The Simple Woman's Daybook--May 3, 2010

Outside my window:

A very nice spring evening--low 70s, perfect. Might go sit outside and read after this.

I am wearing: 

my Boden dress in blueberry batik print. My last birthday present from my parents. It was a popular pattern so we have to wait for it to be re-ordered.

I am thankful for:

my friends

I am reading:

The King's Good Servant But God's First, The Eternal Woman 

The Diary of Anne Frank

From the kitchen:

Onion and Proscuitto pizza (made last night), Spinach Salad

I am thinking:

That it is so beautiful outside!!

I am creating:

A clean apartment: vacuuming, mopping, running the dishwasher. 

Toward rhythm and beauty: 

Daily prayer; spiritual reading (currently Gospel of Luke)

To Live the Liturgy: 

see above

I am hoping and praying:

for my grandfather; my family members in purgatory; a friend of mine who is about to try his vocation as a Dominican friar.

Around the House:

See above. :) But the bathroom is pretty clean! Woo!

 

One of my favorite things:

Time with my friends.

A few plans for the week:

T: Voting day

W: Choir

Th: Voice

Friday-Sun: Pittsburgh to see the family

A picture I'm sharing: 

 me and my siblings (Melanie, center, Bryan, right)

 

Breakfast time!

OK, if you know me, you know that I am not really a morning person. Sleep is my friend. So that means breakfast is usually a very simple affair--sometimes as simple as coffee and toast.
But this morning, I decided to get a bi creative, and I made these.
These are very, very good. And they take, oh, five minutes. Not kidding.
So, here we are:

Huevos Hyacinth
From The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook

For one:
1 slice ham (thinly sliced)
1 tomato slice, or picante sauce
1 egg
cheese of your liking (I used mexican blend, to fit the theme, but Ree likes crumbly goat cheese)

Turn on the broiler and butter one ramekin.
Place the slice of ham in the ramekin and top with tomato slices or picante.
Gently crack one egg on top.
Sprinkle with cheese. (OK  I did more than sprinkle. I gave it a nice covering.)
Place the ramekin on a baking sheet and slide under broiler. Broil for 4-6 minutes, or until egg yolk is slightly set. If you want it more set (as in, you don't like runny egg), broil for another minute or two.
Eat. :)

Saturday Evening Blog Post--March and April

Elizabeth is doing a twofer this month--March and April. Here are mine: For April, The Easter Pics, and for March, the Wonder of the Guinness Cake (really, I can't link to this enough. )

For more, or to link your own favorite posts, go to Elizabeth's.

Food

Tonight's dinner
And...retreat journal #3 (which definitely deals with food).

Recipe The First: Herbal Iced Tea

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style)


4 bags Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea
4 bags C.S. Raspberry Zinger tea
4 cups pure apple juice (I used healthy balance since it's lower in sugar)

Place the tea bags in a pitcher. Boil a kettle of water and pour 4 cups boiling water over the teabags. Let seep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags.
Add 4 cups apple juice. Chill. Serve over ice.


(Note: In BC's book, she uses regular apple juice, so she doesn't have to add sugar. I thought I'd use the lower sugar apple juice, and if it needs sugar later, I'll add it.)

St. Patrick's Day Food: Chocolate Guinness Cake

OK, I am pretty sure that St. Patrick didn't eat this cake. But I'm also sure he'd approve.
It is, bar none, my favorite cake to make. It's easy (one pot!), and the icing is good, easy, and OPTIONAL.
(This is from Nigella Lawson's Feast: Food to Celebrate Life)

1 c. Guinness (I use extra stout, but you can use whatever kind you want)
1 stick plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. sour cream (I use light, and the cake works fine)
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

For the topping (optional): 8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese; 1 1/4 c. confectioners' sugar; 1/2 c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter and line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper (the bottom only).

Pour the Guineess into a large wide saucepan or pot, and add the butter in slices. Heat until the butter's melted (about medium heat). Then whisk in cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and then pour into the pan. Finally, whisk in flour and baking soda.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined pan, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in pan on cooling rack, as it is a quite a damp cake. (REALLY damp!)

When's the cake's cold, sit on a flat platter or cake stand and frost.

