My Runchey Life

You Must Make This Right Now

2012-01-18T19:28:00.005-06:00

I have a thing for Lara Bars. These tasty bars contain three simple things: dried fruit, raw nuts, and spices. They are delicious and nutritious. There's only one drawback: they are very expensive.

Luckily I recently fell in love with Pinterest and discovered that my friend Sarah had located a blog with a recipe for homemade Lara bars. The recipe looked easy and all of the ingredients were in my kitchen (one of the perks of buying dried fruit and nuts in bulk at Costco).

I've now made these bar three times in two weeks. They are amazing. You need to make them. All you need are dates, dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, and a food processor. Don't have those things? Get off of your butt and go buy them. Now. Even if it means you need to buy a small appliance. That is how good these bars are. If you come to my house I will force-feed you them until you admit that you love them and your life will not be complete until you make them and have them in your refrigerator at all times.

These are amazing bars. And they are so easy to make I was compelled to document the entire process in an effort to convert you. As you can see, these are bars so good they make you crazy.

Step 1: Get Fruity

Put dried fruit into a food processor. I went with blueberries and dates and dried cherries and dates. Yes I love these bars so much I made two kinds in one day. Get off my back.

If you are able to get these in the bowl without eating any dates I applaud you. I have a date addiction and need to constantly taste.

Once the fruit is in the food processor, process it (I told you it was a simple recipe). You want it to go from this:

To this:

When it is mushy like in the photo put it in a bowl.

Step 2: Go Nuts

I've made the bars with almonds, pecans, and pistachios. Pecans are my favorite. Pick the nuts you want to go with and process them.

They should go from this:

To this:

Once chopped, put it in the bowl with the fruit.

Step 3: Spice it up

Add a dash of cinnamon.

Your bowl should look like this. When you look in the bowl you will probably be questioning my love of these bars.

Step 4: Mix it up

You'll need to use your hands.

Mash it up until it looks like this:

Step 5: Wrap it up

Split the goo in half. Wrap your bars in saran wrap and store them in the fridge. When you are running out of the house and need to eat breakfast grab one on the go and congratulate yourself on being so prepared.

Now head on over to Enlightened Cooking to get the recipe and make these.

You're welcome, America.

Apple Butter Bartering

2012-01-18T18:43:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I read on Stacia's blog about her apple butter making. I love apple butter. It is perfect on toast, especially in the dead of winter.

I convinced Stacia to trade me one jar of delicious apple butter for a loaf of bread.

One loaf my favorite light wheat bread later I am now the proud owner of a jar of apple butter.

I could really get into bartering.

While I was at Stacia & Greg's dropping off the bread I was able to check out her worm composting system. It's incredibly cool and I am getting one at our new house.

So in short - I tried being a hippie and it's cool.

Slippers for Mom

2012-01-15T19:31:00.003-06:00

Over Christmas Mom requested a pair of felted slippers. I recently finished a huge knitting project (photos to be posted as soon as possible), so I was ready for a a quick hit knitting project.

I had stash yarn leftover from other projects. I found the Duffers pattern on Raverly and got to work.

Knitting items to be felted is fun, because you get to use big needles and act like you are knitting for a giant.

Once felted the slippers are toasty warm and much cuter.

UNI Game

2012-01-15T19:16:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we headed to Drake to watch UNI kick some butt at basketball. I neglected to take photos of my UNI friends at dinner before the game or at Justin and Amy's after the game, but I did remember to take a photo at the game. It shows what a good job Justin does at getting tickets for the whole group.

Iowa Nice

2012-01-03T20:15:00.001-06:00

If you haven't seen this yet you should watch it. They language may be offensive. I think it's funny even with the language.

Republican Recap

2012-01-03T19:27:00.004-06:00

Tonight is a big night in Iowa. After months of campaign commercials thousands of Iowans are headed out to Caucus for candidates they support. I am not caucusing, as my candidate in November already has a spot on the ballot.

Even though I am not participating tonight, I have enjoyed learning about the candidates running for office. Along with my trusty co-workers Brian and Angie I have gone to see five Republican candidates for office over the past two months. It has been quite an experience.

My trusty co-workers

One of the perks of working at a large insurance company is that Republicans line up to speak to your office. For you convenience I have arranged my comments in order from least crazy to totally crazy.

Not crazy: Mitt Romney

Do I agree with this guy? No. Do I respect him? Yes. Unlike most other candidates I heard speak, he was not an enormous ass.

Newt Gingrich: Angry Grandpa

Newt started off great. I liked the guy. Then his medication wore off and he started talking crazy. Having seen him answer questions off the cuff I can now easily imagine him shaking a rake at kids and yelling at them to get him off his lawn.

Michele Bachmann: Not the craziest

What does it say about the options that this lady is not the craziest? That's right. This tiny woman who thinks you can pray gay away and speaks of Obama like he is a disease not the president is not the craziest person I heard speak this fall.

Rick Santorum: He Probably Hates You

He spoke for 30 minutes. He didn't mention the economy until a question was asked about it. He hates gay people and women's rights. We don't exactly see eye to eye on the social issues.

Rick Perry: Frightening Nut Job

Imagine you are watching a sketch from Saturday Night Live about a politician giving a speech drunk. That's pretty much what listening to Rick Perry is like. He wants to privatize the TSA. He's for states rights but for a constitutional amendment against gay marriage. He sited a story from the Bible and said God had picked him to run for president. He didn't even speak about his platform. He had Bobby Jindal do that for him.

If Bobby Jindal runs for president I'm pretty sure I would put him between Mitt and Newt.

I am thankful for the opportunity to hear so many candidates speak. I hope that the next time I hear candidates speak they do not focus on how faith can heal our country. I think God has bigger things to do than think about tax law in the United States. I hope that candidates start focusing on how everyone can work together to keep our country great. If we spent half of the time we spend complaining about the other party working together we could accomplish a lot.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T11:08:00.003-06:00

2011 was a busy year. I'm excited for a slower paced 2012.

John & I rang in the New Year with the Ourtoberfest crew at Sbrocco. We like to celebrate NYE with a fancypants dinner.

It's hard to believe I've been friends with this group for 10 years. We all started in the Service Center at Allied. They are such wonderful friends.

In addition to the regular Ourtoberfest crew Sarah and Ivy joined us this year. We are happy to welcome them to the Ourtoberfest community. We are hopeful they will join us at all of our upcoming Ourtoberfest events.

I wish you all a wonderful 2012. May this year be your best year yet.

Ice Skating

2011-11-21T17:09:00.002-06:00

This year is flying. I can't believe it's already the week of Thanksgiving. Late November means a few things to me: family, pie, loathing the end of Daylight Saving Time, and Ice Skating.

This year I convinced my coworker Brian to meet me at 6 am for some skating and bagels before work on opening day. We had a blast. He's currently looking for skates so we can spend the winter enjoying the ice. I hope with snowshoeing and ice skating I'm able to be outside and stay active this winter. It's hard to get moving when the couch is so comfortable and the house is so warm (confession - I'm putting off going for a run by blogging).

Winter Squash Taste Test

2011-11-09T18:40:00.005-06:00

There aren't many choices when it comes to local produce in Iowa in the winter. The exception to that is winter squash. John and I are both fans of butternut squash. I am less of a fan of acorn squash, but with enough butter and brown sugar I find it unoffensive. Spaghetti squash is OK, but not something I would choose to make.

I knew there were more varieties of winter squash than you find in the grocery store aisles, but I knew nothing about them. I decided to take advantage of the second to last farmers' market and check out some squash. For just three dollars we were able to do an heirloom winter squash taste test.

First up - the delicata.

It has a lot of seeds, which I scraped out.

Next up -Perhaps a Red Kuri squash? I'm not sure of the name on this one. I don't remember what the nice people from Coyote Run said it was, but I don't think it was Red Kuri. I just googled winter squash and after about six pages Red Krui was the one that looked the most like this.

Regardless of the name, it was really easy to clean. I like that.

Last up - Turban Squash

This one looked the coolest, but was the most difficult to clean.

Once cleaned I put them all in a baking dish and put a bit of butter and brown sugar in each half. I decided to dress them the way my Mom does. You really can't go wrong with cooking like my Mom.

The house smelled amazing while these baked. I cooked them at 350 for about an hour. I started to check them for tenderness after 30 minutes.

In the end, I cleaned my plate and expanded my taste horizons. John didn't like any of them, so I would say if you hate acorn squash and don't love butternut squash you might want to pass on them.

The delicata was delicious. It tasted like a cross between a sweet potato and a butternut squash.....but better. I bought five at the last market and hope to find them at the winter market in a few weeks. I have one for dinner once a week.

