ProseKnitic – of Words und Wolle

Once upon a time, I had a bread machine. A very nice one as a matter of fact – made by Morphy-Richards. Unfortunately, as it turns out. They are a UK based company. They also have a German website. The UK company does not ship to Germany, ever – under any circumstances. The German face of the company provides no way to order parts.

I did mention that this was a bread machine, right? All bread machines need this neat little blade things in order to kneed the bread. Unfortunately they are not all that large. Careless people who don’t look at the heel of a loaf could manage to toss out that heel with the kneeding blade still embedded. I don’t think I have to draw much more of a picture now do I?

I had started soup -

and wanted fresh bread. It isn’t like I don’t know how to do it by hand. Did that for years when I was young, dumb and had a lot of hand and wrist strength. I did find a nice quick rising recipe

and so I had bread to go with my soup …… mushroom and leek if I forgot to say what kind.

On a Monday, I might be able to talk about all the work I had accomplished over the weekend.

That is if I had really accomplished anything. My husband apparently survived turning 60 and now just has to get through a major birthday bash being held on the 19th.

I still have to finish up an exam, two presentations and a number of emails. So, shall we just skip all of that and move onto a decent loaf of bread?

the beads on the shawl?

[caption id="attachment_2830" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="and a glint of silver beads on the edge"][/caption]

and my sudden realization that the Candle Flame Scarf was directional? Now why would this be a surprise? Candle flames burn up. If I knit the shawl in one piece, then one end has the flames going down. I thought about it. I thought about how it would look, and I didn’t like it at all.

Stopping with five repeats done on one side, I cast on a new starting edge and proceeded with my plan to knit both halves from the bottom up and graft them together in the middle. Leaving aside the wonderful challenge of knitting from both the inside and the outside of the ball – I comforted myself

Podiobooks

with the next five episodes of Double Share from the Solar Clipper Universe.

Books &

And also read Shaman’s Crossing by Robin Hobb, borrowed from the library. I originally read a number of novels by her years ago when she was writing under the name Megan Lindholm. Her 1986 novel – Wizard of the Pigeons – is a most excellent urban fantasy. If you want to find a copy, I strongly recommend looking at the UK stores, much cheaper than the US booksellers.

At first I thought it was my baking techniques that resulted in this 10 cm tall loaf that was dense and thick as a brick. Or maybe I could blame the new bread machine.

So I tried it again, faithfully following the directions as far as order and amount of ingredients.

It didn’t make a difference. The second loaf clearly resembled the first, complete with moist, dense, chewy center and the pleasantness of dining on horse pellets. Toasted was only marginally better.

Was it my fault? The third time rather than taking out the bag of mix, I carefully measured and added each ingredient. Only variation was throwing in some parsley, oregano and tarragon. Completely bland white bread is beyond me. Oh, and I tossed in an egg.

Worked wonderfully, a lovely sweet smelling loaf of bread which I gave to Beverley before we headed to a computer sales fair in Bracknell.

It was somewhere along the drive while I was explaining the challenge that I tumbled to the realization that none of it was my fault. The mix contained everything, including the yeast. Since it didn’t seem to rise at all, there was obviously an issue with the yeast in the mix. The package says to keep in the fridge once opened. Ok, and I opened it yesterday.

Meanwhile, the sunflower seed bread brick was really appealing to the squirrels.

It was lovely having that extra hour of daylight this evening.
I used it driving back from Bournemouth where I had attended the Wessex Limmund Day at Bournemouth University. We were not on the beach – surrounded instead by

less than exciting campus buildings.

The program itself provided usually four choices at each session time ranging from music and meditation through various historical subjects to Rashi and Talmund. An essentially volunteer run organization, Limmund is dedicated to Jewish Education. Started in the UK, the idea and organization has now spread to the Continent (oh, how quickly one gets used to the UK being the center of the Universe), Russia, OZ, Turkey, Canada and the US.

After the opening speach by the Bournemouth Mayor who was also part of the organization

we all headed in different directions. I listened to presentations on The Jews in Hungary, 100 Blessings (Daily), Jewry in the American Civil War, Maimonides and cantoral music.

The day ended with David Solomon doing the whole of the Tanakah (all 39 books of the Bible) in one hour.

Both learned and funny, David is a dynamic teacher complete with time lines on the wall, magic marker in his hand (stick figures) marking out from Genesis to the building of the second temple.

Home

It was still light – I have a few flowers

plus Daffodils and ???

Bread

Tomato Dill bread with spicy couscous, salad and Cyprus soft cheese.

oh, and I almost forgot!

Knitting

I made a bit of progress on DS’s vest

-Holly

Recipe (bread machine)

Dry Ingredients

3 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
one TBS yeast

Wet Ingredients (add all into a 2-4 cup liquid measuring cup)

one egg
3 TBS of oil
3/4 cup no fat sour cream
2TBS of onion relish OR 2 TBS reconstituted onion flake
fill the remaining balance to the 2 cup mark with no fat milk
stir well

Place the ingredients in your bread machine in the required sequence
(mine wants dry, then liquids. This varies by manufacture)

Set for large loaf (white), turn on and relax.

A few hours later, you have this lovely loaf of bread

which slices up, showing bits of onion

and leads to dinner complete with spicy squash soup, tomato-lime chutney and a pomegranate.

Socks

There was definite progress on the art sock

The second JaWoll Sock is now complete

with the pattern simple, but looking nice even up close

Audio Books

Vanishing Point by Marcia Muller.

Arches

Obviously Caerphilly Castle, taken in Wales 9 Feb 08

-Holly