Ground Hog Day

Tomorrow is Groundhog day. I wonder who thought to watch a rodent come out of a hole to predict spring. I will admit I will watch the news tomorrow to find out if he saw his shadow. Won't you? My sister saw a robin lately and maybe it is a sign of an early spring? I actually watch for the arrival of Mr. & Mrs. Mallard to return since there is a pond near us. In celebration of Groundhog Day, I thought it would be fun to make homemade bread in a porcupine/ground hog shape. It is also a great way to warm up the kitchen. It was record highs yesterday so maybe it is foreshadowing an early spring.

Homemade White Loaf
2 cups warm water (about 105 degrees F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
4-5 cups white bread flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 egg, beaten with a little water
2 Tbsp rosemary

1. In a small bowl, add the water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside to proof.
2. In a large bowl,  combine 4 cups of bread flour and salt.
3. Add the yeast water and mix until a dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add about 1 Tbsp of flour at a time.
4. On a clean surface dusted with flour, knead the bread for about 10 minutes. 
5. Form the dough into a smooth ball.
6. Grease a large bowl and add the dough to the middle.
7. Oil the top of the bread and cover with oiled plastic wrap. 
8. Allow to rise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
9. When the dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough and divide in half.
10. Form two balls and allow to rise for another 1 hour on a greased cookie sheet.
11. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
12. Gently slice the top of the dough to make crisscross patterns.
13. Brush a little of the beaten egg onto the dough and sprinkle with rosemary.
14. Cook for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Tap the bottom of the loaves and it should sound hallow.

Recipes adapted from The Ultimate Bread & Baking Book.
One year ago........................I made Coleslaw.

Did you already know..........
-Another name for a groundhog is woodchuck.
-Groundhogs hibernate from late October to February. 
-There are many recipes online that include groundhogs (which I probably will never try unless tricked).

Hash Brown Potatoes

It has been unusually cold here. Yes, I know I live in Maine. Yes, I know it is cold here but not this cold. Well, we try to keep the house pretty warm. It helps to bake a lot in the winter too! I can't always tell if my children are warm enough since my oldest will wear shorts no matter the temperature outside. I just want to make sure the younger children are warm enough. This weekend when we were listening to the music countdown my son decided he should substitute his own words for the songs. He did pretty well but I had a feeling maybe the house was a little too warm for he was singing, "I'm so toasty" and "Cozy, I'm cozy warm". I really liked the dancing too. Another way to stay warm is to make these hash brown potatoes. My family really liked them but next time I'm going to use left over potatoes to save time so we will be eating breakfast and not a late brunch. Stay warm!

Hash Brown Potatoes
6 potatoes, peeled and washed
1 onion
1 tsp paprika 
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
vegetable oil for the skillet

1. In a medium pot, add the potatoes and fill with water until the potatoes are cover. 
2. Cover and boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
3. Shred the potatoes and then rinse well under water.
4. Drain and pat the potatoes dry.
5. Shred the onion and pat dry. 
6. In a medium bowl, mix the potatoes, onion, paprika, salt, and pepper.
7. In a large skillet, heat over medium heat.
8. Add about 1 tsp of oil and allow to heat for a minute.
9. Scoop about one spoon full of potato mixture and pack into a tight disk.
10. Add the potato disk carefully into the heated oil.  (I cooked about 3 disks at a time before repeating.)
11. Cook the potato hash brown for about 2 minutes per a side or until golden brown.
12. Flip the hash brown and cook the other side until golden brown.
13. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate for about a minute.
14. Serve warm. 

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker cookbook.
One year ago...................I made Mushroom Burgers.

Did you already know.....
-Hash Brown Potatoes are a variation of Swedish Roesti.
-Hash Browns are a great way to use left over cooked potatoes.
-Hash Browns are a popular breakfast food found in diners.

