MEET HARLIE

Give me some bread. please?

 

I am a huge bread-eating fanatic! I could get fat on the stuff. The cold weather we've had for the past few weeks has inspired me to start making it regularly again; I love making it without the bread machine (we haven't been on good terms lately anyways). There's something about making it the 'old fashioned' way. So, without further adieu, here is the simplest bread recipe ever:

3 cups flour
3 tbs oil
3 tbs sugar or honey
3 tbs gluten (optional- but it does help make a fluffier bread)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm/hot water (kind of in between that)
2 tsp active dry yeast

Put your yeast in a cup and fill it with 1 cup warm/hot water. Let it sit. In a bowl combined your flour, oil, sugar, gluten, and salt. Add your yeast water. Mix it until it forms a ball of dough. It should be soft and pliable. Knead it for about a minute or two. Be careful not to over knead it because you'll end up with tough dough, which will cause your bread not rise as well. Place your dough in a slightly greased bowl and cover with a towel. This will keep the heat in. (I like to cheat; I stick my bowl in the oven after I've slightly warmed it. It's also a safer place for it at my house). Let it rise until it is double its original size. Knead it slightly, and place in 2 greased bread pans. Let it rise until double (the same way you did it the first time). Bake between 275-300F until the top of your loafs are golden.
Note: based on your altitude, you might need to add some extra flour. This chart should help.
If your bread doesn't come out right the first time, keep practicing! 

P.S. If you have a favorite bread recipe you'd like to share, I'd love to try it! 

LIFE IS GOOD...

enjoying the cooler weather...

rocking' with this handsome dude

we can totally pull off the 80's (or maybe 70's?)...

eating this yummy snack at school 

(because I have the coolest dad ever!)

reading this book...

here

lovin' my haircut
(my blue ends are forever gone)...

the weekender

Last weekend I was able to hang out with these three awesome kids! It was everyone's first time to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings (including mine). This was taken right after we got our food, and we didn't stay this clean very long (how could you? it's wings smothered in sauce!)
I now have a new-found respect for moms who are going to college. Even though it was really fun- getting them ready for school, the lunch packing, the car-rides to school and back, house cleaning, supper making (and watching Paul dance and sing), it was hard trying to get homework done. I was exhausted at the end of the week.
In the five days we spent together, they described me as a blonde nerd who sings like a boy...
Yeah, we had a blast.

9-7-2012

no lab = more time to study... and another cup of coffee x)

08/29/2012

My first week of college is over, and I'm in love. I didn't think I would like school as much as I do but ok. back to reality... I'm up to my neck in homework, and psychology is the worst. (it helps that I also really. hate. psychology.) I had to take chemistry this fall and was really planning on failing it. If anyone can "teach" me chem, they are DOWN RIGHT AWESOME. Thank you, Lord, so much for my teacher this fall. I have really been blessed with such great professors esp. since I had no clue who I was getting. Last weekend was pretty much my last weekend. And so the studying begins- in other words, I'm becoming a  solitary nerd.

lately I have been:

- attempting to get up early and run or ride my bike (yeah, not working)

- trying to eat healthier esp. since I go to school everyday now

- drinking a lot of coffee 

- doing homework 

- becoming friends with some amazing people

college bound

so, I'm going to be a 'for real' college student this fall (cause, you know, WATC doesn't really count).

I spent the other day emailing my professors and accidentally called two of them Mr instead of Mrs, visa versa! I ended up spending my whole morning comparing book prices with various sites and what not. Talk about a frustrating morning! But I did manage to save a few bucks. happy dance! 

To go with those books and classes, I bought a planner. yes, I said planner. (for those of you who don't know me, planners and me have never worked).