The Anti-Texas Brownie

Look what lives at my house!

The fabulous fall cakelet pan has arrived at my house just in time for Thanksgiving!  Pumpkin bread, mini-spice cakes, teeny-tiny little corn breads. . . all in the festive fall shapes of acorns, walnuts, miniature pumpkins, and squash, oh my!  I am weak in the knees with baking anticipation!

Wise Woman is blowing into town for the quickest visit in the history of the world next week. . . perhaps a mini acorn or two will be awaiting her and her little chickens. . .

A Texas brownie is NOT on the menu. 

Fun Mom Friday: Fostering Independent Monkeys

This week, Kitchen Independence was declared by the monkeys. NOT the Wrangler. In the spirit of Fun Mom Friday (and a need for some help in the kitchen, as having the Little has been a real game changer), I decided to bite my tongue, take a deep breath, provide supplies, and see what happened.

NOTE: The Big and the Middle did ALL of this themselves. I was only allowed to put items in the oven and flip pancakes on the griddle. It was lucky I was able to be in the vicinity of the kitchen AT ALL. They were very keen to do this ALL BY OURSELVES. Which makes the Wrangler say. . . . .Ack.
RECIPES:

Taped inside the cabinets for easy monkey access and independence

RESULTS:

Pancakes: Three attempts. . . and three rousing successes! Light, fluffy, delicious. Enjoyed by all, but received especially high marks from the very discerning puppy dog.


Cookies: After three failed attempts, one and a half POUNDS of butter, and a course correction by the Wrangler, we got this. . . .
BIG, INDEPENDENT fun was had by all. And, I'll admit. . .despite the messes, the mistakes, and the mayhem, it is fabulous to watch my cheeky monkeys embrace something that I love so much. Baking. . . bliss. Watching monkeys bake? Ahh. . .there are no words.

Check out other Fun Mom Friday posts here.

Fun Mom Friday

Cakes. Yum.

Decorated by monkeys. Even Yumm-er.

Happy Friday!

Visit more Fun Mom Friday posts by clicking here!

Victory: In Music and Photos

Welcome to the sights and sounds of my latest attempt at the great bread quest. Enjoy the musical accompaniment as you view the stunning images.

Take THAT, Wonder Bread.

The dough

The quintessential
HOMEMADE
white sandwich loaf

The crumb

The taste test

French toast

Peanut butter and jelly

The Noble BLT

Watch out, Roman Meal. You're next.

But it WASN'T Spilt Milk!

Remember that book that we've all read to various monkeys a million times? It Looked Like Spilt Milk? An excerpt for your reading pleasure. . .

It looked like spilt milk. But it wasn't spilt milk.
It looked like a cow. But it wasn't a cow.
It looked like a donkey. But it wasn't a donkey.
It was just a cloud in the sky.

You get the idea. Well, here is a variation on that theme.

Bread Quest Style.

I thought it was the recipe. But it wasn't the recipe.
I thought it was the yeast. But it wasn't the yeast.
I thought it was the temperature of my oven. But it wasn't the temperature of my oven.

Drat.

I know it is not a cloud in the sky. I THINK it might be the inexperience of the baker.

Fear not, Wise Woman. I will not relent.

The next variable to be contained. . .

I thought it was using the mixer instead of my hands.

Hmm. Stay tuned.

Wonder Bread: 2, The Wrangler: 0

Drat! Foiled again.

Blerg.

Eureka!

Breaking news from the bread quest. . .

I HAVE BEEN USING THE WRONG YEAST!

Things are looking up! Literally. Up. Like bread rising up. Because it's all coming together now. Or as a student once told me, "NOW you're cooking with gas!" Actually, making yeasty gas. . .

Can I get a WOOT?

Watch out, Wonder Bread. I'm on your heels. Get it? Heels?

Wonder Bread: 1 The Wrangler: 0

I am a wrangler on a mission. Those I live with believe it cannot be done. Others scoff at my quest. I will not be dissuaded. I will prevail. You all are the witnesses to this declaration. . .

I WILL bake a loaf of bread that my family shall
HAPPILY use for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or die trying.

The Wise Woman asked, "Why do this when you can get bread that perfectly meets their specifications for $1.99 at the grocery store?"

A reasonable question from a reasonable woman. My reasons are threefold:

1. If Julia can do it, so can I. (If you don't know who Julia is, know that somewhere I am swooning with embarrassment on your behalf).
   
2. I am a stubborn cuss of a woman who cannot BELIEVE that her family would prefer store-bought, processed, artificial, high-fructose corn syruped, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth goo when they can have something fresh, delicious and REAL.
3. Because. I want to. That's why.

The quest began a year ago. I have been attempting bread machine recipes, light whole wheat recipes, you name it. Nothing, so far, has fit the rigid criteria that these people I live with have for their sandwiches. They desire bread that. . .

• contains no nuts, obvious grains, or any overtly "healthy stuff"
• has a light, spongy texture
• has a subtle flavor that is not overly "wheaty"
• has a crust, just not one that's hard or crusty (seriously??)
  
• has the shape of store-bought bread
  

In short, these cheeky monkeys want WONDER BREAD. And that ain't happenin'.

I have done my research. I have gathered my tools.

I made my first attempt.

Doesn't look too bad, but. . .

Blech.


I may be down,
but I'm not out.



Stay tuned.

Noble Pursuits

To be certain, there are many pursuits that could be considered noble. To me, two of the most noble pursuits include reading and baking.

When these two pursuits are combined, that makes for one happy monkey wrangler.

I have been enjoying Gesine Bullock-Prado's memoir My Life From Scratch: A Sweet Journey of Starting Over, One Cake at a Time. It is full of interesting, delicious recipes and chronicles how one woman finds joy every day by playing with butter and sugar. The writing is sharp, witty, and honest. I highly recommend it.

Gesine and I both feel the same way about baking and what it does for our overall happiness. Baking is not about being recognized by others for making something delicious. . . .it is the act of baking itself that soothes the baker. But. . . along with feeling soothed? You get sticky buns.

Check out Gesine's blog on my blogroll: Confections of a Closet Master Baker

And those sticky buns? Delicious. And this baker? Soothed.

And I begin. . .

As a mom of three very busy little monkeys, I decided it was high time to have a "room of my own," so to speak. Welcome to my room. . . filled with things I want to discuss and want to remember. Like today. I am listening to my littlest monkey happily waking up from his morning nap, while watching my husband and the two bigs play together in the ocean. And I have just finished a cup of tea while spending a quiet morning browsing blogs and doing some online shopping for baking supplies. Baking. . . a very noble pursuit!

Ah, bliss. Life is good. Welcome to my world of wrangling monkeys and other noble pursuits.