Work in progress

Another week went by.
I stayed at home. I baked. I cooked. I cleaned. I did laundry. I cooked. I cleaned. I cooked more. I baked. I read. I played with yarn and knitted. I took the dog for a walk. I took the dog for another walk. I talked to my mom on Skype. I took a lot of pictures, of nature, garden, our dog, knitting.  Etc, etc.

Baking week VIII

Pictured are Linzer cookies, Ginger Bread, Sourdough Bread, Panna Cotta, Sourdough Bread, Dandelion Honey, Sourdough bread, Sourdough Bread, Sourdough Bread. 
In some ways it might seem like a very limited entertainment, but on the other hand I have ventured into a new territory of sourdough baking. I am at the beginning of the journey and I continue to learn each time I try to make and bake a loaf of bread.  As you can see in my collage of baking I have baked quite a few loafs of bread. Each was slightly different and I learned something each time I baked the bread.

Dandelion Honey

I also made Dandelion honey. I remember it as a special treat my mom and grandmother used to make in the spring. It feels as if each jar is filled with childhood memories, sweet and tender.
Under the normal circumstances, I would never be able to make this. It is time consuming. Collecting the dandelions (carefully picked up flower heads, with enough behind to leave for the insect to feed on), simmering in water, allowing the aroma and flavors to intensify.

In my knitting world, the first clue for Leonard and Lola was released. Second clue is coming tomorrow. See my previous post Leonard and Lola, toy mystery KAL how to join the fun.

Leonard and Lola, yarn

We also have a new neighbor. Somewhere in the woods across the street lives a fox family. I keep seeing her and her four babies. It is amazing to watch them play and frolic around, while their momma is out hunting for food. I named her Frances. I managed to capture the fox babies on a video playing around. Even though I keep seeing them almost daily, my phone camera is not good enough to capture a decent close up image of them.  Bellow see the picture I took during one of my walks with the dog.

Fox babies

During these walks, I imagine that Frances is a single mom, busy running around trying to feed her babies. I am not sure if the father is around or what have happened, but this is what I imagine Frances might look like....

Frances and her baby 

And here is their encounter with our dog...

Frances, her baby, and T-Bone

 In the real life their encounter would be rather different, and I am making sure that they only see each other from far away.

I will spend this coming week working on the knitting pattern and after the test knitting, and TE is completed the pattern will be available.

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Work in Progress and new toy mystery KAL

Another week went by. I am not sure anymore how long I have been at home, not going to my work and not receiving a real paycheck. I am not complaining. We are lucky, so far we are healthy and my husband continues to receive his paycheck and our bills are covered so far. Life is good.
According to my weekly baking pictures I have been baking six weeks already. This week was a rather adventurous. I tried for the first time to make croissants from scratch. It was a success. I also baked brioche bread. I used the middle class brioche recipe from the book  The Bread Baker's Apprentice, by Peter Reinhart. And of course I returned to some of my favorite comfort foods and desserts.

Pictured are: Salmon Cakes, Croissants, Brioche Bread and Buns, Bread (though this time it baked in a funny shape, mushrooms?), my mom's Crepe's recipe, Fruit Salad (it is a dessert though not baked), Apple Strudel, Chocolate filled Croissants, Brownies.

baking week VI

In the knitting world I managed to finish a work for a third party. I cannot post pictures until after the publication goes live, but I really enjoyed knitting this project.
I also made the Mask Buddy to help with wearing the face mask and I started to work on our next toy mystery KAL. Later this week I will post more details in my Ravelry Group and add the pattern to Ravelry. I have named them Leonard and Lola, but I might change my mind.  Pictured  is the yarn I am using for my Leonard and Lola.

May Toy Mystery KAL

Mask Buddies

Across the street we have a new family. Fox mama and her cubs are living somewhere in this small piece of wood that is surrounded by houses and we are so lucky to be able to see the fox family from time to time.
I am trying to capture the little foxes on my camera, but my phone camera is not good enough to zoom in and my real camera still uses film and I have not use the camera in a long time, and it seems to be harder and harder to actually find a place where the films are still developed.  As you can see foxes are one of my favorite animals to use in my knitting patterns.

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Baking through the pandemic

We are living through some very interesting and difficult times. 

When I was growing up as a child I lived through practicing for nuclear war. We learned to walk in gas mask, raincoat, and plastic bags on our hands and feet to be protected from nuclear fallout. 

Then I lived through the fall of Berlin Wall and Velvet Revolution. I saw the world open up and be free.

Now I live through the world pandemic. I hope that we will make it through alive and healthy.

My work is non essential and I am staying home until my work reopen at some point in the future. 

As a way to keep myself busy with other things than house choirs, cleaning, doing laundry, and to provide food for my family I bake. I have been baking a lot these past weeks and I have sneaked in some pictures of my baking attempts.

Oreo cookie

Some were successful, and some were less. As the weeks go by, I keep trying new things, new recipes, things that takes days from start to finish. In a way it is like knitting. You start with the simple projects, and as you learn you try more adventurous knitting techniques. Sometimes you still return to those familiar projects that are fast, quick, and favorites. Sometimes you try something new.

Week I

Week II

Week III

Week IV

Week V

Pictured 

Week I: Monkey Bread, Bread, Chocolate Banana Walnut Cookies, Bundt Cake, Calzones, Blueberry Muffins

Week II: Blueberry-lemon Bread, Rohliky (Czech Bread Rolls), Herb Cheddar Scones, Strudel with cheese filling, Corn Bread, Bread, Brownies, Apple Strudel

Week III: Apple Strudel, Carrot Cake, Potato Pancakes, Cinnamon Buns with Maple Frosting, Bread, My mom's Crepes, Bread

Week IV: My mom's Crepes, Kale Corn and Jalapeno Muffins, Brownies, Focaccia, Bread, Croutons 

Week V: Linzer Cookies, Dog's Cookies, Leaf Shaped Fougasse Bread, Rohliky (Czech Bread Rolls), Bread, Ginger Bread (my mom's recipe), Two Layers Pizza, Panna Cotta, Future Croissants (dough after the third roll and fold)

Croissants - the beginning

 I have a book "Baking with Julia" written by Dorie Greenspan. Sometimes I look through it and one of the recipes that always caught my eye was the recipe for the Croissants. I have read the recipe so many times, yet I never tried to bake them. It is time consuming and previously my weekends were filled with choirs, housework, laundry, while trying to squeeze in some fun and relaxing stuff as well. This past weekend I finally decide to try and bake the croissants from scratch.

Croissants - WIP

I started on Saturday when I made the dough. Sunday morning I made the butter part and then spend the day rolling and folding the dough and butter together. This morning I rolled out the dough and made the croissants and baked them. I still have the second half of the dough to work on. I have to admit, the croissants turned out good. Would I bake them again? I am not sure. It was a lot of work, and like with knitting, sometimes it's good just to try something new.  

Croissants 

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Snowday projects

WIP

We have another snow day.... I must admit I like those unexpected snow days, when it's better to stay at home and enjoy the quiet moments. I had to pick between my two WIP projects and decide which one I should work on.

Last night I made the dough for the bread. This morning I baked it and we had a homemade fresh bread for lunch. I have been making this bread for few years now and everyone loves it.
I have found the recipe at Martha Stewart magazine and tried it and I have been making it ever since. The same bread recipe can be found in NY Times online. I am providing both links for anyone who would be interested in baking the bread.
Martha Stewart magazine link
Pane Integrale in NY Times

Bread, ready to be baked

Bread, fresh from the oven

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