Breadmaker

So, when Christmas time was rolling around and I started getting requests from family members as to what I wanted, I proved my truly incredible geeky/crafty nature and asked for a bread machine.
Yep.
A bread machine.

And that's exactly what I got. Now, with my incredible bread machine I have been making a varied and delicious assortment of breads. Unfortunately I haven't been taking any pictures of my delicious bread, but here is a list of some of what I have made so far.

Trail Bread: My first attempt. It was supposed to be a fruity, nut and seed filled, bread but due to my misinterpretation of the directions no seeds or nuts were added and it was just a fruity bread... Still tasty though!

Whole Wheat and Flax Bread: Very dense, but good.

Gluten Free Banana Seed Loaf: Made for a family member. A+

Whole Wheat and Flax Bread (Second Attempt): Less dense, still good.

Corn Bread: This recipe didn't turn out as expected. Instead of being the cake like corn bread that I am used to it was closer to a dense white bread with cornmeal and some bits of corn.

Whole Wheat with Oatmeal, Raisins, Spice and Flax Bread: I got creative with this one after stumbling upon a basic, ingredient switchable, bread machine bread recipe (below).

Whole Wheat, Honey, Almond (and flax) Bread: Another variation on the basic bread machine bread recipe, but this time instead of using a second grain I used one cup of ground almonds. It turned out moister than most of the other breads and was closer in texture to the gluten free banana seed loaf.


















Bread Machine Bread (Michael Smith - foodtv.ca)
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup of any sugar, white, brown, molasses, honey or maple
3 cups bread flour
1 cup additional grain, cornmeal, oatmeal, rye flour, wheat germ, wheat bran or any whole grain blend
2 tbsp dried milk powder
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil or melted butter
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of your favourite chopped fresh herbs (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Place all the ingredients into your bread machine, and then follow the manufacturer's directions for baking a 2 pound loaf. You may also use this basic ratio to make bread without a machine, kneading the dough allowing it to rise twice and baking it in your oven.

Note: Yields one loaf.

Crochet!

My mother learned how to crochet from her grandmother when she was just a child, and has never stopped since then. It's absolutely dizzying how fast my mom can crochet something. As a child my house was never short on blankets, they literally seemed to grow over my mom as we watched tv.

I, however, have been a delinquent child. My sister learned how to crochet but I never did. I'm fairly certain that I was busy doing something else. Probably taking apart my toys using a butter knife as a screwdriver.. and learning how to daisy-chain as many videogame systems to the television as possible (don't forget the cable hookup and VCR!).

Now I'm older and increasingly interested in crafty projects.. though no less interested in media or taking things apart.. so I decided to overcome my obvious crafting shortfall. On boxing day my mom and I wandered through the Wal-Mart craft department, browsing patterns for a tuque my mother said she would make me. And, as I have never done before, I uttered the words "I would like to learn how to crochet." Immediately my mom looked up, told me to grab a ball of wool and said she'd teach me as soon as we got back to her place.

Some hours and many confused looks, on my part, later and I was crocheting. So far I've only made one thing, a dishcloth. That's it in the picture above. Next time I see my mom it'll be time to learn the double crochet. Oooh!