Spring

Spring is such a busy time of year. stopping to smell the flowers or just to take another look is so necessary. This is my first spring retired and as I was told a few years back, this is the best part of being retired is getting to plan and plant on a reasonable schedule.

simple bread

I thought my Italian bread was simple but this one is super simple and yet tastes great.

It has a chewy texture that changes to crisp when toasted. I really like it as toast.

In bread machine :

2c bread flour

1c whole wheat,rye or other flour

1tsp salt

1 1/4 c water

2 tsp. instant yeast

using a dough only setting mix and first rise in the machine.

shape dough and put in baking pan, allow to rise one more time

bake at 425 for 10 minutes and bring back to 350 for 20 minutes more or until done.

This bread has a short shelf life due to no stabilizing ingredients, definitely and old world style bread.

March winds, April ...Living a simpler life....

Well I haven't forgotten this blog but after the March winds left me with a week without power.

I returned to a blog with a bug. I think we are through all of the messy times and now ready to settle down to spring showers and my simple life. Oh yes, that simple life I think I have been living

well let's begin with "the coffeepot."

In November my 7-8year old leaky Bunn coffeemaker no longer heated coffee on the warmer plate and then one day the switch fell out, I decided it was time to say goodby to that coffeemaker.

After pricing a new one ($100 plus) my simple goals told me to use one of the two coffee makers I had in the house. Especially since one of them was the $10 pot I had used only a few times at school. Well I used this coffeepot from Nov. until Feb. the coffee while not great, was ok. In February one of the alternative pots I had been thinking of went on sale at a discounter in the area so I spent the $20 on a $40-$50 coffeemaker. It made the same ok coffee and I was glad I hadn't spent the full price. Last Friday am with showers on the outside, slightly cool weather, I hear a click and then what sounds like rain in the kitchen. Well the broken button on the "new"

coffeepot had let go and coffee was pouring down my counter into the drawer and floor below.

That was it ! Off to Walmart for a new Bunn coffeemaker......

March Winds

This early spring weather is wonderful. Raking leaves and finding crocus and tulips and daffodils.

Think I'll try some coffeecakes in the morning!

A Touch of Sweet

This weeks nut bread is one of my favorite. This Date Nut gem uses very little oil as dates work as sweetener and oil substitute.

Date Nut Bread

1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups unbleached flour

½ cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Pour boiling water over dates and let stand ten minutes. Add sugar to eggs and beat. Sift dry ingredients together. Add nuts to date mixture. Stir in oil and vanilla. Mix date mixture, sugar and eggs, and dry ingredients, stirring enough to moisten. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 degrees F. for one hour.

Wrapping a nut bread is essential to keeping it fresh for more than two days. I use good ole fashioned wax paper (parchment will also work.) this keeps the bread dry and not sticky which leads to moisture and mold. This picture shows it wrapped in wax paper and in a bag to keep air out. My breads keep for seven days.

Welcome Groundhog

Welcome to February. This month is to be my quick bread month. My goal is to reduce sugar and still keep texture and flavor, if the flavor is off the quick bread is really off. Unlike yeast breads quick breads rely on eggs and baking powder and other things to rise a little. Yeast is also a camouflage flavor enhancer thus most yeast breads taste good even if a little tough or deflated or over inflated.(note my last starter bread was a bomb!)

Presenting.........

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium to large bananas)
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add the bananas, honey, and eggs, beating until smooth. Add the flour, then the walnuts, stirring until smooth. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, smoothing the top. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Bake the bread for 50 minutes, then gently lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top, to prevent over-browning. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the oven; a long toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan, and cooling it completely on a rack.

Starter Breads

January has been my fresh start with starters. Since I run a cool house with Temps in the 60's, I have kept a starter on the counter where I can stir it and add to it daily. When I get about two cups I make a bread using one cup and add to the second. I am on my third week of breads and there is a definite differnce in flavor and texture.

This bread was an oatmeal bread with apricots.

The "leftovers" were made into bread pudding.

Hardly a week goes by then we don't need an Italian bread. Last week I made two huge loaves with the starter. The leftover was made into bread crumbs. They have an interesting taste and will be even more interesting in my fish topping this week.

My bread this week is an orange pineapple whole wheat bread. I should have shaped it like the oatmeal bread as it exploded in the bread pan. This starter bread thing is amazing!