The Red Kuri squash was also good. It tasted like a butternut squash. I would buy it again if delicata wasn't available. I like that it is a personal sized squash. I can have a squash, John can have a tuna melt, and we're both happy.

The Turban squash tasted like an acorn squash. I ate my half, but John gave up. I wouldn't buy this kind again as it would take far too much butter and brown sugar for it to be tasty enough for me to eat.

What is your favorite winter squash? How do you prepare it?

Pumpkin Ice Cream

2011-10-09T19:48:00.001-05:00

IMAG0253, a photo by sarah jane 77 on Flickr.

It's not just hot enough to ride this October. It's hot enough to make ice cream. I made my first custard ice cream, a delicious pumpkin that tasted just like pie. I also made some smaller than usual molasses cookies so we could have fall themed ice cream sandwiches. It was pretty delicious.

High Tressel Trail

2011-10-09T19:46:00.001-05:00

IMAG0260, a photo by sarah jane 77 on Flickr.

This weekend John and I finally got over to Madrid to ride the High Tressel Trail. John biked from Des Moines and I met him in Slater. I was able to get an easy 20 miles in and John got 50. I am happy it is nice enough in October to ride in shorts.

Fancy Dinner Club: Farm Edition

2011-10-01T15:44:00.001-05:00

IMAG0251, a photo by sarah jane 77 on Flickr.

Once a quarter Hot Toddy, Ivy, and I get together for a fancypants dinner. This quarter instead of heading out for an expensive dinner we opted for fancy cheeses, fruit, wine, and conversation on Ivy's farm. The view is beautiful, but not as beautiful as my friends.

Busy Summer

2011-10-01T15:29:00.002-05:00

I haven't been blogging much this summer. It's been a busy one for me. I was planning a wedding.

Now that the wedding is done I'm going to get back to baking, knitting and (most importantly) napping. I'll try to keep you updated on my exciting life as a newlywed.

State Fair Knitting

2011-08-14T14:22:00.002-05:00

It's State Fair time! This year I entered some knitted items into the Fabric & Threads competition. It was my first time entering, but it won't be my last.

I was lucky enough to win two ribbons. I won second place in the felted item category with my slippers. Now when I wear them I will brag about how they are award winning. Consider yourself warned.

I also earned a 4th place ribbon for my Mom's lace ribbon scarf. She assures me she will point out that it is award winning when she wears it.

I encourage you to head to the fair and check out the Fabric and Threads exhibit. Congratulations to all of my friends who entered the fair. I can't wait to see what you make next year.

Baseball

2011-08-14T14:16:00.002-05:00

It has been a beautiful week here in Iowa. I happily took the afternoon off last Wednesday to spend the afternoon at the ballpark with TC and Seymour. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day.

The I Cubs won.

The food was tasty.

And my friends, as usual, were entertaining.

It's hard to believe it's almost the end of the baseball season. In a couple of weeks we are going to our last day game of the year. I'm going to miss spending the afternoon in the stands.

Vacation

2011-08-07T13:28:00.007-05:00

Last month John and I went on vacation. We headed to South Dakota for a four days of hiking and exploring.

We started in the Badlands. I wish I was eloquent enough to describe how beautiful the Badlands are. Unfortunately, I'm not that eloquent, so I'll just say they are pretty.

We hiked about a mile in high temperatures (over one hundred degrees). It was very hot, but the view was worth it.

The next day we hiked Harney Peak. We earned a big dinner that day after hiking six and a half miles. It was a hot day. But the view was amazing and the hike was challenging.

After two days of difficult hikes we took it easy. We did three short hikes by the resort in the morning. The hikes were so easy it felt like I was cheating.

After hiking we headed to Mount Rushmore. We didn't hike up to the faces, but we did eat some ice cream and buy a Christmas ornament. It was by far our most touristy day.

It was a great vacation. Wedding planning is stressful, and I really enjoyed getting away for a few days and not thinking about the wedding or work. I'm already daydreaming of my next vacation.

Angie's Sandwich

2011-06-15T11:41:00.002-05:00

Doesn't it look good? There is even pepper jack cheese on it.

Yes, this is how exciting my life is.

Summer

2011-05-30T12:12:00.002-05:00

I've been very busy lately. Too busy to blog. I'm going to try to catch up over the next few weeks. For now I'll leave you with a photo of one of my favorite parts of summer: sitting on a patio hanging out with John.

Sock Yarn Scarf

2011-04-27T19:09:00.002-05:00

One of the side effects of knitting a lot of socks is having a lot of tiny balls of sock yarn. I decided to work my way through some of the yarn by making a scrap sock yarn scarf.

This was mindless knitting at its best. The final product is a fun scarf perfect for dressing up an outfit.

Whole Wheat Lavash

2011-03-31T20:05:00.000-05:00

I haven't been baking as much this year. Or blogging, for that matter. My point and shoot camera won't work with my new laptop so I have months of blog fodder I'm getting further and further behind on. I decided I'll just start where I can and try to catch up eventually.

So what is so amazing I'll actually start blogging again even if I'm full of excuses? Whole wheat lavash (from Peter Reinhart, of course). The bread was good on its own, but especially delightful when topped with Maytag blue cheese and drizzled with honey.

This is my new contribution to any party where I am supposed to bring an appetizer. I hope you are having a party soon because I'm looking for an excuse to make this again.

Meatless Monday

2011-02-06T18:00:00.003-06:00

This week it was black bean soup made in a crockpot. It wasn't good. It was pretty tasty once I added brown rice and salsa.

Possum Scarf

2011-02-06T17:56:00.004-06:00

At Sticks and Strings last weekend I explored the vendor market not expecting to buy anything. I have enough yarn to stay busy for months, so I have no need to buy yarn at the moment. As I wandered the market I discovered some beautiful yarn in bold colors. The best part? The yarn is 30% possum. How could I stay no to that?

I knit up a simple 2 x 2 ribbed scarf. The yarn is 60% merino, 30% possum, and 10% silk. It is very smooshy.

At this point in the winter I start to wear bright outerwear. I'm sick brown scarves and black coats. I need to be reminded that spring is just around the corner. This scarf does the trick.

Socks and an Amazing Weekend

2011-01-31T18:37:00.006-06:00

If you had told me five years ago that the most fun I would have in months would be at a knitting retreat I would assumed you were crazy. Times have certainly changed. I have a wonderful group of knitting friends, and spending a weekend knitting with them was just what I needed.

I stayed up knitting until 2 am. Next year I am getting a room and staying all night. Next year I am also taking a picture of everyone.

I worked on a hat at the retreat. Carla, Jess, and I are doing a knit along making very cool hats. I hope to have my hat finished next week so I can post it. Until then I have photos of two pairs of socks.

I made a brown pair for work. There is a leaf pattern on the side. I think the pattern look stupid with variegated yarn, but I didn't hate it enough to frog it. It was good practice with lace.

I also made a pair of socks for Valentine's Day. The are my favorite pair of socks.

Seriously. Could they be any cuter?

They even have hearts up the back. They are so cute I haven't worn them yet. I want to save them for a special occasion. I think Super Bowl Sunday might be the day. I'll make sure to fill you in next week.

Meatless Yumday

2011-01-31T18:31:00.002-06:00

At this point every winter I start wanting soup for every meal. This week I went with Peanut and Squash Soup. It looks gross, but it's really good.

It combines peanut butter, butternut squash, and crushed red pepper. It's three of my favorite flavors in one filling soup.

Meatless Monday

2011-01-18T16:50:00.002-06:00

I love Asian food. Spicy noodles in a bowl with tofu and vegetables is one of my favorite meals. I usually head out to pick up some pad thai when I'm in the mood for noodles, but this week I decided to make my own.

I wend with Spicy Malaysian Style Stir-Fried Noodles from my new Cooking Light Vegetarian cookbook. My grocery store didn't have baby bok choy, so I went with regular bok choy. I also had to sub hoisin sauce for sweet bean sauce.

It was delicious. I even liked it cold the next day as lunch. I'll be making it again, and using sriracha to kick it up for leftovers.

Hike of the Month Club

2011-01-16T20:18:00.002-06:00

This year one of my resolutions was to hike with Hot Toddy at least once a month.

On Saturday we headed to Brown's Woods for a 2 mile hike on snowshoes. It was about 15 degrees when we headed out. After a few minutes on the trail we were warmed up and able to enjoy the snowy scenery. We ran into a few other groups out enjoying the trail. Everyone was cheery and ready to chat. I think everyone was just happy to be out of the house.

I'm glad we were able to get outside and enjoy winter, but I'm looking forward to a hike in shorts.

