Bored (or Genius) Sheepherders

I was literally clapping and cheering out loud as I watch this in utter amazement.  WOW!

(A good 200th post celebration I think!)

Thursday's Lunch

Kale dusted popcorn made for a perfect light fall lunch.  Followed by a sunny stroll with Daisy.  

Loving

• Notes from More & Co. especially "I See Dancing Everywhere"
• Katie Herzig
• Walking through red, orange, and yellow leaves
• Making lists, trying to focus on my own 'things that are good' versus 'things that are *%!#'
• Fall soups, I'll share a few with you soon but here's one from last year
• A grown up playground
• I need to get my hands on this magazine
• Sitting on the couch and daydreaming to pictures from Pale and Interesting
• Pure Style
• The Purl Bee's latest projects especially this sweater, this throw, this quilt, and this rug 
• Things to do after nap
• Just a thought
• Rowan helped rekindle my love of fall this year
• Her royal style
• Hatha Yoga with Jodi
• Excited to see Love Stories
• Wild Feminine
• Drinking tea, wishing I had tea cups like those on this cover
• These look yummy, I'll let you know how they turn out

The Morning After

The weekends lend themselves to playing around in the kitchen and trying something new.  Sunday evening it was "Squash Soup with Smoked Peppers and Pumpkin Seed Puree" from last fall's 3191 Quarterly.  We paired it with the homemade seed bread adapted slightly to include pumpkin and sesame seeds and the beautiful seed topping that Stephanie shares in the same quarterly. 

MAV's notes at the top of the soup recipe state, "This soup is so pleasing and very easy to make."  Pleasing? Yes, very much indeed!  Easy? ... Uh no.  By the time we finished making dinner I was too exhausted to even think about lifting a dish bush to clean something.  Needless to say this morning the kitchen has a pretty bad hangover. 

(I hesitated to share these photos with you, not because of the mess but because of that hideous outdated microwave.  Oh well if I'm going to be real in showing the mess, I gotta be real in showing the microwave too! )

Breaking Free

Zenos Frudakis "Freedom"

The moment you can visualize yourself being free from the things that hold you back, you have indeed begun to set yourself free. ~ Unknown

Things for me seem to be unfolding in just this way.  It's very exciting, overwhelming at times, scary at others, and pure joy and bliss for the rest. 

Hoping that you are finding your freedom! 

(Image and quote found via a friend's facebook posting.)

One of those magical evenings

Taken by our dear friend Rick

Eating dinner of steak, sauteed kale and apples, and homemade seed bread.  Resting on the couch embroidering and listening to some good old 45's on this lovely jukebox.  Receiving the warmth of a puppy curled up on my chest and occasional sweet kisses from my husband. 

Giving you a little magic from my evening to make one of yours special.

Homemade Seed Bread
Adapted from The River Cottage Family Cookbook

Dry Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose white flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 handful of sunflower seeds (or any seeds you have on hand)

Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
~1 1/4 cups warm (110F) water

butter or olive oil for greasing pan

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl until combined.  The original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of salt and I'm considering reducing the salt even more.  In a glass measuring cup spoon in olive oil and sugar and then fill with warm water to just over the 1 1/4 cup mark.  Stir well.  Pour the wet ingredients a little at a time into the flour mixture stirring after each addition using either a spoon or your hands until it's a slightly sticky dough.  I found it easier to use my hands towards the end.  Flour a work surface and knead dough on surface until it's smooth and bouncy, about 10 minutes.  Shape the dough into a ball and place back in the bowl.  It is not necessary to wash the bowl.  I rubbed a little olive oil in the bowl and then turned the ball in the bowl to help prevent a crust from forming on the top of the dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel.  Allow the dough to rise until doubled for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  After rising punch down dough. Place dough on floured work surface and kneed 10-15 times.  Shape dough into a fat sausage.  Place in greased bread pan.  Set oven temperature to 475F. and bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 400F and bake for another 10 minutes.  Take the pan out of the oven and gently lift and turn the loaf upside down in the pan.  Put in oven again from another 5 to 10 minutes to brown the bottom.  Tap the base of the loaf, if it sounds hollow it's done!  I love this baking method.  It makes for a pretty loaf of bread.  I typically start checking for doneness after 5 minutes and then every 1-2 minutes after that if it's not done yet.  This bread tastes very earthy and rustic to me, great for fall!

Sorry I didn't get a picture of the bread, could not resist diving in and devouring it before a photo could be taken!