Saturday, January 29, 2011
30th Birthday Cake
My friend Marie turned the lovely age of 30. Here's the cake I made for the celebration.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Heaven in a roll.....
I've never, I mean NEVER been able to make cinnamon rolls. I don't know why. They would either not rise and be hard, or would rise and have hardly any of that gooey goodness you want in a cinnamon roll. I got to the point of just throwing up my hands and admitting defeat. Until this recipe. This recipe healed my damaged psyche of my cinnamon roll making skills. I can do it! This is truly the best recipe ever! And now I don't have to deprive my husband or myself of hours on the stationary bike. Try it.
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| And don't you dare skip the coffee maple glaze! |
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
The duty of a Christian.....
"It is certainly the duty of a Christian man to ascend higher than merely to seek and secure the salvation of his own soul . . . If we wish to belong to Christ, let no man be anything for himself but let us all be whatever we are for each other." ~John Calvin
You gotta try this!
I love this recipe. Especially since I got one of these for Christmas!
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (1/3 active dry yeast)
3/4 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water
Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel...something that can go into a 450F oven.)
2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you've got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.
3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, turn over and dump wobbly dough into pot, using your hands to get the dough off the towel. Doesn't matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes.
Try this, you won't be sorry!
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No Knead Bread Recipe
Servings: One 1-pound loaf
Ingredients:
3 cups bread flour1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (1/3 active dry yeast)
3/4 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water
Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel...something that can go into a 450F oven.)
Directions:
1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on the countertop.2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you've got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.
3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, turn over and dump wobbly dough into pot, using your hands to get the dough off the towel. Doesn't matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes.
Try this, you won't be sorry!
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| Happiness is this and a stick of butter. |
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Winter Blues
Usually around this time you start to hear the "when is Spring coming?!" comments. I agree the last part of winter can seem never ending and kind of "ugh", but God has made every season to His glory, and I have to remind myself of all the things I love about each one. To name a few winter favorites:
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| Our cozy fireplace |
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| Hot drinks, namely coffee. Not that I don't drink coffee all year round, but it's so much more enjoyable in cold weather. |
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| Blankets If you know me at all, you know I have a blanket obsession. Especially soft fuzzy ones. Ask my husband about it and you're sure to get an eye roll. I don't blame him though, sometimes when they've shifted from my side of the bed, he's rudely awakened in the middle of the night to his entire body twisted into a fuzzy blanket. Poor man. |
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| Scarves |
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| Tights and Leggings |
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| Soups and Stews I love soup! Almost any kind. Throw in a loaf of bread and ta-da! Warm cozy meal. Mmmm! |
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| And hey, how could you not love this view? |
So enjoy our lovely winter! We'll see spring soon enough!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
New(ish) Furniture
I've been itching to redo some furniture for awhile now, and knowing this my mom gave me a few pieces that she didn't need anymore. The fun thing is, it was the old set I had as a girl. So, some paint and new knobs later.....
Before:
After!
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| Night Stand |
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