Frosting/Topping: Whip the cream cheese lightly until smooth. Sift over the confectioners' sugar and then beat them both together. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

Winter Cooking

Most days when I cook, it's in the middle of a rush--the TV is on, I've just gotten home, and I'm hungry. Baking is another story; that's more meditative. I do it when I have time (or a chocolate craving). But cooking has a sense of urgency to it in my kitchen. 
Today, with the snow falling, I took my time. I scrubbed the potatoes and cut them into dice. I peeled the onion, and sliced it carefully, thinly. I slid them into the oil-slick pan, and cooked them slowly, for 30 minutes, letting them caramelize. 
There is no TV. There is no music. There's just the quiet sizzling of the vegetables in the pan. 


Nigella's Onion and Potato Hash
from Feast

1 small onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups all purpose potatoes (one regular sized spud) cut into 1/2" dice with skin on
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I didn't have any, so used red pepper flakes very generously)
1 egg

Peel and halve the onion and slice finely into half moons. Heat the oil in a rying pan, add the sliced onion and cook over medium heat with a sprinkle of salt to stop it catching. Scrub but do not peel the potato, cut into 1/2" dice and add to the onion in the pan, sprinkling over the cayenne pepper.
Turn the heat down to low and keeping moving the onions and potatoes about every now and then as you want them to caramelize rather than darken in color. Cook them slowly like this for about 30 minutes or until the potato is tender. Turn the heat up and push the potato and onion hash to one side of the pan. Crack in the egg in the other half, and when it is cooked spoon the onions and potatoes on to a plate and top with the fried egg.

Snow Day Pie

I have made my first pie--successfully!
The filing I wasn't too worried about. It was the crust. I used a pat-a-pan crust recipe, where you actually mix the dough in the pie plate, then pour in the appropriate filing. It can't be used for double-crust pies (like peach or apple), but I'm not there yet anyway.
The pie was fantastic. It's like a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie--so rich I only had one piece. With cold milk, it's divine.

So, here's the recipe, from The Amish Cook's Baking Book

Snow Day Pie
For the crust: 
Pat-A-Pan pie crust
makes one single 9-inch crust (no overhang)

• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp. cold milk

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a 9" pie pan and mix with your fingertips until evenly blended. In a measuring cup, combine the oil and milk and beat until creamy. Pour all over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the flour mixture is completed moistened. Pat the dough with your fingers, first at the sides of the plate then across the bottom. Flute the edges.

The shell is now ready to be filled. (If you are preparing a shell to fill later, or your recipe requires a pre-baked crust, preheat over to 425 degrees. Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Check often and prick more if needed.)

Chocolate Chip Pie

• Pat-a-pan pie crust (above)
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c. melted butter
• 1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and flour; stir in eggs and butter until the batter is well-blended and smooth. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract; mix until smooth and the chips are evenly distributed. Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Cool on wire rack or windowsill until pie is firm, about 45 minutes. Store any leftovers in a sealed cake safe. The pie will keep for about five days. 

Enjoy with a glass of cold milk. 

Susie's Cowgirl Cornbread

(From Bon Appetit, January 2008)
As we know, today is Susie's first birthday. As we also know, it is a snowy mess in Ohio (although a plow has come through my complex several times, yay!). So I thought that I would make a "birthday dinner" for Susie, and a nice dinner for myself, since I'm snowbound.
The first dish is what I'm calling "Susie's Cowgirl Cornbread." It's actual title is "Texas Buttermilk Cornbread", which is what made me think of making it. But I like my title better.
Rounding out the meal will be pasta in marinara, and...chocolate chip pie. Yes. I am going to attempt pie making. That recipe will be posted once I try the pie!

But first, here's the cornbread that any cowgirl will appreciate.

• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided
• 2 c. yellow cornmeal
• 6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/3 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400. Brush an 8X8X2 baking dish with two tablespoons of the melted butter. Place dish in oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add buttermilk and remaining butter. Stir batter until evenly moistened--do not over blend.

Transfer cornbread batter to hot dish and spread evenly. Bake cornmeal until crusty on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cornbread cool at least 10 minutes. Serve warm. 

Sunday baking: Giada's Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomato Corn Muffins

My brother got me Giada's Kitchen for Christmas. This is the first recipe I've made from the book. So in his honor, these are "Bryan's Sunday Muffins". 

 Bryan's Sunday Muffins
2 (8.5 oz.) package corn muffin mix, such as Jiffy
2/3 c. diced sun-dried tomatoes (from an 8-oz. jar)
2 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed
3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 c. buttermilk (1 c. milk + 1 tbsp. white vinegar)
2/3 c. sour cream
2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 375. Insert paper liners in 16 muffin cups, or grease tins.
In a large bowl, combine the corn, muffin mix, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine. Mix in buttermilk, sour cream and eggs and stir until just combined.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins, filling the cups about halfway. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
Total time to make: About 25 minutes. 

*Notes: The original recipe says this makes 16 muffins; I found it makes 20, and I used a large cookie dough scoop to fill the muffin tins. So be prepared! 

I used 1% milk to make the buttermilk, and low fat sour cream. The muffins turned out beautifully moist. That may be because my sun dried tomatoes were in olive oil, and I didn't strain them. 

Movie Food: Spanglish and Ratatouille

OK, I love movies. 
I'm Emily, and I'm a movie-holic. 
So, I thought I'd share two of my favorite movie recipes, both from Chef Thomas Keller of the French Laundry. 
The first, from Spanglish, is what Adam Sandler (a chef, in the film) makes when he gets home from work. A video how-to is also included on the DVD, if you happen to own it (which you should, because it's a great movie.) 


Spanglish: The World's Greatest Sandwich

Spanglish's Sandwich
From Thomas Keller

4 thick slices of bacon
2 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
2 thick slices of rustic white bread, toasted and hot
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
4 tomato slices
2 leaves of butter lettuce
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 large egg

1. In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
2. Set the Monterey Jack slices on 1 piece of toast. Spread the mayonnaise on the other slice of toast, then top with the bacon, tomato and lettuce.
3. In a small, nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the egg and fry over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp around the edge, about 4 minutes; the yolk should still be runny.
4. Slide the egg onto the lettuce; close the sandwich and eat right away.

Makes 1 sandwich.

Ratatouille: Ratatouille (what else?) 

Thomas Keller's Ratatouille

1/2 red pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 orange pepper, seeds and ribs removed
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
3 tomatoes (about 12 ounces), peeled, seeded and finely diced, juices reserved
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
Half a bay leaf
1 zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
1 Japanese eggplant (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1 yellow squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the peppers cut side down on a foil-lined sheet. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.
Combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, and onion in medium skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juices, fresh thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes. Do not brown. Add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt, and discard herbs.

Reserve one tablespoon of the mixture and spread remainder in bottom of an 8-inch skillet nice enough to serve from, or a small, shallow casserole dish. Reduce the heat in the oven to 275 degrees.
Down center of the skillet or casserole dish, arrange a strip of alternating slices of zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash and Roma tomatoes, overlapping so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. Around the center strip, overlap the vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. Repeat until pan is filled.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon of the minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over the vegetables.
Cover pan with foil and seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more.
For the final topping combine the reserved tablespoon of sauce with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Drizzle around plate. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.
Source: Tribune Media Services

Now, I fully admit that the sandwich is easier. :) In fact, I'm going to make that first. I've been waning to make it for a long time.  The ratatouille? That might not happen until I own a mandolin. 

The Simple Woman's Daybook--September 27, 2009

Outside My Window ...

It's dark now, but it was a beautiful fall day.

***

I am listening to...
L'Angelus, since it's Sunday.

***

To Live the Liturgy...

Rosary, Magnificat, Bible reading, classes

***
To Fit and Happy...

Gym tomorrow, ballet class on W.

***

I am thankful for...
Being healthy
***

I am pondering ...

How I can trick my body into letting me sleep tonight!
***

From the kitchen ...
This is what I made last night. And here's this week's schedule. 

I am wearing ...

A pink camisole, Pitt sweatpants.

***

I am creating ...
My memoir. It's going really well so far!

***
On my iPod...
(Isn't this the same as the above question? Oh well)

Stuff for my voice lessons--"Messiah", "Scarlet Pimpernel"

***

I am thinking...

that it was a good weekend.
***

Around the House

Not too much! The place is relatively clean!

.***

I am reading ...

"Home" by Marilyne Robinson

***

I am hoping and praying ...
For friends I know with cancer; for a good appointment tomorrow, and good oral surgery this week. 

***

On Keeping Home ...

these candles look awesome. (keeping this link because they are awesome)

And MORE candles: these are what I'm burning right now.

*yeah, I really like candles*

***
One of my favorite things ...

This jam. 

***

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

Monday: Gym

Tuesday: House!

Wednesday: Ballet, Glee

Thursday: Voice, Bones, going to parents'

Friday: Oral surgery--oh yay. 

***

If you like reading my daybook, you can find many more over at Peggy's!

