Bread Making

When I was young, my mom taught me to make whole wheat bread. I loved the big sea-foam green ceramic bowl we'd mix it in. I'd wait in the kitchen to have the heel of the loaf warm, straight from the oven.

In my adult life, I've gone through phases of breaking out the Tassajara cookbook recipe and making four hearty loaves at a time. Making the sponge, letting it rise, mixing in oil, salt, and more flour, letting it rise, punching it down, letting it rise, shaping it into loaves, letting it rise, baking it: the project fills a good portion of the day.

Lately, I've been taking the quicker route to homemade bread. A friend passed along this recipe:

Easy French Bread from Ann Grether

Mix 1c. warm water and 1 pkg. yeast. Let stand 5 min.

Mix 4c. flour, 3T. sugar/sweetner, 2t. salt in a bowl. Pour yeast water in. Mix.

Add enough extra water (usually about 1/2 c.) to have the dough hold together. Blend with a spoon until stuck together in one lump.

Let rise until double (30-45 min.)

Punch down.

Divide dough in half, shape into loaves, and place in greased pan or small round casserole.

Let rise.

Bake for 30 min. at 375 degrees.

You can also use the dough for bread braids, dinner rolls, pita pockets, and (with minor adjustments) apple fritters or cinnamon rolls.

I've been using honey as a sweetner and adding it to the yeast water, and I've substituted white whole wheat flour.

Verdict: Amazing.

Book of the Month: January. Born to Run

As a part of my 2010 book list, I thought I'd choose the best book I've read in a month and share it with you here. For January: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall.

First of all, I am not, and have never been, an athlete. But this book made me want to run. Here's the author talking about the book and running (and showing you his cool homemade running sandals).

What the video doesn't communicate is that this book is a Story--an extraordinarily well-written (and well-edited) narrative, with fascinating digressions woven in. He explores the background of the runners in the story, describes what evolutionary biologists can tell us about running and the human body, tells the story of a man who found the last persistence hunters and learned to hunt with them (by running after game until they got worn out or died), explains why Nike is marketing a shoe that attempts to do nothing, and finds to source of the hype for FiveFingers foot-gloves. And with excellent pacing, the main narrative follows his journey to find the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico and the first race between Tarahumara runners and US ultrarunners held in Mexico.

I stayed up way too late way too many nights reading this book. Two thumbs way, way up.

February Resolutions: installment #2

Last year I began February resolutions, mostly because it takes me all of January to figure out what I really want to accomplish in the year ahead. Here's this year's list:

-Fitness/Weight: I've managed to maintain my weight over the last 8 months, and I'd like to keep it that way. I've gotten in some bad eating habits and out of some good exercise habits. I'd like to right that.

-Music: My husband and I have been promising ourselves for too many years that we're going to record an album. We've got the gear, we've got a good list of songs, we've got skills enough. We just need to get over our fears, make some time, and record, record, record. Even if it turns out crappy. I also want to practice the banjo at least a few times a week.

-Degree work: I have a conference paper to present in April, an article-length version of that paper due in December, and I'd like to have three chapters of my dissertation drafted by the holidays. But I'd be happy with two chapter drafts.

-House: I've been on a decluttering mission lately. We celebrated the new year by emptying the last of our moving boxes. I've reorganized closets and cupboards. We're finally buying a portable dishwasher, and we just ordered a new bookshelf for our room. I'm going to follow a friend's plan, and aim to have 10% of our stuff gone by the end of the year. (That includes cleaning out the garage.)

-Reading: I want to keep a list of books I've read this year. I've never kept a list before, though I read constantly. I'm curious to see how many books I read.

-Venturing out: I'm quite cozy here at home, and it takes effort to plan things and get the family out the door, so I often opt for staying in rather than going out. This year, I want to do more--family adventures, nights out with friends, playdates, hikes.

The resolution I need to repeat from last year is attempting to keep from being overcommitted. This may mean quitting some stuff. And I hate to back out of things. I'm pretty big on follow through. But years ago a friend taught me to offer grace to her when she just couldn't follow through, and I hope I can learn better how to offer that grace to myself.

Happy February! And may the progress of betterment begin.