every-single-day

Practice; life takes practice.

So here is my fifth batch of bread.

The holes are getting bigger. The taste is finally here. The crust is good. I didn't handle this bread much at all after the first stirring, I didn't do that foldy thing. I think my next batch will the the one. Everytime I make bread I get better at it. I learn more. It spirals and comes together.
But then, I go over to Wild Yeast blog, and I see she has made Rustic Flax Seed Current Bread. Now, for some reason, I love FLAX seeds. I don't know if it is the crunch, the taste, the omega 3's. whatever, but just say Flax seed and something in me swoons.
But I want to perfect ciabatta bread before I move on or over to another type of bread.
I wish flax seeds had never been mentioned.
A while back I got the knitting bug. But knitting felt like a diversion from my art, a true distraction. Bread making does not feel that way. I feel like I am on a mission.
I still long for correct gauge, in knitting. Loose, beautiful stitches.
I am crazy.
We just watched Life is Illuminated. I loved it.

humbitty-humbitty

Anyone want to buy me a sewing machine? I didn't really think so. I go to that site and look at the machine regularly, but it isn't in the cards. It is fun to check up on it though!

HEY!!!
I had been having a difficult time with my web site and have since gotten my and its act together. While all of that was happening, I sold a piece!!!

Yeah for me! Yeah for the lass who bought it! It was fun to pack the piece up and think of not seeing it again and of what I learned from making it. It used to hang above my sewing machine. Awww. Thank you Ms. R! I would love a photo of where it now resides!

So go check out my gallery pages, I have been updating as often as I am able. I am still not finished but new stuff will be going up regularly now!
Beside that I have been organizing Dye Playdates. I have rented space in the local Community College and I am advertising in Newspapers and at local venues to get folks to come and dye with me. I will not be teaching, it is just a fun way to learn from your peers and gather with other dye and surface design enthusiasts.
I also have several classes scheduled, Drawing with your sewing machine in February, Design and Composition in March and Soy Wax and Monoprint in April. I am getting those pages of the web site back together too, so keep checking back.
I also wanted to give a shout out for Rebecca Berenson's line of cards, Winona Urban Fish.
So go check'em out!

Again... bored yet?

I know, this has become a bread blog.
I am sorry. Art is being made and worked on too. I will upload photos of that soon. I am just not ready for that yet. I am ready to perfect the darn ciabatta, though. and boy am I getting better at it.

This bread tastes good, it is my very first loaf that I think tastes good. The brumb is moist. the holes are bigger. And I think they could have been even bigger...
I took my mom's advice and retarded the bulk rise in the refrigerator overnight.
What I did wrong was I didn't form them into loaves first. I flipped the dough out onto the table and then shaped them for the final (short) rise before baking. Had I done the fridge rise in loaf shape, I think I would have those large holes I have been pining over.
Needless to say, these are the best, tastiest loaves yet. I am a fridge rise convert. I also cooked them longer and omitted the oil from the dough so this is a lean, crunchy crust.

Planning to Out Do Myself

This is last weeks loaf of bread. My crumb is getting better. The holes are getting bigger and it is looking better and better.

The taste is good, but still not what I want it to be. I have a poolish in the fridge right now.
Tomorrow, I will raise the dough slowly, in the Refridgerator, perhaps even overnight and bake it off on Monday, if I can wait that long.
I am going to be careful to not overwork the dough. I would like this batch to have huge holes in the crumb. I am also going to do my best to over cook the bread. I want dark crust.
I have been searching and reading The Fresh Loaf, and really like the site. I have also found Wild Yeast, a bread bakers blog. Scroll down to see her ciabatta...

New Skirt

This photo is a bit wonky. I took many photos and this was the best, it is what comes of timed photography.
So yesterday I cut this skirt from a very loose sort of pattern. I wouldn't really even call it a pattern. I should try to make it a pattern rather than reinvent it each time I want a new skirt. But whatever.
I have been wanting a skirt with a draw string hem and now I have one. It is blue cotton, or perhaps linen. Remember I made a dress last summer with this fabric?
See me with long hair! I sorta like the short hair better. I miss the long sometimes, like when I see a beautiful bun, or wispy, floating bits on other women. But I am having fun cutting my hair. I will grow it out again. Soon.