As I typed this post yesterday I was waiting on my dough to rise. I was making my first ever yeast bread by hand.
No bread machine!!!
It was pretty easy I suppose. The hardest part was kneading the dough for SIX MINUTES!!! But since I have amazing strength in my upper arms it was a piece of cake. ((wink-wink)) It also had so many steps of waiting for the dough to rise and do this and do that, but it all came out good.
At this time last year I had a few things floating around in my head that I wanted to make sure to learn in the year 2011. Stuff in the kitchen. I am completing the last one today....the bread.
It is a cheese bread. Not as cheesy as I would have liked, but since I am new to bread making I am unsure if I could add more cheese. It was so good fresh from the oven.
I have overcome my fear of yeast this year!!!!
During the week of Christmas I learned how to make homemade cinnamon rolls. And just after Thanksgiving I discovered I could make a super easy yeast pizza crust. Thanks Renee!
Also this year I tried several homemade mac-n-cheese recipes. I finally found one I would clean a toilet for. SO yummy!! My kitchen projects are done!!!!
So now I am planning for 2012.
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| I LOVE a new calendar to start the New Year!!! |
Looking ahead to 2012 I have more kitchen projects I want to accomplish, ideas to explore and maybe a few goals. I don't like to set myself up for failure, but I do think it is good to have a list of things set in place. I also think it is a good idea to have goals as a couple and as a family.
In order to keep them I think it is a good idea to write them down. If I don't write them down it will never happen.
So here are just a few of the things I hope to accomplish in the year 2012:
1. Reading the Bible. Our church is doing this for all who want to participate. I am going to give it a try, again. I have tried several times before and lost interest(that sounds so bad!)very quickly. I hope the M'Cheyne Bible Readings using the bookmark version helps!!!!
2. Live more simply. I think we live pretty simple, but I also know there are others ways we can change. I am talking about doing without needless "stuff". I want to be able to stop when I say "I need this or that". I want to learn to stop and think..."Do I really need it"? I want to use what we have. Learn to think, "Can I/we make it?" Living simple can go in all kinds of directions for each individual family. I just want to open our eyes to what it could truly be like to live a simple life.
3. Making/cooking more homemade meals and snacks. This sounds super easy and may be for some women, but I am talking about the whole meal! And I would love to TOTALLY get processed foods out of our life! We don't eat much as far as processed foods, but there are some. This will be a little tough for me, but with work I know I can do it. It is a transition that we will all have to adjust to, but in the long run we will eat better and feel better!
4. Learn to can veggies/fruits from the garden. We have wanted to try it for a while now. 2012 is the time to learn. We pray our Spring/Summer gardens produce more than last year so we can have at least half a pantry of can goods from our garden.
5. Eat only fruits and vegetables that are in season. Can you imagine what they put in and on all those fruits and veggies that DO NOT grow in the winter months in your area? Or have you ever thought about where it was grown or how far it traveled to get to my market? And it still looks good? This will likely be the hardest of all my goals for 2012. And why I pray our garden goes crazy this new year. God did not intend for our food to be sprayed and shot up with poison in order for us to enjoy it all year long!!!!
6. Learn to make homemade rolls, biscuits and PRETZELS. Who doesn't love a homemade roll or biscuit? And homemade pretzels....well if you do not like big doughy pretzels there is something wrong with you!!!!
So there you have it. Just a few of my ideas/goals/resolutions(whatever you want to call them)I'll share for now. I know me and I know the list will get longer as the months go by. I hope you get a chance to sit down and make a list. Resolve to finally get done something you have been putting off for a while. You will feel so much better when you do! Taking that first bite of the bread I made was divine. Knowing I made it with my own two hands was pure satisfaction!!!!
Happy New Year for 2012 to you all!!!
Make sure to come back tomorrow and see why we eat black eyed peas and cabbage on New Year's Day. I'll share the way we cook up a family tradition.
1 comment:
I love a new calendar too!
Happy New Year!
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