The Boss

Yesterday, I told my son to tell his sister to wear a sweater or sweatshirt to school. He said she wouldn't listen to him. So I replied, "Tell her you are the boss." Well, I guess I shouldn't have said that but I wanted her to listen to him. Excited, my son told both of his older sisters that he is the boss and they better listen to him per Mom. My younger daughter was not happy especially when her older sister confirmed that I made the youngest person in the house the boss. My son was more excited about just being boss since he didn't boss his sisters around. So last night, my youngest daughter was complaining that she is never the boss so I told her she could be boss today. She then informed us all that we better listen to her since she will be boss. Then I had to clarify that I was making her the leader. My children told me leader and boss was the same thing. I said it wasn't. I asked them what a leader was and I like my son's definition of a leader. To quote my son, he replied, "A leader guides the team through an adventure." What a great way to look at life. Guess what? My daughter has already reminded us that she is boss today. It will be an adventure.

My children told me these are the best biscuits they've had.

Baking Powder Biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder,  baking soda, and salt. Cut in the shortening and butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. ( I use my fingers with my daughters help but you can use a pastry blender or forks.)
4. Mix in the cheese. 
5. With a spoon, stir in the buttermilk until the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl and there is a soft, moist dough. (Add more milk if needed.)
6. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness. 
7. With a floured 2 inch round cutter (or top edge of a glass), cut out the dough pieces and place on the baking sheet.
8. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. 
9. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Pillsbury The Complete Book of Baking cookbook.
One year ago................I made Petite Pavlovas.

Did you already know..........
-According to Psychology Today, leaders are made.
-It also says extraverts tend to make better leaders.
-There are many different leadership styles and ways for one to improve on being a leader.

Lunch Time

I am really bad at making my lunch for work. I will normally bring a frozen meal or grab something out. If I'm home, I'll make lunch. I know it would be healthier to bring my lunch so I'm trying out different things to make then just bring a normal sandwich. Well, my oldest daughter loves bagels. So when she went to the store for me, she picked up mini bagels for our breakfast the next day. (It is wonderful to have a daughter who can drive and loves to run to the store.) Well, I wanted to use the bagels up. I decided to make bagel sandwiches. My son thought this was a great idea. My youngest daughter wasn't so sure. They loved it. I did too. It is always great when the kids like a meal that is quick-remember my son loves baby back ribs. I used cherry tomatoes since I prefer the taste. Since my family really liked this simple lunch, I thought maybe you would too.

Bagel Sandwich
1 mini bagel, split
2 slices of deli ham
1 tsp mayonnaise
1 slice of provolone cheese
3 cherry tomatoes, sliced

Directions:

1. Lightly toast the bagel. Allow to cool for a minute.
2. Add the slices of ham.  
3. Spread the mayonnaise over the ham.
4. Add the slice of cheese. 
5. Top the cheese with the tomato slices.

Wrap well and bring to work for lunch. (A reminder to me.)
Last year at this time..............I made Orange Chicken. 

Did you already know.....
- The exact origin of the bagel is unknown. 
-In 1610, the bagel is mentioned in an article published in Poland. 
-In the early 1900s, New York city had a bagel union to represent bagel workers.

Peace

I love chocolate cookies which is strange since I normally prefer vanilla ice cream and yellow cake. I gave my children several options for some cookies I wanted to make and they picked this one. Of, they are so good. I told my husband he needed to take these to work for them. They are butter rich with a sandy texture. They need to be refrigerated but it is worth the wait. If you can't wait, the dough is really good. 

World Peace Cookies
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
11 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a mixer, cream the butter until creamy.
2. Add the sugar to the butter and cream until fluffy.
3. Add the salt and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix for a few more minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda together.
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and pulse about 5 times.
6. On low speed, mix the dough for 30 seconds or until the flour has been incorporated. The dough will be crumbly but do not overwork the dough. 
7. Separate the dough onto two separate pieces of plastic wrap. 
8. Shape the dough into logs and wrap well. 
9. Refrigerate over night or at least 3 hours.
10. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
11. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
12. Slice the hard dough into 1/2 inch rounds.
13. Arrange the dough onto the baking sheet with 1 inch space between slices.
14. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes and remove from oven.
15. Allow the cookies to rest for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
16. Option: Top a few with a sweetened whip cream.

Recipe adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours cookbook by Doris Greenspan. 

Like the different nail polish? Peace Out!

Did you already know......
-In August 2011, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial opened.
-The memorial in Washington, D.C. had a paraphrased quote which will be removed from the statute since Dr. King didn't say the inscribed quote.
-The corrected statute will be completed in the Spring of 2013.