Erik as well as Mae as well as I were supposed to larn to the farmer's marketplace seat together yesterday. When I looked at the conditions forecast the hateful solar daytime before, it showed thunder as well as lightening commencement at 10:00 a.m. And, you lot know, I'm pretty intrepid, but I'm non upwards for electrocution past times lightening. So, I texted Erik as well as Mae as well as asked them if they wanted to reschedule. They did. So it was form of a surprise when it turned out to live a pretty prissy morning time yesterday. We in all likelihood could receive got gone, as well as the thunder as well as lightening was silent supposed to start around 2:00 p.m. Only...that didn't come about either. What's a conditions watcher to do?
Well, I'll say you lot what I did: I baked bread. I mean, the ability could locomote out or something as well as in that location I'd live alongside a menage total of nutrient as well as no freshly baked bread. Perish the thought.
I had to hold back 3 hours to cutting into it. Baking breadstuff was a prissy diversion piece I dragged my feet getting started on the Gingerbread Village. Actually, I went dorsum as well as re-read the posts from when I made the Happy Village 2 years ago. I wanted to remind myself of whatever trials or tribulations I'd written about. If you're interested inwards this process, the posts start correct here. It was expert to remind myself that this won't await anything similar whatever form of hamlet until I start adding windows, roofs, as well as doors. You tin encounter what I'm talking nigh at this postal service correct here. So alongside all of these tips as well as reminders at hand, I started edifice the collage from the fabrics I'd cutting the hateful solar daytime before.
When I had taken it that far, it was fourth dimension to cutting the bread. After all that function on my quilt, I'd generated a powerful hunger for some apparently white bread.
It was thus soft as well as delicious...like the best Wonder Bread of your childhood. I could receive got eaten the whole loaf all past times myself inwards 1 sitting, but I didn't. It's a real piece of cake breadstuff to make. Here's the recipe I used:
American Sandwich Bread
from Bread Illustrated
2 1/2 cups (13 1/4 oz.) breadstuff flour
2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup (6 oz.) whole milk -- room temperature
1/3 cup (2 2/3 oz.) H2O -- room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter -- melted
2 tablespoons honey
Whisk flour, yeast, as well as tabular array salt together inwards bowl of a stand upwards mixer. Whisk milk, water, melted butter, as well as beloved inwards a 4-cup liquid criterion loving cup until beloved has dissolved.
Using a dough claw on depression speed, slow add together milk mixture to flour mixture as well as mix until cohesive dough starts to shape as well as no dry out flour remains, nigh 2 minutes, scraping downwards bowl every bit needed. Increase speed to medium-low as well as knead until dough is smoothen as well as elastic as well as clears sides of bowl, nigh 8 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured counter as well as knead past times mitt to shape a smooth, circular ball, nigh thirty seconds. Place dough seam side downwards inwards lightly greased large bowl or container, encompass tightly alongside plastic wrap, as well as permit rising until doubled inwards size, 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Grease 8 1/2 x four 1/2-inch loaf pan. Press downwards on dough to deflate. Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter (side of dough that was against bowl should similar a shot live facing up). Press as well as stretch dough into 8 x 6-inch rectangle, alongside long side parallel to counter edge.
Roll dough away from you lot into draw of piece of work solid cylinder, keeping curlicue taut past times tucking it nether itself every bit you lot go. Pinch seam unopen as well as identify loaf seam side downwards inwards prepared pan, pressing dough gently into corners.
Cover loosely alongside greased plastic as well as permit rising until loaf reaches 1 inch higher upwards lip of pan as well as dough springs dorsum minimally when poked gently alongside your knuckle, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle seat as well as oestrus oven to 350°F. Mist loaf alongside H2O as well as bake until deep golden chocolate-brown as well as loaf registers 205-210°F, 35-40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
Let loaf cool inwards pan for xv minutes. Remove loaf from pan as well as permit cool completely on wire rack, nigh 3 hours earlier serving.
NOTES : To brand this a whole-wheat American Sandwich bread, trim back breadstuff flour to 1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 oz.) as well as add together 1 loving cup (5 1/2 oz.) whole-wheat flour as well as 3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ inwards pace 1. Increase beloved to 3 tablespoons.
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So, I continued awaiting the thunder as well as lightening, but in that location was silent no rain...in fact, the skies were blue, as well as it was prissy outside. I went out as well as took some pictures of the latest blooming things. I noticed the lilac is starting to bud out.
The plum tree is inwards total bloom now. We should larn some plums this twelvemonth if the sunshine as well as bee action maintain up.
Also, we're pretty excited nigh our dogwood tree. We planted this tree many moons ago...it was 1 of the firstly things nosotros planted when nosotros moved inwards nearly sixteen years ago. It was a much smaller tree then, as well as nosotros didn't realize that in that location is almost zip deer love to a greater extent than than a tasty dogwood tree. On its firstly night, they ate the tree downwards to a pathetic picayune nubbin of a tree trunk. After that, nosotros seat a debate around it, but it took years for it to recover from that initial munching. Fast frontwards to now, as well as it's a fairly sizable tree. It has lots of bloom buds on it this year, as well as inwards the past times couplet of days, it's taken on a pinkish tinge.
Closer up, you lot tin encounter that the flowers are commencement to open. I retrieve this mightiness live the best twelvemonth yet for the dogwood tree.
While I was looking at the dogwood, this downy woodpecker showed upwards at the feeder. He played a picayune game of cover as well as try alongside me circling around that pole.
Eventually, hunger got the best of him as well as he went later on the suet. Also, I could remove heed some other woodpecker pecking inwards a tree nearby. Perhaps nosotros receive got a nest? I looked, but I couldn't encounter a nest nor the other bird.
After that, I went dorsum to reading erstwhile weblog posts nigh the Happy Village. There was an intervening catamenia where I was waiting for the arrival of some gum I needed to halt the project. Then I was able to larn dorsum at it. The finishing upwards posts start correct here, as well as continue here until it's finished upwards correct here. It was expert to review because I noted inwards the erstwhile posts that I was dragging my feet nigh working on this, but every bit I was yesterday. With that inwards mind, I finished upwards the collage earlier calling it quits yesterday.
Today I'll start adding roofs, doors, as well as windows, as well as hopefully, it volition start to await to a greater extent than similar an actual village.
With all the weeding, sewing, as well as baking I've been doing, you lot mightiness wonder if I'm non neglecting my housework. Or peradventure not...I haven't been...wondering, that is. I know for for certain as well as for certain that I receive got been. It's e'er an interesting practise inwards getting to know one's limits when one's husband is gone for a while. Just how much filth tin I tolerate earlier giving inwards as well as getting out a broom or a dust cloth? And piece I can't give a specific answer, I tin say you lot that I've reached my limit. Today I must do something related to housekeeping or else motion into a motel for the duration. Which would you lot do?
As for my absentee spouse, he's constitute a couplet of items nigh the trailer he wants to receive got upwards alongside the dealer earlier leaving South Carolina. There is a wiring work as well as a work alongside the roof, both of which volition demand to live repaired at some indicate inwards time. It's all nether warranty, as well as thus it's actually a thing of documentation for now. That agency he'll remain inwards South Carolina at to the lowest degree until Monday, as well as and thus he'll start heading for home. Whether "heading for home" volition involve returning to the Indiana manufacturer for repairs is an unresolved question. He's liking the trailer, however. I'm excited for him to larn dwelling thus I tin encounter it too.