more wonkiness in my life

Life has been full this autumn and winter.  I realized yesterday that it has been October since I sewed a nine square.  Between projects for Christmas and the Smallest Short Person coming into our lives, my sewing machine has been used for other things.  

I asked my Tall Short Person what I should blog about last night as she was eating homemade bread and she said bread.  I laughed because for Everyday Bread I really do not use a recipe:  sourdough starter, liquid, fat, sugar,  flour.  Dump into a bowl.  Ferment for a while.  Add more flour and salt and knead.  Let rise to double twice.  Shape into a loaf.  Let rise for about an hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for a hour.  That is the recipe.  The specificity I do not have because I do not measure anymore.  Does it look right?  Does it feel right?  My family laughs at me and then they tell me it is time to start bread again.  If anyone does wish the recipe with more specifics, let me know and I will right it down.

Wonkiness.  I have been playing with more pot holders.  This one is a bit thinner then I would have wished.  

But I like how it is not perfect.  It allows me to be able to wash another.  I will bring more wonkiness into my life soon.

making stationary

I sat down on Friday night and fell over.  My Beloved did not even laugh at me.  He covered me with a blanket and then tucked me into bed when he went bed.  It did mean that I did not get a chance to write.  I am not sure the words would have really worked if I had tried to write.  

Yesterday, I was planning on writing about some cookies I made.  The gluten free bit turned out great but the cookie itself was just okay.  Not really to anybodies taste in the family.  Which was a disappointment because they sounded really good on paper and the gluten free conversion came out well.  But that is life.  

I did get a chance to go to the art store and I bought myself some paper to make into stationary.  I use a fountain pen so not all paper works the same.  I found some renewable resource charcoal paper that did work.  It was is reall cool siz, almost scroll type.

I got out my stamps and embellished it.  Very cool stationary.  And fountain pen friendly!  Wahoo!

oatmeal scotchies

I was craving oatmeal scotties last night.  I did not have the butterscotch chips to make them or the time.  Wednesday nights are always rather full.  I walked to the grocery store from work and picked up some butterscotch chips so I could make them.  The chips are not gluten free but the rest of the cookie is.  I tweaked the sugar a tad as well.  I find the chips making the cookies very sweet.

Oatmeal Scotchies

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

40 grams almond flour

40 grams teff flour

40 grams sorghum flour

40 grams arrowroot flour

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cup quick oats

2/3 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream butter and sugars together.  Mix in egg and vanilla.

Mix in flours, salt, and baking soda.  Mix in oats.  Mix in butterscotch chips.  

Drop by small teaspoons on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat.  

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.  Let cool for ten minutes on the sheet before trying to remove.  The cookies will be very delicate with out the pause. Still tasty but delicate.

We went through two dozen without even thinking.  They satisfied my craving well.

king cake (rosca de reyes)

The Tall Short Person and I lived in New Orleans for a bit.  The Tall Short Person actually lived there longer.  But we both have taken away some of the traditions.  Like King Cake on the first day of Epiphany and every Friday until Ash Wednesday.  I usually do not get that much made but I get at least one.  This year more then one may be made because of how fast this one disappeared.  It did not last the twenty four hours.  It is really that good.  I make it at Easter too.

King Cake (rosa de reyes)

sourdough starter

1 cup flour

3/4 cup water

2/3 cup milk, hempmilk, or heavy cream

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour.

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

milk

Mix the sourdough starter, 1 cup flour, and 3/4 cup water together in a large ceramic bowl.  Let sit eight hours or overnight, until bubbly.  Remove about 2 tablespoons of the dough and put in the refrigerator.  It will be the starter for next time.  

Into the starter, mix the milke, sugar, salt, and eggs. Add the butter.  The dough will be lumpy. Mix 1 cup flour in.  Then another.  Then one more.  The dough should be stiff but it may be very wet.  

Flour the counter.  Turn the dough out on to the floured counter.  Knead until smooth, up to ten minutes.  You will probably add more flour during this process.  Put back in the bowl, cover, and let rise until double.

Punch the bread down and let rise until double again.

Deflate the dough.  Divide into thirds.  Roll out each portion into a strand and braid together.  Put on a baking sheet that has been covered with a silpat or parchment paper.  Let rise until double.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

Let cool.

Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make a glaze that will drizzle.  

Move the bread to a serving platter.  Drizzle with the glaze.

Enjoy.  

I used to put a silver dime into the King Cakes I would make instead of a ceramic baby for luck.  I did not have the baby.  And my family teases me about not making the glaze three colors:  purple, gold, and green, but they eat it anyhow!  Like I said, did not make 24 hours.

danica soup

This was supposed to be a post about soup.  This was the only picture I got and my family suggested that I still post.  They cleaned out the pot.

Danica soup is a mainstay in our lives and it is very simple.  I usually serve it with the crescent rolls I posted about last week.  It takes some beef (the more tender the cut, the better), a bit of onion, a few cloves of garlic, potatoes, and broth or water.  The bit of warm bread makes it go all the quicker.

Danica Soup

1 pound thinly sliced, bite size pieces of round steak, chuck, or filet.

1/4 to 1/2 onion, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic minced

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper

4 to 8 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

4 to 8 cups of water, vegetable broth, or beef broth

In a large pot, put the oil and heat over medium high heat.  Add onion and brown.  Add meat and garlic.  Let the meat brown.  Add the salt and pepper.  Add the potatoes.  Cover with water or broth.  Cook until the potatoes are done. 

Serve in bowls with warm bread.

Watch it disappear, especially on a cold evening.