1.5 hours; Serves 8-10)<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKtwITM1_OIoAwMRS_71b4HqtN10uvF1xoh1okjx23Du8yndyb4i7FURRHHwLI2nuDXKVYOeNvNeKZJpu-sLOIn80jaMh2WMgDL3J__4XmgidMe5-g6iyIkq-0ZK1FMl1YTteioACE-g/s1600/sausage-pilau-sl-686249-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKtwITM1_OIoAwMRS_71b4HqtN10uvF1xoh1okjx23Du8yndyb4i7FURRHHwLI2nuDXKVYOeNvNeKZJpu-sLOIn80jaMh2WMgDL3J__4XmgidMe5-g6iyIkq-0ZK1FMl1YTteioACE-g/s1600/sausage-pilau-sl-686249-l.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo source: MyRecipes.com</span></i></td></tr>
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5 lb whole chicken or whole chicken cut up<br />
2 lb smoked sausage, sliced into 1" pieces<br />
1 large bunch fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
2 carrots, cut in half<br />
3 celery ribs (including leafy parts), cut in half<br />
2 large sweet onions, chopped<br />
1-1/2 Tbsp seasoned salt<br />
1/2 Tbsp black pepper<br />
8 cups water<br />
4 cups long-grain rice<br />
<br />
In a large stockpot, bring all ingredients EXCEPT rice to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Remove and discard celery, carrots, thyme stems and bay leaf from stock, reserving stock in stockpot.* Remove chicken and cool slightly. Remove skin and bones, then coarsely chop chicken.<br />
<br />
Saute sausage in large skillet until browned. Drain, if needed. Add chicken and sausage to reserved stock in stockpot and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and return to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes or until stock is absorbed and rice is tender.<br />
<br />
If you're not serving an army or are unwilling to eat leftovers of the same thing for a week, freeze some! Cool half of finished meal completely, place in gallon freezer bag, squeezing all excess air out of the bag as you close it. Press contents out to flatten bag and freeze. To reheat, thaw in refrigerator overnight and nuke for a couple of minutes. If rice is too dry for your liking, add a splash of chicken stock.<br />
<br />
<i>*I often get the veggies and herb stems out of my stock by placing a colander or sieve over a large mixing bowl and straining the stock into the bowl. Then dump the stock back into the pot. It can be downright maddening to chase soft pieces of carrot and those ninja bay leaves around in hot, murky chicken stock with a frickin' slotted spoon.</i><br />
<br />
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Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-34926641195478149672013-11-17T18:38:00.000-06:002014-01-16T08:09:59.439-06:00Freezer Cooking Adventure #2It seems like Fall is the craziest season of the year for me. At work, clients are wrapping up their programs for the year and beginning to plan their Q1 initiatives. In Tupperware, it's vendor fair season with lots of craft shows and Christmas bazaars. And in the Masonic organizations the Big Guy and I are members of, there are numerous Fall fundraisers and events, our annual Shrine circus on Thanksgiving weekend, and week after week of Christmas parties on the horizon. It seems that every weekend is jam-packed with activities, and the weeknights aren't much better. Folks like to think couples without kids have all this free time on our hands, but life is what you make it. And the Big Guy and I make our non-working days and nights full of friends, fellowship and opportunities to give back to this world that has given us so much.<br />
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All of these long working hours, meetings, events, and activities make for busy weeknights and the temptation to grab takeout or go out to eat, because even though it takes just as long to drive to a restaurant and eat there as it does to cook at home it just seems easier to let yourself be waited on than to stare into the fridge wondering what the heck to make, spend a half hour on your feet in the kitchen preparing something and then deal with the clean-up. Add to all this the fact that we both now go to bed by 8:30-9:00 each night because we're getting up at 4:30 for work (Big Guy) or the gym (me), and our evenings are maddeningly brief. But all this eating out and takeout food gets expensive! Plus, I'm trying desperately to lose all the weight I accumulated in my 20s, so I really want to gain more control over the type and quality of food I'm putting in my body.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/08/freezer-cooking-experiment-1.html" target="_blank">As I wrote about before</a>, these factors led a few friends and me to try the freezer cooking method of dinner planning. Our first session was a little crazy and we learned a lot of valuable lessons about what worked well and what didn't. So when we started planning session #2, we went in with all our notes about our previous experience and worked hard to make this session go more smoothly. The biggest lesson I learned from our first experience was that, even though freezer cooking days are long and challenging - and your body tells you about it the next day - it is so worth it! I came home with a couple of weeks' worth of heat-and-eat meals that were much more nutritious than takeout and nearly as easy. The Big Guy is a fan because neither of us is stressing out over dinner, and it's budget-friendly. Yes, the initial investment is high because of the volume of food being prepared at once. But spread out over all the meals you end up with in the freezer, the savings are incredible - especially if you plan your shopping right and take advantage of major grocery store sales on meat and staples.<br />
<br />
Here's a summary of the lessons learned and applied from <a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/08/freezer-cooking-experiment-1.html" target="_blank">Freezer Cooking Adventure #1</a>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Planning sessions are a must! </li>
<ul>
<li>The first go-round, we did have a planning session that went very well. Where we hit a bump, though, was that only 3 of the 4 planned participants attended, so the fourth person was not quite up to speed with the game plan. </li>
<li>Tip: Planning sessions don't have to take much time. Our first one was a couple hours long, but we were all new to this and there was lots to discuss. Our second one only took <b>one hour </b>early on a Saturday morning. We all met at a centrally located Starbucks, had coffee, mapped out our plan, and then went our separate ways to kick off our weekends.</li>
</ul>
<li>No additional participants may be added after the planning session.</li>
<ul>
<li>Part of what made our first freezer cooking day awkward and difficult was that the person who did not attend the planning session decided to invite one more person to join us. No big deal, right? Wrong. During planning, we carefully multiplied and divided to ensure we were making the same amount of each recipe for each family. We shopped for exactly the right amount of ingredients. We showed up for cooking day and were surprised to find one more person there expecting to exchange meals when we had not planned for her. She was a lovely person and we enjoyed cooking with her, but the division of meals ended up being off. Some people were shorted and everyone was a bit uncomfortable. </li>
</ul>
<li>Create a place for online collaboration and tweak it until it works for your group. </li>
<ul>
<li>We began planning our first session through Facebook private messaging. This was good because it allowed everyone to be in on the conversation, but the downside was that if you added anyone after the conversation started, the new participant couldn't see the conversation history. Plus, all the scrolling and back and forth was hard to keep up with. </li>
<li>For the second go-round, we created a private Facebook group. This allows us to share recipe and planning files under a single tab, have separate conversations under individual posts, create events with maps (helpful when not everyone knows where everyone else lives), share recipes and ideas, and add new people without having to recap information for them. Once they're in the group, they can see the entire group history and all files.</li>
<li>If you're Pinterest-obsessed (like me), create a group board to share recipes and ideas. <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kristarae77/fr-fr-fr-freezin/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to visit ours!</li>
</ul>
<li>Pay attention to grocery store ads and "loss leaders," then plan your recipes accordingly.</li>
<ul>
