Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Homemade Bread . . . I swear it's not that hard!!!

Photo: Someone find the wine!!

HOMEMADE BREAD

(I swear it's not that hard!)


Whenever I post my bread on facebook everyone thinks I'm amazing. Trust me, I'm not amazing I just follow directions. The secret to a good bread, though, is the prep. If you're a stay at home mommy like me then you will understand how nice it is to have something to do here and there, especially things that take just a moment. Well, this is it!

Night Before:


Easiest thing ever. Fire up that kitchenaid and make a POOLISH! yes, a poolish. It's a european term. There's a whole history but I'll let you Google it. This must ferment in your ice box overnight.

POOLISH:

1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 oz.) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 

2/3 cup (5 1/4 oz.) cool (approximately  60°F) water 

1/8 tsp. instant yeast or 1/8 tsp. active dry
yeast dissolved in 1 tsp. water

Mix her up for about one minute, pop in fridge with plastic wrap over top of bowl. I just make it easy and leave it in the mixing bowl since you have to mix more tomorrow anyway.

Day Of:


Ahhhhh, wake up, have some coffee. Oh, while you're grabbing your cream nab the poolish bowl and set on the counter. In about two hours it'll be ready to mix with other ingredients. 

drink coffee
change fifty diapers
watch sesame street

So, now the poolish is at room temp and sorta bubbly. Sorta like pancake batter in a griddle. 

There is no science to this, you could leave the POOLISH on the counter for five hours on the  if you want. Basically, all you're doing is pre-fermenting the yeast like you would a beer so that your bread has more flavor. 

now we add the rest:

2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz.) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 

1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast or 2 tsp. active dry yeast dissolved in 1 tbsp. water 

2 tsp. (3/8 ounce salt 

All of the poolish 

2/3 cup (5 1/4 oz.) cool (approximately 60°F) water

Use the dough hook attachment. Knead for about five minutes. Once done take all dough off hook, grab all of sticky goodness and sorta slather with a little olive oil and throw back in the mixing bowl. Set on your counter for another two and a half or so hours until it's double it's size. 

put baby down for nap
nip a sip of wine
write your blog

Okay! Now we are set to shape the dough. Pull it from the bowl onto a floured surface. Don't knead it, just sorta shape it around until you have a sort of ball. Doesn't have to be beautiful because it's tasty. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil and oil. Take a super duper sharp knife and cut three decisive slits across the top of the dough then cut three more in the other direction until you have a three-pronged # symbol. 

Let the dough rise another twenty to thirty min while you wake baby up from her nap!

Crank the oven up to 475 degrees.

once risen and oven heated. Pop bread in for 20 min. 

TA DA!!!!



Now you have some bread to go with that wine! 




Saturday, September 10, 2011

My newest little storyteller...





Amidst my book release for Ladybird, Ladybird I get my own little story in the making. Erinn Ember J.

Also be sure to check out my new book, website, and book trailer @ Www.ladybirdbook.com

Monday, August 1, 2011

When Will Baby Come?

So, this month I will have my baby and I've decided to take a poll to see when you all think she's going to come! I will give you the facts of my pregnancy so far to help you guess:

- I have Gestational Diabetes
- I've been having small contractions since week 31
- I have weekly NST's
- I was put on bedrest for one weekend because I was 1cm and 50% effaced, but after the weekend there was no change, that was three weeks ago and I don't know what I am now.

So! Guess away!!!!


Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Nursery Updates!

So I changed a few things to add color.




I cut a bunch of butterflies from scrapbook paper. Too bad the crib tent to keep kitties out is less than amazing...




Added accent butterflies here and there...




Including on the door! My husband rolls his eyes...




And those classic tissue paper puffs we see all over but I love them all the same! Best 3$ buy!

32 weeks! So close yet so far! Hope she keeps cooking a while but the gestational diabetes sometimes makes that tricky I've heard.


Happy nesting!!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

My Little Cupcake Receiving Blanket





So, I had fun at the fabric store and I found this super cute Moda cupcake fabric and vintage frilly trim and decided to make a receiving blanket out of it!

Materials:

- 1 yard Moda "confections" fabric
- 1 yard white cotton fabric for backing, or flannel if it's winter time.
- 5 yards ruffle trim in yellow (or whatever color/trim you like. Rick rack works well too.
- matching thread. I used pink.

Directions:

Wash and iron your fabric




Then, with pattern side up, pin ruffle trim around edge.







Then lay your one yard of white fabric over it and pin as well. On machine, sew along edge being mindful of where the ruffle is. Go slow and leave a five inch opening to turn out.




After all edges are sewn, turn out your blanket. Iron all edges so we can gem them for a finished look. Hem on machine about an 1/8" from outer edge. Begin by closing the five inch opening and continue around.




At last you're done! Your little cupcake is going to look so cute!!