Better Bread

I have been trying for years to make a decent loaf of bread.  It has taken a lot of experimenting and failed attempts, dense rolls, and loaves that didn't rise.  I learned to make a decent pizza crust and had been making that for a long time.  My family eats a lot of rolls and french bread.  I have at least a dozen roll recipes stashed away.. some that were better than others but none that were great.  Many times I would have Brent stop into our local grocery store on his way home and grab a loaf of freshly baked french bread to go with dinner.  It was quick and easy and not too terribly expensive.

The problem with stopping at the store for one thing.. is you usually end up buying at least 3 or 4 things and that can really add up.  I was on Pinterest one day and came across this recipe.  It looked simple enough so I thought I would try it.  After making this french bread half a dozen times, I don't think I will ever buy it again.

Here is how mine turned out.  I usually make it into two large loaves using one the day I make it and saving the other for either kids' lunches, or another nights meal.

 

Shaped into loaves

Slicing and doing an egg wash

Baked to perfection

These got a tad bit darker than I would have liked, but I am still learning the ins and outs of my new double oven.  This french bread turns out so soft and airy.  Spencer (4) gets so excited when I make the "squishy bread"!  It is perfect for eating hot out of the oven, turning it into garlic bread, or as leftovers for sandwiches. It is so incredibly fast to make.  I can make a batch in about 2 hours from start to finish with little babysitting. I wish I had known how easy this was a very long time ago.

I recently got a Wondermill grain mill so I will be making much more bread in the near future.  It really is an art but nothing beats a fresh loaf of bread.

Building Traditions

The semester has rolled to an end, the snow has fallen in the foothills, and the Holiday season is in its final stages.  I managed to pass chemistry with an A.  I really struggled in that class although my grade does not reflect it.  I feel like I really earned it through a lot of hard work, long night and even tears.

This is me and Brent's 13th Christmas together, and our 12th one as parents.  You would think that it's easy to build traditions from the start but it never really seemed to work out that way. For many, many years I felt like we didn't really have our own traditions and rituals that we could call our own.  This year it felt different.  I don't know if it's because I have been home practically the whole holiday season or if its because I lost my mom this year and it has seemed important to build these memories with my family so they will stay with them forever and hopefully pass them on to their own children.

Our Christmas Tree

Growing up, my family had a lot of traditions.  I have tried incorporating them into my own family and some just seemed to work their way in by accident.  Having parents from two totally different backgrounds has made it a little more interesting also.  Brent has his own memories from Christmas and I have mine.  When we were newlyweds, his Grandma Olive would send us packages of cookies.  Her family is of Norwegian descent so the treats she would send were traditional Scandinavian cookies.

I would be lying if I said I was the best baker in the house.  Brent has earned that title through and through.  I just consider myself his little helper.  We were able to get the recipes from his grandma and we bought some of the special tools needed to make some of the cookies and his dad had a few older ones that he sent to us to use as well.  About a week before Christmas we took all the stuff out, Brent made the dough, and then we all got busy making some cookies.

The BEST baker in the house

Taylor the apprentice

It was a lot of fun and the kids seemed to enjoy it.  It is nice being able to pass some of the family heritage down to the kids.  All we can do is expose them to it and hope they carry it on in their lives.  We made three different kind of Scandinavian cookies.  The first are a family favorite called Kringlers or Kringles.  There are many variations as we learned but in the end we went with his grandma's tried and true recipe.  Next we made Almond tartlets or Sandkakes.  I really liked these.  It's what they are making in the photos above.  The final kind we made were Rosettes.  These were fun to make.  They are similar to a funnel cake where you take batter and put it in hot oil until it fries and then you sprinkle powdered sugar on top but these cookies are in pretty shapes like roses and stars.  They weren't a favorite but were interesting  to make.

Rosettes

I am sure this will be a tradition that will be carried on for many years to come.  There are many other kinds of cookies that we didn't try yet but there is always next year.  Our next adventure will be making Lefse!

Kringlers, Sandkakes, Rosettes