Thursday, August 20, 2009
I'm So Proud!
Oh, and I leave tomorrow to Iowa! See some of you soon!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
I love making bread... and eating it too :)
The recipe I use for white bread is really basic but good.
Ingredients:
6 cups flour, more or less, divided 1 tablespoon sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 envelope active dry yeast 2 cups very warm water, about 120° 3 tablespoons softened butter
Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Beating at low speed, add the water and butter. Continue beating at high speed for 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour and beat 4 minutes longer. Stir in 3 cups flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes,, or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding a little more flour as necessary.Place dough in a large buttered bowl, turning to butter top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for about 1 hour in a warm place, free of drafts. Punch dough down; knead until smooth. Cut dough in half, cover with the mixing bowl, and let stand for 15 minutes longer. Roll each half into a 12x9-inch rectangle. Starting with the narrow edge, roll up, turning ends under to make loaves to fit pans. Place rolls seam side down in greased loaf pans, 9x5x3-inches. Cover pans with clean towel and let rise in warm place until double, about 45 minutes. Bake loaves at 400° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped with fingers. Remove from pans to racks; brush with butter for a soft, more flavorful crust, if desired.
Makes 2 Loaves.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Cereal Box Organizer
Because Okinawa is such a small island, recycling is mandatory and taken very seriously. I've always been an advocate of recycling and re-purposing items that would otherwise go in the trash. I was looking around my recycle box and wondered what I could do with the items instead of just setting them out on the curb. This gave me the idea for my cereal box organizers.
Pen / Pencil