<li>Loss leaders are those incredibly deep discounts stores offer from time to time to bring shoppers in the doors. If you have a large freezer, stock up on expensive items like meat when they're on sale cheap. For instance, Schnucks had leg quarters in 10 lb bags for 49 cents/pound several weeks ago. I bought 20 lbs and separated them into gallon freezer bags for later use. Later they had whole chickens cut up for 99 cents/lb. I bought three packages and did the same thing - flash froze the pieces and individually bagged each chicken. I kept the wings and backs out separately and put them all together in their own bag to make chicken stock later. So, when planning this latest freezer cooking day, I had the 20 lbs of bone-in chicken I needed already on hand. Just thawed in the fridge before cooking day and I was ready!</li>
<li>Tip: Do not freeze, thaw and refreeze raw ingredients. It diminishes the quality and taste. Only freeze your meat before cooking day if you're going to thaw and COOK it like I did. Once it's cooked, you can refreeze it without hurting the quality or taste.</li>
</ul>
<li>Create multiple work areas to keep from tripping over one another.</li>
<ul>
<li>Last time we had one very large table in the kitchen for all of our ingredients, prep, assembly and packaging. There was no counter space, and while the table was enormous, it just wasn't sufficient or effective for our needs. We were constantly on top of one another.</li>
<li>This time we had four distinct work areas: 1) stove and surrounding counter space - for cooking and cooling; 2) sink and surrounding counter space - for keeping up with dishes throughout the day; 3) prep table & snack table in the kitchen - normally a breakfast nook, the existing kitchen table was pushed to the corner and became the snack/drink zone, the big bay window became the equipment storage area, and a small folding table became a prep station for cutting meat and chopping veggies; 4) long folding table in dining room - for staging/measuring ingredients, labeling bags/packaging, assembling meals and planning.</li>
</ul>
<li>Start planning your next freezer cooking day during downtime in your current cooking day - like when you stop for a lunch break. You may or may not work out all the details at that time, but it helps to get a jump start to keep you on track.</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GSD4wqT8XAhge9RT6QtqjgCLfE6l8_wphwoCktdyVZP0eZlbXSGjkp2S0GHyrBGNpH8l-Ngra7ppotB1kbiCZ50ZfAXM5HrOommItl0cSJFlzHRZwH0dkTqlgLT31rDuvvWlwjL5Y2Y/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GSD4wqT8XAhge9RT6QtqjgCLfE6l8_wphwoCktdyVZP0eZlbXSGjkp2S0GHyrBGNpH8l-Ngra7ppotB1kbiCZ50ZfAXM5HrOommItl0cSJFlzHRZwH0dkTqlgLT31rDuvvWlwjL5Y2Y/s320/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen prep area - small folding table and <br />
big bay window (and wine, of course!)</td></tr>
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how many large burners you will need!</td></tr>
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This was an incredibly long day, and more valuable lessons were learned (which I'll recap for you next time), but in the end we each walked away with 8 meals or meal components to make our weeknights or breakfast times easier. (Breakfast on the go turns out to be a big need for this particular group.) And many of them were HEALTHY. Added bonus. Here's what we ended up splitting between 4 cooks:</div>
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<li>8 pans of ready-to-bake lasagna</li>
<li>8 bags of <a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-heck-is-pilau-anyway.html" target="_blank">chicken & smoked sausage pilau</a></li>
<li>4 gallons of <a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/11/things-to-be-thankful-for.html" target="_blank">chili</a></li>
<li>104 individual <a href="http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/personal-sized-baked-oatmeal-with-individual-toppings-gluten-free-diabetic-friendly/" target="_blank">baked oatmeal cups</a></li>
<li>24 individual portions of chicken cordon bleu</li>
<li>48 <a href="http://cdm-arewethereyet.blogspot.com/2012/04/breakfast-burritos.html" target="_blank">breakfast burritos</a></li>
<li>96 ready-to-bake biscuits</li>
<li>80 <a href="http://stolenmomentscooking.com/sausage-and-cheese-turnovers/" target="_blank">sausage & cheese turnovers</a></li>
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I'll try to share more recipes once I get approval from the group (some of these are personal recipes) and once I have the actual recipes in hand. That's another <b>TIP</b>: create a binder and use it to store all your freezer meal successes! That way, you'll have a handy resource for recipes you know work well and that everyone in your group likes.</div>
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Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-18922049679005242112013-10-23T22:08:00.001-05:002013-10-23T22:08:10.233-05:00Cooking with homemade pumpkin puree<div>
Oh my gosh! Time flies when you're having fun! I meant to publish this post within a day or two of <a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/10/ruff-life.html" target="_blank">writing about our homemade doggie treat adventure</a>, but time just got away from me. And now that I've been sufficiently chastised by more than one person for not being quick enough about it, I'm committed to publishing this before I head to bed tonight! (Thanks for the prod, Angie & Steve-O.) :)<br />
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Because I've been making a serious effort to bring fewer processed foods into our home this year, I was determined to finally try making my own pumpkin puree this fall, rather than buying the super-convenient canned pumpkin like I've always done. (And I needed material for my blog. Hahaha)<br />
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I googled a few different options for making pumpkin puree and ended up with this approach:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUNgPUto-5VWaOh6_532pt7BV4F0rusAwKzt3eHtECECVwsSnNJ4kCoTU4IIc3WesMmO_KXw1kbUZpjESfnamX1XGMeXc-SKDusz7w_IxFDT_Z2bTBzgfjiuPmSZ2ismx7dGJSg-U0oc/s1600/Pumpkin+cooking+9-30-13+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUNgPUto-5VWaOh6_532pt7BV4F0rusAwKzt3eHtECECVwsSnNJ4kCoTU4IIc3WesMmO_KXw1kbUZpjESfnamX1XGMeXc-SKDusz7w_IxFDT_Z2bTBzgfjiuPmSZ2ismx7dGJSg-U0oc/s320/Pumpkin+cooking+9-30-13+002.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaa3qAkRTwMi7Fw1JiscslZelQDJCh-Ou5FAzaXM2q1UM-L03vFMx4eBoXgkOoydja_ipUOqZ5Jq8QhbyQhAyM0PyxgV6IulAErC30cJApmeLX38a72EaCuqwex15zaKaxpH98EozO8BE/s1600/Pumpkin+cooking+9-30-13+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaa3qAkRTwMi7Fw1JiscslZelQDJCh-Ou5FAzaXM2q1UM-L03vFMx4eBoXgkOoydja_ipUOqZ5Jq8QhbyQhAyM0PyxgV6IulAErC30cJApmeLX38a72EaCuqwex15zaKaxpH98EozO8BE/s320/Pumpkin+cooking+9-30-13+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li>Buy two small sugar - or pie - pumpkins. </li>
<li>Using a large, sturdy knife, cut the stem straight off. </li>
<li>Then halve the pumpkins from the top down and scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff. Rinse off the seeds and save them for roasting separately. </li>
<li>Place pumpkins cut side down on a large, edged baking sheet and roast for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. </li>
<li>Let cool slightly and then carefully remove the skins, using tongs or a fork if needed. The skins will peel right off. </li>
<li>Transfer the cooked pumpkin to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYiA9C7DmpcKCT83hZZi2XQ4dGeyjyLN_I4wFYCxlR3csBaEFbZXlEoGaO3TFnfYnLP8OotEufK8cLeMtUrqSkQpmng2rveL9WV7F7vG-OGD7fK44cVtNJSH1vB1eAUJR2GsT0SPc-JM/s1600/Pumpkin+cooking+9-30-13+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYiA9C7DmpcKCT83hZZi2XQ4dGeyjyLN_I4wFYCxlR3csBaEFbZXlEoGaO3TFnfYnLP8OotEufK8cLeMtUrqSkQpmng2rveL9WV7F7vG-OGD7fK44cVtNJSH1vB1eAUJR2GsT0SPc-JM/s320/Pumpkin+cooking+9-30-13+004.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
My two pumpkins produced about 7-8 cups of puree.<br />
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Please do this. I implore you. It's so, so simple, and you're not eating all those preservatives from the canned stuff. Plus, the best part is that your whole house will smell like Thanksgiving. It's not a spice smell, not a turkey smell, not even really a PUMPKIN smell...I can't even describe it. It's just the smell of Thanksgiving and warmth and good things on the table. Do it. Make your own pumpkin puree. And then make <a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/10/ruff-life.html" target="_blank">these dogs treats</a>.</div>
Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-86481993726825747962013-10-17T21:40:00.000-05:002013-10-18T07:51:47.762-05:00Ruff lifeMy dogs are like my kids. I won't deny it. These two rotten bastards stole our hearts the moment we first laid eyes on them. I mean, come on. How could you not love these faces?<br />
