Bagel Making - Cranberry Walnut

A few weeks back I got to hang out with my niece while her brother slept off an illness and her parents attending a Christmas party. One of our conversation trails happened to land on bagels, and she mentioned her favorite was Cranberry Walnut. When my sis and I were discussing Christmas foods - and my choice of bagel making - a few days later, she also mentioned it. Naturally I had to try my hand at this flavorful combo for our holiday celebration.

My trusty William-Sonoma cookbook has a great basic bagel recipe, so I made a few modifications to come up with this one.The process is essentially the same as the pumpkin spice, only I subbed in 1 cup ground walnuts and 1 cup cranberries for 1 cup flour. I've used dried fruits in past bagel making, but added the fruit during the last stage of the process (when you're adding 1/2 cup flour at a time). This go round I added the fruit and nuts during the sponge stage, and it made a significant difference. I saw a great consistency of dispersal in the dough - most notably during the kneading stage.

Rise 2, boil, bake, serve, enjoy!

Book Review: Daemon

I'm coming to believe that some books are best enjoyed as audiobooks - Daemon definitely fits that bill for me. It's a first novel by Daniel Suarez that my friend/boss Jim kept telling me I needed to read/hear. I'm glad I finally remembered when my Audible credits came around last month!

Daemons are computer programs that run in the background. Suarez takes that idea and spins a story that involves big government, corporate America, the average 20-something game aficionado, and those that know absolutely nothing about computers and the tech behind them. Years are spanned but the story moves at quick, smooth pace. The characters are well developed and the scenes are so real I found myself holding my breath to hear how they would end. The use of computer noises and sterile computer voices only added to the reality I felt of the story.

What made it so compelling is the idea that it could be real, that this story could really happen. Both a fascinating and frightening thought. Suarez presents some notions for AI (artificial intelligence) that were new to me, and I'm still pondering the implications.

Not into tech? Don't worry - you don't have to be to enjoy this novel. Complex ideas are explained by the characters as the story unfolds, and these days most readers/listeners are fairly comfortable with Internet concepts. Great novels - check them out if you'd like a glimpse of what our future may hold.

Bagel Making - Pumpkin Spice (traditional)

Christmas brunch has been our family tradition for many years, and this year will be no exception. I offered to bring bagels - the perfect opportunity to perfect the base recipe and try some new flavors. Bread baking is fairly simple once you get the basics down, the challenge is making adjustments to the dough due to weather changes. Baking in the winter is more challenging than summer - my home is older and therefore drafty, and chilled dough just isn't easy to stretch.

First new recipe - Pumpkin Spice. I found a recipe on the web that used the traditional pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) so I mixed up a batch. The recipe makes 6-8 bagels (all depends on how you divide your dough), the raw color is really gorgeous. Its a brilliant orange until the spices are added - then it turns a lovely speckled brown.

The second rise for bagels is only 30 minutes - just enough time to put a kettle of water on to boil. Boiling is a key step to bagel making - its what gives the interior that lovely chewy texture. Just 1 minute per side (use a slotted spoon to flip), place on a towel to dry, then return to the baking sheet. Most recipes utilize an egg wash before baking, but I prefer to see the color of the bagel without the egg (it really just adds a bit of brown).

Alton Brown is a fount of wisdom, and he provided a key baking tip on a cookie (or was it pie?) episode. Anyway. He suggests setting the oven timer for half the time, and when it beeps rotate the cookie sheet (or whatever). This helps ensure consistent exterior color to the finished product - ovens aren't exactly a balanced appliance and can have hot spots. If I have multiple trays in the oven I rotate shelves and rotate pans (180 degree turns).

Fresh from the oven this recipe was great - a bit of butter is my typical companion for fresh bread. A bit of cream cheese would probably taste great on these, or cream cheese icing and you have fun dessert treat.

My Recipe

2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 cups white flour
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon allspice

Combine 1 Tablespoon water and yeast with a pinch of sugar; set in a warm place to activate (approx. 10 minutes).

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl; add yeast mixture when foamy. Stir to combine, then knead to consistent color/texture. Return to oiled bowl, cover, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (approx. 1 hour).

Place dough on a floured surface. Divide into individual parts. Form 8 small balls, gently press thumb through center of ball and form a bagel shape using the sides of your hand. Place on oiled baking sheet, cover, and allow to rise (approx. 30 minutes)

While bagels rise, bring 3 quarts of water to a rapid boil in a large saucepan; once its boiling add 1 tablespoon granualted sugar. Using a slotted spoon, drop 2-3 bagels into rapidly boiling water. Boil on each side for 1-2 minutes. Remove, place on towel to drain for 1 minute, then return to baking sheet. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired.