Legwarmers and Toe Up Socks

2011-01-16T20:03:00.004-06:00

I've been busy knitting this year. I hope to knit at least one pair of socks a month.

My first pair of socks this year was my first attempt at toe up socks.

I knit too much foot before I started the heel. That means that John has a nice pair of hand knit socks with a slightly girlie leg pattern. He refuses to wear them out of the house, but does enjoy wearing them around the house. The photos don't do the yarn justice, it's a beautiful deep blue and purple.

Other than the long foot mistake I loved making these socks. I can't believe how much faster toe up socks knit up. I'm excited to make another pair.

Last weekend I headed up to the McCarty Family Christmas with Kathleen, Ellie, and Rowan. During that trip I made a pair of legwarmers for Ellie. They are lime green, which is her favorite color. It was the perfect car project - two k1, p1 tubes. I was thankful she didn't want them too long.

Meatless Monday

2011-01-10T18:52:00.004-06:00

It's snowy and cold here in Des Moines. It's perfect for soup. One of my soup standbys is Curried Lentil Stew. It's hearty, delicious, and healthy.

It's too dark for photos, so you get the recipe. I've been making it for so long I don't remember where the recipe is from.

Curried Lentil Stew

1/2 c chopped onion

2 t. curry powder

2 t vegetable oil

2 1/2 c water

2 c cubed rutabagas, turnips, or parsnips

1 c sliced carrots

1 c dry lentils, rinsed and drained

1/2 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1 9 oz package frozen peas

3 c V8

In a large saucepan cook onion and curry powder in hot oil for 3 min, stirring occasionally. Add water, rutabagas, carrots, lentils, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15-20 min.

Stir the peas into the soup. Return to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 6-8 min or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Stir in the V8 and heat through.

The original recipe called for frozen green beans, but I prefer peas so I switched it up. I usually leave out the salt because there is so much in v8 extra just seems excessive.

My Year in Bread: What I learned

2011-01-07T19:34:00.003-06:00

Last year when I resolved to bake a loaf of bread a week I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew that I would become a better baker, I just had no idea how much I would love it. Or how much I would learn. Or how much of a bread snob I would become.

I hope you have enjoyed joining me on my journey. After baking at least one loaf a week I picked up a few things that have made my life easier. Here are my five favorites.

Instant yeast. This stuff is great. It cuts the rising time significantly and you don't need to wake it up. I keep a big jar of it in the freezer. I've only had to restock once.

A KitchenAid mixer. You can make bread without one, but using a dough hook speeds up the process significantly. As an added bonus you can clean off your counter and prep your rising bowl while the mixer kneads.

A dough scraper. This $2 item worked like a charm getting sticky dough out of the bowl. I cannot imagine making focaccia without it. If you ever use a bowl for any sort of mixing I highly recommend it.

A bench scraper. This tool is great for cutting dough into bits for rolls or bagels. It also works to scrape off the counter and remove all of the flour and dough residue. I can't imagine how annoying it would be to make rolls and clean my counter without this tool.

A kitchen scale. I use it for weighing the ingredients prior to mixing. When I make bagels I weigh out each piece to ensure uniformity. When I'm not baking I measure cereal, cheese, crackers, and just about any food item with a weight listed in the serving size. I splurged on this scale and it was worth every penny. The display lights up for low light measuring (it happens more than you would think). The display also pulls out so if you are measuring ingredients in a large bowl you can read the display with ease.

I am going to continue baking bread this year. However, I will be relaxing the pace of bread making. This year I'm going to explore vegetarian cooking. I tend to make the same 5 dinners over and over, so this year I am branching out.

Maker Monday: week 52

2010-12-27T19:25:00.004-06:00

Christmas is over so I can finally show off what I've been working on.

For Mary-Claire I made Lombard Street socks. I hated them at first, but the cable and lace pattern eventually grew on me and it was hard to give them away.

For Rowan I made an R2D2 hat. I think it's pretty awesome.

Have you been wondering where my year in picture posts have gone? I quit. It's a pain in the ass to take a photo every day. Kathleen and Sara I salute you.

Challah: Bread of the Week 52

2010-12-27T19:11:00.002-06:00

I am ending my year of bread the same way I started it. For the third time this year I made challah. I used the Cook's Illustrated recipe that I started with. This time I rolled the pieces longer so the challah was more baguette than sandwich loaf. The slices were just the right size to accompany a soup and salad.

After weeks of rich Christmas food I'm looking forward to enjoying healthy eating again. Last night for dinner I made a green salad and a turnip, parsnip, carrot, and barley stew. You know you haven't been eating well if you find yourself craving turnip.

I'm shocked that I made it through an entire year baking at least a loaf of bread a week. I'm delighted that I can now whip up bread without much effort. I am going to continue baking bread and sharing it with you. I don't think I'll be as strict as I was this year - there will be 90 degree weekends in August when I'll leave the oven off.

Stollen: Bread of the Week 51

2010-12-27T19:07:00.002-06:00

I forgot to blog or take a photo of my bread last week. I made stollen for Christmas. Instead of making one loaf I went with two. That enabled me to bring one home and take one to John's family Christmas.

I thought I had almonds in the freezer. I was mistaken. I usually don't miss nuts in breads, but I did this time. I also soaked the fruit in rum instead of my usual brandy soak. I learned a valuable lesson - I like to drink rum and eat brandy. It doesn't work the other way around.

Maker Monday: week 50

2010-12-13T19:37:00.003-06:00

I have a bag I throw the leftover bits of yarn I'm left with when I finish a project. When the bag is full I knit an afghan. The afghan is an odd mix of colors and textures. It's strangely appealing.

Bretzels: Bread of the Week 50

2010-12-13T18:12:00.002-06:00

Do you like pretzels? How about dinner rolls? Have I got a treat for you.

Bretzels offer the best of both worlds, and they only take a few hours to make. I'll be making them all winter long. If I weigh 300 pounds the next time we meet it will be the bretzels.

Do yourself a favor, visit the Smitten Kitchen, print the recipe, and make these for yourself tonight.

Frigid 5K and Hot Coffee

2010-12-07T17:58:00.002-06:00

On Saturday I was out of the house before 8 for my first Jingle Jam. Jess invited me to join her on a costumed 5k run through the zoo. Even though I haven't run in almost a month I agreed to join her. She ran with me the whole time, which must have been difficult because I'm slow and it was very cold and windy.

After the run we warmed up with some coffee and knitting at Smokey Row. We both made a lot of progress on Christmas gifts.

I am going to start running 5ks again. My t shirt collection is getting old, and signing up for 5ks is a good way to refresh it. It's also a good way to get a workout in and catch up with a friend.

Maker Monday: week 49

2010-12-07T17:57:00.002-06:00

I have been furiously working on Christmas gifts, so no photos or descriptions this week.

Or maybe I am lazy and don't want to upload photos.

Dinner Rolls: Bread of the Week 49

2010-12-05T18:11:00.002-06:00

Last night was the first annual Curran Family Holiday Party. It was a lovely potluck and game night. My contribution to the evening was dinner rolls.

I used Version 1 of white bread from the Bread Baker's Apprentice. I formed rolls and placed them in a 9 X 13 pan to rise. Once they were out of the oven I rubbed butter over the top (a great trick I learned from my Mom).

The rolls were a hit. I look forward to bringing them to the second annual Curran Family Holiday Party extravaganza.

Maker Monday: week 48

2010-11-29T18:23:00.005-06:00

Over the past two weeks I've finished three scarves. I didn't get one good picture of them, so I am sharing the least blurry photo.

The scarves are for my good friends Debbie, Shelly, and Lori. We go to dinner once a month and I'm hoping to surprise them with the scarves next week. They clearly aren't as cool as you, as they never read my blog.

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels: Bread of the Week 48

2010-11-29T18:21:00.001-06:00

I love cinnamon raisin bagels. It's dangerous how easy they are to make now that I've made them a dozen times.

Year In Pictures:Week 9

2010-11-29T18:05:00.005-06:00

56:365 Ice

The outdoor skating rink is now open. I celebrated by skating by myself. It's amazing how difficult it is to find someone to meet you at the skating rink at 6 AM.

57:365 Dinner with Mom & Dad

My Dad and Mom were in town for dinner on Saturday night. We went to Cafe Di Scala where we enjoyed ourselves greatly.

58:365 Puzzle

While skating on Friday morning I won a gift basket that included a puzzle. I had been trying to put it together all weekend. John sat down and completed it in his first try. I was more than a little jealous.

59:365 Plans

60:365 Tacos

It was 29 degrees last Tuesday night. I drove to taco night. John rode his bike. He's a little crazy.