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Our sweet Cody was a hard case. Purebred perfection nearly starved to death and neglected in a small crate for the first 18 months of his life, he was a scared, skinny shadow of the dog he has become. We used to joke that he had a bellhop to cart around all his baggage. We adopted him on sight after the Big Guy's manager - who owned Cody's half-sister from the same breeder - had fostered him for a bit. Vinnie was a wandering stray who had clearly never been inside a home. He was happy enough and healthy but had zero manners and no concept of human authority. He nuzzled and cuddled with me for five minutes in his foster's home (a friend of mine) and stole my heart like the thieving bugger he is. We filled out the paperwork to adopt him from Animal Control days later. </div>
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These guys are my heart. And yes, they're a bit spoiled. They love their "cookies", but I refuse to feed them crap food or treats. And while I can always buy treats from the local doggy biscuit bakery, I figured since I'm on this whole baking/blogging kick, why not just make them myself? Thanks to Pinterest, I found the perfect recipe to tackle two projects at once:</div>
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<li>Baking with fresh pumpkin</li>
<li>Making homemade dog treats</li>
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The post on how to make your own pumpkin puree that DOESN'T come from a can - and what to do with it - is soon to come. Here's a teaser...</div>
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But right now our focus is on my furbabies. Here they are again while the Big Guy and I were working on their treats. They knew it was all for them.</div>
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I seriously cannot say no to those faces when it comes to yummy treats. The original author of this recipe said she started making the treats because her dog - Cleo, another lab - turned up her nose at straight pumpkin puree. I have a theory about that: it's because she was using the canned garbage! Or maybe my dogs just want anything they deem "human food," because we put a handful of fresh pumpkin puree (the homemade labor-of-love kind) in front of them, and this was the result:</div>
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I almost pulled back a nub. Here's the recipe, courtesy of <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/CLEO-S-PUMPKIN-DOG-BISCUIT-52156401">epicurious.com</a>. I won't link you back to the original blog because, since I originally pinned it, it's now producing some suspicious voodoo, according to Pinterest and my browser. Homey don't play that. Homey goes and gets the recipe from someplace else and repins it from there. So here, use my blog to pin the recipe for yourself. </div>
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<b>Cleo's Pumpkin Dog Biscuits</b></div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1/2 cup fresh (or canned, if you want to be<i> that </i>dog-mom) pumpkin puree</div>
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2 Tbsp dry milk powder</div>
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1/4 tsp sea salt</div>
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2-1/2 cups brown rice flour* (you can get it in the gluten-free aisle)</div>
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1 tsp dried parsley (optional - I did not use)</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Preheat oven to 350.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">In large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin, then stir in dry milk, sea salt, and dried parsley (if using, optional). Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour) and if dough is still rough, briefly knead and press to combine. (Note: I did need to knead mine a bit, but it all came together nicely with a spatula to begin with. It just needed some TLC from my hands to completely meld.)</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Roll dough between 1/4 – 1/2″ – depending on your dog’s chew preferences – and use biscuit or other shape cutter to punch shapes, gathering and re-rolling scraps as you go. Or, if you're not feeling so fancy (which I wasn't that night), simply use a pizza cutter to cut into long strips and then go back across to cut into 1</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">–</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">2" squares. Place shapes on cookie sheet, no greasing or paper necessary. If desired, lightly press fork pattern on biscuits before baking. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on rack before feeding to dog.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;">*Brown rice flour gives the biscuits crunch and promotes better dog digestion. Many dogs have touchy stomachs or allergies, and do not, like many people I know, tolerate wheat.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">The original recipe writer claimed this recipe makes up to 75 small (1″) biscuits or 50 medium biscuits. We have to go with medium biscuits in this house, because these boys need a treat they can sink their teeth into. I only got 43 out of the recipe. Close enough! Your pups will love these treats. Ours sure did!</span></span></div>
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Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-45699120737438152182013-10-06T22:11:00.003-05:002013-10-06T22:11:33.810-05:00Rising to the occasion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the course of this food blogging journey, I've heard several friends say in response to my posts about yeast breads that they're intimidated by working with yeast. I'll let you in on a little secret: I was too the first dozen or so times I tried it. But then, through trial and error, I learned the trick to it. So now it's just a matter of having the time. Because I won't lie - baking with yeast takes time. I know, I hear you saying, "but I don't have time to fiddle around with yeast. Those recipes take HOURS...sometimes all day!" Guess what? I don't have time either. That has been my excuse many times for not trying a new yeast recipe. But I've discovered we do have time. I work long hours, have a second job, and I'm heavily involved in non-profit and social organizations, but I still have time. And so do you, if you really want to try. I'm not going to give you that old lame-ass line about how we make time for the things that are really important to us, because - let's be honest - unless baking is your career, experimenting with yeast recipes isn't REALLY important to anyone, including me. But it is fun for me. It's something I enjoy doing. And it produces beautiful, delicious, and sometimes impressive results. So I've learned how to make time for it, even with my crazy schedule. Its really not that hard. It's all about time management and advance planning. And not getting in over your head right away, thus scaring yourself off from ever trying again.<br />
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Start simple. Start with homemade pizza crust. I found <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/04/29/perfect-homemade-pizza-crust-tips-and-tricks/" target="_blank">a recipe on Pinterest</a> that is simply amazing. And easy! It's now my default homemade pizza crust. Does this mean I'll never buy the little Jiffy or Chef Boyardee boxes again? No. That Chef Boyardee sauce is delish, and sometimes the $.50 box of Jiffy mix is just way more convenient. But if you plan ahead a little for your meals, you can enjoy a fresh, chewy, pizza parlor-style crust straight from your own oven. It bakes up best when you make and bake it fresh, but it works great frozen too. I currently have about four balls of this pizza dough in my freezer. It doesn't take any more effort to double the dough recipe when you're making it and then follow the directions at the link above for freezing it uncooked. Then, when I'm in the mood for pizza, I just grab one from the freezer, put it in the fridge to thaw overnight, and the next evening when I get home from work, dinner is done in 15 minutes.<br />
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So, what's the trick about yeast I've learned? Temperature. It is just that freaking simple. The liquid you add the yeast to must the right temperature. Too cool and the yeast doesn't "wake up" or activate; too hot and you kill the yeast. Use a thermometer if you must, but I just wing it. I've come to learn what the "just right" temp is for working with yeast. A lot of recipes will tell you it's around 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit. I dunno. It's like the perfect bathwater.<br />
