Step Aside Panera, There's a New Baker in Town

I’m feeling rather inspired and decided to write a post on something that inspires me: bread baking. I mentioned on an earlier post that I was taking it up as a new hobby, but haven’t mentioned it since. I confess, I have been much more faithful to that hobby than this one – that is, I bake biweekly whereas my blog posts are admittedly spotty at best.

I have enjoyed learning to bake bread, and have had much success thanks to my new friend*:

His name in Honoré (after the patron Saint of the Boulanger…judge if you dare, just know it might keep you from a delicious, fresh baked loaf). He is my live starter and I grew him from scratch. Call it a maternal bond, but I’m rather fond of him. I feed him weekly and he gives me delicious bread in return. It’s a lovely relationship we have. **

Together, we’ve made mostly loaves of bread like this one…

And this one…

But I’m expanding my horizons and venturing into other baked goods…like English Muffins!

I’m rather proud of these, and think they turned out very well. When I was cooking them, my roommate MS looked at them then at the recipe I was using and exclaimed “It looks just like the picture!” It was a proud moment for Honoré and me.

We still have a lot to learn, but are seeing steady improvements in the meantime.

*Translation of the lid: “My name is Honoré (and I LOVE making bread!!)” When I showed my roommate, she expressed anxiety over introducing her friends to me…

**Here and here are a few websites that go into further detail on making and baking with a starter.

The Things Memories are Made of

I realize it’s been far too long since my last post, but in my defense I’m a regular blogger for my grad class.* Excuses aside, this update has been long in coming, and I know there would be consequences should I neglect this post. And so, without further ado…

This past weekend may have been cold, may have been rainy, and may have had (diluted) hurricane force winds, but none of that seemed to matter because my dear friend, KP, came up for a visit. KP helped me move in back in August, which means she braved countless hours on the road with me and my family, some more than dubious hotel rooms, and a smorgasbord of culinary treats. That’s true friendship. And perhaps even more impressive, it didn’t put her off! She still chose to visit me.

There is something so very comforting about spending time with people who know you well. It’s grounding and reminds you of who you are and where you come from. There’s no hiding strange quirks from good friends either, which I find liberating. I think it is safe to say, this weekend was much needed on both our parts.

And so, in tribute to a wonderful weekend spent with a dear friend, here is a short list of my top things that happened while she was here:

1. Visiting the monuments at night. We drove to the Iwo Jima Memorial, Korea, Vietnam, and Lincoln on Friday night. I had been to a few before, but never at night. There is something really powerful in visiting these sites at night.


2. Our capitol tour. My friend EG works for a congressman and gave us a private capitol tour Friday morning. He knew what he was getting into when he agreed to take two history nerds on a tour, and humored our questions, comments, and lame jokes well.

3. Macaroni and Cheese at Bullfeathers. So good. That’s all.

4. Getting caught having a “party” on the second floor of a home goods store. Saturday, LG and AD joined us in Old Town Alexandria for the day. We ducked into a store overflowing with inspiring decorating pieces. Added perk: they were offering ginger cookies and mulled wine. We soon found ourselves upstairs “testing” out the living room set with our wine and cookies. Just when we were on the brink of pronouncing our assessment of the chairs’ quality, a sales lady came upstairs and asked if we were having a “party.” Busted.

5. Watching the Salvation Army bell ringer in front of Starbucks. After a day in the elements, KP and I decided to duck into a Starbucks and wait for her uncle to meet us for dinner. Our seats afforded us the best possible view of a very energetic bell ringer. A personal favorite of mine was when he ran across the street to ring his bell at the people stopped at the light. If you have the ability to dismiss the Salvation Army guy after he ran into traffic to single you out, you might consider consulting a cardiologist because your heart may actually be two sizes too small…

6. Spending hours laughing and talking with KP. Yes, this is the mandatory sentimental memory, but that does not mean it’s any less valid for it. Good times with friends are irreplaceable.

*Since I know how anxious you must be, here’s a link to my class blog.