Five Out Of Five Soda Bread

I have to say right here, right now, that I've never personally made a soda bread that I liked. Never. Maybe I just like stuff that I don't have to make myself? That's a distinct possibility. After all, I like the soda bread that friends and family have made. But when I make it myself, it just doesn't happen for me. Ever.

Until now. This soda bread I like... in fact, this soda bread I love. I've only made it three times, but the recipe makes two loaves and we gave one away, so we've eaten five loaves of it (so far). Five out of five. We've had it by itself as a snack, alongside bowls of soup, and with mugs of strong black tea for breakfast (my favorite). I very nearly ate an entire loaf myself. It's that good.

The combination of flavors in this quick bread blur the line between savory and sweet… the caramel-y rich browned butter, sweet/hot freshly ground black pepper, piney/herbal fresh rosemary, a little saltiness from the baking soda, and some earthy sweetness from the honey... I'm making myself hungry.

Big Dippers

These chocolate chip cookies are unlike any other I've ever baked… and that's saying something. Chocolate Chip Cookies are my all-time bar-none go-to cookie... and I love trying out different varieties of them. This one is unique because it uses all whole wheat flour… yep, 100% whole wheat flour. That in itself is quite a feat, but these cookies are also tasty. Really tasty. In fact, oddly enough, they remind me of store bought cookies. The kind that can sit in their package on the store shelf for two years and not go bad… except these would totally go bad because there's no preservatives or hydrogenated fats in them. Yea!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies 
from Kim Boyce's cookbook: Good To The Grain (page 41)

Some things to know about these cookies:

• They have quite a different texture to them: fairly dense and almost sandy.
• They are very sturdy cookies. Nothing dainty or delicate about them.
• Perfect for dunking in milk. Or packing on a picnic. Or sending in a care package.
• If you love chocolate, go ahead and add more chocolate chips/chunks. Trust me.
• They keep well if stored in an airtight container.
• If you freeze the dough balls and bake them later, they won't spread out as much (resulting in a thicker cookie), and in my opinion, are not as good as the ones baked fresh. 

Keeping The Colony Happy

In addition to my oft-neglected sourdough starter ("Edwina"), I have for the past six months been caring for and benefiting from, a different kind of bacterial colony... Water Kefir Grains. Never heard of 'em? Don't worry, I hadn't either. But now (thanks to this gracious lady), I am involved in a mutually beneficial relationship with what amounts to a science experiment. You see, I feel responsible for the well-being of my colony, like I would with a bowl of goldfish. But in a way that goldfish never could, my little colony is responsible for my well-being too. Intrigued  yet?

More fun than a barrel of Sea Monkeys
There is so much info on the web about water kefir that I won't spend time or space here reiterating it. I will however link to some info at the end in case you're still curious and want to read more about it. In a nutshell, water kefir is a type of SCOBY... a Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. Now before you get scared off... just think "probiotics". You know, the good/friendly/beneficial bacteria that are so good for your gut and immune system. That's what water kefir is: pure probiotic goodness.

I see so many products trumpeting "Now With Probiotics!!" on the packaging, not to mention the probiotic supplements that you can buy (I shudder to think of what they would cost to take regularly). The beauty of these little water-babies is that you only have to buy them once. That's it! Feed them and care for them and not only can they be used over and over again, but if conditions are favorable, they just may even multiply so you can share them with friends.

The Lifecyle Of A Favorite Sweater (part 1)

Let's talk about clothes... and high school... and letting go of stuff... just for a bit.

Back in high-school, the only mainstream retail line of clothing that I remotely cared about, the only one that I sought out, the one I'd save up my allowance for... was Esprit. There was something so appealing in their fun fresh euro-chic look back then. I only had a few pieces, but I'd chosen them with care and I wore the heck out of them. Highlights of my collection included: a black lambswool sweater vest, a cute pair of white penny-loafer-type flats, a black and white polka dot pleated skirt... and a charcoal grey ribbed wool crew-neck sweater.

Esprit De Clutter

I kept that charcoal grey sweater long after it stopped fitting me and even after the moths had invited their friends over for lunch. I don't know why, but I just couldn't let it go. To look at it was to remember. It's dark neutrality transitioned easily between all my styles and it's simple shape transcended all trends... a true classic. Did I mention how soft and comforting it was? Just like a hug. If you had come back in time and told me that when I grew up I would intentionally shrink and cut up that sweater and then stuff it in my shoes, well, I would have totally called you a dweeb. I'm so sure.

What you see up there in the upper-left side of the photo are indeed the former sleeves of that very same sweater from my past. I figured that if it was going to take up space in my home, and could no longer be worn... maybe it could be put to use in some other way. The first thing I did (to stop the moth picnic), was to felt it. That's a verb. It means "to make felt". It's really hard to do: you run a 100% wool knit garment through the washing machine with soap and hot water and follow that with a tumble in a hot dryer. Ta-da! Wool felt. Thick and soft, and if you cut into it, it won't ravel. Gorgeous stuff.

Kissing The Cook

Hey good lookin', what'cha got cookin'? Making your own natural lip balms at home kind of blurs the line between cooking and crafting. Think about it: They're made with good-for-you edible ingredients like honey and olive oil, and they're cooked up right there in your own kitchen... only you don't eat them. Well actually, I've seen plenty of stats over the years about how much lipstick and lip gloss the average woman ingests over her lifetime (eek!). All the more reason to know what it's made from, eh?

The post that inspired all this kitchen-lab cosmetic cookery features three different lip balm recipes, each one yummier than the next. Normally I'd have had a really hard time choosing, but I only had all the ingredients on hand for one of them: Luscious Lavender Lip Balm. It didn't hurt any that I'm a sucker for anything with lavender (or alliteration) in it, so Luscious Lavender Lip Balm it was... did I mention that it has cocoa powder and honey in it too? Lavender-Cocoa-Honey-liciousness... it really is good enough to eat (but it probably works better as a lip balm).