Homemade Bread: Sunflower-Herb Whole Wheat

It's been a hectic couple of weeks - I started tutoring Jose in English, which has been interesting for me (I've never taught my own language before, so it's been a lot of trial and error). And Rich and I have been house hunting, which is exciting and scary, all at the same time. Of course, we found our dream home; and, of course, it's short sale (the one thing we wanted to avoid). Naturally, I'm already obsessed with this place and can picture everything; and our chances of actually getting this place are pretty close to zero. And what's most fabulous, we have to wait several months just to find out. Oh well - if we don't get this house, we weren't meant to get it (at least, that's what I keep telling myself).

Anyway, I haven't done a food blog in a bit, so today I thought I would share my favorite recipe for homemade bread - Sunflower-Herb Whole Wheat. It's straight-up delicious.

Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flower
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup softened butter
3 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1/4 - 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packages) regular active or fast-acting dry yeast
2 1/4 cups very warm water (I use an electric kettle and bring it almost to a boil)
3 - 4 cups all-purpose flour

This recipe yields 2 loaves.

Step 1: 
In a large bowl, mix together whole wheat flour, honey, butter, salt, yeast, basil, thyme and sunflower seeds. If you're using a KitchenAid (or similar) mixer, use your hook attachment - it might take a little longer to mix than the leaf, but once you add all of the flour at the end, your dough will climb as you mix, and you'll be glad you used your hook!

Step 2:
Add warm water - scrape sides as you beat until mixed.

Yes, it's supposed to look this gross while you're mixing - don't worry!

Step 3:

Add all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough is easy to handle. You should be able to poke the dough and have little to no residue on your finger.

Step 4:

Spill the dough out onto a large, lightly floured surface - and have extra flour ready in waiting. 

Knead your dough for about 7 - 10 minutes; your dough is fully kneaded once it is significantly tougher than when you started. 

Step 5:

Grease a large bowl and set your kneaded dough inside, covering with seran wrap. 

Let this sit for 40 - 60 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size. Your dough is fully doubled once you can poke your finger in, pull it out and the insert has stayed in the dough (see image below).

  

Step 6:

Once dough is ready, gently press your fist into the dough to deflate it. Divide the dough in half. You'll need a large workspace now and a rolling pin - you need to roll each half of dough into an 18" x 9" rectangle (or as close to a rectangle shape as you can get).

Step 7:

Now you're going to shape your flattened dough into a "loaf." Simply start from the end closest to you and roll up. On your first roll, pinch the dough edges into the rest of the roll. 

On every roll after, pinch the sides of the dough together.

When you have fully rolled to the end, pinching the sides, you will fold the ends under and pinch.

Then fold the ends under the loaf and place them, seam side down, inside a greased pan.

Cover them with seran wrap and let them sit for another 30 - 40 minutes, or until the loaves have doubled again.

Step 8:

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Set your dough inside at middle height in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. At 40 minutes, take a loaf out, tip it out of its container and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it's done (check the other as well, just to make sure). If it doesn't sound hollow, put them in for another 5 minutes.

Step 9:

Brush loaves with a little extra butter and set out to cool. I use a spoon to do this - the warm bread makes the butter slip everywhere, and a spoon helps to keep things under control.

Bag them up individually and put one (or both, if you don't intend to use them right away) in the freezer.

Note: This bread doesn't have as long of a shelf-life as store-bought bread; in a cupboard, it will only last about 1 - 1 1/2 weeks; in a freezer, about a month. To keep the cupboard-shelved bread even more fresh, I suggest you only cut off the amount you need as you need it and keep the rest of the loaf whole.

Happy baking!

Father's Day Weekend

This week has been crazy busy; every week night had an event, and our weekend was jam-packed with fun. Tuesday, Rich was a gentleman and sat through a ridiculously girly music concert with me and only mocked the music a small handful of times! Thursday, we visited with my cousin and his fiance - a delicious dinner of falafel and hummus (I'll share that recipe the next time we make it)!

Saturday, I FINALLY got my new camera - my very first non-point-and-shoot type camera, so I'm still working out how the heck I take a good picture with it. I'm excited to have something non-iPhone for a camera now.

Our first, silly photoshoot

 
We picked out an Olympus E-PL 5, which is a DSLR camera, you can buy several flashes and lenses, but it's only slightly larger than a point-and-shoot, which I'm really excited about! I also get to go to a couple free classes about using a DSLR camera in the coming months; I'm glad, because I've discovered that I'm not a natural photog, as I had hoped I might be! :)

My new camera has art filters - my very own instagram!