61:365 Pumpkin Pie

I tried a new recipe for pumpkin pie this year. It was delicious.

62:365 Whipped Cream

Whipped cream and a Star Wars guy. How can you beat that?

Parker House Rolls: Bread of the Week 47

2010-11-21T22:29:00.002-06:00

This week I made Parker House Rolls from Baking Illustrated. I love the clear directions the editors of Cook's Illustrated bring to all of their cookbooks.

For some reason my mind was elsewhere today and I ended up with oddly misshapen rolls. The rolls were even different sizes, which hasn't happened to me in 8 months. I guess there was something else on my mind.

For the record, the rolls still tasted great. I assume that is because they are really delicious, but it could be because everything tastes great when you are going to marry your favorite person.

Year In Pictures:Week 8

2010-11-18T18:04:00.003-06:00

49:365 Pondering

I went to the eye doctor on Friday and decided to look into LASIK surgery. I'm nervous and excited about the possibility of not needing glasses.

50:365 Invent

I didn't go out to eat all weekend, which is a rarity. On Saturday I invented a new recipe - butternut squash and barley risotto. I almost always use a recipe to cook, so this was quite the stretch for me. It turned out great. I have been enjoying the leftovers all week.

51:365 Brunch

I really love brunch. It's a shame there aren't more days where it makes sense to eat a big meal at 9:30 in the morning.

52:365 Addict

There is a Starbucks across the street from my office. I go there a lot. This week I got my gold card in the mail.

53:365 Bird is the Word

Now that I dabble in eating meat I have discovered my love for roasted organic chicken. I'm still not very good at getting the meat off the bone.

54:365 Glasses

Part of the check to make sure I am a candidate for lasik is to not wear contacts for 2 weeks prior to my first exam. Contacts can change the shape of your cornea. It's pretty traumatic for me to have to wear my glasses because they are thick and I cannot see well enough to put make up on. I feel unprofessional without mascara on at work.

55:365 Eggcellent

I normally bring cold cereal to work to munch on for breakfast. Today was different. I decided to take advantage of a workout free morning and enjoy a scrambled egg on toast with salsa. I could get used to a breakfast that tasty.

Maker Monday: week 46

2010-11-15T18:11:00.002-06:00

This week you could say I've got my feet on the ground.

Tiny dancer socks made for me. This is incredibly soft sock yarn I picked up on Colorado last year. It's so soft I'm pretty sure they are going to wear out within the year. I don't care. It will be worth it to have my feet swaddled in dreamy yarn all winter.

And my head in the stars.

Crochet stars and trees to adorn gifts this year.

Iowa State Fair

2010-11-14T12:19:00.005-06:00

Last Sunday Ivy and I walked the Fairgrounds 5k. It was a beautiful day for a walk. Walking around the fairgrounds reminded me of the fun I had at the fair this year. I also realized that I never shared that fun with you.

John and I went to the fair on opening day. His company had a gathering in the Bud Tent so we headed there after work. It looked like a beautiful day.

It may have looked like a beautiful day, but it really wasn't. The heat was oppressive, with the heat index well over 100. It was so hot I could barely finish my beer on a stick. John only ate three corn dogs.

Three days after that I headed to the fair with Hot Toddy and Ivy. It wasn't quite as hot that day, but it was still the type of weather where you sweat sitting still. Todd had a tenderloin.

And then a frozen banana with Ivy.

After that we headed to the air conditioned buildings. After checking out the 4H exhibits we went to the Equestrian center where Ivy pointed out her family's plaque. We sat in the air conditioning and enjoyed a horse show before deciding it was too hot to stay at the fair.

I was back at the fair a third time on the last day. Carla, Stacey, Sarah and I went to see Sherly Crow. We had a great time hanging out and dancing at the Depot before heading in to the show. We'll be going to another concert in 2011.

The fairgrounds looked a lot different last Sunday when I did the 5k. I enjoyed the quiet, but I'll be back for the crowds again next year. And for the veggie corn dogs. And the mini donuts. Thanks to the 5k I'm better informed about fair food. At every mile they had signs that told you how much you burned off. 1 mile was cotton candy. 2 miles was a caramel apple. 3 miles was a corn dog. John was not happy to learn that you need to run 3 miles to burn off 1 corn dog.

Cinnamon Swirl Brioche: Bread of the Week 46

2010-11-14T12:03:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I was at brunch with Kathleen when we discovered cinnamon swirl brioche from Gateway Market. It's rich and delicious, with just a touch of sweetness. It's so good that when we returned for brunch two weeks later we both bought a loaf.

I feel silly buying bread. When you make at least one loaf a week buying bread seems a little ridiculous. I've made brioche before. I've made cinnamon swirl bread before. I decided to try my hand at making cinnamon swirl brioche.

I used the cinnamon swirl mix from the Bread Baker's Apprentice. I used the brioche recipe from Baking Illustrated. It looked great going into the oven.

But about 40 minutes into baking the loaf the Hawkeyes decided to make me yell and get sucked into the game, so I burnt the loaf a bit. The inside was still tender and delicious. The crust was worthless. Even with the burnt crust I was able to determine that using the Poor Man's Brioche recipe from the BBA will be my choice next time. The recipe I used was just a tad too rich for the cinnamon swirl.

I knew I wouldn't eat a loaf of well done cinnamon swirl brioche, so I decided to go crazy and make a up a recipe. I created this baked French toast by cubing the bread and removing the most burnt bits. I put the cubes in a buttered bread pan. I mixed up 3 eggs, 1 1/4 c milk, a splash of vanilla, and about 1T of the cinnamon sugar blend leftover from baking the bread. I chilled the loaf in the fridge over night and baked it this morning at 350 for an hour.

Topped with a little bit of maple syrup this French toast bake tasted like a cross between bread pudding and monkey bread. It is the best use of a burnt loaf I've ever found.

Year In Pictures:Week 7

2010-11-14T11:47:00.005-06:00

42:365 Friends

On Friday night Ivy, Hot Toddy and I met at Trader Joe's to pick up some snacks. After that we headed to my house where John met us for wine and cheese. We meant for it to be happy hour but we were at the table talking until 11. I'm lucky to have such great friends.

43:365 Fall

Hot Toddy and I went for a hike on Sunday. After searching for our first destination for over an hour we gave up and headed to Minburn to hike at the Voas Nature Area. We have never hiked there before and I was surprised at how beautiful it was.

44:365 State Fair 5k

On Sunday Ivy and I walked the Fairgrounds 5k. It was weird walking around the fair when it isn't fair time. I had never noticed how beautiful the buildings and grounds are.

45:365 Missed. I cannot believe how hard it is to remember to take a photo every day.

46:365 What now?

After finishing the BBAC I'm not sure what to bake next. I've been leaving through the book trying to decide what to make next.

47:365 Brioche

I decided on brioche this week. I compared Peter Reinhart's versions with the Baking Illustrated version. I liked the Baking Illustrated book better, so I decided to stick with that one.

48:365 Missed

Maker Monday: week 45

2010-11-08T19:13:00.002-06:00

I've been knitting and crocheting Christmas presents so there isn't a photo this week. Also I forgot to take one, so that is really the reason.

Roasted Onion and Asiago Miche: Bread of the Week 45

2010-11-08T18:18:00.002-06:00

Last week I was proud of myself for the delicious Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedoes. This week I am blown away by the amazing Roasted Onion and Asiago Miche. I only wish I was at my house at some point when it was light enough out to get a decent picture of this bread.

I started off this bread in a panic. I had refreshed my starter for the first time in over a month and it seemed to go OK. When I made the sponge (day one of three that it takes to make this bread) it sat out for over 8 hours without so much as a bubble letting me know that it was alive. I was worried that my starter, which I have been cultivating for five months. Luckily Daniel advised via Twitter that it is really difficult to kill a barm, so I gave it another shot before burring it in a private ceremony. It worked. I used about 1/4 c. more water the second time, which seemed to do the trick.

Once it was bubbly I put it in the fridge and waited for day 2. On the second day I roasted the onions and made the dough. Once it had risen once I put it in the fridge to rest over night. Then I waited a five hours and decided to cheat. I pulled one of the loaves out of the fridge and let it proof for two hours. After that I painted it with olive oil and poked it down with my fingertips (sometimes bread making is like kindergarten). Once it was sufficiently poked I covered it in asiago and roasted onions.

It smelled divine while it was baking. I patiently pulled it out of the oven and waited an hour for it to cool. I busied myself with making creamless creamy tomato soup so I wouldn't be too tempted.

