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| First Loaf proofing |
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| resting before baking (on parchment paper) |
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| YUM-baked inside crock pot |
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| So pretty |
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| 2nd loaf proofing |
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| Waiting to be baked on pan instead |
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flatter bread
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Saturday, November 10, 2012
Bread photos
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Fall and baking
I love love love fall, and could describe every color and smell and damn tiny feeling that sends shivers down my spine...but I'm pretty sure everyone else is probably doing the same. In Portland, cars are plastered in big beautiful wet leaves. There's Halloween. My anniversary is Nov. 1-until Election day. This year is the Elections, and our 8th year together. (Side note, we had a cute date today filling out our ballots over lunch and dropping them off at the library.)
Forget winter, there should be fall themed carols about this time of year.
Something about candy apple red leaves, picking out pumpkins, and baking bread.
I saw this on pinterest, and thought, yay, another bread recipe. I love baking bread, but this was trickier than I thought it would be, mostly on my end of the whole cooking thing. One, I don't have the fancy cookware that seemed to be the best to use. She mentions crockpots as being ok, but my lid handle isn't heat resistant, not at 450 degrees. I found that out the hard way. Funny, when I thought I smelled burning plastic, I just assumed it wasn't from MY oven...oops. Also my crockpot insert is tall and narrow and generally awkward to fit into the oven. Something I should have worked out before I turned on the oven.
However, the bread smells great, looks beautiful and tastes wonderful. I prepped 2 batches of plain bread, and have baked one so far. I think I read that you can proof it for over 24 hours, maybe 48? I'll double check, because we've got even more cooking to do. For our anniversary weekend sunday dinner we're having steak and potatoes and cider.
This cider, from allrecipes. We made a test batch last night, and are making one more today. It's very good, but I noticed with my smaller (1.5 quart) crockpot it takes a lot longer than an hour to boil. So I put it on High for at least 2 hours. Maybe longer. I gave it a stir here and there and taste-tested it, serving when it tasted good. Oh, and I just threw in the spices, instead of wrapping them in cheesecloth.
All in all, I prefer kneading bread, and cooking it in bread pans or on a cookie sheet like I did this last summer. The steam thing is cool but I'm too poor for fancy stuff and clumsy to boot, and personally I like my crock pot anywhere but in the oven. I'll happily post a simple bread recipe (that involves kneading-hey, it's fun and therapeutic) and tutorial for those out there who haven't done it before.
But enough blogging for today, gotta get to cooking some more. Maybe I'll remember to take some pictures and post tomorrow?
Forget winter, there should be fall themed carols about this time of year.
Something about candy apple red leaves, picking out pumpkins, and baking bread.
I saw this on pinterest, and thought, yay, another bread recipe. I love baking bread, but this was trickier than I thought it would be, mostly on my end of the whole cooking thing. One, I don't have the fancy cookware that seemed to be the best to use. She mentions crockpots as being ok, but my lid handle isn't heat resistant, not at 450 degrees. I found that out the hard way. Funny, when I thought I smelled burning plastic, I just assumed it wasn't from MY oven...oops. Also my crockpot insert is tall and narrow and generally awkward to fit into the oven. Something I should have worked out before I turned on the oven.
However, the bread smells great, looks beautiful and tastes wonderful. I prepped 2 batches of plain bread, and have baked one so far. I think I read that you can proof it for over 24 hours, maybe 48? I'll double check, because we've got even more cooking to do. For our anniversary weekend sunday dinner we're having steak and potatoes and cider.
This cider, from allrecipes. We made a test batch last night, and are making one more today. It's very good, but I noticed with my smaller (1.5 quart) crockpot it takes a lot longer than an hour to boil. So I put it on High for at least 2 hours. Maybe longer. I gave it a stir here and there and taste-tested it, serving when it tasted good. Oh, and I just threw in the spices, instead of wrapping them in cheesecloth.
All in all, I prefer kneading bread, and cooking it in bread pans or on a cookie sheet like I did this last summer. The steam thing is cool but I'm too poor for fancy stuff and clumsy to boot, and personally I like my crock pot anywhere but in the oven. I'll happily post a simple bread recipe (that involves kneading-hey, it's fun and therapeutic) and tutorial for those out there who haven't done it before.
But enough blogging for today, gotta get to cooking some more. Maybe I'll remember to take some pictures and post tomorrow?
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
On not smoking (craft-less post)
I've been going through a lot lately, so haven't crafted much of anything, and what I have done, I gave away without taking a picture (an elfish hat for my niece, so maybe my sister will take a photo?). One thing is that I got sick about a week ago, and quit smoking so I'd feel better faster. It wasn't really planned to be the big "I'm never smoking again" thing, but I'm taking the opportunity to run with it, see how I feel about a smoke-less life. So far pretty good. I used up the last 5 or 6 patches I had left from the last time one of us tried to quit smoking, and went patch-less today with lots of nicotine gum. I never really felt an urge to smoke until last night, watching Breakfast on Pluto which had me in tears, and featured a lot of smoking scenes at one point, 2 things that usually cue a need to smoke, but I still had on a patch. Because that was the last one, I fully intended to go back to smoking again today, but happened on a big box of (expired) gum, and took a pack of cigarettes (for just in case) and, I don't know, like 30 pieces of gum.
