fresh bread
Making bread is one of those things that I wish I did more often. It’s really so simple and so rewarding, and yet I never make the time to do it. Perhaps because the process of rising and waiting seems so much harder than it actually is.
This weekend I made a few loaves using this recipe and I dare say they turned out perfectly.
As you can see, by perfectly I mean a little odd. They grew from beautiful orbs of dough into misshapen blobs. Delicious misshapen blobs. They were moist and fluffy on the inside and perfectly crusty on the outside. Everything that I want in a piece of bread.
We’ve already eaten our way through these two loaves, slicing them up and smothering them with various spreads. Such a treat. So here is to turning bread making into a habit.
mint infused vodka
I can’t tell you how happy I am for this Sunday. Things have been a little too hectic around here for too many months now. I’ve been busy working on a secret project and waking up this morning with nothing to do until the afternoon was just heavenly.
That being said, I can’t seem to just relax and do nothing for very long. Not my style. I found myself looking in the kitchen for simple projects to work on. Trying to keep it relaxed though, I pulled out some leftover mint and tried my hand at making infused vodka. (more…)
easter brunch
Well, we managed to pull everything together and put together a lovely Easter brunch. We even managed to snag an amazing dining set, including a beautiful hutch and a buffet, from Craigslist and pick it up on Saturday. There was a lot of cooking and moving of furniture and cleaning (as we still haven’t quite moved in 100%) but I’m proud to say it went off without a hitch.
We reused the wonderful moss centerpieces from our rehearsal party along with a few pieces we have in our china collection. I am totally in love with this bunny.
We also used the cloth napkins that we got for our wedding (which you’ll be seeing in action, in the next few days). Clearly I have a thing for bunnies. While we do have a lovely set of spring themed dishes, we were one setting short. This mismatched mushroom plate fit in nicely though.
I even tried my hand at flower arranging for the occasion. I obviously chose a vase that was much too large, for my flower selection, but I was really happy with the extra color.
I had to get a little fancy and make these french toasts with asparagus and orange beurre blanc that I found on Martha Stewart. Of course, with a few simple substitutions, I was able to veganize the entire recipe. They were a lovely addition to the brunch, slightly decadent, but not too sweet or overwhelming of the other dishes.
I’ve never had a beurre blanc sauce before so I’m not sure if I made it quite right but it was extremely tasty.
Cooking in our new kitchen is a dream. For the first time, I have sunlight in the kitchen. It’s an amazing thing.
Shawn’s one request was a deep dish quiche filled vegan bacon and daiya cheese. I used the broccoli quiche recipe as the base from Vegan Brunch
Alicia brought some delicious roasted Brussels sprouts and a carrot ginger soup with cashew pesto. So good. I also made some roasted spring vegetables but forgot to photograph them. Oops!
My mom made an orange quinoa salad. Definitely an orange theme this year.
Nine of us fit at our new table! I still can’t believe we found it.
With so many different dishes, we had to fill our plates many times with small servings. Here’s round one with the french toast, quiche, soup and veggies.
Mochi really wanted to be part of the party.
I made some molasses candies as a treat. Having never made them before, I’m pretty pleased with how they came out. I think I could take another crack at it though. I used blackstrap molasses so they were particularly strong. Ideally I’d prefer them to be a bit more subtle and less chewy. Of course, they should also be coated in chocolate. Making candy is like making magic.
Luckily my mom brought an assortment of chocolates from Xan confectioners.
It was a wonderful day filled with family and friends. It definitely showed me how much it takes to host a good party. Thank goodness I had help with the dishes. Now I’m just glad I have the rest of my Sunday to relax.
Morning Glory
It’s no secret that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I have to admit though, I’m quite the creature of habit. Nearly every morning it’s sourdough toast with earth balance and nutritional yeast. And of course that first glorious cup of coffee.
I’m trying to shake things up a bit. I’m not proposing I give it up, I love it too much, but rather have a bit more variation in my breakfast menu. Recently there have been bowls of oatmeal, English Muffins with peanut butter and bananas. I need more ideas though. Something that can be made in around 10 minutes or so, but enough fuel to make it to lunchtime. (more…)
Irish Spirit
Happy St. Patrick’s day!
I should be writing a lovely post about these wonderful cornish pasties I made last night, and I will, but first, let’s talk about this vegetable. (more…)
