Category Archives: bread

by | March 21, 2011 · 9:49 am

My Pompous Lunch

Yesterday I was stuck working my lovely retail job all day. Turns out, this wasn’t a bad thing. The weather in Southern California was absolutely insane! I spent the drive to work dodging falling branches and hydroplaning through lakes in the middle of the roads. Apparently, right after I left, THIS happened:
Since that tree just happened to block off my way home, I decided to take a long, leisurely lunch at work.
Jane Eyre, a glass of red wine, freshly baked bread and olive oil. How uppity am I?

There were also some braised short ribs on wilted spinach later, but that de-snobs my premise. Plus, the picture came out blurry.

By the time I headed home, a huge firetruck had shoved the big tree out of the road and, after rerouting me through two different neighborhoods, I finally pulled into my driveway in one piece.

I received another package from Foodbuzz and decided that baking would be a perfect way to spend a chilly evening.
Although I received this bread free from Nature’s Pride, my opinions are my own. WOW, having to say that all the time is going to get annoying! I like that this bread actually expires  in six days and isn’t stuffed with preservatives like other store-bought breads so they’ll stay mold-free for two months.
I LOVE WHOLE WHEAT! Not sure why they felt the need to add raisin juice concentrate, vinegar, cultured corn solids or soy lecithin. Or whey for that matter. GREAT bread can easily be made with whole wheat flour and grains, water, honey, salt and yeast.

One thing I know, it makes a DANG GOOD bread pudding!
I may have a little bread pudding problem… Once I have it, I have to keep having it until all the bread is gone from my house. Uh-oh…

This bread pudding is a miniature of my Magical Bread Pudding. I basically split the recipe in half and filled a really teeny ramekin. I also subbed coconut milk for soy milk. The result? A souffle of warm cinnamon, sweet chocolate and moist (sorry) bread with crunchy flax seeds throughout. I haven’t tried the bread on its own, but for this recipe, it’s a winner!

Today looks like it’s going to be sunny, but after my pompous lunch and bread pudding, I don’t know if I’m okay with that…

Curling up and watching an indie-film marathon sounds much, much better to me!

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Filed under bread, Bread pudding, bread pudding makes me happy, Crazy storm, fallen trees, FOOD, Foodbuzz, Jane Eyre, Magical Bread Pudding, Nature's Pride, red wine

by | January 20, 2011 · 4:09 am

Things I Love: Part I

     I love bread.
I love when Amanda and Andy go to Great Harvest to buy bread, and inspire me to also go to Great Harvest to buy bread.
I love free samples of bread from Great Harvest.
I love that their “samples” are the size of my arm.
I love freshly baked biscuits…
…where the honey…
…slowly melts…
…into each fluffy pillow.
I love cornbread served with whipped honey-butter.
I love sweet bread that crumbles when you bite into it.
I love whole-wheat stuffing.
I Love Bread
The end.

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Filed under biscuits, bread, chocolate chip bread pudding, cornbread, cranberry walnut bread, Great Harvest, savory bread pudding, Things I love, whole-wheat stuffing

by | June 3, 2010 · 1:54 am

Magic Doorstops!

Today was a day for something new and exciting – something I’ve never done before. I MADE BREAD!!!
Now, I’ve made the typical banana bread, popped open some crescent roll tubes and slammed them on a baking sheet, but I’ve never made bread that requires you to activate the yeast, assemble your own selection of different types of oatmeals and grains, and actually baked a loaf of bread.
Lately I’ve been craving some whole grains and carbs and, rather than run out to the store and grab a processed, plastic-wrapped, frozen and then thawed loaf, I hit up our new local Sprouts store. They have an amazing bulk foods section where you can get as much, or as little of any type of dry food that you want. The cost for this shopping trip came out to be pretty cheap for the whole wheat flour, flax meal, wheat germ, walnuts and yeast. Everything else I found in the cupboards.

Assembled ingredients: Daunting!!!
All the ingredients getting mixed together
My feeble attempts at kneading… I look scared!
Pre-rise
Post-rise! Does it look any different?
Baked!
And sliced!!!
I must say, when I first pulled the bread out of the oven, I was really disappointed. The thing weighed about 10lbs, and was completely raw and doughy on the inside. I cut myself a piece from the middle and then stuck the rest back in the oven. The first bite changed my whole attitude. Delicious!!! It has a really chewy texture – I credit the steel cut oats I soaked, drained and threw in, and it’s chock full of chopped walnuts and sprinkled with wheat germ. It’s very heavy, but the flavor is really good! The recipe is from Cooks.com (I cut this in half to make one loaf). My personal add-a-grains were pre-soaked steel cut oatmeal, rolled oats, flax meal and wheat germ. I also used honey instead of molasses, unsweetened soy milk instead of regular milk, and olive oil. Definitely a recipe I’d recommend if you can get over the fact that it feel like a doorstop!
Of course, I didn’t start the day by cooking bread. I started it with a breakfast scramble, and then headed here!
This is halfway up the trail we hike almost every single morning. It was a little hazy today, but where you’re looking is where the ocean is!
I’m a blessed, blessed girl 🙂 We had a warm 56 minute hike that had a nice cool breeze, and unfortunately, a lot of people. I guess everyone is starting their summer vacations, which doesn’t make me happy. I like MY park to be empty! I may get a little territorial – has anyone noticed that?
After the bread-making debacle-turned-success, I heated up a simple lunch: Lemony quinoa with some shredded leftover chicken that we had in the fridge from Memorial Day.
Blackberries and a slice of my freshly made bread smothered in a tablespoon of peanut butter with flax seed made up dessert.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I haven’t been sticking to my no-beer goal. Here’s my outlook: one drink a day, if you’re of legal age, has been found to be good for your heart. I’m definitely not perfect when it comes to my diet, and I’m okay with that. Plus, Fat Tire kicks ass and you only live once, so why not enjoy it?
I also found out that the film I was supposed to start on Saturday has been pushed until August. Now I’m left with 10 days off from work (unless I can get some hours back – fingers crossed, I need the money!) and nothing to do – except perhaps have another go at a different type of homemade bread?
For now I have to go and get ready for a 4 hour shift at work. Dinner will be some sliced up bell peppers with my homemade tomato-basil hummus and probably another serving of lunch. I wish I had time to hop on my bike, but my scheduling with work, plus having a sick-day yesterday hasn’t allowed for it. I’ll be sure to get back to it before this weekend rolls around, especially now that I may have an entire week to myself! Maybe I’ll work on my mileage since I have the time and train for that century ride that I’m hoping to do before the end of the year… Hey, you gotta aim high, otherwise where’s the fun?

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Filed under bake, beer, blackberries, bread, doorstop, health, hike, honey, olive oil, views