I'm Still Here!

It's been a while since I've posted.  Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still here, and that I haven't forgotten you guys.  I've been really busy this last week, and can't even begin to list everything I've got going on right now.  I've been too tired by the time evening comes around to work on anything for the blog.

I've got several posts that are work-in-progress, but in the meantime, I did have something fun and easy that I've been wanting to share.  For Christmas, Abigail got a subscription to the Highlights magazine from her cousin.  Who would have guessed that while Abigail and I were reading it, I would find a great recipe.  And, in her very first issue (January 2011) nonetheless!  The recipe is for Pocket Bread, i.e., Pita Bread, and it couldn't be easier to make (it should be, it's from a kid's magazine).  It's also very food allergy friendly with only 4 ingredients.  I haven't tried to make it with a wheat flour substitute, or for that matter, a more healthy whole wheat flour.  I should experiment.

Here's the recipe:

 Pocket Bread

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together 2/3 cup lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon sugar and 3/4 teaspoon of instant yeast (Rapid Rise).  Add 2 cups unbleached flour.  Mix well.

2. Put flour down on a cutting board or pastry mat and place the dough on the floured surface.

3. Knead the dough for 10 minutes.

4. Put the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover it with a clean dishcloth.  Let it rise for 2 hours in a warm place or in the fridge overnight.

5. Flour your board or mat again and split the dough into 8 balls for small pockets or 4 balls for large pockets.  Put a ball on the mat, sprinkle it with flour and roll out the dough until it is no more than 1/4 inch thick and looks like a pancake.  Repeat with other balls of dough.

6. Preheat oven and a baking sheet to 500 Degrees Fahrenheit.  When both oven and baking sheet are hot, place flattened dough on the baking sheet.  Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until pockets are puffy and golden brown.

7.  When they've cooled, cut each pocket in half and fill with your favorite sandwich fillings.

Told you it was easy and so much better for you than the processed pockets with all those added ingredients from the grocery store.  You just have to plan ahead to allow time for the dough to rise.  I love using these for a quick dinner.  My favorite fillings - lettuce, tomato, grilled chicken strips, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, feta cheese and Greek salad dressing.

Off to bed.  Another incredibly busy day tomorrow!

Bread Making

There's a first for everything. I mentioned to my mom that I was considering purchasing a bread machine. Since hers was just sitting at the house not being used, she loaned it to me. Thanks mom!  It sat at my house also not being used for a while until the other week when I decided to give it a try. Frankly, I was getting tired of paying $3.99 for a small loaf of organic bread, and the bread machine recipes looked simple enough.

I did it. The bread turned out wonderful.  I Googled and found a recipe on allrecipes.com called "Best Bread Machine Bread" that was given a 4 1/2 star rating by over 1,100 people. That was 3 weeks ago, and I haven't bought bread since.  My first two loafs were basic white.  I've got to get a little more adventurous though and try some other types using the machine.  I purchased a bag of 100% whole wheat flour with a recipe on the bag that I had to try.  It called for molasses and orange juice as ingredients. I treated myself to a beautiful, red glazed, Le Creuset stoneware, bread pan (just $11.99 from Ross) and made my first loaf from scratch. And, it didn't stop there. I made pizza dough the other night.  I've got Abigail interest piqued also. She found a recipe for bagels in a cookbook for kids that she wants us to try.

It's not just a first for making bread.  There have been many firsts for me over the last year...a first for trying to understand what's in the food we eat, for planting a garden, for cooking from scratch, for appreciating good cookware, for planning menus, and now, for baking bread. What's next?  I'm considering canning this summer. Yikes! All this from someone that has never enjoyed being in the kitchen! Who knew?