The good thing about the patch was that I didn't really feel much withdraw except in the mornings, but the hand to mouth wasn't being replaced by anything but food. On top of that, when my head isn't congested my senses are more acute. So I guess I grabbed the gum because I wasn't ready to lose that again. Cool thing about the gum is that you shouldn't chew for a few minutes after you eat, so for me that means I'm not constantly stuffing my face, like I did when I smoked, because it became natural to smoke after a meal, and therefore, to keep eating until I was ready to go outside. Also I work in customer service, so I can "chew" it while I'm working. That makes the job a hell of a lot easier.
The weird thing about smelling and tasting things better is that foods I used to like taste weird, like bad weird. Breakfast bagel? What's that weird burnt oil flavor? Was that always there? But at least some things actually taste better. When I did smoke sometimes I just kept eating to try and get to the good flavor. Are there any smokers or ex-smokers out there? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
The only good thing about smoking was that it was the only thing in a quiet evening in that got me off the couch for a couple minutes every hour or two because there's no smoking allowed on the whole property. On nice nights we'd take a walk around the neighborhood (and smoke at least 2-3 cigarettes), but in crappy weather there was at least a walk up and down the narrow driveway a couple times a night. I try to make up for the lack of movement by walking more at work, but I want to find more active things to do after work. I sure wish there was a skating rink close by...
It'll be good to find new things to do, something cool and healthier than smoking anyway...wish me luck... :)
The good thing about the patch was that I didn't really feel much withdraw except in the mornings, but the hand to mouth wasn't being replaced by anything but food. On top of that, when my head isn't congested my senses are more acute. So I guess I grabbed the gum because I wasn't ready to lose that again. Cool thing about the gum is that you shouldn't chew for a few minutes after you eat, so for me that means I'm not constantly stuffing my face, like I did when I smoked, because it became natural to smoke after a meal, and therefore, to keep eating until I was ready to go outside. Also I work in customer service, so I can "chew" it while I'm working. That makes the job a hell of a lot easier.
The weird thing about smelling and tasting things better is that foods I used to like taste weird, like bad weird. Breakfast bagel? What's that weird burnt oil flavor? Was that always there? But at least some things actually taste better. When I did smoke sometimes I just kept eating to try and get to the good flavor. Are there any smokers or ex-smokers out there? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
The only good thing about smoking was that it was the only thing in a quiet evening in that got me off the couch for a couple minutes every hour or two because there's no smoking allowed on the whole property. On nice nights we'd take a walk around the neighborhood (and smoke at least 2-3 cigarettes), but in crappy weather there was at least a walk up and down the narrow driveway a couple times a night. I try to make up for the lack of movement by walking more at work, but I want to find more active things to do after work. I sure wish there was a skating rink close by...
It'll be good to find new things to do, something cool and healthier than smoking anyway...wish me luck... :)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
New Swap pics!
So for a few weeks I was involved in an organized swap on craftster, and since my partner received, I can tell you all about it and share pictures.
The theme was Mabon, which is a witchy/pagan celebration on the autumn equinox, and the requirement was to craft at least one thing for a shrine/altar. My partner was interested in getting something for use outdoors, so I did my best to make portable things.
One of the ideas I had was to make a portable altar surface, originally one that could fold up and be stored easily, like a game board, re-purposed with either nice paper or an embroidered fabric. However at the craft store I began to notice a lot of wood. And a wood burning tool. And a variation of the idea came together.
This is a box painted and decorated to look like a gypsy caravan.
I'm still pretty new to wood burning, if you hadn't noticed. Still these things are much nicer than my first tries.
The left one is the 2nd attempt, a rather complicated and tiny piece of
knot-work. I changed the tip I was using, so it began to look better.
The one on the right was originally a very easy celtic knot that I
didn't transfer well enough. I gave up trying to free hand the parts I
couldn't see and couldn't sand it off when it started to look bad. Hence
the bizarre cherry or leaf thing.
I knitted a pouch with a saxony braid cable, but forgot to take a picture.
That's all for now, but I do plan on keeping up with the pyrography, as soon as I can get more wood/supplies.
The theme was Mabon, which is a witchy/pagan celebration on the autumn equinox, and the requirement was to craft at least one thing for a shrine/altar. My partner was interested in getting something for use outdoors, so I did my best to make portable things.
One of the ideas I had was to make a portable altar surface, originally one that could fold up and be stored easily, like a game board, re-purposed with either nice paper or an embroidered fabric. However at the craft store I began to notice a lot of wood. And a wood burning tool. And a variation of the idea came together.
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| I'm calling this an "altar board" |
This is a box painted and decorated to look like a gypsy caravan.
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| Baba Yaga cup |
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| Thor's hammer cup. |
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| First and second attempts at wood burning. |
I knitted a pouch with a saxony braid cable, but forgot to take a picture.
That's all for now, but I do plan on keeping up with the pyrography, as soon as I can get more wood/supplies.
