| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Leharallen |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 3:22:13 PM
Hello, everyone! I'm so pleased to have come across this forum. I'm a wishful farmgirl. I live in an apartment in the Northwest with my husband, toddler daughter, two yellow tabby cats (not related) and a patio full of planters. I have farm in my blood though, as my mom grew up on a small acre Indiana farm and my husband's mom grew up on a larger acre West Texas farm. I'm hoping that when we get a house it has a bit of land to play with.
Meanwhile, I cross-stitch, am learning to embroider and quilt, dabble in artwork (pencil and pastels), and have been writing poetry for over twenty years and writing fiction for a bit less. I'm starting to learn to cook more at home (I'm trying to learn to bake bread without the bread machine and I'm on the look-out for cookie and cake recipes that don't use pre-made mixes). I'm just recently figured out how to keep plants on the patio without them dying in a month (even my fuschia is blooming now!) and I've been learning about landscaping from my friend who is redoing my mom's yard with my sometimes mistake-making help.
I guess that's all. Glad to be here, though I might be lurking about more than anything. Cheers to you all!
Ris |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Robinwolf |
Posted - Aug 16 2005 : 10:07:26 AM
Welcome Ris! I bake homemade bread each week. I don't use a recipe, but I can give you some guidelines. I make 3 loaves at a time. I first take a cup of milk and scald it and then put a stick of butter in it off the stove, add 6 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of salt and let the butter melt - it will cool off the milk while it is melting. Then, when the milk is cooled off enough (you don't want it too hot or it will kill the yeasties!!), you get a big crockery bowl and a big wooden spoon. You put 3 cups of very warm water in the bowl and 2 big tablespoons of yeast in it and stir the yeast in so it dissolves. Let it stand for about 20 minutes so the yeast really gets dissolved. Sometimes I add a pinch of sugar to the water/yeast solution to help it along. THEN, add the milk mixture to the water/yeast mixture. Stir well. Then start adding your unbleached flour - add about 3 cups at a time, stirring like crazy to get the lumps out - you will feel like giving up - but don't - it WILL come together. Add some more flour and just keep adding flour - but STOP right before it gets to the point where if you add more flour you won't be able to stir it in. You want it a bit wet when you turn it out. Throw some flour on your counter top and dump the dough on it and start kneading the dough - do not add flour to the top of your dough, but always let the flour get stuck to the bottom of your dough and then turn it over and work it in. Just keep kneading it in, going around and around, pushing with the heel of your palm and turning it over and kneading it in. When it gets to the point where it feels like it won't knead back in - you've done enough kneading - usually it takes about 8 minutes, then grease a big bowl with some Crisco, and put your dough in that and smear some crisco over the top of your dough so that it doesn't get a dry skin on it while it is rising. Cover it all with a big kitchen towel and let it sit in a warm place for about an hour or so. Then, uncover it, and punch it down with your fist. Gently knead it for about 1 minute. Divide it into 3 more or less equal pieces and shape them into loaves. Grease 3 loaf pans and put the loaves into the loaf pans. Cover them with the same kitchen towel and let them rise again for another hour or so. Then, preheat your oven to 350°. When the oven is ready, put the loaves in for just about 30 minutes - and get ready - because EVERYONE will come running with their mouths watering for some of this. Now, when your loaves are done, tip them out of their pans, and set them on a cutting board. I take a stick of butter and tear off most of the paper it is wrapped in, and I run the butter stick all over the loaf to butter the outside of it - it makes it look pretty and taste good too. You are supposed to wait until the bread is cool before you slice into it, but that is just about impossible to do. So, get a good serrated knife - that is the KEY - and then slice your warm bread, slather it with butter and enjoy!!! Strawberry jam is good on it too!!!! We usually eat one loaf right out of the oven. That is why I make 3 loaves each week. You can take this same recipe and make little rolls out of the dough- pinch off like a golf ball sized bit and roll it into a round and put it in a greased 13x9 pan, and fill it, and then let it rise covered, and then bake it for like 20 minutes in the 350degree oven. You can also roll one portion out into a large rectangle, and smear it with melted butter, brown sugar,cinnamon, chopped nuts, and raisins, and then roll it up and slice it into rounds, and place them in a baking dish, and you have sweet rolls for breakfast.
Have fun!
Robin, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
Those who dance are often thought mad by those who cannot hear the music. Tao Te Ching |
| WisGal35 |
Posted - Aug 16 2005 : 08:33:20 AM
MMMMmmmm, homemade bread. My mom used to make it, and homemade pizza, too. I'll have to hit her up for her recipe book.
Better to use the breadmaker than to not make it at all :)
Welcome! |
| showmemom |
Posted - Aug 16 2005 : 07:55:51 AM
welcome carissa (love this name!)
this is a very restful site-and you certainly sound like you could use some in your very busy life.
talk to you soon.
karen
Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.
Victor Hugo |
| Fabulous Farm Femmes |
Posted - Aug 15 2005 : 3:14:00 PM
Warm welcomes from northern WA!! Watch out, this sight is addictive! |
| Leharallen |
Posted - Aug 15 2005 : 2:37:06 PM
Thank you all for the warm welcome! I'm so pleased to meet you.
Carissa |
| verbina |
Posted - Aug 11 2005 : 12:38:14 PM
welcome clarissa! sit a spell ,lets chat. randi |
| Kim |
Posted - Aug 11 2005 : 10:18:31 AM
Welcome aboard Clarissa!!
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 10:00:48 PM
Welcome Carissa...you sound like you will fit in here just fine!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
| quiltedess |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 9:38:48 PM
Welcome Carissa:
It looks like you are off to a great start. Yummmm . . . home-made bread . . . I used to do that too. I wonder why I have gotten so out of the habit of doing so many of the things I routinely did. I love this forum because it is a great inspiration to me to pull out those recipes.
Nancy |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 4:29:54 PM
Carissa!! I live in La Center. Glad to see a "neighborhood" Farmgirl on here. We have a Farmgirl chapter and extend an invitation for you to visit us and see what you think. Welcome!
Kay
"If you are lucky enough to have a garden, you are lucky enough!" |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 3:36:06 PM
Welcome!!! |
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