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The <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/09/bronx-worthy-bagels/" target="_blank">Peter Reinhart bagels I've started making</a> work almost the same way - make a whole bunch and store in the freezer! I made a batch this weekend and got tons accomplished at the same time. I made my sponge (or starter) Saturday morning (which took all of 5 minutes) and set it aside to work its magic for the next two hours. In the meantime, I baked a cake, took a shower, ran some errands and had lunch with the Big Guy. When we got home the yeast sponge was all bubbly and huge, so it was time to get to work on the second stage - making the dough. It took about 15 minutes to mix and knead the dough, which can be done a bit faster if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook. I usually go the mixer route, but this weekend I was feeling the "need" to knead. It felt good to work out some frustrations on a piece of dough and to actually feel this living food change texture and shape under my hands. Then it was time to rest the dough for 20 minutes (Facebook break!) and after that the Big Guy helped me shape the bagels. Don't tell him I said this, but his came out prettier than mine. Another 20 minutes rest and they were ready to be covered and put in the fridge until Sunday. When I finally remembered them this evening it was after 8 p.m. and I was fading fast (short night last night). But before my clothes were out of the dryer, the bagels were done. All it took was a little two-minute bath in some boiling water and 10 minutes in the oven. Voila! Three weeks' worth of weekday breakfast complete! I bag each bagel individually in sandwich bags and then shove as many sandwich bags as I can into a gallon freezer bag. I take a gallon bag to work with me, and when I get to work in the morning, I pull one out of the freezer, let it sit on my desk for about a half hour, and then it's ready to pop in the toaster. Easy peasy.<br />
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Since I've mastered Peter Reinhart's bagel recipe, the next goal I've set for myself is to tackle the ever-intimidating, always time-consuming Martha. I've always been of the opinion that Martha Stewart is a hack. Of course she can do all these dumb crafts and make fancy, professional-looking pastry - the woman has staff who do it for her! And if she's actually doing it herself, bully for her. She has staff to attend to everything else while she bakes! I don't have staff. I have a demanding full-time job, a second... never mind. We covered all that in the first paragraph. Simply put, she's a big old fraud. Ain't nobody got time for all that.<br />
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Enter my mother-in-law. She knows how much I love to bake and cook, so for Christmas a few years back, she thoughtfully gave me a huge recipe book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Baking-Handbook-Stewart/dp/0307236722/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381113204&sr=8-1&keywords=martha+stewart+baking+book" target="_blank">Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook</a>. I eagerly poured over the pages looking for my first recipe to make. And then Sweet Brown's words starting rolling through my head again: AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT! And it's spent the years since sitting on my recipe book shelf in my kitchen, taunting me. But now I think it's time to dust it off and tackle old Martha. I may not be a stay-at-home wife, but I know I can make time for this. I will not let this book continue to tease and berate me from the shelf. I can find the time to make croissants, dammit.</div>
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I'm sitting here on Sunday night reflecting over my weekend. This weekend I managed to do the following:</div>
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<li>Go to the gym</li>
<li>Deep-clean my bathroom</li>
<li>Bake a cake with this AMAZING <a href="http://www.perrysplate.com/2009/05/vanilla-cake-with-strawberry-cream-frosting.html" target="_blank">strawberry cream cheese/buttercream/whipped cream frosting</a></li>
<li>Make a batch of 16 bagels</li>
<li>Do my grocery shopping and other errand-running</li>
<li>Have lunch at a new restaurant with the Big Guy</li>
<li>Go to a girls' night in party and have some fun</li>
<li>Go to church</li>
<li>Make pancakes for breakfast</li>
<li>Visit with the in-laws, who dropped by to deliver some farm-fresh eggs</li>
<li>Go to a Scentsy party</li>
<li>Make <a href="http://www.handletheheat.com/2013/09/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-blondies.html" target="_blank">pumpkin chocolate chip blondies</a> (SO good)</li>
<li>Fix meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn for dinner tonight</li>
<li>Fix a big pot of chili to eat throughout this week since it's Fall Festival week and I won't be home at all</li>
<li>Wash and dry two loads of laundry and fold the leaning tower of previously done laundry</li>
<li>Write this blog post</li>
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And I STILL got to take two naps, and I'll be hitting the sheets at a respectable 10:15 p.m. tonight. Not too shabby. See, it's all about having a plan and sticking to it. Here are a few planning tips that have made my crazy life a little bit more manageable:<br />
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<li>Before going to the grocery store on Friday night or Saturday morning, sit down and plan exactly what you're going to cook for the next seven days. Assign a meal - or a dining out break - to each day. Then build your shopping list accordingly. Not only will you spend less money at the grocery store if you stick to a list, but you'll have less food waste at the end of the week if you stick to your meal plan.</li>
<li>On Friday evening, outline the "must-accomplish" tasks for your weekend. Jot them down on a scrap of paper or in your phone. Do those things first so you can have time left to play. </li>
<li>Enlist your partner's help. This weekend's baking/cooking adventures were made possible only by the mad dishwashing skilz of the Big Guy. He kept the kitchen in tip-top shape between every recipe so I didn't lose valuable time on clean-up. And he left me alone during my naps. I love that guy. </li>
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What are your tips for better time management? And what are your thoughts on baking with yeast? Do you do it? Why or why not? Comment below. I'd love to hear your thoughts!<br />
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Now it's after 10 p.m. and I'm beat. Good night! Gym time comes early tomorrow!Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-11571370332030355092013-09-26T21:30:00.000-05:002013-10-01T15:53:21.947-05:00Brains...BRAINS!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
First, let me be clear. This is not a post about zombies. Christina, I know you got all excited, but just calm yourself down. No zombies here. Except this guy:</div>
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Here in my hometown of Evansville, Indiana, we are fortunate to play host to the second-largest street festival in the country. What's the first? Mardi Gras, of course. Let that sink in just a little bit. This tiny river city (not a small town, but not a large city, either) in Indiana is home to a festival that is second only to MARDI GRAS. I still cannot for the life of me understand why the Food Network and Travel Channel are not beating down our door. Heaven knows I've email them enough times. But I digress...<br />
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In its 92nd year, the Fall Festival draws more than 200,000 people each year and features parades, carnival rides and midway, talent shows, live music, and - of course - FOOD. More than 126 individual food booths, in fact. Each booth is run by local not-for-profit groups, such as churches, schools, private clubs, scouts, and fraternities. And many make it their mission to try to have the most outlandish, grease-laden or bizarre food item for sale on the street.<br />
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My fascination with the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/511155992256894/" target="_blank">West Side Nut Club Fall Festival</a> began in middle school, when my dad's Shrine unit opened a booth at the festival, selling hamburgers, cheeseburgers, Polish sausage, curly fries, pizza, and soft drinks (or "sody pop", as my dad was so fond of putting on the menu board). I would tag along with my parents when they worked their volunteer shifts in the booth, and I usually got put out front selling soft drinks - a thankless job. Some chilly October evening go outside for a few hours and fish cold cans of soda out of barrels of ice or ice water a few hundred times. It sucks. But the people-watching from the sidewalk makes up for it in spades.<br />
