sabbath day refreshment

hey there and happy Sunday. :)

hope your Sabbath was not only restful but refreshing.  one of the many things i learned in my time overseas as a missionary was that my Sabbath day should not only a day of napping/not working/getting physical rest, but should be a day that **refreshes** my whole self.  i soooo enjoy doing things on my Sabbath days that recharge my batteries in all directions--- beyond the afternoon nap on the couch.

 one of the things i did today that was super-refreshing was to learn something new.  i can't help myself--- like my Momma always says, "if you're not learning, you're dead."  i just HAVE to learn new things---- all the time!!!---- to feel like myself.  it's just part of my DNA.  so my latest project is: learning how to play the guitar. :)

 

the sweetest couple at my church has an extra guitar that they are letting me borrow as i pluck around and try to teach myself how to play this instrument that i have wanted to learn since 2006---- when i first started singing in the praise & worship band for the Cru movement on my college campus.  sooo... 6 years later, tim and rena are helping me achieve my dream; thanks guys! :)  i'm not very good, at ALL,   wait, let's be real, i don't even really know where to put my fingers. or wrist. or do... pretty much anything.

BUT!  i did learn a really fun acronym today to help me remember the order of the 6 strings!  

     Eddie
     Ate
     Dynamite
     Good
     Bye
     Eddie

totally sad. and dangerous.  YET-- it helps me know the names of the strings in their order (EADGBE).  kind of morbid, but i know i'll never forget those notes! :)

on to my other project of the day: bread baking.
there is just something about kneading dough for minutes on end that transforms my heart & takes me to a happy, happy place.  i think i've always loved it----- ever since my Play-Doh days!  for reals.  on to the recipe:


100% Whole Wheat Bread (with flax and honey) :)
{from the glorious bakers at King Arthur Flour. thanks guys!}
click here to get the original recipe.  below, i'm posting what i baked today because i made a few changes! (for example, my mom doesn't have powdered milk at her house so i used the nonfat half-n-half that was in the fridge, etc.)

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• scant 1/4 cup fat-free half and half
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 1/4 cups King Arthur Premium 100% Whole Wheat Flour (plus extra, (maybe up to 1/2 to 2/3 cup extra) cause my dough was sticky and needed it)
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds (ground flax mill)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1) In a large bowl, dissolve yeast into warm water & honey.   i combined the half & half and orange juice in a separate bowl and microwaved it till it was lukewarm. (probably the sickest combination i've ever put in a microwave. ever.  but SO worth it in the end!  i think it helped to have those cold liquids be the same, warmish temperature as the water/honey/yeast mixture... and the acidic OJ really cuts down on the sometimes-bitter taste of all that whole wheat flour.  it goes completely undetected in your finished product!).  :)

2) Add the rest of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer dough to lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple.  This is the point in my dough-making journey where I had to add extra flour.  Just eyeball it... baking needs to be fun.  :)  The dough should still be soft, for sure!--- but I had to add that extra flour because I used liquid half & half instead of the powdered milk, called for in the orig recipe. 

3) Transfer your happy little dough ball to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow the dough to rise till puffy, but not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your rising-spot. (i let my dough rise in the oven, turned off, but the oven light was turned on.)   :)

3) Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and shape it into an 8" dough loaf. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or till the center has crowned about 1" above the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.  (NOTE: i've made this recipe several times in a 9x5" loaf pan, and the bread still tastes great, but the "crown" on its top just won't be as pronounced.)

4) Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes (although I did a full 40 today!), tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after ~20 minutes to prevent over-browning. [The finished loaf should be 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.]

5) Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.  NOW-Rub the top o' that baby down with butter.  If you can control yourself, the KAF bakers tell us to "cool completely before slicing."  No way I could wait for that!  ;)  Enjoy that bread with whatever you wanna put on it---- or maybe even plain!!  It's just that good.  [and good FOR you!]  :)  Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.