Wondering Through the Bread Galaxy

If you have been reading about my bread journey, you have likely noticed that I haven't posted anything new. That's because I haven't baked anything new. My last entry was how I was going to warp speed ahead to the last frontier of bread making (the last 3 breads/days). Well, let me tell you right now that my life has truly been in warp speed since I posted that. I really had no idea at the time of that Captain's Log entry what was awaiting.

1)James had two companies interviewing him (one that would require a move to PA. and one would allow us to stay here).

2)James went to Dallas to interview/hire-on with the company that would allow us to stay here and managed to get delayed there an extra night and day because of the weather @ DFW airport and the Metroplex.

3)The boys and I have started volunteering at Harvey Clarke Elementary in a first-grade classroom

4) Moving...we are considering that "M" word again. Staying in Forest Grove, yes. Just perhaps not in this $ pit rental. That's all I'll say about that for now.

5) End-of-School push = planning, pacing and re-structuring and possibly extending some subjects and finishing some sooner....hmmmm..

That's it. That's my life in "warp".
I will get to my next bread destination. I'll find time to stop and explore.
We'll be amazed.

Warp Speed

Bread Captain's Log. Stardate May 2010.

I have made several bread recipes over and over again because we like them. I did not blog about repeated attempts unless something was noteworthy. Honestly, I've gotten pretty good at making some of the bread so there really hasn't been anything worth writing about. So, because I have made more than 40 loaves of bread already, I am skipping 5 recipes/days/loaves. (if you don't like my math, then count the individual total # of rolls, doughnuts, scones and bagels I have made and then let me warp ahead with good conscience.)

PSHEWWW (said as if the Starship Enterprise was going into warp speed to some other part of the universe).

I am now looking at 3 days of bread making left. Days planets 38, 39 and 40 await my exploration.

Planet 38: Sopf
Planet 39: Croissant
Planet 40: Cranky

Random Redux

"He/she who returns from a journey is not the same as he/she who left." (anonymous)

Anonymous must have gone on a 40 day -anger -management- bread- making -journey like myself (see above photo for reference). Next 40 days, I'll be sweatin' to the oldies trying to remove the "bread" around my mid-section!

Just thought I'd re-post some photos/blog posts from my 40 day bread journey. Some you may remember, some you may not. I've hi-lighted the title of the photo so you can click on it and read the full story at your convenience.

And...Just FYI, I won't be baking bread or blogging for the next 3-4 days. I'm preparing for the last few recipes. And, I would just like to note that some of these breads have been made several times since the first attempt/posting. So, if I could count those times to earn me 5 days, then, all I need are 4 more bread-making days to end this 40 day journey.

Then... 40 days of sweat!

Ewwww...blech!

PHOTOS and POSTINGS:

Day 1

Schticky Schtuff

http://punchbowl-friends.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-4-life-is-bread-40-loaves-for-40.html

                                                                            

 Funnel Cake Fun

French Triplets

Doughnuts For Dinner

Sid's Sourdough Showdown

                                                                                                         Holy Hamburger Buns, Batman!

Refrigerator Rolls

                                                                                   Bagels

Bread Boogers

I Used an Alaskan

If you made it this far down, kudos for you.

Thank you for reading.

If I could, I'd hug your neck and share some bread with you!

Snarky is Snomore

For those who have kept up with the life and times of Snarky the 35 year old sourdough starter, I have some tragic news for you today.

My friend Julie, who hosted Snarky for a few weeks, reports that Snarky is gone. Now, she didn't say "dead", she just said "gone". As you know, sourdough starter ferments, so most starters reak of ...
of....
well...
alcohol.
So, to say that Snarky had an alcohol problem is stating a fact.

The following quote is from Julie.

                    "Sorry, Snarky is all gone. I called him Bob. He smelled funky, and I just didn't have it in me to rescue him again. He had a tendency to smell VERY strongly of alcohol" .

Here's a photo of Snarky. Last seen in the Spring 2010, Banks, Oregon.

Goodbye, Snarky. You'll be remembered by some of us. God speed.

Day 31: Pucker Up You Corny Blueberry

Uh huh. Made you look (read).

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so I made another quick bread. I double dog dare you to  make bread for a 40 day project and you tell me if by day 31 you don't need a quick bread recipe or two.

So what did I make? Lemony Corn Blueberry Muffins. I think that says it all. If not, here's the photos:

Dear Bread Diary, My Love,

...My yummy precious homemade goodness...bread. (Say it softly.) Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Just thinking about the last 30 days and bread recipes causes me to go into a wheat/gluten/carb induced fog. A fun sort of fog. A dream-like state.

I have maintained my round figure through eating bread, and yet...even more bread. I've never eaten so much bread in such a short amount of time. It's been lovely. Like a little vacation. The kind where meals are all inclusive and you just eat and eat and eat. I'll wake up from this in 10 more days.

I'm not as angry. Perhaps having a 40 day project to focus on has helped tremendously. Add to that the emergence of Spring and longer daylight hours ( 5:30am- 9:20pm) and I suppose we have the makings of a happier Michelle.

Perhaps my next 40 day project will be 40 days of sweat. Ewww.. but, what's a girl to do after eating bread for 40 days? I doubt it will be as fun. But, I can sweat out the anger, the anxieties, the bitterness, the rest of my emotional dregs. Yuck. I think the trick would be to find 40 different ways to break a sweat (and of course maintain that sweat for 30 minutes). Sounds challenging and daunting.
I'm not sure I want to come out of my foggy way of life.

I love you bread,
xoxo M.