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Now a member of a Masonic- and Shrine-affiliated body myself, I have a booth of my own to work each year. And we don't have a menu of typical fair food. We, too, have an outlandish, grease-laden, and bizarre treat for sale. In fact, it's the ONLY thing we sell: Brain Sandwiches. Read it again if you have to: Brain Sandwiches. Little brains from fat little piggies all battered up and fried like a delicious, organ-filled fritter, served on a white bun with pickles and onions. And people cannot get enough of them. Although the Big Guy didn't seem to sure about it when he tried his first one a couple of years back.<br />
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Anywho, it take a lot of work to get all those little piggy brains ready for cooking, and that's just what we did this week. Every member of my unit - plus some outsiders who were nice enough to volunteer to help us out - spent hours this week sitting around tables "cleaning" brains. I won't go into the particulars, but you know how it is when you prepare an animal or cut of meat - there is some trimming, picking, "cleaning-up" to be done before you can cook it. Same with brains. For someone like me, who had to be excused from Biology class in high school before I barfed all over my group when we started dissecting a frog, this is a chore I dread every year. But it's all for a good cause, and it's only once a year, so I take the Big Guy's advice and "suck it up, Buttercup!" and get the job done. I do enjoy the fellowship that takes place during the cleaning, though. Sitting with a group of ladies for hours at a stretch with nothing to do but talk makes for some interesting stories and a lot of laughter. </div>
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Midweek this year, though, we experienced incredible sadness in the midst of our fun and fellowship, and our time in the Brain Booth at the Fall Festival will not be the same. One of the originators of our famous brain sandwiches was taken from us. <a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/08/taking-meal-to-friend-in-needand-other.html" target="_blank">In a previous post</a>, I briefly mentioned Miss Wilda, who was one of Miss Mary's dearest friends. After a day of cleaning brains, Miss Wilda went home for the evening and quietly passed away. I will never forget her or the impact she had on my life. Our organization owes much to the leadership and passionate dedication of this elegant lady. Always dressed to the nines, Miss Wilda was the picture of class and dignity, and I am honored to have been her friend these past few years. </div>
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Next week we will honor Miss Wilda with walk-throughs and a memorial service conducted by the officers of our order. And the week after that, we will work our tails off in the Brain Booth and remember these two incredible women who devoted their lives to Masonic service and to their fellow man. We will laugh at remembrances, and I'm sure we'll shed a tear or two as well. It's going to be a grueling week, but I can't wait for it to get started. Check back for a recap of the Fall Festival in a couple of weeks, complete with photos of - you guess it - brain sandwiches. </div>
<br />Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-58569703707728466472013-09-23T21:38:00.002-05:002013-09-23T21:38:24.847-05:00Pinterest to the rescue!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. I guess you could say I'm slightly addicted. But I have good reason to be! I've found over this past year that, whenever I'm in a pinch, Pinterest is there to rescue me. For example, last night around 9 p.m. the Big Guy and I realized we had forgotten to run to the store to get a crucial ingredient for my crock pot Italian beef sandwiches, which were on tonight's dinner menu (yum!). How on Earth was I going to make Italian beef without the Italian dressing? And since it would be going in the crock pot around 6 a.m. before I left for work, there would be no picking it up the next day. I sat there in my yoga pants thinking, "Do I REALLY want to get dressed and go to the grocery at 9 p.m.?" And then I remember my dear friend Pinterest.<br />
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A paltry 10-second search turned up dozens of recipes for homemade Italian dressing. I quickly scanned them, and before I could've driven to Schnucks I was in the kitchen whipping up my very own batch of <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=1043427163&group=0&frame_type=l&blog=3266143&link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tYWNhcm9uaWFuZGNoZWVzZWNha2UuY29tLzIwMTMvMDUvaG9tZW1hZGUtemVzdHktaXRhbGlhbi1kcmVzc2luZy5odG1s&frame=1&click=0&user=0" target="_blank">Homemade Zesty Italian Dressing</a>! No getting dressed, no conversation with the furbabies about why they couldn't go with me, no $2.50 spent for processed crap - just some vinegar, olive oil, seasonings and dried herbage. Everything I needed was readily on hand in my cabinets.<br />
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That is what I love so much about Pinterest. I'll find myself scratching my head over what to make for dinner, or I'll freak out because I'm missing an ingredient, or I'll be cursing a home project that I just KNOW there has to be an easier way to tackle. And then I'll turn to my dear digital friend Pinterest, and soon all is right with the world. Seriously, if you aren't on Pinterest already, you should be. It's the cat's pajamas.<br />
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Now that we have all that out of the way, wanna hear more about those Italian beef sandwiches? They're not Chicago-style Italian beef; they're cheater Italian beef. But I still think they're the bomb-diggity. My favorite chef friend Mel taught me how to make these back in the early years of our marriage when I was just realizing how much I enjoyed cooking. I watched her every time she cooked or baked. I tried to pick up tips where I could, but since she didn't use a lot of recipes I almost always ended up failing spectacularly. I needed a RECIPE, dammit. Specific instructions to follow. I'm good at following instructions. So when she made these sandwiches and told me that even I couldn't screw them up, I knew I'd found a winner. Over the years, as I've come into my own as a cook, I've added my own little twists to her original two-ingredient, three-step process. Here's my version:<br />
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<b>Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches</b><br />
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1 beef chuck roast<br />
16 oz bottle of Zesty Italian dressing (or <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=1043427163&group=0&frame_type=l&blog=3266143&link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tYWNhcm9uaWFuZGNoZWVzZWNha2UuY29tLzIwMTMvMDUvaG9tZW1hZGUtemVzdHktaXRhbGlhbi1kcmVzc2luZy5odG1s&frame=1&click=0&user=0" target="_blank">make your own</a>!)<br />
Hoagie buns or Italian mini-loaves, cut in half<br />
Mayonnaise<br />
Sliced provolone cheese<br />
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Sear chuck roast in a couple tablespoons of butter and olive oil (this step can be skipped if you oversleep and are running late to work in the morning). Place in crock pot and pour dressing over top. Cook on low at least 8 hours. Remove roast from crock pot and shred meat, discarding fat and gristle. Return meat to crock pot while you prepare the bread.<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice buns or loaves in half, lengthwise, and spread top half generously with mayo. Tear cheese slices in half and arrange on bottom half of bun so that the whole area is covered. I usually use two slices of cheese per sandwich - sometimes more. We like cheese in our house. Support your local dairy farmer! Using a slotted spoon, scoop shredded meat onto buns. Cover and loosely wrap in foil, leaving top of packet open so sandwiches can toast. Place wrapped sandwiches on baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is toasty.<br />
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Dip your sandwiches in the au jus from the crock pot, or eat them straight-up. Either way, you're gonna need a napkin. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-36383610886343503962013-09-12T20:48:00.000-05:002013-09-12T21:27:39.961-05:00Labor Day in the kitchen with the Big GuyI have apologize for how late this post is in coming. I have so much to cover that it's going to epic...like Homer or some shit. The last two weeks have been a blur! But the Big Guy and I had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. We spent a large portion of it in the kitchen, whipping up new and tasty treats. I love it when my honey cooks or bakes with me...as long as he doesn't talk to me when I'm measuring ingredients! (He screwed himself up this time by talking while he was measuring, and I had a good laugh at him.)<br />