After an hour I cut into it. I was rewarded with intensely flavored bread. The top layer of cheese created a crunchy crust. Perfect for dunking in soup.

This bread is the last bread in the Bread Baker's Apprentice. I cannot believe it's already over. I have loved almost every minute of it. I never imagined I could make the breads that I have made. I have much more confidence as a baker now.

I'm not done with my resolution of baking a loaf of bread a week. I'm sure I'll be pulling this book out again soon. I have Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads, which I plan to explore in depth at some point. I had planned on sticking with breads that can be made from start to finish in an afternoon, but with winter coming I could use an excuse to stay in all weekend and bake.

Year In Pictures:Week 6

2010-11-07T15:17:00.003-06:00

35:365 Party Time

On Friday I neglected to take a photo of anything other than the party.

36:365 Donuts

I'm really going to miss the donuts at the market.

37:365 Garden

I finally pulled out the herbs from my front garden. I am not looking forward to buying basil until May.

38:365 This American Life Junkie

One of my favorite programs on NPR is This American Life. On Monday I went to see Sarah Vowell, one of my favorite authors and a This American Life contributor speak. A few weeks ago I went to hear David Sedaris, also one of my favorite authors and a This American Life Contributor speak. It's a good time in Des Moines to be a radio nerd.

39:365 Vote

I may not be happy with the results of the election, but I am happy that I don't have to watch political ads for a year.

40:365 Feed the Barm

I keep a sourdough starter in the refrigerator. I don't make sourdoughs very often, so when I do I need to refresh the barm so that is fresh and ready to go. It looks very gross when I pull it out of the fridge.

41:365 Drugs

On Thursday I finally went to the doctor for my neck. Coincidently, on Thursday night I discovered that muscle relaxers make me a zombie.

Maker Monday: week 44

2010-11-01T21:01:00.003-05:00

One of the main lessons I've learned about crochet is that it is so much faster than knitting. This week I crochet about as much as I normally knit. I have a lot to show for it.

I have a doll blanket. Or cape, as my friend's daughter uses it.

Four round dishcloths. You can crochet one round dish cloth in the time it takes to knit one round dishcloth.

I also made an orange and black granny square rug for under the ice bucket at my next Halloween party.

This week I'm going to work on knitting. I might crochet something on Sunday so you will get to see a finished project next week too.

Goodbye Farmer's Market

2010-10-31T17:29:00.003-05:00

Saturday was the last Downtown Farmer's Market of the year. John and I both stocked up on groceries, but we were really there to get our favorite market food for the last time.

Our first stop was the apple cider donut stand for a sugar fix. I'm usually not a big donut fan, but these have such a great flavor I had one every time I was at the market this summer.

After picking up some vegetables we stopped at the papusa stand. I had a bean and cheese papusa and John had a pork papusa. I may have to try making them this winter, as I cannot imagine going six months without one.

After we finished breakfast #2 we stopped by the Blue Gate Farm stand so I could smoosh the hand-spun yarn one more time.

At the Maytag booth I decided to bite the bullet and get the cheese wheel. I eat blue cheese on my salads (and on flat bread with honey when my sisters are around). Maytag is much cheaper at the market than the grocery store, so I decided stocking my freezer was the right thing to do.

There are two indoor winter markets (the weekend before Thanksgiving and the weekend before Christmas). I will be at both of the markets. I'm also joining the Iowa Food Coop so I'll be able to eat local while supporting small farmers year round. Both the coop and indoor markets will help, but I'm still counting down the days until the 2011 Downtown Farmer's Market season begins.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T16:41:00.006-05:00

I love Halloween. It's a holiday built around costumes and food. Those are both things I love. I decided to throw a party this year.

There was a lot of food...

...including condiments....

.....and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...

There was plenty to drink.

Some people were over dressed.

Some people didn't dress up.

One person was a costume thief.

Rabbit Bruno and World Peace showed up.

As did Dr. House and a Grammar Ninja.

An Iowa State Flood Victim and a guy in a t shirt also showed up.

It was a night filled with good times and great friends. I'm already looking forward to next year. I already know what kind of sandwich I'll be.

I Can't Believe I Made This Bread: Bread of the Week 44

2010-10-31T16:23:00.003-05:00

This week I made Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedoes. Of all the breads I've made this is the one that I am most shocked that I made. The loaves had all of the goodness of a grilled cheese in a slice of bread.

The top of the bread was sliced down to the cheese before baking, which meant that there were crunchy bits of burnt cheese on top of the bread. It was so delicious I may have danced around my kitchen while eating a slice.

Year In Pictures:Week 5

2010-10-31T16:01:00.003-05:00

28:365 Ourtoberfest

This is the fifth year my friends and I have taken an afternoon in October off for a bar crawl. Stacey and Sarah were kind enough to humor me for a photo.

29:365 Sisters

OK, so technically this photo doesn't count, as I didn't take it. I like it so much more than any of the photos I took, so I decided it doesn't matter.

30:365 Sit a Spell

I spent a good portion of the week preparing for my Halloween Party. On Sunday Mary-Claire and I spent hours preparing. We went to the fabric store and made chair decorations.

31:365 Ribbon

On Monday I ran to Hobby Lobby before crochet class to pick up some party supplies.

32:365 Halloween Weather

On Tuesday it finally started to feel like rain.

33:365 Wine Charms

If you ever decide to throw a party I strongly suggest asking Mary-Claire for decorating advice. Not only did she come up with some great chair decorations, she also suggested using ribbon for wine charms. I looked up monster names and wrote the names on the ribbon. It was a fun way to keep the glasses straight.

34:365 Waiting

By Thursday I was ready for the party. It was hard to wait for Friday night for the fun to begin.

Maker Monday: week 43

2010-10-25T17:15:00.004-05:00

Remember the broom stick lace I kept talking about? It's done and I love it. Mary-Claire was kind enough to pose for me.

I also finished a pair of socks. I've been working on these for well over a month. I finally set aside the crochet and finished them up. They are already my favorite pair. I think they look super cool.

Whole Wheat Bread: Bread of the Week 43

2010-10-24T18:40:00.002-05:00

This week I made whole wheat bread. This is the perfect bread to make if you eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as often as I do.

This is a bread I hope to always have on hand. It's great as toast or for a sandwich. It's incredibly hearty, and has a great crumb.

Year In Pictures:Week 4

2010-10-21T19:12:00.004-05:00

21:365 Chicago

On Friday John and I walked downtown from Mary-Claire's apartment. The coolest part was seeing the bean. John tried to eat it.

22:365 Wine and Couches

On Saturday night Mary-Claire and I left John at the apartment and got some wine at the wine store by her house. We were able to enjoy some wine in the fancy wine room with couches. It was a wonderful time.

23:365 Goose Island

We went on a brewery tour at Goose Island. The brewer was drunk. Mary-Claire and I entertained ourselves.

24:365 Coffee

Every night before I go to bed I get my coffee ready for the morning. At the moment coffee is a real treat - I have Fair Trade Organic Chocolate Almond Toffee coffee from Cup of Joe in Cedar Falls.

25:365 Blurry Delicious

This picture does not do my dinner justice. Sauteed vegetables in a spicy peanut sauce over brown rice. Hearty and warm.

26:365 Time Suck

Yesterday I got sucked into watching Andy Rooney on YouTube for longer than I care to admit.

27:365 Last Run

Tonight I ran in my summer running visor for what is probably the last time for several months. It's getting colder and darker after work, I don't need the wicking and sun shielding properties as much. I have my winter hat ready to wear, but I hope I get to use the visor a few more times.

White Bread: Bread of the Week 42

2010-10-19T20:03:00.002-05:00

This week I made white bread. I usually opt for whole wheat bread when it comes to snacking or sandwiches. It's more filling and has more flavor. The exception to that is when I'm grilling. I love a white bun to hold my hamburger or hot dog.

Instead of making a loaf of bread, I made hot dog buns.

And hamburger buns.

These were the best buns I've ever had. In my next house I'll have a big freezer in the basement where I can keep buns on hand. I long for a world where I never have store bought buns again.

Year In Pictures:Week 3

2010-10-14T22:09:00.004-05:00

14:365 Crab Rangoon Pizza

This is pizza so good I was delighted to capture Jen's first taste of it. This delicious pizza is so rich I only get it about once a quarter (unless Mary-Claire is in town).

15:365 Jen meets Des Moines

I spent last weekend showing Mary-Claire's friend around Des Moines. I had a great time and hope she moves here soon.

16:365 Decorations

On Sunday I finally got around to decorating my house for Halloween. Well, at least I started too. The week got away from me and I still have few more decorations to put out.

