Plus a new kitchen! We love the kitchen in our new house, for its storage, counter space, and pretty French Blue cupboards. I grew up dreaming of a blue kitchen, and now I've got one!
With all the indoor time that January brings, we've been using this space to the max, and incorporating some new routines into our cooking.
I've been making homemade bread now for a few weeks using the method in Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I would recommend it highly; it teaches you how to produce artisan-quality bread with very minimal effort and investment. We only had to purchase a few new tools, like a pizza peel and a large food storage bin. You do also need a baking stone, but we were able to unearth one in our pile of yet-unused wedding presents.
The basic dough recipe calls for all white flour, and this is how DH prefers it, but I've been slowly experimenting with adding whole wheat flour. I prefer the more complex taste that the whole wheat flour gives, plus the added healthiness. I've gotten to a ratio of about 55% whole wheat flour, 45% white flour, and I like it. It still rises and bakes well, it's delicious with soups or stews in the evening, and great for toast the next morning. If you've been interested in making your own bread for a while without a bread machine, I would encourage you to try this book.
The results you can get with so little time or effort still amaze me. Little people like it too. Bread-making has become part of our weekly routine, and we love it.
Husband has decided he wants to make our own yogurt, so he took off with it this weekend, using some words of wisdom from a friend and these general guidelines. It turned out great, we're almost through our 1/2 gallon in just three days, and I love being able to give this super-healthy stuff to the little girl since she is loving food these days.
This too was incredibly easy and I see it being a weekly routine that we can sustain. There's very little hands-on time, which for us is key:) We didn't have to buy any equipment for this either, other than a food thermometer which we've sorely needed for a while now. To keep the yogurt at a steady 110 degrees for its 8 hour "incubation," we submerged the jar of cooked yogurt in a pot of water at 110, then placed that whole set-up in our large cooler. Worked like a charm.
I'm excited that we've found some practical (and frugal) ways to improve the health of our diets. What kinds of food routines do you enjoy with your family?
First, I love the kitchen. So cute! Second, I have been thinking about making my own yogurt for some time. If you have any great suggestions, please pass them along. Have a great day!
Posted by: Sandra | 01/11/2011 at 03:12 PM
The book suggestion really interest me! I've been wanting to make our bread for a time now, and that's what Papa here is used to (her mommy makes it, she has an vintage pétrin and all...) but I don't always have the time for it... 5 min a day sounds really great!
and I LOVE you kitchen! I really do!
Posted by: Andréann | 01/13/2011 at 12:01 AM
Oh Friend!! You and Sandra have totally inspired me to start making my own bread and yogurt! We are trying to move to a healthier diet, and I'm loving these ideas. Thanks for the encouragement! Love you!
Susannah
Posted by: Susannah | 01/16/2011 at 06:43 PM