Day 1 of two more years has begun!
(I’d post a picture, but I’m having space issues on the blog. Will be fixed soon.)
It’s 7:40 and I’ve already been to the gym and gotten here well ahead of time. It’s a rainy, windy day here, but warm.
Wish me luck!
Andrew and I took off Friday at lunch to drive to Dayton, OH, for our friend Brett’s 4th annual Parrothead Open golf tournament, which is a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis.
We arrived just around dinnertime, and after saying good he to my other half, I did what exactly what Andrew would have done if our roles were reversed: I ordered a pizza. Except that mine was the kind topped with ham and pineapple…something strangely hard to find here in WNY. No one, and I mean NO ONE sells Hawaiian pizzas around here. It’s been (slightly) rough.
I ate on the way to Indianapolis, another two hours down the road. I got into grandma’s at about 9:30 and after some visiting, we went to bed.
Our Saturday was filled with the usual activities, like shopping. We hit The Container Store, Allisonville Nursery (where the house-planting bug hit BAD), and Crate and Barrel. There were some other smattered around in there (hello new cheap Old Navy shower shoes), and we finished up at the local library, where I was instructed to check out some Great Courses for Andrew.
Twelve giant CD boxes later…we headed to SoHo, grandma’s new favorite coffee shop, for some quick bites of gelato. Later that evening, we joined Aunt Linda and Uncle Dave at an Italian place in Zionsville–so quaint! We had a blast sharing things family-style and talking about Italy and our recent trip there.
The next morning, grandma and I just about opened Bob Evans at 6 a.m.
I had my ‘first breakfast’ of a veggie omelet, biscuit and fruit and sent the leftovers home with grandma before heading out to pick Andrew back up in Dayton.
‘Second breakfast’ was to be at Casa Diercks, where I got to hold sweet Madisen.
We enjoyed yummy goodies and the company of our dearest friends, minus Emily, who was in Columbus at a conference.
The boys started playing with the Nerf gun that Dave ‘modified’ to improve its firepower. Shocking, I know.
We stayed well after we said we would leave, and made sure to get one giant selfie of the group:
Bestest friends ever 🙂
If Mrs. Nye is an expert pie-maker, then Mr. Nye is a regular natural when it comes to bread. They both sold their goods (bread, pies, cookies and muffins) at the local farmers’ market for fifteen years…while they had kids. And a tiny kitchen. And no dishwasher. (How they managed, I will never know.)
Now both retired and spending most of their time in the bump-out that turned into a bigger kitchen sometime during those market years, the Nyes get to bake for fun.
Sometime last year, I spent a morning making pies with the missus, and I’ve been saying all summer that I wanted to bake bread with Mr. Nye…this girl still has much to learn! So, just days before school starts up again, we set our date.
We made his honey oatmeal bread that incorporated a mix of regular and whole-wheat flour. Things were a bit shaky to begin with–he hasn’t made bread in awhile and is one of those modest-types–but I assured him it’s like riding a bike. And sure enough, after only a few moments of nay-saying, Mr. Nye was back on his game and throwing ingredients into the mixer without even a glance at the recipe!
After a bit of kneading, we had a giant ball of dough ready for its first rise.
And barely 20 minutes later, it was ready! Four tablespoons of yeast and plenty of sugar will do that…
A quick knead before they were divided and shaped into loaves and popped into a warm oven for a second rise:
This recipe made four regular loaves (1.5 lbs.) and four mini loaves (.75 lbs.). Obviously, you can make any combination of sizes you’d like. And surprisingly, they were all risen and baked in the same amount of time (about 30 minutes) despite the difference in size. It must be a proportion thing…
After they came out, I spread all the tops with a little butter (it helps keep the crust soft longer) while they cooled. I tell you what, there isn’t much in this world better than a sweet-smelling kitchen.
And then we enjoyed!
I topped mind with a little butter a cinnamon, but this bread would be great alone or with just about anything. Its sweetness is slight enough for a tuna sandwich, yet equally good as toast with jam. And I was certainly impressed with how well the bread rose–mine always tend to fall, which I think is due to too little flour or over-rising. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
I had a great morning with a dear friend, and even after sharing some loaves with others, Andrew and I still have some to enjoy now, as well as two loaves in the freezer for later.
thehealthypineapple 