17:365 Crochet

On Monday nights Sarah and I have crochet class. Now that we are in the fourth week it isn't as frustrating. I've even learned that middle aged church ladies have filthy senses of humor.

18:365 Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

I decided to make some healthy cookies to take to Chicago. They are chewy, cake like cookies. I like them a lot, but they are not as good as chocolate and are not a suitable substitute.

19:365 OUCH!

I threw my neck out in the middle of the night on Tuesday. I spent most of Wednesday on the couch with a heating pad high on Vicodin. How I remembered to take a photo is beyond me. My neck is doing better, but still hurts a lot. I probably shouldn't drive until I can check my blind spot without yelping.

20:365 Daisies

Yesterday John came over and made me dinner and brought me flowers. I love it when he brings me daisies because I get to spend the next week being reminded of how sweet he is each time I see the flowers. It also helps to distract from the mess that is my dining room table.

Maker Monday: week 41

2010-10-11T20:43:00.002-05:00

Crochet is sucking up my knitting time. The sock I want to finish sits forgotten on the coffee table, waiting for me to start the gusset. I don't even want to talk about the knitting pressure November and December will bring as I rush to finish knitting my presents.

On a positive note, my broomstick lace scarf is coming along well. I hope to have it finished by next week. This week in class we learned the afghan stitch. I am glad I'm taking a class because if I was teaching myself I would have given up on crochet a month ago.

Vienna Bread: Bread of the Week 41

2010-10-10T21:37:00.004-05:00

This week I made Vienna bread. It was a good bread for sandwiches, but overall it was unremarkable.

I worry I'm getting to the point where a bread has to be truly outstanding for me to get excited about it. Or maybe I'm just too tired to come up with a good way to describe this bread.

Year In Pictures:Week 2

2010-10-08T21:41:00.003-05:00

7:365 Tacos

Friday night was a bonus taco night at the Cumming Tap. John and I biked out for dinner. It was a great way to start the weekend.

8:365 Burning Bush

The burning bush in my front yard is just starting to turn. It is so beautiful in the fall.

9:365 Fall

On Sunday John, Emily, Jeff and I went to the Farm Crawl south of Knoxville. It was a beautiful day and I took a lot of pictures.

10:365 Guilty Pleasure

On Monday I finally made it to the grocery store. I was in a rush and hungry when I got there. I could not pass up one of my favorite cereals.

11:365 Late Night

On Tuesday I didn't get home until 8:30. I'm glad my Tuesday night class is now over so I can have a little bit more time at home.

12:365 Friends

Once a month I get together for dinner with friends from my old gym. We met through a running group. When I signed up to train for my first 5k I had no idea I was going to make three of the best friends I've ever had.

13:365 No Touchy

I was able to meet my Mom and Aunt Kathy for lunch on Thursday. After lunch we headed to Java Joe's for coffee. They humored me and posed for a photo. Kathy and Mom are always good sports about posing for photos.

Maker Monday: week 40

2010-10-04T20:47:00.002-05:00

This week I barely touched the socks I have OTN. I did a little bit of crochet. I started a broomstick lace scarf tonight. I really like it. I hope that I like it's because it's cool, not because I'm new to crochet so I really like fast things. I'll try to make enough progress on it this week so it's worth taking a photo next week.

Tuscan Bread: Bread of the Week 40

2010-10-03T19:31:00.002-05:00

This week's bread is Tuscan bread. Tuscan bread is unique in two ways: it is salt free, and a cooked flour paste is used in the final dough.

While making this bread I did not have high hopes. I figured it would be a bland bread. I planned on smearing hummus on it to make it edible.

I was surprised that I really liked this bread. It had the texture of a really big soft pretzel. I especially loved it with a pinch of sea salt on top. I'll be making this bread again.

Year In Pictures?

2010-09-30T18:22:00.005-05:00

Last year Sara started a Year In Pictures project. She took photos every day and posted one photo from that day to her blog. This year she is repeating the project. Liz has joined in too.

I've been enjoying their photos and decided to join them in this project. Their YIP start coincides with their birthday, my YIP coincides with a random Saturday in fall when I decided to give it a shot.

I'll probably start posting a week at a time, but this time I didn't want to wait an entire week.

1:365 Daisies

On Friday John cooked dinner and brought me daisies. They are my favorite flower, and they have really been cheering up my dining room. John made spicy tomato soup, which was delicious. He's been cooking more often, which I appreciate. He's a pretty good guy.

2:365 Sunday Knitting

My favorite Sunday afternoons are spent at coffee shops chatting with my knitting friends. It is a relaxing way to start the week. My knitting friends are even better than knitting itself.

3:365 Pause

On Monday nights I have crochet class. This Monday I was able to get out of work in time to sit on the couch for a few minutes and knit. I haven't sat on my couch since then. I miss it.

4:365 Late Dinner

I'm taking a two week class on proper posture. I was running late on Tuesday and didn't get dinner until after class. That meant homemade chunky applesauce at 8:30. It was perfectly soothing.

5:365 Garden

I have a lot of basil in my garden. I devour it all summer. Last night I picked three cups for pesto. It tasted like summer. I'm savoring the fresh basil and hoping we don't dip down to freezing for a month or more.

6:365 Swift & Ball Winder

Last week I finally sucked it up and bought a swift and ball winder. I was getting sick of putting yarn over the backs of two chairs and winding it into a ball. After using it once I have no idea why I waited so long. It is wonderful. Let me know if you need me to wind you some yarn.

Maker Monday: week 39

2010-09-27T20:52:00.002-05:00

I am taking a crochet class on Monday nights. Last week was my first class. I spent most of the week practicing crochet.

So far I am not a fan of crochet. I am frustrated because I find the stitches confusing. The worst part is it is taking away from knitting.

Next week we are learning granny squares, which might get me excited about crocheting.

Sweedish Rye (Limpa): Bread of the Week 39

2010-09-26T16:35:00.003-05:00

Sweedish Rye is a sourdough bread spiced with orange peel, aniseeds, fennel seeds, and cardamom. I suppose it's tasty if you're in to that sort of thing.

I'm not, so this wasn't one of my favorites. I'm glad to be done with rye breads. I have a new respect for them, but I'm not going to be making them for myself any time soon.

Maker Monday: week 38

2010-09-20T21:01:00.002-05:00

This week I finished my Monkey socks. I love these socks. They were a lot of fun to knit.

I think they look pretty cool too.

When I was done with the socks I had enough yarn left over for a beer coozie. I gave it to Sarah; we are taking a crochet class together and I know the feeling of being driven to drink over yarn.

Stollen: Bread of the Week 38

2010-09-19T21:42:00.003-05:00

I have a thing for Christmas bread. What's not to love?

Almonds? Check.

Brandy soaked dried fruits? Check.

Orange zest? Check.

Melted butter painted on the bread when it comes out of the oven? Check

Dusting of powdered sugar? Check.

I don't think there is anything else to say. I will be making this bread again. I'm going to try to share it again, but I'm not going to make any promises. In a perfect world I would have a slice with my coffee every morning.

Happy Hour with Mark

2010-09-15T18:35:00.003-05:00

This is my friend and co-worker Mark. He is a great guy to work with. He's funny, answers my questions, and doesn't mind when I swear when telling him a story. He's also a UNI fan, so he's all around good people.

Mark is a Major in the National Guard. When the latest group of Guard members was sent orders to go to Afghanistan he didn't get the call. He got the call to provide support. He's on active duty for a few months. I'm glad he's not headed overseas, but I sure do miss him.

There are three people on my team in Des Moines. Rand and I are left with only each other to talk to face to face about projects. Rand is also the only person by me that I can talk to from my desk. I drink a lot of coffee. I talk a lot. I'm pretty sure Rand misses Mark as much as I do.

Jim joined us for happy hour too. Jim used to be on my team, but moved over to Property soon after I joined. I don't think it had anything to do with me, but he sure does drink a lot of beer when I'm around.

Maker Monday: week 37

2010-09-13T18:17:00.003-05:00

This week I worked on a pair of socks and I finished a baby gift for my neighbors. I made a baby hat and booties out of Cyclone yarn. It made me a little sick to knit with such ugly colors.

Lawnmower Party

2010-09-12T19:34:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we headed home to Cedar Falls to celebrate Crusher's 8th birthday. My parent's have been having a birthday party for the lawnmower for over 30 years. This year over 100 people came to the party. That means that the lawnmower is technically more popular than me, and I'm OK with that.

John prepared for the party by reading a little of The Girl Who Played with Fire. Both he and my mom really liked The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I haven't read it yet, as I am waiting for Kathleen's verdict first.

Justin and Amy were at the party this year. It's always fun to see them. Justin does the best impersonation of his Dad.

