Uncategorized – Farm to Fork

What I did this week, or making bread what to do with extra whey

I have been making yogurt for the past few weeks and since I am straining it to a Greek-style, there has been a surplus of liquid whey in my life.

I’m using some of it to try and acidify my garden soil for a camellia or two. (Still debatable as helpful.)

I still needed other options and decided to try and use it as the liquid in a bread recipe or two.

I’ve tried it a couple of different ways and what is posted here is my favorite so far.

Trace’s Spelt / Whey Bread

makes 2 freeform loaves

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour (strong flour)
4 cups spelt flour
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon dry yeast
3 cups whey, warmed to 110F (43C)
Stand Mixer

Place the flour, salt, dry yeast and sugar in a stand-up mixer bowl.

With the dough hook attached, start the mixer on very low speed to mix the ingredients.

Slowly pour the warm whey little by little over the mixture waiting for the flour to absorb the liquid.

Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and knead the dough for about 10 minutes.

The dough will be a little bit sticky, which is ok.

Stop the mixer.

Form the dough into a nice, round ball and place it in a greased bowl, turning it over so the top has a thin film of grease on it as well. This helps keep it soft so that, as the yeast begins to grow and produce carbon dioxide bubbles, it can expand.

Cover the bowl with a damp towel or a piece of plastic wrap. It’s a good idea to grease the underside of the plastic so that it won’t stick if the dough comes in contact with it.

Let the dough rise anywhere from 1 to 2 hours depending on warmth and humidity or until it doubles in size.

Preheat oven to 425F/220C.

Punch the dough down, split it in two (I recommend to do this by weight.) and then mold each into a loaf shape and put each into a greased loaf pan.

Rise a second time until 1 inch over the loaf pan rim.

Reduce heat to 350 and cook approximately 25 minutes or until loaf middle registers 190 degrees F

Cool on racks.

Can store at room temp for three or so days .

And then there were Pez…

I have a long-standing love of collecting things that, as Marie Kondo would say, “Sparks Joy” for me.

I find small gifts of happiness to be the light that takes us through the bouts of suffering we have as a species, as a society, as humans.

So, once upon a time, I discovered Pez. I may have been six or seven. I wasn’t allowed sweets of any kind. None. Seriously. I was completely deprived. 😉

And then there was this little stick that looked like a little sheep (like Shari Lewis’ lambs!) or some such and when you tilted its head back you got sugar. In the form of a hard chewable Pez tablet.

I was hooked. And not allowed.

So, of course, in my adulting year’s, the first thing I do? Start collecting them. Muppets and WB cartoon figures and Marvel and DC and holidays and goofy figures.

(BTW, did you know there is a MUSEUM???)

About half of my collection is now visible in a fit of cleaning that happened over the weekend.

I see it every time I sit down in my office chair. Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy.

Life is good.

Jardinere – A piece of SF leaves

Monday night was my last trip to Jardinere. It will close its doors for good this weekend.

Jardinere holds more memories for me that I realized when we went in earlier this month. My family and I have gone there for special occasions, for a before theater drink or meal, or just as a place to nibble and pass the time in quiet. I’ve had more than one interesting conversation there; more that one delicious dish, and, oddly enough, received the best hair compliment of my life (so far) there.

When you walk into Jardinere, you are treated to a quiet and calm oasis. A warm, rich interior with a horseshoe bar and a beautiful ceiling that illuminates small sparkles and the afternoon light turns to dusk. The second floor visible about the bar, you can see table tops nudged against the balcony railing that has dimly lit wine coolers built in at every railing post. Does it sound elegant? It is. Opulent? Not really, it fits in. It doesn’t stand out and scream but instead invites you forward into a space that is never boisterous. The soft walls and warm colors absorb sound, the soft carpet on the staircase muffles the traffic to and fro while the sturdy brick walls make you feel nestled into a safe space you can sit and relax.

It’s a destination that is going out in the same style it came in. With grace, delicious food and just a touch of whimsy.

These are a few of my favorite things (wk6)

Here are a few of my favorites right now:

What I added this week:

I am officially recommending the Oura ring over other tracking tools, including FitBit. I’ve used a UP from Jawbone, a Fitbit HR, and moved to the Oura in December. I ordered it online and it arrived in less than 4 weeks (I’ve seen some reviews that said it took longer.)

I miss the watch-like function of them, but the trade-off is that I forget I’m wearing a device. I can wear it in the shower or doing dishes. And it’s tracking is more accurate than either of the devices I wore before. It only tracks HR during sleep, and that’s part of the philosophy of the Oura. The ring, its app, and the analytics available on the Cloud all believe that the best day starts last night and give you plenty of tools to track. So far, it’s known when I am getting sick, and when I needed additional support due to stress.

Does it track steps? Yes, accurately and lets you add activities too. I’m happy with my choice.

What I am listening to:

Nothing specific this week, just lots of acoustic music with some female singers: Lavigne, Morrissette, Parx. It’s been a nice week.

What I am reading:

Legends of Gods and Ghosts (Hawaiian Mythology): Collected and Translated from the Hawaiian

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.” – Margaret Thatcher

These are a few of my favorite things (wk5)

Here are a few of my favorites right now:

What I cherish this week:

Family. Had a lovely meal with the closest members of the tribe at one of our favorite restaurants as a belated birthday present to me. It’s a treasured day every year, and this one was great. Thank you.

What I am listening to:

One of my go-to playlists: French Jazz, it soothes my soul and helps me feel centered during the day.

What I am reading:

World Enough & Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down by Christian McEwen – this is a lovely book, meant to be read in fits and starts. Taking pieces of wisdom from artists, scholars, and writers, each section allows you time to contemplate how to be slower in this crazy world. The title is also a line known from a 17th-century poem by Andrew Marvell

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“To achieve, you need thought. You have to know what you are doing and that’s real power.” — Ayn Rand

These are a few of my favorite things (wk3)

This week has been a bit of a struggle. I didn’t feel well at the beginning of the week and have been slow to recover. So this week’s theme is mostly self care.

Here are a few of my favorites right now:

What I (appreciate / cherish / miss / added) this week:

I used to have this amazing white jacket. It was made of cotton and was given to me by a wonderful friend. I used to wear it whenever I was sick. When I felt poorly this week, I went to find it and it was gone.

I have the memory of it but I miss the physical comfort of the warm soft cotton wrapped around me from neck to thigh keeping me warm while I heal.

What I am listening to:

Bird and the Bee – just lovely. Different, upbeat and helps me wake up in the morning when I’d rather stay in bed.

What I am reading:

Part of sustainability, to me, is local resources. Losing local bookstores has been a horror for me. The closest “complete” bookstore I adore is Bookshop Santa Cruz and they have a lovely Winter Reading program that I am participating in. I’ve picked four books and will be reading them for the next two and a half months.

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“Sometimes you are sick, just because you are sick” — my therapist, lovingly reminding me that not everything in life is a lesson. Sometimes it’s just what happens.

Spring dinner for one

Game hen, soup and bread slice Given the differences in my schedule and handsome’s, I eat alone a few times a week. As a cook, this is a challenge as it is for anyone that cooks for one. Either too much effort or too much product makes it a challenge.

This meal is a simple one. Leftover green garlic and asparagus from our Sunday meal, made a lovely green garlic confit and a Spring Soup, if you will.

The Cornish game hen, was roasted til lightly cooked and then halved and frozen. I pulled it out of the freezer this morning to thaw in the fridge and then popped in the overnight for a final roast too give crispy skin and heat throughout. At the last minute a slice of homemade Amish loaf adorned the plate.

A nice glass of 2015 California Pinot Noir and the evening was well made.