Off to Work...

A peak at what I take with me every day. Always a cup of coffee (with whole milk of course) and my favorite basket filled with the items that will sustain me until I get to come home again. Each day I tuck the following into my basket: my purse, lunch (including an after school snack), water bottle, and my daily tea (a mixture of Red Clover, Raspberry Leaf and Nettles).

What do you take with you each day?

Sunday Bread

About a year ago we tried to eliminate store bought bread from our grocery list. While we are still suckers for a crispy baguette (because we have such wonderful local bakeries around here), we have been quite successful in our efforts. It has been a long time since store bought sliced bread has passed through our doors and we have loved the change.

Sunday is my bread day. The recipe I use, from the Tassajara Bread Book, makes two loaves. I either freeze one for the next week, give it away to another bread lover (the latest recipient was my mother), or I use 1/2 of the dough to make little buns that we later use for hamburgers or sandwiches.

I really like the rhythm bread making brings to the kitchen. Sundays have always been my farm chore day and this is one farm chore that I look forward to each week. I like to start the bread early in the morning and revisit it between chores throughout the day. Then as an afternoon snack, nothing beats warm bread and butter.

Whole Grains and Meal Planning

I recently took another class from Monique Dupre and it was, of course, wonderful. The class was titled Whole Grains and Meal Planning. Throughout the two hour class, Monique walked her students through what kind of grains are available, how to prepare them and how to meal plan in a whole foods kitchen.

Above you will find our whole grains shelf. This picture is not very telling, as those jars up there are shelved about four deep. But as you can see, we do not have a lot, if any, canned food. Over the course of the last few years David and I have realized that meal planning is a huge part of staying organized and prepared in a kitchen where most things are not ready to eat and will not be ready to eat for a few hours. Enter... the meal planning class. Monique reassured me on many planning tricks that are already taking place in the cozy cottage kitchen and I learned quite a bit about how to stay ahead and always have something ready.

This is the second class I have taken from Monique and I have truly enjoyed both classes. Next on the list? Most likely Fermented Food and Condiment Making... what fun!

Nightly Reading

Around here we have many of stacks of books, but the telling stack is the ever changing one that graces my night stand. Here you will always find the latest cookbook I have been using for our meal planning, usually a knitting book or two and what ever new read my girlfriends and I are working our way through that month.

This stack is usually what is on the tip of my tongue when asked, "What are you reading lately?". As of now, I would recommend any of the books you see in the pile above. Some are new and some I have turned to over and over again. Books are like that, you can come back to them after a long hiatus and look at them like they are brand new.

What books are on your night stands lately?