...baking bread with my dad

 As I mentioned in previous posts, my dad loves baking bread. It all started when we clubbed together and bought him a course on Artisan Bread Making at Flavours School of Cookery. Since then, he's baked nearly every day, and now bakes for one of our favourite local cafes. Whilst it is special to receive delicious homemade loaves still warm from the oven, we have created a monster. My dad is obsessed with bread, and I mean obsessed. He talks about nothing else (well, that and AFC Bournemouth). We often joke about what he talked about before bread (or B.B as we call it), and he's not quite sure of the answer himself.
Anyway, dad does make amazing bread, so I decided it was high time that I baked with him and learn some of his tricks of the trade. The experience, at times, reminded me of him teaching me how to drive, but all-in-all we had a really lovely afternoon!

So here is Kev's recipe for Walnut and Raisin Loaf

Ingredients:

Dry

350g strong white bread flour

150g wholemeal bread flour

6g dried ready to use yeast

10g table salt

10g brown sugar

40g raisins

40g walnut halves

Wet
4tsp walnut oil (not essential)
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
250ml tepid water

Method
Add all your dry ingredients and stir. Then add your wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon (Kev says it must be a wooden spoon; "I dont know why, it just has to be wooden".

Then put in a food mixer with a dough-hook for 3 minutes. If you don't have a dough-hook then knead it for about 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is springy. After it is finished in the mixer, leave it for a few minutes. Then on a flour dusted worktop, knead again until flat and fold into the centre, and keep folding until you make a ball (see pics above).

The next step is to cover with cling film and leave in a warm spot for about an hour, or until it has risen 2 or 3 times its original size.

Then you need to 'knock back' the dough (dad assures me that this is the technical term). This involves pressing your fist gently down on the risen ball of dough to push the air out.
Once that's done, divide your dough in half, and then roll it up. Place each portion in their own oiled loaf tin. Dust with flour and score down the middle. Cover again and leave in a warm place to rise again for about 30-45 minutes. Then they are ready for the oven (finally!). Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 for 18 minutes.
Once they have been in for the correct number of minutes tip them out onto a drying rack. Leave to cool.

Dad says they are supposed to be served with cheese-namely blue cheese I think, but we love them toasted with loads of butter and jam. Delicious! Thanks dad.
Happy baking! I'll be back again in a couple of weeks with his focaccia recipe. Yum yum.
Maria x

.... watching Borgen and knitting in bed

We've all come down with colds this week! feeling a little cream crackered. I usually go to pottery on a Tuesday, but the weather is pretty slushy and didn't fancy sitting in the studio tonight. So I have spent the night in bed (it's the warmest place in the house) and have started knitting myself a scarf. Inspired by making one for Mr hare at the weekend.

To entertain me whilst I clack my needles I've been watching the  Danish political drama 'Borgen', I missed the two hours on Saturday night, so I have been catching up with everything that is happening to Birgitte, she's having a bit of a tough ride this week! It's pretty chilly typing here so I am going to jump back into bed! Will keep you updated with my scarf progress!

Borgen & Knitting (So Rock & Roll this Tuesday Evening) 

I'm hoping it will look like this Renwegg Scarf from Anthropology! 

Happy Hare now he has a scarf I made him to skinny! 

Wishing Maria a quick recovery from her cold! She will be here tomorrow 

with a post about baking bread with her dad! 

gem x

... escaping into the wilderness

I have always had an interest in wildlife and a huge fascination about woods, as a child  they would  haunt me and delight me. My dad was brilliant at taking us on adventures; to the Mendips to search for goblins or into the woods at Ashton Court. We would spend hours playing in hollowed out trees, running through the woods with our hand made sticks making up games. Swinging from the vines of the old mans beard in Leigh Woods was a BIG favourite, our legs would swing freely over the gorges, and our excitement would ripple up into our throats with screams of pure delight, they would echo over the valley walls and bounce back inside our ears. To be an eight year old again ( I think this was probably my favourite childhood age)

 Now with the brilliant  novel from Colin Meloy  I am reliving these joys. His  book the 'Wildwood' had me captured so much I was in bed last night at 9.30 pm to read more about Prue McKeel and her adventures in the 'Impassable Wilderness'. Where there are armed talking Coyotes and crows that kidnap babies. So yep you would be right in the understanding that it is a children's book! But so far I am gripped. It is beautifully illustrated by the artist Carlson Ellis. For a year now I have had a wallpaper image on my phone of a girl flying on a  bird of prey that I discovered on Pinterest, I had no idea that I would find this image in one of the beautifully illustrated plates within the book! The book is planned to  be written as a trilogy, so I am pleased to know that I will have two more beautifully illustrated books on my book case. The decemberist musician come author and his wife (Ellis) make a fantastic team.

I was lucky to have two of these plates in my copy, so I am going to frame one! 

Cuckoo Cuckoo

I love books that have maps or family tree's inside the cover

If I have my own children I know I would love reading this to them. It has a grown up, yet intriguing narrative that would appeal to the adventurous, curious nipper. It's a little on the dark side so probably for any brave 8yr olds and upwards. Snowy nights are great for curling up on the sofa and reading a good book, especially when the setting themselves are cold and isolated. If you want a more 'Grown Up' read I can definitely recommend Jo Nesbo's 'The Snowman' but if you have a snowman in your garden at the moment, don't go there! It is terrifying.

