First time bread; 3 ways

Since I've been loving making food lately I'm trying to make what I can instead of buying it. Today, that means bread.
When we moved in my Grandparents gave Chad and I a bread maker and we have been wanting to try it out. I have also found a few other recipes I wanted to try that don't go in the bread maker.

This first one I made gave me 2 delicious little loaves. I got the recipe from here. Rosie writes one of my favorite blog's to read but unfortunetly her recipes come with measurements I don't usually know. Here is a translation.

Irish soda bread
3 cups  Flour (I used whole wheat)
1.5 tsp  Baking soda
1.5 tsp  Salt
2 cups buttermilk
.5 cups of any add-in you might like. I have 1/2 cup of dry cranberries and 1/3 cup sunflower seeds.

This recipe is short, sweet and very simple. No kneading, no waiting for a rise.

Mix all your dry stuff in a big bowl

Add the milk. Mix it in, but not to much.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface and split in 2. Make flattened balls

and put a shallow X on top. Rosie says the X is for heat distribution and also to keep the devil out..

25-30 minutes in the oven at 400F then wrapped in a damp cloth and put out to cool.

YUM!

Next up is potato dill bread

This recipe take quite a bit more time and effort but still isn't hard. Like the last one, this makes 2 loaves.

2 cups cold mashed potatos (no milk or butter added)

4 3/4 cups sifted flour + more for kneading

1 tsp salt

2 tsp yeast

4 tsp dill

Peel, boil and mash the potatos

Save the water to use in the bread it adds extra potato flavor.

Push the flour salt and potatos together, add yeast, then dill and finally milk. 

When everything is all stuck together it can be put out onto the floured surface for kneading. 

Give it hell for about 5 minutes then place it in an oiled bowl and cover for 40 minutes.

Take it out, "punch" it down and knead for another 3 minutes. When it is well abused it can be split in 2, 

given some shape and placed in an oiled loaf pan. