The Day to Day

Sometimes when our quiet life is just rolling along, it seems as though there is nothing really to write about here. We have been keeping busy though, trust me! Noah is learning new words or signs almost every day. Walks around the block now take a good half an hour because he feels the need to stop every time we see a dog or car to repeat its name over and over and over again.
The seedlings continue to grow and many are in the process of transitioning to life outside. I managed to plant the morning glory and moonflower seedlings under the pergola today while Noah entertained himself with a small stone, alternately 'hiding' it in the grass and then finding it again. "Where dit go?...there id issss!" He also likes to help me weed (i.e. dig in) the beds that are yet to be planted. That may become a problem later on when there are actually plants in them.

My biweekly bread baking is seeing some improvement. In the beginning I was having problems getting my dough to rise. Using the recipe in The Tassajara Bread Book seems to have solved that problem. In fact, last week it rose up out of the bowl and all over the oven. Too warm perhaps? Or maybe I just need a bigger bowl. This week I caught it before it did that again.

I had to bake a few days early this week because we already ran out of bread. I think that is because the last batch was the first that Curtis actually liked and he ate a lot of it. Today I added some millet for something new and different (I don't like knitting the same thing twice, and apparently I don't like baking the same thing twice either). I have a feeling this bread will last a full two weeks as Curtis doesn't like anything crunchy in his bread. I didn't plan it that way on purpose...really, I didn't. I have been having good luck keeping it fresh by slicing it all after is has had a chance to cool and then storing it in the freezer. I just stick some parchment paper between every 6 slices so it is easy to take out a couple days worth at a time. It stays moist and mold-free for several days on the counter in one of these bread bags. Here are today's loaves, ready to be sliced...missing the requisite test slice that I must taste fresh out of the oven with melted butter.

There has also been some sewing and knitting going on, neither of which have produced anything worth photographing at the moment (except maybe the crazy plaid pants in the previous Birthday post). Now I must excuse myself to wash the dirt and flour from my hands and hair before the little munchkin wakes from his nap.

-Jen