Tiny Dancer

My girl loves to dress up and dance. Here she's captured on film. Beautiful girl.

Rye Bread & Onion Soup

Payge was my inspiration for making French Onion Soup. Why not just experience the goodness of an onion? She did!

My kids have been sick. Fever, stuffy, mopey, lie around the house sick. So, we haven't left the house (this came on about Wednesday afternoon, so for those of you that were at Wednesday morning's playgroup...SORRY!).
We haven't left the house since, especially since not only did lil Payge get it, but she is cutting both of her two front teeth (not in time for Christmas, sorry babe--maybe we can change it to All I Want for Valentine's Day?). We are doing better.

Anyhow, today, I felt like making warm food. Warm, comforting food. So, out came the Bread Bible , and my stash of rye flour & caraway seeds. Because, when I want soup, I want fresh rye bread. Her version is my favorite, and it's not hard. I will say that she makes a disclaimer on this recipe, however. It states: You will need to make the dough by hand, or in a Bosch, Magic Mill or commercial-sized mixer, as it is too much dough for the average stand mixer to handle.

Might I add that if you're looking to get a mixer that can do a decent job with heavy doughs, I know a sweet mother of three who sells them out of her home, and has done for almost four years now. She's very reliable, and can mail it to you, even if you don't live by her. Pop me a comment with your email and I'll set up your order. ;) (Yeah, it's me, if you hadn't guessed yet.)
I paraphrased this recipe, if you want each detail and why, check out the book at the library.

"Levy's" Real Jewish Rye Bread
1. Make sponge:
3/4 C white flour
3/4 C rye flour
1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 Tbsp. malt, sugar, or honey (malt is simple to make, I'll post that below)
1 1/2 C warm water
Mix all together, whisking until very smooth. Keep whisking to incorporate air...about 2 minutes. Will be like thick batter. Scrape down sides and set aside, covered with plastic wrap.

2. Make flour mixture:
2 1/4 C white flour
1/2 + 1/8 tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. caraway seeds
1/2 Tbsp. salt
Spoon this over the sponge. Let sit for 1-4 hours (the longer you let it sit, the stronger the flavor will be). Sponge will bubble through flour mixture, that's OK.

3. Mix the dough, adding 1/2 Tbsp oil to sponge.
If in mixer mix for 10 minutes on medium. Dough should be smooth and elastic.
If by hand, mix with wooden spoon, then scrape onto lightly floured counter. Knead 5 minutes. It will be sticky. Cover with inverted bowl letting it rest for 20 minutes--this makes dough less sticky. Knead again, 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

4. Let the dough rise 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
5. Shape dough, let rise again, about an hour.
6. Preheat oven to 450.
7. Slash and bake bread...tossing 1/2 C of ice cubes beneath bread as you put it in oven (creating steam). After fifteen minutes, turn heat down to 400. 30-40 minutes.
8. Cool.

We served it with French Onion Soup. Make your favorite version. Here's one.

I Am Not Super Woman

There. I said it. It's something I've had a hard time with lately. With two pretty independent kids, ages 3 & 5, I was still able to do a lot of things that I enjoy--reading, crafting, reading (yes, I know it's here twice), writing, re-arranging furniture, playing outside, shopping...

Not that I can't do these things now, but it seems so much more strained. For example, I loved shopping--even just for groceries, it was my challenge to see how low I could keep the budget & still have it taste good--my two eldest were pretty good in the store. I'd keep one in the front seat of the cart & the other in the back, holding stuff. Now, it's no fun. One has to walk & tends to wander, so I'm frequently waiting for him to catch up, or else he's busy reading something while walking & crashes into stuff. The baby does not enjoy the cart, she cries, and the other likes to eg the baby on, hoping I'll just give up & take them home to play. I don't really like shopping alone, because it's usually night, and if I do that, things at home tend to go undone--like dishes, which I then have to do the next day. Ug.

Reading isn't so simple, either. If I sit to read, I'll have a lot to clean up within a few short minutes. Taking time to run & shower (used to be a half hour...maybe 45 min) now takes forever--run ten minutes..."Mom! the baby is awake!" Run ten more..."waaaaah! (translation, get me out of this exersaucer!)" decide not to run anymore...shower...Zach, here watch baby, bonk, oh man! She crashed into the book case again. OR, as has been happening, she pushes the wooden swing out of the way, and then sits there as it comes back to hit her (I hope she learns soon, so we can leave it down for the kids to use, I keep having to put it away). Take time to comfort. The next day...exercise? Why bother?

