Hooray for Spring!!!

Today is the Vernal Equinox, when you're supposed to be able to balance an egg upright.  More important, I think, is trying to balance our lives between our work, family, chores, and dreams.  It's a habit of mine to spend too much time working and thinking I'm also addressing my family and dreams.  Working harder doesn't make me any more money, but some work can be priceless.  I'm not talking about another job to buy the latest I-Pad, but the making of a garden with children, of planting snap peas in the cold and seeing them turn into bean stalks.  Atop those, giant fingers will pull off the edible pods, bite down, and smile.  Children become masters of a tiny world.  Last year, a few aphids set up shop, only to be quickly devoured by red and black-spotted soldiers - the lady bugs.  

Last weekend our play-date was swings and slides, rolling down hills, and looking under logs at all the creatures that have magic(k)ally returned.  We saved a wizard by spelling his name.  The five year olds raced the tricycle on the deck.  We pic-nicked on juice and apple sauce.  I made the perfect bread.

So plant something, grow something, and be ready for magic.  All it takes is some dirt, seeds, water, and love.

Vegetarian/Vegan Option

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Honey Grain Bread

Taste of Earth 

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Prep: 25 minutes  Rise: 3-5 hours  Bake 40-45 minutes

Cool: 1 hour  Makes one loaf

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 tsp. vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup multigrain cereal (such as Bob’s Red Mill)

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup warm water (100ºF-115ºF), divided

3 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. sugar

2 tbs. olive oil

1/4 cup local honey

In a large bowl, whisk together first six ingredients.  Dissolve yeast with sugar into 1/4 cup of warm water in a separate bowl.  Let sit about ten minutes, until foamy.  Incorporate remaining water, oil, and honey, then make a well in the flour mixture and stir wet into dry.  Flour hands and counter and knead bread about 10 minutes, until elastic.  Place rounded 6” X 4” dough back in bowl and cover with hot wet towel.  (I use my turned-off oven as a proofer.)    Let rise 2-3 hours, or until dough has doubled.  Grease bread pan and punch dough down.  Transfer dough to bread pan, reshaping if needed.  Let rise 1-2 more hours.  Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Bake bread 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.  Cool one hour.