Bake at 400 degrees on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal, until golden - approximately 15 minutes

Christmas Decor

I'm not one to decorate my house for every holiday, but a few years back I decided to do it up when Christmas came around. My inspiration? Hallmark began producing Dr. Seuss ornaments - the perfect collectible for this book lover! An artist switch made my interest wan ('inspired by' versus based on book illustrations just didn't work for me) - but I absolutely love my Dr. Seuss tree. I can be a bit Grinchy - but I'd like to think my heart isn't "three sizes too small" - and Miss Sumatra plays the role of Max quite nicely (I will never make her wear false antlers). Here's a few shots of my favorite ornaments - I hope your decor says "you" too!

Max is the perfect tree topper.

Green Eggs and Ham

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Horton Hears a Who!

Oh the Places You'll Go

Plums and Italian Food

A couple years ago when I was talking books with a friend, she encouraged me to check out Janet Evanovich novels. It took me some time, but this past month I've gone through eight of her Stephanie Plum series and eagerly await the next batch from my local library.

Stephanie Plum is, in word, hysterical. She's a bounty hunter in New Jersey - what a premise in and of itself - and she's terrible at it. Anti-exercise, pro-junk food, single with hamster for a roommate, Evanovich has created a female character more true to life than many others I've read. Her technique focuses on following her gut (which I can appreciate) and she tends to foul up and get wounded each novel. Which only makes it more laughable.

The books don't just depend on Stephanie for laughs - her family and co-workers are characters in and of themselves. I'm torn as to whether 80+-year old Grandma Mazur or Lula get more chuckles out of me. Grandma makes funeral parlor her social scene, while Lula and her spandex attire attempt to help Stephanie catch perps. Seriously. You have to check these out!

The mystery of the books are well thought out and engaging - I've found myself many a night staying up way later than I should to find out how in the world Miss Steph was going to get out of her latest mess. On-again, off-again boyfriend Joe Mazzoli, the mysterious bounty hunter Ranger, and the local police are always on hand to help.

So what's all that have to do with Italian food? Well, Stephanie is from a Polish-Italian family, and all the discussion of alfredo sauces, noodles, pasta, etc. had me craving before I realized what was happening. So last night I whipped open a jar of alfredo sauce (not the time to attempt my own), mixed it with fresh Italian sausage and poured it over snail shell pasta. Paired with a dry red wine it was the perfect way to finish To the Nines.

Exploring new paths

A few weeks ago the Lord made it clear that it was time for me to step out of ministry in Focus (my church's young adult class), and simply take a break for a while. I'm one of those people that when I'm "in", I'm in all the way - so its hard for me to just jump from one ministry to another. So far I've found the time off to be quite refreshing - grabbing a coffee and relaxing before corporate worship allows me to observe what's really happening within our body. It also gives me time to reflect on where God would have me use the talents and abilities he gifted me with next. I have some ideas but am still uncertain where he'd have me move.

While most of the people around me see my decision as a good course of action, there are some that have kindly expressed concern that I'll remain unplugged indefinitely. One conversation today started my mind percolating, as the speaker commented about those that had become involved with the Emerging Church movement (yes, I count myself as one of those) tend to leave a ministry/the church and never put down roots with another body of believers.

I can confidently state that this will not be the case with me. And while The Matrix has been overused by my generation as a way to express themselves, a conversation between Neo and Trinity near the beginning may help clarify my stance.

Trinity: Please, Neo. You have to trust me.
Neo: Why?
Triniity: Because you have been down there, Neo. You know that road. You know exactly where it ends. And I know that's not where you want to be.

I know the road of disconnection. I walked it for five years. I know where it ends: misery, despair, hopelessness, loneliness. It holds the illusion of freedom but in reality is laced with chains and traps that bind. I'll never forget what it felt to walk that road - which is why I can be so confident when I say that it will not happen again.

Nothing can compare to the completeness I feel when connected with God's people. I love the imperfectness of it, as we all strive to learn what it means to live like Christ. I love that progress is expected - just like you expect from any child as they learn and develop.

Prayer is a powerful thing. So pray that I discover the path the Lord has before me - and that those who may have been led astray will return to the only path that leads to true joy.

Refreshing the Kitchen, part 2

The weather has turned colder, which means I've moved from outdoor to indoor projects. A rainy day in May led to the beginning of my kitchen refresher, and last week I happily finished the task of repainting my kitchen cabinets. Paint is a cheap, easy way to achieve a fresh look (much like hair dye, hmm...) - a gallon of paint is around $15 and the cabinet liner was $4/roll and I only needed 5. The most expensive part was my time - probably 30 hours all told.

I loved the modern look of black cabinets, but I'm really enjoying the white. My kitchen is pretty small, so anything that helps it seem larger is great. Painting the cabinets white allows the sunshine to reflect from the two windows - and that really helps when I'm struggling to wake up each morning! I painted the handles the same brown as the walls - having a bit of trouble finding the look I wanted so that was my quick fix.

Lower cabinets

I just love using Mason jars to store items - they are an easy way to organize and also see what I have left. Can you guess which items were canned fresh from the garden this summer?

Above the stove - currently holds random small appliances.

Dishes, baking supplies, spices and cook books (Joy of Cooking and Williams-Sonoma).

A remnant of cabinet liner gave Miss Sumatra a new mat as well.