At the end of the party everyone moves to the screened in porch. It was a little chilly this year, so we actually needed blankets after the sun went down.

Neither Kathleen nor I took many pictures. If John hadn't picked up my camera I would only have two shots from the entire weekend. Hopefully Mary-Claire remembered to take photos.

Cumming and Going

2010-09-12T16:37:00.002-05:00

Yesterday John and I rode to Cumming with Jeff. It was a beautiful day. Once we got to the Tap we enjoyed some Fat Tire while watching football.

We didn't stay too long because we wanted to get back in time to see the Iowa game.

On the ride home John's bike hit 10,000 miles. Luckily I had my camera at the ready to capture the moment.

The weather was perfect for the ride. I don't remember the last time it was that nice out. Knowing how the Iowa vs. Iowa State game went I could have kept riding. It wasn't too much of a game.

Q: How do you keep a Cyclone out of your yard?

A: Put up a goalpost.

Pumpernickel and Sunflower Seed Rye: Bread of the Week 37

2010-09-12T16:02:00.005-05:00

This week I'm telling you about two different rye breads. It was my intention to spread them out over two weeks but I'm worried I'll forget about them so I'm doubling down.

I made pumpernickel which uses barm in the rye starter and yeast in the final dough. I like adding yeast to the final dough because it decreases the rise time significantly. It made a decent loaf and I'll be making it again soon. I didn't know that Aunt Kathy loves pumpernickel so I didn't save her a loaf. She'll be getting a few loaves for her freezer the next time I see her.

I also made Sunflower Seed Rye. This is one of the few rye breads I like. I love the nuttiness of the sunflower seeds

If you look closely at the loaf you can almost see the indentations left by the dowel. It isn't supposed to look like a huge bagel, but I didn't press down hard enough so that is what it looked like. I resisted the urge to cut it in half and put cream cheese on it. I settled for slices of toast.

One of the great things about participating in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is that I'm baking and trying breads I normally would avoid. Because I'm trying new things I have discovered that I do like some rye breads. I'm happily exploring new flavors.

Poilane-Style Miche: Bread of the Week 36

2010-09-05T18:16:00.003-05:00

This week I made a Poilane-Style Miche. It's a large whole wheat sourdough. I'm not exaggeration by saying large. The final dough used two pounds of flour. It was so big it needed to be mixed by hand. I got out my frustrations while kneading the bread. I let it rise for eight hours, so most of my day was spent waiting to bake the bread. I was excited because the bread even looked good before it was baked.

It looked even better when it came out of the oven. Once it cooled tried a slice. It was the best sourdough I've ever had. I'll be making it a lot because I want dip slices of this bread in my soup all winter.

In this picture you can see a wine cork used for scale. This truly was a dramatic loaf. It took up most of my baking stone while in the oven.

Taco Tuesday

2010-09-03T16:07:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday John and I rode to Cumming to check out Taco Tuesday at the Tap. It was a beautiful evening for a ride. It wasn't too hot, and we missed most of the rain.

I haven't been biking during the week this year. It takes up a lot of the night when I ride, so I have been sticking with running mid-week. Only one thing could get me to ride 30 miles on a Tuesday - free tacos. I won two free tacos from a contest on Twitter, so I figured some tacos and beer would be worth finding batteries for my bike light.

These weren't just any tacos. These were the best tacos I have ever had. We're talking hand pressed corn tortillas with vegan chorizo (pork shoulder was also an option) and slaw. They have ruined other tacos for me. I hope to spend many Tuesdays at the tap enjoying these tacos. Do yourself a favor and go see Sam for some amazing tacos next Tuesday.

Bread of the Week 35: New York Deli Rye and 100% Sourdough Rye

2010-08-29T12:01:00.004-05:00

If you frequent my blog you know that I bake at least one loaf a week. That means I go through a lot of flour. Last week I bought 22.5 pounds of flour in one day. It was the first time I became concerned about my baking addiction. Sure, I could just use all purpose flour and add vital wheat gluten to make it bread flour or high gluten flour, but half of the time I decide to do that I forget to add the gluten.

This week I made two breads. The first one was 100% sourdough rye. 100% sourdough means no commercial yeast. I just used the barm I've been cultivating. I wasn't patient enough and ended up not letting it rise enough. The bread was still good, it was just more like cocktail rye than anything else.

I like dense breads for dips and soups. I think slices of this bread toasted would be perfect for dunking in soup.

I also made New York Deli Rye this week. For this bread you sauté onions in oil and then add them to a starter with barm, rye flour, and water. The recipe called for 2 medium onions (12 ounces). When I read other Bread Baker's Apprentice posts several people wondered where you would get onions that big. I had the opposite problem - my grocery store only sells mutant onions. One onion was too big.

Mutant onions aside, I love this bread. I was never a rye fan until I tried this. It's a soft bread; the texture is closer to potato bread than any other rye bread I've tried.

I think I may keep this recipe in my sandwich bread rotation. It would be great with some strong cheese.

I'm enjoying working my way though the sourdoughs more than I thought I would. When I finish them and return to commercial yeast breads I wonder if it will feel like cheating. I don't remember what it is like to make bread in one afternoon.

No Maker Monday

2010-08-23T12:51:00.002-05:00

There won't be a Maker Monday post today. Nor will my State Fair posts be coming any time soon. I'm going to be silent for a while. I don't feel like celebrating my life at the moment.

Today I had to put Cooper to sleep. He's the best friend I've ever had. He lived a good 17 years. but kidney failure was making him very uncomfortable. He was a wonderful dog and I'll miss him terribly.

Maker Monday: week 33

2010-08-17T19:08:00.002-05:00

This week I made a few things. I will post pictures of them next week so I look super productive. Until then, know that I am crazy busy and try to find knit every other day.

Bread of the Week 34: Basic Sourdough

2010-08-15T18:21:00.003-05:00

This week I entered the realm of sourdough breads. Sourdough breads are different than most of the breads I've been making because they use wild yeast instead of commercial yeast. I collected some yeast using flour, pineapple juice, and water. I've been keeping it alive in my refrigerator by occasionally feeding it.

Well now, that is certainly a paragraph I never thought I would write. OK back to the bread.

I like sourdough bread. It has a bit of a kick to it, and it is nice and chewy. I like to use it for sandwiches, but if I ever get sick of it I think it would make great croutons.

I don't like how long it takes to make sourdough bread. Most of the breads I've been making up until now take about an hour and a half to two hours on the first day. Sourdough breads take four hours the first day. They take up to 10 hours the second day. It is making it hard to fill my weekend with social plans. Due to the crimp in my social life I've decided to do all of the sourdoughs over a two weekends. I'll still blog one bread at a time, which will allow me to actually leave town for the weekend without taking a vacation day to catch up on baking.

Pugliese: Bread of the Week 33

2010-08-15T18:08:00.002-05:00

This week I made pugliese from the Bread Baker's Apprentice. It is another Italian style loaf. I really like how these turned out. Kathleen even said they look like bread from a Charles Wysocki puzzle. I take that as high praise.

The crumb wasn't as perfect as bakery bread, but it's pretty good. I dream of one day having an oven with a steam feature to help with the crust.

Next week I enter the world of sourdough, which should be interesting. If the bread is half as good as the pugliese I'll be happy.

Maker Monday: week 32

2010-08-09T18:37:00.002-05:00

The Hawkeye socks are done. I love how they turned out.

Hand and Foot

2010-08-08T15:06:00.003-05:00

Last night John, Deirdre, Kathy and I played Hand and Foot. I kicked butt. Kathy wasn't happy and tore up the score sheet. Deirdre acted fast and saved it from being torn into more pieces.

Potato Rosemary Bread: Bread of the Week 32

2010-08-08T14:44:00.002-05:00

Some breads were made for sopping up tomato sauce. This is one of them. It reminded me of bread that would arrive before the meal at a fancypants restaurant.

The bread flattened more than it rose. It might be because I cheated and used instant mashed potatoes. I plan on making this bread again the next time I have real mashed potatoes on hand.

Summer

2010-08-04T19:20:00.003-05:00

I am loving summer. Usually I get disgruntled with the heat and just want to stay inside my climate controlled house. This year I decided to embrace the heat. After all, embracing the cold last winter turned out to be a lot of fun.

I'm actually enjoying the heat. It's not so bad when you can choose to be hot. Knowing I can always go back into the AC makes it not so terrible. I have been enjoying patios as often as possible.I've even learned to like running when it's hot.

