Oh how I love practical thinking and simple living! I have been completely ensconced in Louisa May Alcott's Eight Cousins: Or Aunt Hill this week (click the link, you can read the whole book on-line for free!).
Reading of Rose's lessons in bread making, I was inspired to improve my domestic skills. All fall I had been planning to learn the art of bread making. A few tips here and there were given, I even made pretzels with some friends to start the process... Yet "real" bread had never been attempted. Deciding not to leave Colorado without at least one attempt, I tried my hand at the process yesterday.
Now let me tell you, my last attempt at yeast rolls resulted in little rock-solid things. They were kindly eaten, but they were a disastrous failure. Yesterday I threw out my first attempt with the yeast, feeling the water wasn't warm enough. After which, the Lord smiled upon my little domestic endeavours. The loaf of oat/whole wheat bread rose to a little round dome. The first rising of the yeast rolls happily doubled. I even remembered the tip I read about kneading the dough and pinching it off into rounds. Twelve puffy balls of dough rose gracefully in the pan. A dozen brown, warm, amazing-smelling rolls came out of the oven after 15 minutes.
I felt like a bread-making queen. Oh yes, I'm an expert now... Or not. But I certainly felt that way!
Next, I suppose I should learn how to sew button-holes (or in general; my hand-stitching is so slow and inconsistent) like Rose did in the book (see page 178 to read of her adventures). Hm, my lack of skill in button-holes is bringing me back down to reality after the bread success.
Today holds new adventures, I'm sure... I'd best get to them!
~ Johanna
Ah, now I'm hungry... I've sewn buttons before, but the holes themselves are beyond my knowledge. ^_^; You'll have to add some pictures if you decide to try for it! =)
ReplyDeleteI think it's my responsibility to let you know that sewing button-holes is not very much fun. On the up-side, everyone does it on machines now [which makes it much faster and less painful]! When you come to visit me, we can do some if you like... :D
ReplyDeleteThere was a day when every accomplished girl could make doilies, too. What has this world come to?
Woe is me, I am not much of an accomplished young lady... Gonna have to work on this. ;)
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