After we bought the camera, I dropped Richard and his friend Mark off at the St. Paul beerfest. Even with the sudden flood-like downpour, the two managed to have a good time. I ended up driving them all over St. Paul, which slightly altered my father's day, make my dad and step-dad a banana cream pie plans. Instead of making it at a normal time, I wasn't able to start baking until 10:30. I didn't take pictures as I have never made a pie before, so I didn't know how it would go or taste. Per my family, it tasted great - it definitely wasn't the prettiest thing I've ever made before, though (making circles out of dough with a rolling pin is a big challenge for me!).

Father's Day was hectic, but a lot of fun!

 My momma's Casa!

First, we went out early to my Mom and Dave's house to do laundry (cannot wait to get a house and not have to lug laundry back and forth just to get clean clothes!). They took us over the river to Wisconsin to look at the puppy they'll be picking up the week after fourth of July - a little yellow lab (to be named Zeke, so I'll have to start brainstorming some epic nicknames for the little bugger).

 
Having just purchased a new camera, I obviously brought it with to take pictures. Turns out, the puppies really liked the lotion I had just put on my legs (Burt's Bees, Milk & Honey, if you're interested in having dogs lick you non-stop).

Rich really wanted to get a puppy, but #1, we live in a tiny apartment in St. Paul - no way. And #2, our poor Kirky kitten would HATE the dog.

After we had our fill of puppy snuggles, we went back to my Mom's for lunch with the family - then we drove up north to my dad's camper to visit with him for dinner.

Papa and Sister, Featuring Buffy the Puppy

 
All-in-all, it was a great weekend; and this week is looking like it's starting off on the right foot too! Tonight, I have my first book club meeting, and tomorrow, I start teaching English to Jose, Richard's Spanish-speaking co-worker. Hope you all have a great week!

Tiffany Blue Cupcakes

Today has been a lazy Saturday for Richard and I. With the best intentions of hitting the gym, going for a walk, cleaning the apartment, making the most of our Saturday - we've managed to read half a book and watch several episodes of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen (a guilty Netflix pleasure).

And a Snuggly Saturday for Kirk as well!

It started off with the best intentions, though - making cupcakes for Sunday lunch at Grandma's tomorrow (or CokeCakes as our Puerto Rican friend calls them!).

Here's my best white cake recipe - the best part about this recipe is how light and fluffy (and forever-moist) these cupcakes ALWAYS turn out!

Cupcakes
4 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
3 cups Flour
5 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Whipping Cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. Beat the eggs.
3. Add the sugar and vanilla - mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
5. In 3 parts, add dry mix to egg mix, alternating with whipping cream - beginning and ending with the dry flour mix
• Make sure you follow this step - if you throw it all together, it's impossible to mix!
6. Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers
7. Pour batter into papers, filling three-quarters full.
• I use a juice pitcher for all of my batters, but this cake batter is a bit thicker, so using a spoon is nearly just as effective. I suppose it's just habit that keeps me using the pitcher?
  
  
  
  
  
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester is inserted and removed without any residue. 

And now, for the most delicious Vanilla Buttercream I've ever made (colored to a beautiful Tiffany-blue)!

Frosting
1 cup Butter, softened
3 1/2 cups Powdered (Confectioner's) Sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons Whipping Cream
1 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
2 - 3 drops Blue Food Coloring

1. Whip butter until light and fluffy - and I mean whip it. For at least 7 minutes - it'll turn a nearly white color and be a completely different texture.
2. Add Powdered Sugar - mix well.
3. Add Whipping Cream and Vanilla - beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
4. Add Blue Food Coloring - mix until evenly colored.

 At this point, you'll have to bear with me as we all learn together - I've just gotten my first set of frosting tips, attempting to make my delicious baked goods look as good as they taste. As it turns out, this takes a significant amount of practice.

**Lesson #1: Not all brands of frosting tips are created equal. I purchased two different brands, assuming I could mix and match the tips - apparently, this is not the case. Lesson learned!

So I ended up using a tip that was significantly smaller than the one I needed. But no biggie - still sort of pretty. Maybe?

And I tried this one - I think if I had been a bit more careful, this one might have looked nice! Some of these turned out looking a bit like a messy rose.

**Lesson #2: Never bake your husband's favorite cupcakes when he's hungry. He'll "accidentally" knock one or two over and then have to eat them because they've been ruined. 

But the one thing I must impress to all of you soon-to-be expert cupcake bakers - get yourself one of these puppies!

My cupcake holder - it holds 24 cupcakes and doesn't let any of them get mushed during travel! Probably one of my favorite and most-used presents from the wedding.

Enjoy your Tiffany Blue Cupcakes!

