Soup and Bread

This weekend's theme appeared to be "good food."

Last night I had dinner prepared by bestie. Tender, scrumptious beef stroganoff brimming with mushrooms, green salad, and heavenly toasted cheese bread. The meal ended with a peanut butter, sugar-free chocolate pudding pie prepared by moi. Add in lots of talk and laughs and it was a perfect Saturday night. Well, except for the fog enveloping my car on the drive home.  Brights on, brights off, brights on, brights off - it was a freak show trying to maniacally figure out how best to navigate through the fog.  Thankfully my drive home was successful.

This morning was dedicated to my mom.  She used to prepare holiday cardamom bread, layered with spice and topped with Karo syrup and colored sugar crystals.  This morning I followed in her footsteps as I made two loaves of bread with a healthy dose of cardamom.  After baking, I brushed on top a homemade sugar glaze (as no Karo in the house) and sprinkled it with red sugar.  Bread turned out perfect and filled the house with the Christmas scent of my mom.

One tip I learned on line was an easier way to raise bread dough. Normally I'm scouting out a heated spot in the house and it takes forever for the dough to double. The warmest spots are in the bathroom - but who wants to raise bread dough on a toilet - or on top of the furnace vent, which means Stubbs will take every opportunity to nibble and/or lick a bite of dough.

My new tip was to place a pan of boiling water in the oven on a lower rack then turn the oven to 400 degrees for one minute before turning it off. Place the bowl of dough into the oven and the humid heat will result in a faster, perfect proof.  Tried this trick on the first and second rise and it worked!  This will definitely be used for future, picture perfect  proofing.

While the dough rose, I boiled the Thanksgiving turkey bones to prepare stock, just like mom used to do. It simmered for a couple of hours then filled a crock pot full of veggies, brown rice, turkey, and the stock. Have now got some tasty turkey rice soup to last me for days.

As is commonplace in life, with every good act there is a price to pay. For me this means a sink full of dirty dishes!  Anyone want to wash my dishes for a bowl of soup and homemade bread?