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We started out by going on a shopping adventure that Saturday. I wish I had taken a picture of all the yummy goodness we purchased at our local processor, <a href="http://dewigmeats.com/" target="_blank">Dewig Meats</a>. We picked up Cheese Beef Sticks (summer sausage), Cheese Polish Sausage (heaven!), German Bologna, "Not-So-Center-Cut" Ham (love that name), Smokey Links, Pastrami, Grippos BBQ Sauce, and a new, locally produced, bottled taco seasoning that the creators were sampling in the store. Instead of that nasty packet of dried spices and preservatives, this contains real ingredients like tomatoes, peppers, onions, etc., without the chemicals. And it's a hometown product! We also grabbed sandwiches in the store to eat while we browsed. I love that they just ask for a donation for these treats, which goes to a local charity. I had the best hot dog you could ask for and the Big Guy had bratwurst (gag). Both served on a slice of white bread folded over - nothing fancy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9F36NljyKKes65CNKKxDrUwH-wEs-Kvmqux7WRERGHJ_5F2wloEkkj876tdQ6eXWG8r7lnKeto51dmtX6Ee7-IKm0-IekWY1qRV9wKo-b_lKoWypSV82MXwwgT4Uo9ow7vUtJa9v3g0/s1600/meatintubeform.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9F36NljyKKes65CNKKxDrUwH-wEs-Kvmqux7WRERGHJ_5F2wloEkkj876tdQ6eXWG8r7lnKeto51dmtX6Ee7-IKm0-IekWY1qRV9wKo-b_lKoWypSV82MXwwgT4Uo9ow7vUtJa9v3g0/s320/meatintubeform.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Care for some meat "loaf"?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghB7fltCiTSAVELwgP3de4ZFdmqcpfUb84wqGdYz90t8HxkzHBd8IDC8yeMXSlvXuYOOYIE6Qu2JOjWJ7rJBkHG56hctWrO6hycyBIe83UUKE6JnG89HWEhW3MOPGdlcjgh8tLqmVBInM/s1600/wurst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghB7fltCiTSAVELwgP3de4ZFdmqcpfUb84wqGdYz90t8HxkzHBd8IDC8yeMXSlvXuYOOYIE6Qu2JOjWJ7rJBkHG56hctWrO6hycyBIe83UUKE6JnG89HWEhW3MOPGdlcjgh8tLqmVBInM/s320/wurst.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meat in tube form. Porky goodness.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifY70cAEbCUbHyCZYnvUKU0sz6kV49UdfCpQY8C4LgYFLMhgGZrrydiHqzXwBoGoUb0kvyaK0Dxr2m-Uerr4inFNlSMISxfXIcSBocLlICa8rEAphuXwADGoeohCD3ZPlHPbNd34aSK7k/s1600/dewig-meats-shop059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifY70cAEbCUbHyCZYnvUKU0sz6kV49UdfCpQY8C4LgYFLMhgGZrrydiHqzXwBoGoUb0kvyaK0Dxr2m-Uerr4inFNlSMISxfXIcSBocLlICa8rEAphuXwADGoeohCD3ZPlHPbNd34aSK7k/s320/dewig-meats-shop059.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the magic happens.</td></tr>
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The only thing we could not get at Dewig's that we wanted was chicken. They don't handle it. So, off to the <a href="http://evansvillebutchershop.com/" target="_blank">Old Fashioned Butcher Shoppe</a>! If you've never purchased a fresh whole chicken from a locally sourced butcher shop, go do it. You can tell just by looking at the skin and the size of the bird how differently its been raised than those large-scale commercially produced chicken. (Yes, Tyson, I'm looking at you.) And if you're intimidated by breaking down a whole chicken (like I am), the butcher will do that for you in a jiffy for free.<br />
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That evening we went to a friend's house for an experimental game of "Chopped" - Couples' Edition. J is a Pampered Chef consultant who I met several years ago and later became friends with while doing vendor events with Tupperware. She and her husband, C, and the Big Guy and I went head-to-head in a cooking competition using the same (not-so-secret) "mystery box" items. I think the boys had as much fun as we did, and I learned that I'm not the only one who's a little OCD about how my kitchen is organized. At least I haven't pulled out the label maker to mark which cabinet things go in (though maybe I should...hmmmm). C delighted in taking us all around the kitchen and pantry to show us where she's placed labels and which ones are outdated. We also had appletinis. J and I may have been a little buzzed. In short, a good time was had by all.<br />
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Sunday morning, we were terrible Methodists and skipped church to take a little road trip to meat mecca and Food Network/Travel Channel-featured <a href="http://www.moonlite.com/" target="_blank">Moonlite Bar-B-Q</a>. They have the most AMAZING Sunday brunch buffet featuring stuff you don't find any other day of the week. Perfectly wet scrambled eggs, insanely salty cured bacon, savory smoked sausage, homemade donuts, fried chicken, and then - of course - bbq and all the fixins. Yes, 100 miles round trip is a long way to go for breakfast. But the drive with the Big Guy on such a beautiful sunny day made it all worth while.<br />
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Sunday afternoon we got busy in the kitchen.<br />
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Not like that. Dirty birds.<br />
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We dove in and tried something I've been talking about for a long time - <a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/08/gettin-all-little-house-on-prairie-up.html" target="_blank">and even blogged about recently</a> - but never committed the time to: homemade bagels! The pictures below tell the story.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGeys90JC7d8lIFnzL29K6yNO0T_Q0huvtTJj-yBalWp13xDIJcWSRw6wAT94_U5MjF0y-Nj23LzYbZ4udcGXTl9zaXF_oS9BNAoipEH8dHMVLR6vsVLTAEDt5e4HvUSTWES0zHdTRSk/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGeys90JC7d8lIFnzL29K6yNO0T_Q0huvtTJj-yBalWp13xDIJcWSRw6wAT94_U5MjF0y-Nj23LzYbZ4udcGXTl9zaXF_oS9BNAoipEH8dHMVLR6vsVLTAEDt5e4HvUSTWES0zHdTRSk/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little balls of dough resting on Day 1.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwm_bJklE1zI-4i4aOqHpaFdSFAhEWwEwe98kq5Vi6wE3QzV6GY5E7Jy7K7kHkVYK6SIAB_0GKWJY95mvO4GlIZAZ7Pk9yqalwTokbJvMVjjpxaGZ7Fv9piyjwmlMwIr_YAuVryNlhKfQ/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwm_bJklE1zI-4i4aOqHpaFdSFAhEWwEwe98kq5Vi6wE3QzV6GY5E7Jy7K7kHkVYK6SIAB_0GKWJY95mvO4GlIZAZ7Pk9yqalwTokbJvMVjjpxaGZ7Fv9piyjwmlMwIr_YAuVryNlhKfQ/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh from the fridge on Day 2 and ready for their hot bath.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkZIbMJiCoIQXz2veym56yz2HSfr8uQraD501F8F4Y8yUNs35CkaCwZbqLvMXmPLZyPw91wobdKcm2XZB3TS6ccJrCWTTcp1B-xKpiPiKcteUjdZW6zHPElaWOobYRePkeVwn5bpIdQQ/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkZIbMJiCoIQXz2veym56yz2HSfr8uQraD501F8F4Y8yUNs35CkaCwZbqLvMXmPLZyPw91wobdKcm2XZB3TS6ccJrCWTTcp1B-xKpiPiKcteUjdZW6zHPElaWOobYRePkeVwn5bpIdQQ/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Big Guy wanted to mark one as "his." At least, I hope that's what he's doing. Gross.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3CA9OkWrngO8QTWUZVT4cDYelH3HKSyITidg_9kyVAyce3ZsGH2PVR_eGU_HPdlGXglqxA8GSHBuppfllDdfSInV-lo5Q3SyUK0NoYf1uJ1HmrTIWjSA_r_ALPiY4nbyEWfgDBYJPC4/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3CA9OkWrngO8QTWUZVT4cDYelH3HKSyITidg_9kyVAyce3ZsGH2PVR_eGU_HPdlGXglqxA8GSHBuppfllDdfSInV-lo5Q3SyUK0NoYf1uJ1HmrTIWjSA_r_ALPiY4nbyEWfgDBYJPC4/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bath time! That giant stockpot is Tupperware, by the way. Want one? I can hook you up. I know a lady.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RSyXr3NSHMrN4CfJPbMwIgkpc53ZBfKXJXTf1FQ4GwhxxYFM1M7_ng0LV3GNwMphqKWKpbc5u2ox0zCjLJ5qTJGklMJnug_CfsmdS0yNNLNpS79T2M9rML6Bogfkb0yDp1h_Z-5d0ZE/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RSyXr3NSHMrN4CfJPbMwIgkpc53ZBfKXJXTf1FQ4GwhxxYFM1M7_ng0LV3GNwMphqKWKpbc5u2ox0zCjLJ5qTJGklMJnug_CfsmdS0yNNLNpS79T2M9rML6Bogfkb0yDp1h_Z-5d0ZE/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bagel toppings ready to go (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coarse sea salt).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PwpqAmSPbT7h_xr55nPVMAplHrz2Q4IsVvngE0H7T6IDC4S6ExrN7GvsLlSLxOQ0_1HCAEjEnyl9GpmEOoH9EDpylwivQG8H5RB_5YNYuGVXEC1NCZirmVz-2JQfqP1UVfpwlNRduac/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PwpqAmSPbT7h_xr55nPVMAplHrz2Q4IsVvngE0H7T6IDC4S6ExrN7GvsLlSLxOQ0_1HCAEjEnyl9GpmEOoH9EDpylwivQG8H5RB_5YNYuGVXEC1NCZirmVz-2JQfqP1UVfpwlNRduac/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Big Guy even took photos for me so I could move quickly from boil to topping.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHC6YpJ_cJW8jl7QhWm7bVtV4Mo44qNRZKq9VS49xMFtdX1ZEn06Mfowole71IgwqInbZh6sBRC8yc3UPbDLg2y4R5jZBOV8K-4F8nVPO6SJGLb3UpiM7twyCOIUVaa-cp5vzk1Pbeg0g/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHC6YpJ_cJW8jl7QhWm7bVtV4Mo44qNRZKq9VS49xMFtdX1ZEn06Mfowole71IgwqInbZh6sBRC8yc3UPbDLg2y4R5jZBOV8K-4F8nVPO6SJGLb3UpiM7twyCOIUVaa-cp5vzk1Pbeg0g/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still warm from the oven...mmmmm.</td></tr>
