back to basics

That picture didn’t post so well. For giggles, I’ll try one more.

It’s been a few years now since I found myself brave enough to make yeast bread. It’s not difficult at all, but my mom has a hate/hate relationship with yeast, so I grew up thinking it would be fairly difficult to make a yeast bread. I really should have thought things through more, since my grandma used to bake all of her own bread. She would talk about going through 50 pounds of flour a week, just to make sandwiches for her family (back in the days where many people in this country actually worked manual labor).

I must say, that whether it’s bread or pizza dough, I am SO happy to be making these foods myself. I love the yeasty smell my home has after making the dough, and I love all of the different variations out there. This article contains two recipes, one for brioche and one for a basic honey white. So tasty!

Tomorrow I am pulling some pizza dough out of the freezer for our Super Bowl meal. I’m telling you, no frozen pizza or delivery is as good as making it yourself. I’ll post that recipe tomorrow!

I just ordered this book. I’ve heard great things about it, and I’ve wanted to read it for awhile now. Since I’m wrapping up The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I’m due for a new food book. I’m especially interested in Fast Food Nation, because I am in the 1 of 4 people whose first job was at McDonald’s. I worked there the summer of my 16th year, and after that experience I could safely say that I would never eat a fast food breakfast or salad again.

Wait…salad? You see, I worked the breakfast shift, which included prepping the store for the day. I stocked everything, brewed the tea for ice tea, and made the salads for the day. I’m dating myself here, but that’s back when all that was offered was a chef salad and garden salad. The cut up meat was in bins in the fridge, the hard-boiled eggs were in another bin, basically all I had to do was assemble. It didn’t matter if the lettuce was browning, the vegetables slimey, it all still went into the salads. Yuck.

It took longer for me to give up the regular menu items (big macs, cheeseburgers, etc). It was Supersize Me that convinced me of that, especially the end. Seeing that food sit out at room temperature and never grow mold…that did the trick for me. I just started to think, if bacteria don’t want this “food,” what on earth is it doing to my insides?

Slowly, that mindset went beyond fast food. Think of all of the foods lining supermarket shelves… now think of the foods in your supermarket’s bakery. Former coworkers conducted an experiment in which they left a few remaining birthday cupcakes out on their desks. One year later, those cupcakes hadn’t grown mold, though they were hard as rocks. Those tiny cakes were made with vegetable shortening, a trans-fat. Bacteria didn’t want it, and they are much less discriminating, so why should I eat it?

It can be tough to avoid these foods all of the time. People bring them to parties, and frankly, some of these bad foods just taste good. But when you look at the food, just think to yourself, if bacteria won’t eat it, do you really want to?

It’s fast to stop by a candy store to pick up a box of truffles, but did you know you can make your own truffles just as easily? Truffles are a very basic candy recipe consisting of chocolate and cream. Additional flavorings can be added via liqueuers, extracts, or mix-ins. And while you can take extra steps by coating truffles in tempered chocolate, you don’t have to, you can simply roll truffles in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, or coconut.

Here’s a basic truffle recipe:

8 oz dark chocolate, chopped

3/4 c heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 T liqueur (Grand Marnier, Frangelico, Framboise, etc.)

In a small saucepan, heat cream to a boil over medium heat. Pour cream through a sieve over chopped chocolate, allow to sit for one minute. Stir until all chocolate is melted, add vanilla and liqueuer, stir to combine.

Refrigerate chocolate mixture for at least 2 hours. Using a spoon or small ice cream scoop, scoop balls of chocolate onto a parchment lined pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then roll in cocoa powder or powdered sugar.

I make several varieties every holiday season, but no one needs to know just how easy this is!

I realized this morning that I’ve been pretty lucky over the years. I’ve always been able to make it home for Christmas…but that may not happen this year. It’s been snowing almost every day; those days that don’t include snowfall are so frigid your car doesn’t even want to start.

We’re due for back-to-back snowstorms, beginning late tonight. Travel for Christmas day looks like it may be promising for me, but then I’m not really sure when I’ll make it back home. Even if I can only be with my family for a few hours though, it will be worth it. I can’t wait to see them, and I can’t wait to hand out gifts. I bought my 11 month old niece new outfits that she will look absolutely adorable in!

All I can do is hope for the best. One thing is for sure, we are definitely having a White Christmas this year.

I want to simplify my life.  I’m not convinced that as a society we are on the right track.  Everything has become more convenient, but people seem to be unhealthier and unhappier than ever before.  I think there’s something to be said for slowing down a bit and taking the time to do some things for yourself.

Over the past couple of years I’ve learned to make good food from simple, quality ingredients.  It took time; after all, it was only ten years ago I classified a “Create-A-Meal” as a home-cooked meal.  I love my cookbooks, and I’m excited for Ina Garten’s new one, which will ship tomorrow.  I’m not ashamed to admit I pre-ordered it as soon as it was available.  I’m really looking forward to looking through it, as well as to actually cooking the recipes.  I don’t always follow everything to the letter; often I take a recipe and morph it into my own.  I definitely have gotten a lot of inspiration from her books.  And the recipes I do follow?  Everything always turns out!  It’s a big reason I’m such a loyal follower.

I’ve noticed as I’ve switched my diet over to more natural ingredients that my body tends to revolt any time I consume food laden with preservatives.  That’s not to say I always eat natural, whole foods, because I don’t.  But I strive for balance and usually pay the price when I choose convenience over quality.

My taste buds also get rather angry when I choose convenience.  Foods I used to love now taste like cardboard.  I’m not talking sandwich cookies, either, I’m talking cookies from the grocery store bakery (many still are using trans fats in their baked goods).  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been let down by former favorites.  You’d think this would mean I’m healthier now, but since I’m an ok baker, but really it just means I make everything myself.  Oh well, at least I expend a little energy actually making my food and cleaning up the mess.  And I do feel like I’m returning to a more basic lifestyle by making a dessert myself.  It’s taking away a level of convenience by not just running to the store to satisfy a craving, but it also provides a sense of satisfaction in knowing that I created something.

I am firmly convinced that despite the excess pounds I carry, I have excellent bloodwork because I cook most of my own food with fresh ingredients.  I may not get all of my servings of fruits and veggies in every day of the week (I’m still working on that one), but I am preparing my own food, and it’s actually real food, not chemicals.  Day by day I am taking steps towards being the person I want to be and living the life I want to live.