My favorite part of the summer is the fresh produce. Today I used some of the produce in an amazing salad. I chopped up what was left of my heirloom tomatoes from Saturday, diced a slice of sourdough bread, tore up some basil. I threw it all in a bowl with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. I waited a bit for the bread to soak up some tomato goodness and then devoured it.

It was the best salad I have ever eaten. I'm going to eat it as much as possible before the end of tomato season. Wish me luck.

Cancer Free Monica!!

2010-08-03T21:05:00.003-05:00

On Sunday I met Monica for dinner downtown. It was a special treat, as she moved to Kansas earlier this summer. I miss her a lot, and daydream about her moving back to Des Moines at least once a day.

Monica was in town because Monday morning was her last PET scan to make sure she is cancer free. Even better than dinner with her was finding out on Monday afternoon that all of the tumors are gone.

Now that she is no longer sick I can focus all of my efforts on getting her up to Des Moines to visit as often as possible.

Maker Monday: week 31

2010-08-02T19:19:00.003-05:00

No photos this week, but at least I'm posting on time. I'm on the foot of my second Hawkeye sock. I'm hopeful that I will finish it this week. I'm looking forward to knitting with bigger needles. I broke my second size 1 needle this week. I am not even a tight knitter. I guess it's just my super human strength.

I did start and finish a project this week. I made a coozie to match Emily's one eared hat for her birthday. I forgot to take a picture of it.

Portuguese Sweet Bread: Bread of the Week 31

2010-08-01T14:33:00.002-05:00

This week's Bread of the Week is Portuguese Sweet Bread. If you've never heard of it you may be familiar with it's other name, Hawaiian Sweet Bread (often found in roll form in the freezer section). I didn't get any good photos of this bread, which is a shame because it was delicious.

The crust is deep brown and the inside is slightly sweet. I enjoyed it toasted. I will probably make this one again. When I do I'll take more pictures so you can see better photos of it.

Market Day Review: Egh.

2010-07-31T18:30:00.003-05:00

This afternoon I headed to Market Day with Sarah. I have been excited to check it out all summer. I was expecting great things based on the photos and vendors featured on their twitter feed.

I was disappointed in the selection. There was booth after booth of jewelry made from old buttons. Sure, there were cool things too. I got a card and this hilarious t-shirt (which may offend my Mom. I hope it doesn't). Sarah got a purse and a t shirt.

There was some good stuff, just not as much as I was expecting. Perhaps that's because I've been to the amazing Renegade Craft Fair in Wicker Park. I was hoping for coolness on that level (sure, that level of coolness was assisted by the presence of Mary-Claire and wigs, but it was wicked awesome in it's own right).

Farmer's Market Finds

2010-07-31T10:04:00.003-05:00

This morning John & I headed to the Downtown Farmer's Market. There is a lot of local produce available at the stands now, and I was excited to stock up. I picked up a chicken, peaches, sage and tomatoes.

I got the tomatoes at an organic heirloom tomato stand. They had varieties I had never seen before, including these teeny tiny currant sized tomatoes. They explode with tomato flavor. I'll be snacking on them all day.

After we stocked up on produce (John got a yellow cucumber that I should have taken a picture of) I was drawn to some garden art. It's my second garden art purchase of the year, and I fear I am descending into gazing ball and whirligig territory.

I'm headed to Market Day later. I'm hoping to find some cute jewelry and a bag for my camera. If I find anything good I'll let you know.

Missed Maker Monday

2010-07-27T20:07:00.002-05:00

I made lots of progress on Hawkeye sock #2. I have been really busy lately. So busy that my knitting sits there more days than I touch it. I'm sure I'll be busy with knitting once fall gets here.

Happy Birthday Kathleen

2010-07-25T16:16:00.005-05:00

Today was a busy day. I picked up Conor and Ellie at 9 and we headed to Baby Boomers for pancakes. There was a half hour wait for food, so we placed our order and went for a walk. Luckily there is a lot to check out in the East Village.

We had perfect timing. We got back to the counter as our pancakes arrived. We each ordered one. They are pretty big pancakes. We couldn't finish them.

After breakfast we got to work on baking a birthday cake for Kathleen. While it baked Ellie created some art and Conor played video games with Stimmel.

Ellie helped me frost and decorate the cake. She's a natural. She's better at piping words than I am.

I think it turned out great. I'm sure she will love it.

I had a great time with Conor and Ellie today. I'm looking forward to cooking with them again soon.

And now I will take a nap.

Poolish Baguettes: Bread of the Week 30

2010-07-25T15:56:00.003-05:00

This week I made Poolish Baguettes. I haven't had much luck with baguettes, so I was hesitant to try this one.

They turned out beautifully. The flavor is great, and the crust was nice and crunchy. This was John's favorite bread so far.

I had some left over a few days after I made the bread. I sliced the rest of it to make some delicious bruschetta. I love the mixture of tomatoes and basil. They taste like summer.

Dinner with Ivy and Hot Toddy

2010-07-22T20:04:00.003-05:00

Last night I met Ivy and Hot Toddy on the roof of Tally's for dinner and drinks.

Ivy and Hot Toddy used to work together, and we decided that the three of us should start hanging out together.

We have a date for the first Sunday of the fair. I know we'll have a wonderful time.

I think I would have a good time anywhere with the two of them.

A Maker Mondayless Week

2010-07-22T19:51:00.002-05:00

You may have notice that I didn't have a Maker Monday post this week. That's because I haven't really been knitting lately. I still have my Hawkeye socks OTN, and I know I will finish them eventually. I've just been too busy to relax on the couch. It's incredibly frustrating. This weekend I am staying in at night in order to catch up on knitting.

Pizza Napoletana: Bread of the Week 29

2010-07-18T15:06:00.003-05:00

This week I made Pizza Napolentana from the Bread Bakers Apprentice. I had some difficulty shaping the dough, and I will probably will use the Cook's Illustrated suggestions instead of Peter Reinhart's directions the next time I make it.

For toppings I opted for homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil from the garden. It was delicious.

Date Night

2010-07-16T18:43:00.004-05:00

Last Friday John and I had a date night. We took a break from the routine of Friday night sushi or TV and pizza post run (for me) or ride (for him). I do feel a little bit silly for typing that we had a date night. Our regular Fridays are actually pretty great dates, we just like to step it up a notch every couple of months.

Last week was a great date night. It was the best date I've ever been on. We started the evening at Cafe Di Scala for an amazing meal. The service is great, the ambiance is cozy, and the food makes you wish that you could eat there every single day.

After dinner we went to the sculpture garden and took a photo walk. I had a lot of fun taking photos of Nomad, my favorite sculpture in the park. I'm looking forward to Mary-Claire's next visit so I can do a photo walk with her. I love using her camera to take photos.

It was a great night. I'm looking forward to taking photos of the sculpture garden at night in the snow this winter.

Flooding and Biking

2010-07-14T20:19:00.002-05:00

It has been a rainy summer so far. The rivers are up around Des Moines. When the rivers are up the trails are under water. A couple of weeks ago John, Foster, and I decided to bike to the tap even though my favorite way (the Bill Riley Trail through Waterworks Park) was under water. Normally I would avoid biking through downtown and on busy roads on the south side, but I had really cool new UNI bike socks and I wanted to try them out.

See! They say GO PANTHERS! on them. Wouldn't you want to ride?

It was a fun ride. We rode slow so we could catch up. When we got to the tap we split a couple of pitchers of Boulevard and some salted nut rolls (my official candy of riding bikes).

Foster tried on my sunglasses and proved that he can pull of any type of sunglasses.

It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. I hope it cools down enough to get out again this weekend.

Maker Monday: week 28

2010-07-12T19:09:00.002-05:00

Last winter I made a pair of mittens out of very soft yarn. I had the pair for about a month before I lost one of the mittens. This week, after breaking a needle working on socks and losing a needle working on a different pair of socks, I decided to see if making a replacement mitten would go better. I was lucky to find another skein of the mitten yarn in my stash. This pattern is very simple, which is perfect for watching the Tour.

I stopped in Coralville yesterday where I picked up some replacement needles at Crazy Girl. I'm hoping to have better luck with socks this week.

Panettone: Bread of the Week 28

2010-07-11T14:54:00.002-05:00

It's Christmas in July this week. I made Panettone, an Italian Christmas bread. It's the first bread I've made with the wild yeast starter I've been cultivating. It is studded with dried fruit and slivered almonds.

I filled up both of my muffin tins with rolls of panettone. I had enough dough left over to make a small loaf with a 3 cup pyrex bowl. It makes for a cute loaf.

I'm particularly excited about panettone because it will keep for up to two weeks. I am used to bread that is best eaten within two days of baking and I am looking forward to not rushing through a loaf.