Monday, September 3, 2012
new-ish crafts
I know I was supposed to update a while ago, but I've been too busy doing all sorts of crafts. New skillz include woodburning and soap making (insert "squee!" from me here). Most of those pics aren't available yet, due to making them for a swap, and having yet to mail them.
But I promised pictures from the last swap, and so here they are! These were for a Lammas themed swap last month on craftster.org.:
Also I have cleaned the kitchen, and used it for baking, crafting, soap and lotion making, and lots of cooking in the last month! Let me dig up pictures...
Clean-ish kitchen (Kay, so the only good pic I had of the clean stove had to be nixed, due to my BF playing guitar in the background in his undies. I nearly left it up, because you could barely see him, but felt considerate to his feelings, and erased it. :P) Look at my neat freshly cleaned kitchen shelf instead!
My birthday was last weekend and this is one of the best presents ever, outside of craft related presents and cupcakes.
So I'm due to send out my craft items for the Mabon swap at the end of the week, hopefully I'll get the pics of those up as soon as he receives. Any new non-swap related crafting I do in the mean-time I'll put up when I can. I've done some soaps and lotions, and a couple beginner woodburns that I'll end up keeping, so maybe those will be up soon.
On a side note, I had to buy a new set of knitting needles because I lost an entire project, the Noro scarf! WTH! My apartment is eating my stuff! I also bought a ball of special yarn last weekend that is no-where to be found.
But I promised pictures from the last swap, and so here they are! These were for a Lammas themed swap last month on craftster.org.:
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| Lacey altar cloth, knitted in summer/fall-type colors, merino wool. |
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| cute leafy stencil, soy based paint on canvas |
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| Lavender besom-lavender from cool herb shop around the corner |
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| Hoopy! Corn in heart and tree embroidery |
Also I have cleaned the kitchen, and used it for baking, crafting, soap and lotion making, and lots of cooking in the last month! Let me dig up pictures...
Clean-ish kitchen (Kay, so the only good pic I had of the clean stove had to be nixed, due to my BF playing guitar in the background in his undies. I nearly left it up, because you could barely see him, but felt considerate to his feelings, and erased it. :P) Look at my neat freshly cleaned kitchen shelf instead!
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| I love my crappy apartment if only for this old rickety kitchen shelf. The Uhura mug and Ghostbuster car and owl pic are all new finds. |
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| The reason for cleaning: baking bread. 2 of 3 loaves made in one day at the beginning of August. |
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| One of my new passions. Forgot to take a picture of the 3rd special loaf, but it's there wrapped in foil in the back. |
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| Anyone remember Twin Peaks? |
On a side note, I had to buy a new set of knitting needles because I lost an entire project, the Noro scarf! WTH! My apartment is eating my stuff! I also bought a ball of special yarn last weekend that is no-where to be found.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
cleaning house
I hate cleaning. But the less I do on a regular basis, means the more I gotta do later...Attacked the kitchen today, preparing for baked bread for next weekend. I gotta little more to do in the kitchen tomorrow, then I gotta get to the craft area...That might take a couple weeks. I live in a teenytiny apartment, and the craft area is also the living area...which means that everything gets shuffled together.
Lots of crafting has been done by the way, but I can't show pictures until someone receives the package I sent for a craft swap...Hopefully by Monday she'll get that, & I can show off what I made. And because I'm lazy, I'll wait to take & post pictures of current projects till then too. I learned how to do these by the way!
Lots of crafting has been done by the way, but I can't show pictures until someone receives the package I sent for a craft swap...Hopefully by Monday she'll get that, & I can show off what I made. And because I'm lazy, I'll wait to take & post pictures of current projects till then too. I learned how to do these by the way!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
upcoming craft spree
Wondering why I call this "craft blog awesome" when you haven't seen a craft post outside of gardening in months? It's true, I've neglected my knitting needles and embroidery hoops in the last few months, and I still have 2 scarves in progress, but I have been dabbling here and there, writing, and drawing mostly. Also I recently discovered the craft addiction that comes with "swapping," so I guarantee you will see some things soon.
The inspiration came from here (pintrest).
I also made some ATC's (artist trading cards) but lost the pics I took (you can see the very upper corner of one in the pic above, I think that was a poem by Shelly, with a watercolor flower). That takes me to new ATC's I'm working on and plan to finish by this weekend. Expect more pictures soon!
And I just signed up for a new swap, but won't be able to post pictures until I send out, close to the end of the month. ...Well, maybe I'll post teasers...
Anyway, thanks for reading!
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| This is one of those fortune teller things I learned how to make in like 4th grade, that I recently made in a paper craft swap for midsummer. It says Earth, Air, Water and Fire around the outside. |
The inspiration came from here (pintrest).
I also made some ATC's (artist trading cards) but lost the pics I took (you can see the very upper corner of one in the pic above, I think that was a poem by Shelly, with a watercolor flower). That takes me to new ATC's I'm working on and plan to finish by this weekend. Expect more pictures soon!
And I just signed up for a new swap, but won't be able to post pictures until I send out, close to the end of the month. ...Well, maybe I'll post teasers...
Anyway, thanks for reading!
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