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Can't you see the humor in this?

 I got home from the grocery store and was surprised that someone loaded the dishwasher.  ENK said that he told Lindsey to help mom around the house!  Well, she tried.  My girls have unloaded the dishwasher many many times...  but I have never had them load it.    When I saw the machine spilling out big soap bubbles, I was mad!   I was furious. Lindsey hugged me and said, "mom, can't you see the humor in this?" I said, "NO I DON'T!" As I yelled back trying to wipe all the soap off the floor. She said it was a "rookie" mistake!

But you know,  it's not her fault.  I didn't take the time  to teach her!   I expect my daughters to know things just by watching me... but that's not true. I need to take the time to explain certain things in the kitchen and certain domestic chores. I only have three years left with Lindsey. That's it! After she goes to college, my time is gone! Then I was not mad but kinda sentimental and sad. I do need to find the time to laugh and teach my girls... Yes, Lindsey! I will see this picture and this blog and find the humor and joy in being your mother!

 

 

 

Bread Recipes on the sidebar:

I am slowly getting use to baking bread for the family.  No bread machine and no fancy mill that I was going to purchase...Yes, in a short week, I've made close to 8 loaves.  I will continue to try out different recipes.... To make it easier for me to document, compare and log which recipe I like, I'll no longer post anything bread related here, but on the side pages: BREAD RECIPES.
 

How about some donuts?

Yup, that's what they wanted.  After a week of my homemade WHOLE WHEAT bread for breakfast... this was requested today: ENK quickly picked up a dozen this morning!

Bread #2:

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup  bread flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

350 for 30 min.

What say you Sue: This was my first bread so I'm quite proud of this bread #2. I made Randy come and take the first bite...  he reluctantly gave me a cheesy smile.  He said it was delicious!   I used Roseburg Mr. Lee's organic unpasteurized honey and loved the sweetness...but for everyday, it might be too sweet.  I'll try with less honey next time! I thought the inner bread was slightly doughy...   I think I took it out too soon.  I will increase the time from 30 to 35 minutes.  I went to the grocery store three times just to make this one loaf.  I'm going to try various recipes... there are so many out there!  I sure saw enough youtube videos on making bread too.  I had to go back to the store to pick up bread flour rather than all purpose flour....I also went out to get more yeast and buy dough enhancer for another recipe but couldn't find dough enhancer.  (I looked up homemade dough enhancer recipe but that was complicated with too many ingredients! Forget that!) I shall try again!

Update: Bread #2 was almost gone by the time dinner was served so I proceeded to make another loaf. Bread #3: I let it rise the second time a little longer and the bread came out taller and less dense.  I did use less honey and I think it's perfect for sandwiches tomorrow.  I can see why Yoomi makes 5-6 loaves at one time.  

More bread question: 

#1. If you make extra bread, when do you freeze it? Bread in the pan before the second rise or after the second rise?

#2. If you make 2-3 bread pans, can you put it all in at the same time? Would you have to increase the time in the oven? 

 

 

Hestiaphobia...

Can you believe there is a word for this? Fear of BAKING! Yup, I think I have this. I fear because I fail at it miserably. Yesterday, ENK called from Costco, "Sue, do we need bread?" I told him no because I was going to bake my own bread for my family. So when evening approached, I took out my mixing bowls and started this daunting commitment. I failed this miserably last night at 11 p.m. when everyone was sound asleep. The bread didn't rise.

Why do I fear baking? I cook up a storm all the time in the kitchen. You let me taste something and my mind goes into this crazy whirl thinking about the ingredients and how you can make it... but when it comes to baking, it's very different.

I use to think I didn't want to bake was because of all the butter that goes in....But now, I think it's more than the butter. I think I don't have the patience and basic bath skills... No, I can't say that! It's the exact science of baking that throws me off!

Another fear of baking? YEAST! have a fear of baking with yeast.

Last night's failed attempt in making bread? Yeast. I have all these questions about yeast: what if the water is too hot? too cold? What if it doesn't rise?What if I use the wrong kind of yeast? There are cake yeast, active dry yeast, instant dry yeast! I read that when a bread do not rise, it's always the YEAST.

I made bread before in a bread machine many times... I didn't particularly enjoy it then...When the machine burned, I didn't bother getting another one and didn't bake bread again. But I do dream about giving away my delicious loaf of bread to friends...I bought a bucket of tofu yesterday and shared with some dear friends whom I love... It made me happy to give them something so fresh and delicious... Oh how I wish I can bake and give it away to friends as gifts... I should stick with just tofu?