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Yes, making bagels is a two-day process. But when you stop and think about it, it's really not that bad. I spent about three to three and a half hours on Day 1 making the sponge, dough, and forming the bagels. But really it was only more like an hour because most of that time was just resting. Day 2 went very quickly. I think I was done in 30 minutes. I made average-sized bagels (more like Lenders, not giant like Panera Bread) and got 16 out of the batch. That's three weeks of workday breakfast which would've cost me around $14, plus gas, had I gotten them from a bakery every day. I'll try to figure out the food cost next time I make them, but I'm estimating it cost me about $3 to do this at home. That's a savings of almost $200 per year. Plus I get to take out any frustrations on the dough while I'm kneading! Win-win! I did learn something in the process. The original poster (Smitten Kitchen) said all her toppings fell off, so she would try an egg wash next time. I had the same problem but only with my sesame seeds. Lesson learned. Egg wash next time for sure!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjY8K-nF7h2WrD78A1NcYPIed2splsLFD09mLgVWM9mDz-e8fCI_VxROUrMAKbjY4RvAJdaceJ9PF2r0S2Qf-whK36JWgyISnld_prvzmvH1bI3ERRxlkFkgkbLIUc2VuBgp2ssnwDavU/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjY8K-nF7h2WrD78A1NcYPIed2splsLFD09mLgVWM9mDz-e8fCI_VxROUrMAKbjY4RvAJdaceJ9PF2r0S2Qf-whK36JWgyISnld_prvzmvH1bI3ERRxlkFkgkbLIUc2VuBgp2ssnwDavU/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fatty McGee begged for a snack the whole time. Look at those sugar lips. Is he the cutest or what?</td></tr>
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Short story I have to share. A couple of years ago the Big Guy had a second job driving a delivery truck for the local donut bakery in the mornings. Every day I begged him to bring me home a sesame seed bagel, and sometimes he obliged. One morning, as he was grabbing my warm, fresh bagel from the rack, he started talking to the owner of the bakery and asked him if they had ever tried making sea salt bagels (like the ones at Einstein Brothers that I loved so much when we lived in Florida). Owner had never heard of such a thing and thought it was a great idea. Said he would experiment with it and see how it turned out. Never heard of him trying it and Big Guy went on to a different second job. Now, here we are two years later and sea salt bagels have never shown up on the menu. But they have in my kitchen, and guess what, Donut Bank? I think we're breaking up. </div>
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My homemade bagels were a huge success. They're pretty freakin' yummy - and chewy. Very authentically stiff and chewy, not doughy or soft and bread-y. And they freeze great as well. I put each bagel in a sandwich bag and then put as many as I could fit into a gallon freezer bag. Each morning at work I just pull one out and let it sit on my desk for a half hour to hour to thaw and then pop it in the toaster oven. Couldn't be happier. </div>
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Before we got down with the bagels, Big Guy and I starting prepping the chicken for Monday's cooking adventure. We used <a href="http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/241370/smoked-whole-chicken" target="_blank">this recipe</a> for brine to keep the chicken moist while smoking it (using only herbs from our garden, thankyouverymuch). On Monday, the Big Guy pulled out the smoker and got to work.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcj3-VORDKIlXG41Yx_QN3poP26aD0F-neo_6LoX0HY1k_AfabKHApG_gxFYmvydl7PQycS7CrgTMmDl835HCyClJGVBGo7z-HN9nvBwd2M5m2yspr1prVdceCn12A6mVYy26sNZSgjWQ/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcj3-VORDKIlXG41Yx_QN3poP26aD0F-neo_6LoX0HY1k_AfabKHApG_gxFYmvydl7PQycS7CrgTMmDl835HCyClJGVBGo7z-HN9nvBwd2M5m2yspr1prVdceCn12A6mVYy26sNZSgjWQ/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all that fresh chickeny goodness.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2Nctigiii_ntc0mny1vbMEY-Z166au0fTK-_Ah8RT8cMaQlD-Fc6dxRRb5wEqtDkTKX7lnUM0Q_nWLMcYJFFRhtFJ7OcNx2I20HYYwMjESxfko2amc1Da4HOPopi_DHAhTuYKMWJlAc/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2Nctigiii_ntc0mny1vbMEY-Z166au0fTK-_Ah8RT8cMaQlD-Fc6dxRRb5wEqtDkTKX7lnUM0Q_nWLMcYJFFRhtFJ7OcNx2I20HYYwMjESxfko2amc1Da4HOPopi_DHAhTuYKMWJlAc/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See those giant man-beast hands? I swear it's a perspective thing. We were not smoking tiny <br />
chicken parts on a smoker the size of a dinner plate. My man just has giant man-beast hands.</td></tr>
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Throughout the whole process, the skinny dog was Losing. His. Mind. He loves chicken more than almost anything in the world. This is his happy face:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a smile. I promise.</td></tr>
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We were all smiles, too, when those beautiful pieces of fowl came off the smoker a few hours later. The Big Guy smelled like a campfire - a delicious, lickable campfire. This is some pretty tasty yard bird right here. Still have a bit left in the freezer that we'll be using to make homemade BBQ pizzas later. I'll post about that too. But right now, I'll just leave you with this...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mouthwatering, isn't it?</td></tr>
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Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-9904191632332552792013-08-29T20:30:00.000-05:002013-08-29T20:30:00.209-05:00Gettin' all Little House on the Prairie up in this jointI love to bake. Cookies, cakes, pies, breads - oh, bread! I love working with yeast dough - the smell, the texture, the kneading and stretching and rising and punching and rising again. If I was a KW (that's kept woman, or stay-at-home wife, if you prefer) we would eat only bread I baked myself. And I would do all sorts of other crafty and pioneer woman kinds of stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1J32o96tzELEdjX-8eZ7ilGtAd6CWaf8-VATRcpl2IfQwl46T6Ex7C5VIjwYwBSLKTW1TyG_WepXIWZUeUKiCvwGaQqN7gWSGWtkKLjj4CcAOIOqmrUle2g5eDB9icmKTa4EveP_0fk/s1600/dough-3468_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1J32o96tzELEdjX-8eZ7ilGtAd6CWaf8-VATRcpl2IfQwl46T6Ex7C5VIjwYwBSLKTW1TyG_WepXIWZUeUKiCvwGaQqN7gWSGWtkKLjj4CcAOIOqmrUle2g5eDB9icmKTa4EveP_0fk/s320/dough-3468_640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
But crafting dough and dough-based foodstuffs takes time - hours upon hours of resting and proofing. And when you work full time, sling plastic part time, are active in community organizations, and try to have a satisfying married and social life as well, there's just not much time left for dough. But I'm trying to<a href="http://obsessive-cooking-disorder.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-url-says-it-all.html" target="_blank"> learn to live again</a>, remember? So I shall bake more this year than I have in the last three years.<br />
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When I do find time to bake, though, I get sidetracked easily and I go take a nap or start another project while my dough is rising and then it takes twice as long to get anything done. So I'm working to enlist the help of my friend P to the Enny to have an all-out baking day. She's game, but our schedules are both so hectic that - again - it's hard to find the time. But find the time we must! We're planning to work our baking day into the whole freezer cooking concept as well by either freezing several batches of dough or freezing finished bread products. I especially want to bake up a mess of bagels and freeze them to have for breakfast throughout the week. I found a <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/09/bronx-worthy-bagels/" target="_blank">bagel recipe on Smitten Kitchen</a> that just looks amazing. I can't wait to try it out myself. Even if you don't plan to ever make your own bagels, pop on over to her blog to see the beautiful photos that accompany her recipes. I'm jealous.<br />
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So tell me, readers - do any of you have a favorite go-to bread recipe? Do you have a secret for finding the time to bake and making it happen? Do you bake at all? Or do you find it intimidating and just not worth the effort. I love seeing your comments, so share with me! Tell me your stories! Use the little "Post a Comment" box below. Let me know you're out there.Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-23554622524344966582013-08-27T22:05:00.000-05:002013-08-28T10:06:55.171-05:00Secret HelpersI love female sneakery and inspirational stories of anonymous do-gooders. So, when I happened across this headline today, of course I had to click and read more. <a href="http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?sid=264">The Business 9 Women Kept A Secret For Three Decades, by Lori Weiss</a> is the story of nine Southern women on a mission to help others - secretly.<br />
