Baking Tip!

My friend Alton has taught me another great baking tip.  When making something like a muffin, (or in my case I was making pancakes which are really just flat muffins, sort of, but defiantly not cakes as their name implies, carrot cake and cheese cake are also culprits of misnaming, for they are technically not cakes either), and you have to mix melted butter, eggs and milk together I always had a problem.  The cold milk would make the melted butter solidify into little butter chunks that floated around your mixture.  No manner or whisking would break them up.  Well, what you can do is mix the eggs and melted butter first.  Then add the milk and other liquids the recipe calls for.  The emulsifiers in the egg make the butter and milk mesh together.  This worked great in the pancakes, I mean panmuffins I made the other morning.  Ha ha! 

Homemade Crackers

So who makes their own crackers?  Well I did one Saturday night when I was bored.  They only take a few ingredients that I already had in the house, they are healthy and yummy, and are pretty easy to make.  They have a strong sesame taste so if that is not your thing you might want to put more poppy seeds in.  Mine did not turn out as neat squares like the recepie said they would but who wants squares.  My unique shapes are much more interesting.  Happy Baking!

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup mixed sesame and poppy seeds

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup water  

Preheat oven to 450

Mix all the dry goods in a bowl.  Add the oil just until combined.  Add the water slowly until the dough just comes together.  (You might not use all the water.)

Knead the dough a few times on a floured surface and let rest for 15 min. 

Divide the dough into 8 pieces.  Then each eighth into fourths.  Roll the piece on a floured surface until it is very thin.  Put piece onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake 4 minutes, flip and bake 2-3 minutes until brown around the edges.

Place on a cooling rack, then enjoy.  They are especially good with cheese.

This recipe is from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food.  Thanks Alton.

One-Year Anniversary of Playing Piano

So I have been taking piano lessons for a whole year.  Wow!  It feels like I just started and at the same time it is hard to imagine my life without piano.  Here are the top ten reasons why I love piano (in no particular order).

1. It gives me something to do when I get home from work besides watch T.V.

2. It's fun!

3. It stops me from thinking about work.  (When you are trying to get your hands to do two completely different things there is no more room left in your brain to think about little children.)

4. I get to make beautiful music.

5. It is challenging and the payoff it big.  It gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

6. It has given me a greater appreciation for classical music and musicians.

7. People are very impressed when they hear me play.  

8. It gives me an out during FHE.

9.  When there is a lull in a conversation I can always bring up what new piano piece I am learning.

10. Then there is the something I can't really explain, it just feels good.

Spring is Here!

I love this tree outside our kitchen window.  For a few weeks every spring it blooms and is magnificent.  It is one of the first trees to bloom so when I see the buds appearing I know Spring is getting close. I climbed out on to the fire escape to take these pictures.  It is my Tree of Heaven. (See A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith)