I’m ok with this. I really am. I am totally cool with the umpteen cups of flour I wasted. No, really, I am. Swear.  I’ve “started” over, and this time it will work.

This time, I broke the rule of the frugal, healthy eating, all natural, above rubies reading homemakers. I used yeast. *insert dramatic music here*

I just dont think I catch enough “wild” yeast here!  I got my starter recipe here and it is currently brewin’ up in my newly designated “brewing cabinet”. I’m also putting some buttermilk in there today. Kombucha and Kefir are next if I can get my hands on either of them any time soon!

Of course, with my miserable sourdough failure a reality, I fixed some white bread this morning because its my fastest recipe. I’m way out of any kind of bread, and it will be baked in about 10 minutes. I just started the bread around 7:30, and I’m already set to bake! Not bad, right?

The magnificent recipe can be found here. I highly recommend you try it. I do the first part of the recipe (before the first rise) in my kitchenaid and then knead the last round by hand. Its fun to make too because it ends up being a  HUGE lump of dough before you divide it. My kids get an absolute kick out of it!!

I suppose there cannot be success without failure, so I continue the path of “Trial and Terror” until I am able to get a nice loaf of sourdough on my table.

Happy baking, ladies!
 

My day should look something like this:

*trick my children into eating banana oatmeal bread by turning it into reeeallllly cinnamon-y french toast. (yes, I really did have that many bananas to use up) yeah, so they didnt really go for it, but they ate SOME of it. I’d rather they ate a little oatmeal banana bread french toast than a lot made from white bread I suppose.

*wash all the laundry I decided not to wash today.

*Clean the kids’ rooms MY way.

*Trim Trin’s bangs and finish Gavins haircut that I started a week ago.

*Make a killer batch of jamaica

*make yogurt. I’m almost out AGAIN.

*find a use for that one remaining spreckled banana. I just dont know if I have what it takes to find a use for it.   found a use for it. its a space taker in the trash can.

*prepare a really killer dinner for the hubs. he deserves it. tonight’s dinner was good, but it was a repeat of last night’s dinner, so I’m not sure that counts. I would really like to try a recipe I havent done before.

*try not to cry. I counted, and I cried every day this week, and no I dont have PMS.

Lots of kitchen prep, as you see. Maybe there’s a video blog in there somewhere.

Happy Friday ladies…

They turned out simply beautiful, by the way. I’ll charge the camera and get a pic or vid tomorrow.

Recipe is as follows:

1 egg, room temperature, plus enough water to equal 1 cup. (Water about 80*)

2 TBL oil. I use coconut oil.

1 TBL honey (the honey will slide right out of the measuring spoon after the oil has been in there!)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c mashed banana (about one large-ish banana)

2.5 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup bread flour

2 1/4 tsp yeast

Add ingredients in order into bread machine and run on dough cycle.

Once completed, dump dough onto lightly flour surface and seperate into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and poke a hole in the center of each with your thumb. Carefully stretch each hole evenly, making the hole about 1 inch wide. Place on greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rise for about 30 min or until doubled in size.  Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with whatever desired (I used poppy seeds) and bake for 20 minutes.

I am using them for breakfast tomorrow, toasted, topped with peanut butter. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches…sorta.

I’m having a hard time right now, so perhaps I can perk myself up with my own blog post. I’m not sure if that’s irrational, unlikely, or just plain arrogant, but still worth a shot.

So, with that, I give you, 13 pictures on my computer that make me smile.

1.) My son found this while picking fruit with his Papa. He FOUND it. My little geologist…only he would find such a thing in a random fruit orchard.

2.) The side shot of the same pic

3.) this pic of the pool. dunno why, just makes me happy.

4.) Piper cleaning, by any means necessary. She is a crack up.

5.) This pic of my fat can Marquette…and the Teeny Weeny plotting her demise.

6.) This picture of the way Piper made her bed. This was about six months ago. I think its adorable that she made sure her stuffed unicorn “uni” had some form of recreational activity presented to her.

7.) This pic of the blossoms early in the spring during a huge thunderstorm. I really love how this picture makes me feel.

8.) My poor cat, Miata…she clearly feels a little trapped.

9.) Creepy fisherman fish bowl dude. Everyone hates him. I dont.

10.) This graphic my friend Sarah made to illustrate to Trinity WHY she was in trouble for breaking something on a rental car, and painting on various surfaces in the house. It was hilarious, but effective.

11.) This pic of me officiating my friends’ wedding. Such a neat day. I’m glad I have people like them in my life.

12.) Piper, just after she turned 3, with her long flowing gorgeous hair.

13.) Same gorgeous kid, days later, just 2 weeks before she was going to be a flower girl in the wedding show above. I wish this was the last time she gave herself a new “look”

I guess there are certain things that suck at the moment, but you can possibly smile about later…or at least, not feel like poop when you think about it.

check out www.thursday-13.com for more.

I have it behind closed doors, in a cabinet, on the other end of the house. I cant wait for it to smell sour, and not like vomit.

Also, perhaps, the most unlikely post I’ve ever written.

So today, I give you:

How to have the same article of clothing as Adam Lambert.

1.) Have a brother

2.) Arrange for said brother to marry a really cool chick who happens to be a fashion designer.

3.) Arrange for said wife to be a really awesome fashion designer that somehow manages to get one of her shirts on Mr. Lambert.

4.) Somewhere in there, make sure that your mother sees a shirt in brother’s wife’s clothing line, and brings one home to you.

The most unlikely post ever. Adam Lambert and I have the same shirt.

And in all seriousness, here’s a works for me wednesday tip:

For a clogged drain, drop 1/2 c baking soda and 1/2 c salt down the drain. Add 1 cup of white vinegar and leave it while a kettle of hot water boils. Once the water is boiling, pour the entire kettle of water down the drain. I’ve never NOT had this work.

Go to www.wearethatfamily.com to join in the works for me wednesday fun.

Dear Parants,         

I think me,piper,trinity and you guys are starting to get along. And I think the choure packs are starting to work. I like hanging out with you guys.Mom and dad.

you’re the best parants in the world that’s why I,m typing this letter.

I think in some year we could go to Arizona. One more thing , I love you MOM and DAD

Yours truly, Gavin

About 3 weeks ago, the top of my butter dish fell out of the cabinet and shattered. Art, knowing me and how sentimental I get, quickly said “You’ll find another one.” I smiled at him, knowing he was trying to console me, and said, “no, I wont, but that’s ok.”  

This weekend, the hubs and I had about 2 hours alone while the kids were in various places, and we went to this super cute furniture store in town. We were admiring a gorgeous china cabinet, and I noticed the plates inside of it, on display. I said, “Hey, that’s my china.”  Art didnt believe me at first because my pattern was discontinued in the 70’s. It’s not a pattern you just happen upon. I pulled it out, flipped it over, and sure enough, it was. There was 40 pieces, and they wanted 40.00 for it. I started looking through what was available, and low and behold, the butter dish was there too! The hubs quickly went over to the counter, and paid for it.

I now have an 18 piece place setting, minus a few teacups.  What a fabulous find!

You can see my pattern here.