So! I'm paring down my goals, and tackling them in the order I think will be most productive.
#1. Simplification. This is something in my math classes that I hated. BUT, I think that it's time to embrace (for my sanity's sake). I read It's All Too Much last year, tried to clean, put together curriculum, and still have free time...I suppose I didn't get the point of the book. Simplify to live in the NOW. I tried to improve myself in so many ways at once, that it really just overwhelmed me & I failed at all of them. So, I'm pushing all my New Year's Resolutions to the side until I finish this project. One area of the house per week. Tops. Down to the basics, so I don't get overwhelmed with stuff. I will not work on #2 until I feel #1 is under some semblance of control.
#2. Healthy meal planning. I'm sticking to tried & true recipes from my brain / childhood until #1 is underway.
#3...I'm not even posting #3, or thinking about #3 til I get #'s 1 & 2 done.
2009=Me+Simple. Whew!

From: Nursing the Soul

If you read my scripture blog, I apologize for the repeat, but my object lesson is one I want to keep in my family record (I'm having this blog printed after awhile), so it's here too.

5 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.
6 Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?
(Book of Mormon | Jacob 6:5 - 6)

I read this, but I kept thinking that I feel this way, feel like asking "How can I stray?" when I am in the process of praying, or teaching, or serving, but as soon as I get back to everyday stuff, I forget. I suppose that is why we are told to pray always, but I'm not so good at that. Really. I stray so quickly.

11 O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life.
12 O be wise; what can I say more?
13 Finally, I bid you farewell, until I shall meet you before the pleasing bar of God, which bar striketh the wicked with awful dread and fear. Amen.
(Book of Mormon | Jacob 6:11 - 13)

I think, I just got an object lesson (Gosh, thanks Heavenly Father!). I have asked my children FIVE TIMES to get dressed in their snow clothes, because they asked if they could play on their snow fort. I have no problem with that, as long as they do it before the baby's nap time. I told them this, they have been given the chance. I even told them that I'd put their snow clothes on FOR them if they put on their play clothes (they are still in their jammies). 10 AM is approaching, they have not yet gotten dressed. I'm feeling frustrated because I want to give them what they asked for, but they will not do the simple thing I've asked them to do (put on play clothes). The clock is ticking. I finally set a timer, I told them they had five more minutes or their chances would be gone.

Think of this from God's point of view. He asks us for simple things we keep putting off, and yet...he wants to give to us and yet....ARRRRGH! I don't know how he stays sane.

I suppose this is why we have the blessing of being parents.

My, Oh, My

This is why I'm no longer reading environmental conspiracy / health food books (at least for awhile ;)) :

Duck Bread Saga Continues...

In our sacrament meeting today (we use white sandwich bread, torn into pieces), Chayce said,
"Oh. Do we use duck bread for the sacrament, too? Or, is it people bread?"

Duck Bread & Compost

On Friday, despite the cold weather, I decided we really needed some fruits and vegetables. Stephen had a lot of work to get done, so I bundled up the kids and we headed off the to store (mistake #1, taking three children to the grocery store after a whole month of them not having to suffer through a shopping trip).

We get to the store, and within minutes of being in the cart, Payge starts to scream. I have one thing in the cart. Ug. I try most of my happy baby tricks, but to no avail. Finally, I rush over to the bread section, grab a bag of cheap bread, open it and give her a piece, and throw the rest in the cart to pay for later. Chayce is dismayed...not because I opened bread in the store, she has no qualms about this, it's that I'm feeding the baby DUCK BREAD.

See, I usually make the bread at the house that we eat, but I keep a loaf of cheap bread in the freezer, and we take a few slices with us when we are going on an outing. Usually, one or two slices thaws pretty quickly, and by the time we make it to the park with the duck pond, the bread is ready to feed the ducks, hence, Chayce calls it duck bread.

Anyhow, Chayce is really upset with me, and keeps saying, "Is it really OK to eat duck bread mom? Why are you giving her duck bread? Are you going to start feeding us duck bread?"

I ended that conversation by telling her that I'd actually grabbed a bag of people bread. I thought the story was over, until I got home, decided to make some soup and serve bread and butter with that bread, and Chayce pipes up, "Hey Dad! We're eating people bread!" Insert odd look on husband's face here.
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Conversation
Me: Zachary! Why are you peeling your orange over my rosemary plant?
Zach: Mom, I'm composting!

Still not sure who put the "flower" lego in the pot, I suppose it's only logical that you have to plant flowers in a pot.