Bread and Simple Dinners

Saturday Baking Trend

For the last three Saturdays I've baked bread.  It's been such a great way to start the weekend.  There's something to be said about taking the time to mix the dough, knead it, and fill the house with the smell of it baking.  We even shared a loaf with the neighbors who brought us cookies to welcome us to the neighborhood!

I've done three recipes too...this weekend was a winner for the standard loaf though.  I managed to make a killer "gluten" loaf that is super soft and super delicious.

This summer I plan on experimenting with sourdough recipes and rye recipes.  Yum!

Kitchen Time

Everyone has as sanctuary in their home, I think.  For some it's their bedroom, others it's their office.  For me, it's my kitchen.  I stream Netflix or watch DVDs or play music while I commune with the cooking gods and try my hardest not to submit any burnt offerings, food or otherwise.  There's just something special about putting your special touch into a recipe, that extra stir for luck or kneading dough to the beat of the music playing on your speakers.

I know a lot of people see cooking as a chore, something you have to do because it's required.  In a lot of ways it is, especially if you're on a budget and eating out every day is not an option, it is necessary.  It's really in how you look at it though.  We're on a budget; but cooking is like an adventure every night.  I can express my creativity and play.  I can decompress from work...which, let's be honest, chopping things with a really big knife is great for stress...and do something special for us.

I love my kitchen time, and I love my kitchen.  It's the best place in the house for me!

Simple Dinners

Tonight, despite being a Sunday, wasn't really a day to inspire lots of cooking.  I know, crazy after the shpeal before this section.  Sometimes being lazy is just how it is.  That being said, I still cooked dinner.

Lazy fallback #1?  Pasta with marinara.  Seriously.  You want to make it even easier?  Use jarred marinara that's pre-seasoned (I personally think it's still bland...but to each their own), or used pre-seasoned meat.  Tonight's lazy dinner was with Harmon's Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage and plain tomato sauce and those twirly pastas that I don't remember the name of.  Oh, and some of that homemade bread...from last week...it was the last of the loaf, so it was perfect for Texas toast garlic bread.  The pasta dish had no creativity (but you don't mess with perfection, and the sausage we used is perfect); the garlic toast though...oh my...softened vegan butter, garlic powder, basil (jarred in oil), and shredded goat gouda.  Baked for 15, broiled for 4.  Yeah.

This dinner is better than most dinners you'll pay for at cheap diners, and it's less guilt ridden too; based on my rough estimation, it was about, oh, $10 total.  For four servings.  Take that, budget.  I can win sometimes too!!

Have a great week everyone!!  Eat Happy!!