Cripsy skin salmon with roasted cherry tomatoes

From Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone

Serves four

16 cherry tomatoes
2 tsp. plus 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6 oz. salmon fillets, skin on (I found mine individually vacuum sealed in the fish section)
1/2 c. fresh lime juice (or 3 tbsp. concentrated lime juice)
1/4 c. grapeseed oil (available with the other oils in the market)
4 oz. mixed baby lettuce leaves (I used a mix of baby leaves)

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Place the tomatoes on a small baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tsp. olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes in oven for about 8 minutes, or until they begin to split. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly.

Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, score the salmon fillets. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Place salmon, skin-side down, in a cold, large heavy non-stick saute pan. Place the pan over medium-low heat (I left it there about 2 minutes). Increase the heat to high and cook for 2-3 minutes,or until the skin is golden brown. Turn the salmon over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until the salmon is just pink in the middle.

Place the lime juice in a bowl and slowly whisk in the grapeseed oil and the remaining 1/4 c. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Mount the lettuce on plates. Arrange the salmon and roasted tomatoes over the salads. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over the salmon and salads, and serve.

NOTE: Yes, there's two types of oil in this recipe, but EVOO has good fat, and the grapeseed oil has omega acids! So go for it. :)

Tonight's Dinner: Parmesan Chicken

from The Amish Cook at Home

1 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sweet paprika

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. garlic powder (I used garlic salt, because that's what I had. Omit salt above if you do this.)

2 large eggs

3 tbsp. milk

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 c. dried bread crumbs

1 (3-4 lb.) chicken, cut into serving pieces (I used boneless chicken breasts)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10x15" baking pan (I used 9X13", since I only had two pieces of chicken.)

Combine flour, salt, paprika, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Stir with a whisk to blend. Beat the eggs and milk in another shallow bowl. Combine the cheese and bread crumbs in the third shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then into the egg mixture, and then dredge in the crumb mixture. Set in prepared pan.

Bake until juices run clear when a piece of chicken is pierced with a knife, 50-55 minutes.

Pizza and Popcorn for Mel

What I'm making tonight for dinner with my sister (both recipes are from Rachael Ray's Thity Minute Meals 2)

The Only Pizza You'll Ever Want

1 package pizza dough, brought to room temperature

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

1/3 lb. of broccoli (I'm using frozen)

1 tbsp. EVOO

3 cloves garlic, cracked

1/3 lb. chicken breast, cut for stir fry, or chicken tenders

salt and pepper

1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese

10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

12 to 15 leaves basil, torn or stacked and thinly sliced

1. Preheat over to 500 degrees.
2. On a 12" non-stick pizza pan (I'm using stoneware), stretch out dough and form the pizza crust. Drizzle 2 tsp. olive oil onto crust and spread to edges with a pastry brush. Sprinkle crust with grated cheese.
3. In a small covered saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Separate broccoli tops into florets, discarding lower stalk. Salt water and add broccoli. Cook covered, 3-5 minutes. Drain broccoli, set on cutting board, and chop florets into small pieces.
4. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic and chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden, 5 minutes. Transfer chicken and garlic to cutting board, and chop into small pieces.
5. To assemble pizza, dot crust with chopped broccoli bits, garlic and chicken. Add spoonfuls of ricotta through and spread gently with back of soon. Add sliced sun-dried tomatoes, scattering them around the pizza to the edges. Complete assemlby with a thin layer of shredded mozzarella, about 1 c. Place pizza in oven on middle rack and lower heat to 450 degrees. Bake 10-12 minutes, until cheese is deeply golden and crust is brown and crisp at edges. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Top with lots of torn or shredded basil. Cut into 8 slices using pizza wheel, and serve.

Cheesy POPcorn

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 c. popping corn kernels

3 tbsp. melted butter

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in deep pot over medium-high heat. Add corn. Cover pot and pop corn, shaking pan often. Remove from heat. Drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle cheese evenly over hot corn and serve.

The picture above was taken during Thanksgiving break last year, when the three of us (me, Bryan and Mel) were spending the day at Easton. Here, Mel's waiting for our order at California Pizza Kitchen, and wearing one of my old Cap shirts.

BEHOLD!!!

The Pie Recipes from Pushing Daisies!!!

A Farmer's Market trip and tomato salad

Today was another Trip to the Farmer's Market.

On today's list:

• 1 green bell pepper
• 4 lemons
• 1 lime
• 4 ears of corn
• 1 orange
• garlic
• 3 vine ripe tomatoes
• 2 yellow or orange tomatoes
• milk
• chopped nuts
• Sun dried tomatoes
• honey
• And Jeni's Ice Cream, for tomorrow night's dessert--honey vanilla bean and raspberry yogurt

All that yummy goodness!

