One Year Flashback

I was curious to go back a year in my picture folder and see what photo I came up with. Here it is, from June 10th, 2008, a little two month old Raphael sucking his thumb. The rest of us haven't changed a lot in a year, but he sure has. He was my little baldy baby, well, bald compared to Peregrine and Alethea, but people still commented on how much hair he had! He sucked his thumb from the time he was about 2 months until maybe 8 or 9 months, but only when he was tired and falling asleep. I thought it was a perfect habit. But apparently he'd had enough of it. Sweet little baby; where did you go? They grow too fast. (And I still need to write his birthday letter.)

Does anyone else want to share a One Year Flashback?

BBA Challenge #4: Brioche

Last week's recipe was Brioche, a rich, buttery bread that I'd never have made if not for taking part in the challenge. Since I don't own any brioche molds I made do with a muffin pan, which worked well enough even. There were three different options for making this bread; Rich Man's Brioche, Middle Class Brioche, and Poor Man's Brioche. The difference in the three recipes was the amount of butter. I chose the middle ground which still sounded pretty decadent with five eggs and a half pound of butter. Working with such a buttery dough was different; even straight out of the fridge the heat from my hands made it sticky. I did the traditional brioche a' tete shaping; the whole thing had a high learning curve for me. I think I could do better next time, although I'm not terribly inclined to make such a rich bread typically. That said, they are yummy, a bit reminiscent of a croissant. And spread with a little chocolate ganache they make a very nice snack.

Blessings

A few random picture of the blessings I spend my days with! (Yes, I actually do other things besides baking bread!)

There's an awful lot of reading going on with this boy these days. I think we're going to have to get used to seeing Peregrine with his nose in a book. It's so very fun watching him catch the reading spark. He reads alone, reads to his brother and sister, and reads to Erik and me. I love it!

We got a new batch of 7 laying hens this spring. I can't wait until they start giving us eggs. Here is Poppy holding hers, a Rhode Island Red named Marigold.

You just never know what you may find in the potty!

(And I daresay this is more pleasant than some things one finds.)

And this little boy is an absolute delight! I can hardly believe he's fourteen months. He's discovered that walking is a pretty decent way to get around, and get around he does!

BBA Challenge #3: Bagels

The third recipe in the BBA Challenge is bagels. I'm not much of a bagel connoisseur; I enjoy one once in a while but I could take them or leave them. I have not spent my adult life attempting to recapture the perfect bagel of my childhood; in fact, I don't remember bagels as being part of my childhood at all. So I really can't say if this was an "authentic" bagel or not, but I did think it was pretty yummy. Chewy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. They're not as much work as they seem and were a nice treat. I only made half the recipe, which still made 8 decent size bagels. And, I had some awfully sweet helpers.

Sunrise Muffins

    We eat a mostly gluten and grain free diet, although we have some rice now and then. These muffins are a nice change from grain free and from the usual almond flour. The coconut flour and carrots make them moist and they hold together really well. Coconut flour also adds a lot of fiber to baked goods. These are a hit with everyone in the family. I don’t have a picture, because we ate them all, but they are a lovely orange-y "sunrise" color. Next time I’ll double the recipe because I’ve noticed that the coconut flour really helps them to stay moist. Enjoy!

Sunrise Muffins

1 C Brown Rice (whole, uncooked)

3/4 C Orange Juice 

3 Eggs

Finely Grated Orange Rind from 1 Orange

1/4 C Melted Butter or Coconut Oil

1 t Vanilla

1/3 C Honey

3 Small or 2 Large Carrots 

1/3 C Coconut Flour

1/2 t Salt

2 t Baking Powder

1/2 t Baking Soda

Grease or line 12 Muffin Cups and preheat oven to 350. Combine Rice and Orange Juice a blender and blend on high until the rice is finely ground. (You can do this the night before and let it "soak" in order to neutralize the phytic acid present in whole grain rice.) Add Eggs, Orange Rind, Butter or Oil, Vanilla, and Honey. Roughly chop carrots and blend until they are as finely grated as you like. (You can even completely puree them so these aren't "Carrot" muffins.) 
In a small bowl sift together the Coconut Flour, Salt, Baking Powder, and Baking Soda. Add to blender and blend on low until just combined. The batter may seem thin at first, but the Coconut Flour, which is very high in fiber, will absorb some of the liquid. Pour or spoon into prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!




This post is part of The Nourishing Gourmet's Pennywise Platter.