Examples of my Work

If you're here to look at some examples of my (writing) work, I've included a few links below. Please note that all of these submissions are from my days in University - I have written significant amounts since then; it just so happens that the majority of that writing is for my job, and, for obvious reasons, I can't post these examples.

Non-Fiction: Semester Abroad Paper
This is the longest of all of my examples, but one of my proudest accomplishments. In my Junior year, I studied abroad for one semester. I had an internship at a publishing company in England, and below is a link to the paper I wrote once I returned home. This paper houses my unique travel and work experiences as well as a creative spin on what could be a very long and dull topic (the differences between editing in America and England).
Semester Abroad Paper

Research: An Insight into Dracula
This paper was one of the most interesting topics I had the experience of working on at University. In my Sophomore year, I read Dracula and had to write a term paper that surrounded the book and its cultural ties. Why was it so interesting to me? First, I absolutely loved the book and have read it several times since. Second, my chosen topic (Why Dracula Chose to Vampirize Women instead of Men) was one that had been discussed several times but never once from the perspective I took on the book.
An Insight into Dracula

Proposal: The University should provide Vegetarian Options in the Cafeteria
This was a proposal (fictitious, as it was never sent to anyone at the University) for my University's cafeteria to provide more vegetarian options in the dining hall. This was strictly an assignment for a professional writing class; however, I was very passionate for the cause as I am a vegetarian (and was also a vegetarian at the time of writing this) and my University had very few vegetarian options available, even less of which were actually healthy.
Proposal for Vegetarian Options in Dining Hall

Fiction: Cry Like a Curlew
After I came home from studying abroad in Europe, I had a travel bug. Just over a year later, I went to Australia by myself - after a series of events, I ended up on Great Keppel Island, just off the coast of Queensland. I spent 3 months on this island, hiking, swimming, kayaking, meeting locals, and relaxing on a beach. It was there I met a Woppaburra woman (the original tribe of the Great Keppel Islands) - and she briefly told me of the history of the islands. This bloody history inspired me to do some research and write this fictitious story based on the Woppaburra people of Great Keppel Island.
Cry Like a Curlew

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

It's Memorial Day Weekend, and tomorrow, Rich and I are hanging out with my sister and her fiance - so, naturally, I had to bake something. And, naturally, I had to wait until past 8 PM to start it.

If you're looking for a delicious cookie that will probably later cause a clog in your arteries, you've come to the right blog - my scrumptious Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.

Here's what you'll need:

• A good mixer
• An oven you can trust
• Someone to lick the bowl clean after you make this frosting (seriously...)

As far as ingredients go...

For the Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened 
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (my friend made some homemade vanilla for me - crimety, it's good!)
• 1Tablespoon red food coloring (I didn't have quite enough, so my cookies are a bit browner than yours will be)
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar

Or, if you're not into that much butter, you can use your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe - I just happen to be the only person alive who doesn't dig cream cheese, so I use this one instead. 

First step, you've got to make your cookies!

• Preheat your oven to 375 F
• Cream together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy
• Add an egg, mixing well
• Beat in vanilla and red food coloring
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining, dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt)
• Stir the dry mix into the wet (I generally split this into two or three parts, just to make the mixing less of a mess)

• Line your baking sheets with baking parchment or tin foil (I use parchment so I don't burn my fingers afterward)
• Using 2 - 3 Tablespoons of dough, make a neat ball of cookie dough and place them evenly on the sheet, leaving enough space for the cookie to spread

• Bake 6 - 8 minutes (Note - I am of the mindset that gooey cookies are the only ones worth the calories; if you like crunchier cookies, bake 8 - 10 minutes instead)
• Allow to cool on the pan for 1 minute
• Place on wire cooling rack to cool completely

Once you've finished baking your cookies, slide them in front of a window with a cool breeze or stick them in the fridge. You'll want them completely cooled when you're ready to frost and assemble.

To make the frosting, simply:

• In a small sauce pan, mix the milk and flour together
• Put the milk and flour mixture on a medium heat

• Stir this mixture constantly (and I mean constantly - just a few seconds sitting still can burn your milk) until the mixture thickens
• Take this mixture off the heat and stir for a few moments to ensure the pan is cool enough to not burn your milk

• In a separate bowl (using a mixer), beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy
• Mix butter mixture, milk mixture, and vanilla - beat for 5 minutes
• Add the powdered sugar and beat for another 2 minutes

Now, just find two cookies that nearly match in size, slather on the frosting (don't be shy; no one's judging!), and stick your whoopie pies in the fridge for an hour or so. The result is phenomenal!

Note that these cookies should stay in the fridge - the frosting gets pretty goopy if it's left out too long. 

Enjoy your Red Velvet Whoopie Pies!