With that, I made:

Tomato Salad

(adapted from Rachael Ray's Thirty Minute Meals 2)

3 vine-ripe red tomatoes

2 tomatoes, either yellow or orange

1 sm. onion, thinly sliced

1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 ripe lemon

1/2 tsp. ground corriander

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt, to taste

Seed and cop the tomatoes and combine with onion and parsley in shallow bowl. Combine oil, lemon juice and spices and whisk together. Season with kosher salt and toss to combine well. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

This is also very timely, because this weekend is the annual Tomato Festival in my town!

Tonight's Dinner

From Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer--aglio olio 

Sea salt/kosher salt

3 oz. spaghetti

3-4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 fat garlic clove, or 2 smaller, peeled and sliced thinly lengthwise

1 dried red chili pepper or far pinch dried red chili pepper flakes (to taste)

chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Put a pan of water on the heat to boil for the pasta. When it's come to the boil, add salt and then the spaghetti. When you're about 3 minutes away from the pasta being ready, add the oil and garlic slices to another pan, crumble in the dried chili pepper and cook over low to medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the garlic has taken on a light golden color, which will hardly take any time, add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta-cooking water, stir well with your wooden spoon and turn off the heat. Tip in the cooked, drained spaghetti and toss well so that it's well-slicked by the garlic-studded, chili-flecked sauce. Sprinkle with salt and some freshly chopped parsley, if you have it, and eat. 

Rainy Sunday Baking

Brioche Loaves (from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris) 

Makes two loaves

1/2 c. warm water (110-120 degrees) 

1 package dried yeast

3 tbsp. sugar

6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I've used large just fine)

4 1/2 unbleached flour (I use King Arthur All-Purpose)

2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter,at room temperature

1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp. milk, for egg wash (on second day)

Day One: 

Combine the water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix with your hands and allow to stand for 5 minutes until the yeast and sugar dissolve. Add the eggs and beat on medium speed for one minute, until well mixed. With the mixer on low speed, add 2 c. of flour and the salt, ad mix for 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low, add two ore cups of flour and mix for five more minutes. Still on low speed, add the soft butter in chunks and mix for two minutes, scraping down the beater, until well blended. With the mixer still running, sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 c. flour. Switch the paddle attachment to a dough hook and mix on low speed for two minutes. Scrap the dough into a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate over night. 

Day Two:

The next day, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for one hour. Grease two 8 1/2X 4 1/2X 2 1/2" loaf pans (regular bread pans). Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and cut in half. Pat each portion into a 6x8" rectangle, then roll up each rectangle into a cylindrical loaf. Place each loaf, seam side down, into a greased pan. Cover the pans with a damp towel and set aside to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. When the loaves have risen, brush the top of each with the egg wash and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back and it sounds slightly hollow when tapped. Turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool. 

Random thoughts, linkage, etc.

• OK, yes, I've been AWOL for a bit. But between the Penguins winning, insanity at work, and friends' visiting, it's been busy here!
• So, first, some linkage. This is a great, great blog post. Really great. Go. Read. 
• Above I mentioned I had friends visit this week. Who? These two: 

That, my friends, is Karen, my transplant nurse, and her adorable, soon-to-be-one-year-old daughter, Paige. Paige was focused on the bit of lucky muffin that Karen was holding out--and Paige loved them. Every time she had a bite, she did this little head-bang/nod thing. It was adorable. Karen hadn't seen my apartment since I first moved in, so there were lots of changes! In honor of Paige's birthday, I got her Go, Dog, Go! which was my brother and I's favorite Dr. Seuss book when we were kids. I would read it to him over and over. We actually have that on videotape at my parents'--me reading to Bryan in my dad's big recliner. I was doing all the voices, too. Bryan was entranced. 

• And yeah, speaking of the Lucky Muffins--Pens up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against The Carolina Hurricanes. Game 3 tonight in Carolina. 
• Also in sports news: this is a good column. 
• In MA news: working on both classes, slowly but steadily. More up at CPG later. 
• The unread book pile? Remember this?

We're working on it! David Copperfield is actually being read, and I'm making progress! Of course this weekend starts the Great Jane Re-Read (I think this is the fourth year for it? Not sure), wherein I re-read all of Jane. I will be starting with 

S&S later today. 

• OK whew. I think that's it for now. More as the long weekend progresses....