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My last post was about paying it forward and cooking for others in need. To see this article so soon after that post just reinforced my belief that I need to be doing more of this. I have nothing else to say today. Just read the story linked above and be inspired.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035720546@N01/4172442931/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="gift tags by you can count on me, on Flickr"><img alt="gift tags" height="419" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2738/4172442931_730636dfff.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image source: http://flic.kr/p/7mGRVe </td></tr>
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Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603764443368881010.post-71150409580975221862013-08-20T21:57:00.000-05:002013-08-21T09:59:56.026-05:00Taking a meal to a friend in need...and other musings on paying it forwardSince early in our marriage, whenever I hear of a close friend or family member who's had a death in the family, major surgery, extended illness, birth of a child, or some such life event, I've been the type of person who immediately thinks, "I may need to take this person a meal." It all started in 2004 when a good friend delivered her son at 28 weeks, and he spent the first months of his life in the hospital. Our mutual friend suggested a few of us having a cooking day and provide the family with several freezer meals they could heat at their convenience. (My very first freezer cooking adventure!) I immediately agreed to the plan because the Big Guy and I had experienced our own family crisis a couple years earlier, and the thing I remember most fondly is those friends and co-workers who showed up with a meal. It was one less thing we had to worry about during the most difficult time of our young marriage.<div>
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That's part of the reason this whole freezer cooking adventure appeals to me so much. When you have meals already prepared in your freezer, ready to thaw and reheat, it makes helping others so effortless! Friend had a baby? Grab a casserole on your way out the door to visit! Relative had knee replacement surgery? Snatch up a bag of soup from the freezer and you're on your way! There have been so many people in my life in the past year who I have wanted to help with meals or in some other small way, but I've just been stretched too thin. If I had had meals already in the freezer, it would've been a cinch. But now that I have several go-to meals on hand, I don't have to worry anymore about my busy schedule preventing me from helping my friends and family in the best way I know how. And that makes me very happy.</div>
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Another thing that makes me very happy is a website I ran across during my freezer cooking research, and it is what prompted today's post. <a href="https://www.takethemameal.com/index.php" target="_blank">Take Them a Meal</a> is a site that allows people to coordinate meal-taking efforts online. Simply create a free account, invite friends via email to join your effort, and the person in need will have a meal delivered to their door as often as needed. Brilliant! The site also features recipes, a blog, and tips for coordinating meals but also for other simple ways to help those in need. Created by a group of friends who saw a need and were tired of coordinating meal-taking through endless phone calls, this site has grown into a useful tool for anyone - even those who don't want or have time to cook or deliver a meal, or who live at too great a distance. Through their partnership with <a href="http://abowlofgood.com/" target="_blank">A Bowl of Good</a>, you can simply order a pre-made meal online to be shipped directly to the friend you're helping.</div>
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How do you help your friends in need? How do you give back to your community in general? I've found that, no matter how much I have going on in my own life, no matter how self-absorbed I am at any given moment, what sometimes brings me the most pleasure is carving out time to give back to someone or some organization. Taking a meal is something simple I love to do because (selfishly) I love to cook and (for whatever ulterior motive) I love to share my cooking with others. In the last several years, this has carried over into other areas of my life - this desire to help others. Whether it's through our non-profit activities, or through the "give-back" team at my office, or just through helping a dear friend, I carve out time weekly to pay it forward.</div>
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Recently I lost someone who I considered to be a good friend - though I learned at her funeral that, truly, I hardly knew her at all. Miss Mary and I were both members of the same ladies' organization. I always knew her as just this sweet old woman who happened to also be a member of the club. But a few years ago, while we were attending a convention in Florida, Miss Mary became ill in the middle of the night. Her roommate, Miss Wilda, called me - knowing I was the only person in our group who did not have to go to the business session the next day - and asked if I would accompany them to the emergency room. The three of us spent the next several hours at the hospital and filled our time with conversation. I learned so much about these beautiful women who had been the best of friends for more than 50 years. And as Miss Mary began to feel a bit better the next day, she and I spent more time together and I learned even more about her life and what kind of person she was. The most important thing I learned that week about Miss Mary was that there was so much more to her quiet demeanor than met the eye. But I never realized just how much more until people got up to speak at her funeral. Miss Mary - and her husband, who survives her - are the model for living a life of service to others.</div>
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Being child-free, I cannot tell you how many times I've heard, "Don't you want a family of your own?" "But won't you be lonely in your old age?" "Who's going to take care of you when you get older?" I wish the people who have asked me these questions (sometimes repeatedly) could have been at Miss Mary's funeral. It was a testament to how <i>not </i>alone and how <i>very </i>cared for an elderly person can be...IF they've lived their life right. Miss Mary had no children of her own - no grieving "immediate family" left other than her husband. The funeral home was unprepared for the number of people who attended. It was standing room only. The pastor even commented during his eulogy that he's done many funerals for 85-year-old women, and there is never a crowd that size. Several people stood up after the pastor and spoke about what Miss Mary meant to them. She and Mr. Lefty touched countless lives on their journey, believing strongly that, as Christians, their primary duty on Earth was to humbly serve others. </div>
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That is Miss Mary's legacy - a peaceful life of service to her fellow human beings. Whether that service was simply delivering a batch of homemade jam to say thank you or giving a ride to someone who had no transportation or even opening their home to a single parent and child who had nowhere else to go, Miss Mary and Mr. Lefty exemplified Christian love every day. And because of this, in their last years of life, this childless couple has been surrounded by loved ones. They've not been lonely. They've not been forgotten. Because throughout their lives they made sure others were not lonely - others were not forgotten. </div>
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The Big Guy and I talked at length after Miss Mary's funeral about this legacy, and we know we want it to be ours as well. I believe most people find themselves alone at the end of their lives as a consequence of how they've lived their lives and what kind of relationships they nurtured - or allowed to wither - along the way. So I will strive to focus on those relationships that can be nurtured. The ones that will continue to grow and be fruitful throughout our lives. And I will continue to try to live a life of service - even if that service is simply taking a meal to a friend in need. Sometimes it's the simplest things that make the most lasting impact on a person's life. </div>
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How will you try to serve others in your life? Who will you take a meal to this year?</div>
Kristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14254767355977186328noreply@blogger.com2