More info on the Wildwood Chronicles  can be found on their website

www.wildwoodchronicles.com

Happy reading & don't forget the hot chocolate & blankets

Have a good week! 

gem x

...taking road trips with the husband

That makes us sound way cooler than we are. Actually, it was a road trip to Crawley-hardly route 66. Nevertheless, I do love a road trip. For our honeymoon we took a road trip all along the south coast of England, and it was one of the best times. We talk all the way and listen to our favourite driving tunes. The husband always packs some snacks, and we munch on sausage sandwiches and Monster Munch. Funtimes.
So, yesterday, while on our way to visit Granny and Bacca (Grandpa), I had the idea of putting together our road trip playlist. Here they are...

Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits (our dads were big fans-this song takes us back to car journeys as kids)
Mr Brownstone - Guns 'N Roses
Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
Wanna Be Startin Something - Michael Jackson
Where the Streets Have No Name - U2
Stolen Car - Beth Orton
Elephant Gun - Beirut
Tear My Stillhouse Down - Gillian Welch
Geraldine - Glasvegas
The Infanta - Decemberists
Organ Donor - DJ Shadow (although we had to turn this one off because it made the little guy go a bit weird!)

Happy driving! And stay safe in the snow!
Maria x

.... sledging in the snow

Yesterday I got that phone call that everyone wants to get! The 6.30am call that tells you not to rush out of bed because it's a SNOW DAY! I leaped out of bed did a merry dance and then got back under the covers! It was a very cold day, but I decided to brace the cold air and head down to the beach, we didn't get it so bad on the coast, but it was Freezing! Some like minded friends were also heading for the beach for a game of Baules!....... I know! ...They are mad!

After a morning of hot chocolate and waffles we headed to Badbury rings, as we drove further into the main land, it was like opening the wardrobe doors to Narnia. It was amazing, we threw ourselves down the ring slopes on  tiny kids sledge and on skim boards. It was so much fun. I took some really funny pictures. But half way through our day I realised to any bloggers/instagramer's horror that I had  lost my new iPhone! Whoops so somewhere on Badbury rings is a very wet phone.  I don't regret the day at all though it was the best friday I have had this year! We where also lucky enough to be fed a delicious hot welsh beef soup from Rob's mum (thank you Rob's mum)  So all in all a very fun day! Thanks Jon & Rob, we have some funny videos so I will upload them as soon as I get them from Jon!

And today, I did it all over again, Not everyone got a snow day yesterday so my flatmate and some friends and I headed back to these ancient rings for some more snow fun!

 Snow prep! 

 Oh the anticipation of another day in the snow! 

Ree enjoying a very Hot Choc! 

Go Tom! 

Go Cheers! 

I hope you have all been enjoying the snow,

Keep safe and Have a fun weekend! 

Gem x

...walking in a winter wonderland!

So, it finally snowed here. We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland! The little guy has experienced snow once before, when he was about 5 months-not old enough to really enjoy it.

December 2010. Cosy/confused!

When we saw that snow had actually fallen we ate some breakfast and headed on out for a walk. It was freeeeeeezing! But so pretty. The little guy was impressed; he walked for about 45 minutes with no complaints. That's a first. We had a play, caught some snowflakes on our tongues, and then headed back indoors for some hot chocolate.

 First footprints. Crunch crunch!

This afternoon was spent playing with puzzles, baking cookies, and then scoffing them in the tent. 

 Yep-those are his pjs! And a cosy knit c/o Granny.

What did you get up to today? 

Maria x

.....searching for creative inspiration and discovering Beci Orpin

I am always on the look out for creative ideas, whether it is inspiration for my flat, or crafty projects. I am really lucky to have so many friends who are on the same wave length as me. Who get excited about a piece of fabric or the shape of a tap, or another great woolly jumper! My old flatmate came over last week and we ended up laughing about the fact that we seem to pin each others pins on pinterest within seconds. It got us chatting and catching up with the latest things we have found! And this is when Jo introduced me to Beci Orpin. She had received her book "Find and Keep" 26 projects to spark your imagination for Christmas and was literally dragging me to the computer to show me her site saying with lots of animation "you will LOVE her art work" and she was absolutely right. Who couldn't love the colours and fun illustrations, and collages which scream happy memories of childhood. It is great!

 I discovered that Beci Orpin lives in Australia, she comes from a textile background. And is now predominantly a mother who has a clothes line 'tiny mammoth and her own stationary and home ware range, as well as writing a few books. I just don't know when she gets the time to do everything.

I hope you like her work as much as I do!

 As soon as I saw this I was Sold!! 

Beci Orpin - Image from a great blog called Pattern Pulp

 One Day  

LOVE

 I know whats going on my January Wish list, I can't wait to have this in my hands! 

I am hoping it will snow tomorrow so I can have a day of crafting,

Thank you so much Beci Orpin for your inspiration!  

gem x