Making Memories

Friday David brought home some leftover pizza from a meeting where he works. He showed it to me when I got home from work Friday night (11:30pm). He had it stored in the top part of our stove.

Knowing I also worked Saturday night, I wanted to get up Saturday morning and make blueberry muffins. Do you see where this is going?

So I made them and David turned the oven on for me. When I was ready to put them in the oven I saw smoke coming from the oven. Strange, I thought. Then David saw it and thought the same thing. He opened the oven door and smoke come flowing out and he saw the pizza box! Holy crap!! He turned off the oven and smoke detectors, grabbed the box and took it to the porch. We had to open the windows and doors to air out the house now. Also had to get water and put the fire out that was on the pizza box. Later David opened the box and saw that the pizza was fine. It was nice and hot because the cheese was melted. So we ate it while the muffins cooked...hahahaha

We know it could of been worse, but it wasn't. Why focus on what wasn't. Sometimes you just have to laugh at things and enjoy what life brings your way!

Ah....MAKING MEMORIES!!

Kids request

Well, as you know we make our own bread. We like it better and we know what's in it. But most of the bread is what you call 'specialty' bread. Not really the type of bread you want when you have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or even a mayo, deli meat and cheese sandwich. Well, David and I really don't eat those so we thought nothing of it. Then the kids told me one day that they would like bread for these types of sandwiches. My search began for a sandwich bread. Finally found one.....okay a few.....alright a total of 4 (smile). So I will be testing them one at a time. The first one came out nice. I think is was almost a little too fragile for a sandwich bread, but we'll have to see. So far it was good as toast (I had toast) but since I have made it the kids have yet to make any sandwiches with it! So the data is not complete on if this will be the go to sandwich bread when they need a loaf. Either way it is perdy, huh?

Masterpiece

Nori drew this for a friend. I thought it was awesome. She says she can't draw, she doesn't understand art if she thinks that. Glad she took a picture of it.

No bread machine, no problem!

All the breads I have made and posted are from my bread machine. Not everyone has one and I have been wanting to make bread without one. So I found a recipe and tried it out. Here is what I got and how to do it. This is the basic. Play with it to make it your way, I will be! So yummy! Enjoy!!

Whisk together water and yeast.

Combine all the dry ingredients with a fork.

Add the yeast to the dry and stir until a ball forms.

Put the dough on floured surface.

Knead until you have a nice dough ball.

Put in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a lent free towel or plastic wrap.

I have a towel I only use for my bread. I call it my bread blanket :-)

Let rise for 2 hours.

After 2 hours remove towel. It will be about double in size.

Punch it down and turn onto floured surface.

Lightly knead. Will make 2 loafs of bread. Or make other things.

Ideas are: bread, dinner rolls, baguette, bread sticks....whatever.

I made 1 loaf of bread, an artisan type bread and 6 large dinner rolls.

Cover with your bread blanket and let rise again for 30 minutes.

After second rise take a sharp knife to cut slits on the top.

I did one down the center of the loaf, cross on the dinner rolls and 3 on the other loaf.

Brush butter over the top. Bake in oven.

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

Let cool and enjoy your homemade bread!

Bread Dough Recipe

2 cups warm water

2 1/2 tsp active yeast

1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

5 cups flour

5 tbsp oil

Whisk the water and yeast together. Combine all the dry ingredients. Stir yeast mixture in dry mixture. Put on a floured surface and knead until a nice dough forms. Lightly oil a large bowl and place dough in bowl. Cover with a lent free towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours. Remove towel and punch down dough. Place on floured surface a lightly knead. Cut and shape into what you want to make. Place in pans of choice - bread put in loaf pan, dinner rolls put in muffin pan or on a cookie sheet, etc.. Cover with towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Remove towel and back all together in 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, remove from pans and place on cooling rack to cool.

Space filled

We have this space in our living room that is awkward. It is small, about 30 inches and next to our bedroom door. It just seemed like wasted space. So I decided to make a bookshelf area out of it. I thought about what kind - homemade, bought, etc.. I finally decided on a bookshelf I have been wanting for a while now. It is the kind with a cabinet on the bottom. I have always wanted one like this because I don't like books down near the floor. I don't know why, just a thing I have. Don't worry, it runs in the family. Not wanting stuff near the floor...but the "thing". Okay, onward. Brand new these kind of bookshelves start at $140 and go up to $300!! That is crazy! For a bookshelf!? I won't pay that, I don't know who would! Anywho, I started looking at thrift stores, yard sales and what not. It has been a long search but I finally found one! It was in the next county but I didn't care. It was a 40-45 minute drive on the interstate to get there to pick it up. But it was worth it at only 50 bucks!! Plus this one has a back light! Yea!! Alright, here it is in it's new home....our home (haha). If you notice, it is slightly bigger than the 30 inches (so don't look). We don't care.....we love it!!

Big Dog

This is a bull mastiff. He is go pretty, gentle and hugh. I like his except for the slobber!

HAPPY 2013!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

HOPE IT IS A BLESSED YEAR FOR EVERYONE!!

Brownie Skillet

Nori got a brownie skillet for her birthday. It's really a small cast iron skillet that came with a brownie mix. She made the brownies and they were not so good. But that's okay, she likes the little pan!