Okay, I know that's a totally awful title -- I don't know too many Englishmen anymore so am out of touch with the vernacular -- but in the spirit of the day I needed a catchy "English" title. So. Pip pip! 'Tis the big day!
Yes, like so many others I have been sucked into the Royal Wedding hype. I have to admit it's kinda fun. The Royal Family is one of the last living ties to the shared history we have with our friends "across the pond."
There's also the fact that Les and I are marrying in Scotland this upcoming October. ;) Les DVRed the Royal's big day and we plan to watch it this evening as we work on our own plans.
So,in the spirit of the day, Herman and Prince Miniherman (Les's latest knitted creation -- he's lopsided because I'm the one that sewed him up) would like to wish the Royal Couple years of happy memories!
Herman received his Team CorgiPals magnet yesterday. Herman is sponsoring Dexter in the Walk for Animal 2011. Herman is slowing down a bit in his old age and can't walk as far but he still supports the young whipper snappers. He also tried to eat the magnet but we won't focus on that. He decided his antler bone was more tasty.
So I got a bug up my butt and decided to try a new wheat bread recipe I found online. Actually, Les has been under the weather the last couple days and I figured she might appreciate it. Actually I just like baking. Or something. Anyway, I made some bread.
Problem is my I think my active dry yeast is a little old (I usually use the stuff in a brick -- Instant? Heck there's so many different kinds even the experts that try to make sense of it sound confused). So my dough had a hard time rising. A very hard time. After the first punch down I shaped it into loaves and decided I'd put the pans in the oven on "warm" to help aid the process. Thinking it'd leave it for about 30 min and then check it I took Simon for a walk. While on the walk I got a call from Les that her dad was in town and wanted to join us for an early dinner at the Asian place down the road. So I hotfooted it back to the house, turned the oven off and off we went to eat. Of course, I didn't open the door so the loaves sat in a "warm" oven for about 2 hours. Warm being 170 degrees F. Well, the bread rose (some)... and sank.
But what the heck -- it was already in the pans and looked like bread dough (even sunk) so I went ahead and baked it.
Looks good, but you'll see the sunken center in the middle one. That had me worried. Cutting it open once it cooled enough had me encouraged.
Hey! Looks like bread! A dense bread for sure, but bread nonetheless. Amazingly, it also tastes wonderful! It's a honey wheat and you can really pick up the honey, though it's definitely not a sweet bread. I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
What sucks is I'll have to wait another year before I can make it just like this again unless anyone has any almost shot active dry yeast that's been sitting around for 10-12 months they'd like to send me. ;)
I brought a loaf over to Les and had her try a slice from the loaf I cut into and she thought it was great, too, so I know I'm not crazy here. Well... on this point, anyway. But, she did point out something startling...
Late last week we took Herman in to get his annual shots and while there we of course had him sit on the scale. Well, let's just say that Herman ate well this winter, and this pic:
Well, he really wasn't as puffed up as I guess I let on. He really was stretching and pushing out his chest. Honest.
The vet isn't worried (winter weight he called it) since we religiously walk the poochies in the summer, but there's no denying Herman has been practicing his hibernation techniques.
Why is this relevant to my bread baking exercise? As I said Les pointed out something startling...
Compare:
She called them "Corgi Loaves." I think we need to work on some waist definition (for the dog). I'd hate for Herman to earn the moniker "Herman the Wheat Loaf". :)
Hobbes, of course, refuses to be outdone in this particular Olympic event (two things are events to Hobbes -- eating and sleeping, and he takes his training for both very seriously).
I have turned into a basket case with the wedding in Scotland getting closer (6 months, 3 weeks, and 5 days).
Miss Kitty provides a lot of support with cuddling, purring, and patting me on the face with her paw. Herman does a lot of sulking underneath the coffee table. Al has been providing a steady stream of cocoa cappuccinos from Starbucks.
Who knew that so much goes into picking a cake (fruit cake with rum, or sponge cake), hors d'oeuvres (canapés), dinner (salmon, chicken or angus beef), and flowers (traditional Scottish thistles or roses). Then there are the measurements for gowns, kilts, etc. And what about the logistics? Who is going to pick up the cake (we have to put it together ourselves), flowers, and kilts? Sigh, I am already on my second cocoa cappuccino.