I need to start today. I can't be stopping by Great Harvest Bakery every week and spend $10 plus dollars on bread!!! I need to overcome this obsticle and make my own whole wheat bread. Initially, I was going to invest in a mill and an expensive bread machine and so forth... Nope. I'm going to do with what I have, the old fashion way. I just need to do it.

I did feel ashamed this morning of not producing bread for my family. I promised them bread and I did not deliver. I made them waffles. That was good...

Wish me luck my dear three readers... I am going to bake today. again.

What's cooking? Ina Garten's tortilla soup!

It's rare for me to watch something on tv and go ahead to make it for dinner. But that's what I did today. I was watching Barefoot Contessa make tortilla soup! I went to Safeway today to buy the ingredients to make this soup for someone I was praying for. Surprisingly, my girls loved it! Ina Garten roasted her own chicken but I didn't have time for that! I went to Safeway to buy a rotisserie chicken! That's so okay you know!

Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup:

Ingredients: Onions, carrots, celery, jalapeno peppers, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of corriander, salt/pepper, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, chicken broth, corn tortilla, and cilantro.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add onions and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds. Add the carrots, celery, jalapeno, tomatoes, broth, cumin, coriander, sea salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup of cilantro. Cut the 6 corn tortillas in half, then cut them crosswise into 1/2 inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the corn tortillas have melted away. Add the chicken, taste and re season if needed.

Check out my new page....

Just for my friends in Portland:

I have a new page on the left of my blog:  List of all the PDX Bakeries....

There are so many bakeries that I love.... this one being my favorite.  Baker & Spice

 

Another French....

French fries anyone?  Sweet potato fries too! He's so serious when he's in the kitchen.  We bought this deep fryer from Costco last month.  Randy's been begging me to make fries... but just the thought of all that oil.  But hey, when someone else does it, it's all good. 
 
I was feeling under the weather yesterday...that's me sitting under the blanket...The fries were really good!  Thanks ENK!

Big Chestnuts! Where?.....

These three ladies came over Sabbath afternoon.  Every season, they come over to our side of town to pick chestnuts.  When they showed up, I knew exactly where they have been.  We have a huge chestnut tree in our neighborhood.  In the years past, we have been lucky to pick up bags and bags of chestnuts.   Unfortunately, we haven't found one good chestnut to pick up.  They too came back to report the sad state of this year's harvest.  Oh well, so the unnies stayed for pumpkin spiced muffins and tea. 

 So when Randy returned hom from his friend's house Sunday afternoon and brought these HUGE chestnuts inside his bike helmet, I was shocked to see such healthy looking large chestnuts!  I asked him about the location of the tree and how much more they had on the ground... (He went to visit a friend in Portland) I was so excited to report this to Grace and Hyun Ah unnies....
 
They were so pretty....  but when I bit into one?  It was the most aweful, bitter thing I have ever tasted!   I just cringed at the bitter bitter taste in my mouth.  So I looked up "bitter chestnuts" and found that there is a variety of chestnut called; "Horse Chestnut" that is TOXIC!!!   The nuts are poisonous, and although not dangerous to touch, they cause sickness when eaten!"  ENK told me that he bit into one.  The next day, his face swelled up around the eyes and mouth!   I thought he got a spider bite.... maybe, it was from eating this bitter HORSE CHESTNUT?  

What's up?

Spring break came and went. Fast.  Kids still had a good time even though we didn't go anywhere.  "Staycation" is what the kids were calling it.  We went to OMSI one day, got the kids all hair cuts, went shopping with kids, cleaned out the garage of the rental house... went bike riding... Before we knew it, it was over.

ENK and kids put up our trampoline! Kids are loving it! 
  
Our deck rail passed inspection.  I guess ENK knows what he's doing.  I think it looks great!

We hosted more than five dinner parties... Our friends are excited about our move back into our BH...Here's Kris celebrating her birthday at our house..

I love my new dinning table and chairs.  It's from Simply Amish.  
I showed Randy our new chairs and how it was signed by the maker.  Our chair had the name "James" signed on the bottom of the chair! Randy was impressed with someone's actual name..but he was more impressed with the sign: Made in USA  "I never saw anything that was made in USA!"  Crazy but true. 

Oh, Look at this cutie pie.  She came to visit us today... Such a sweet face...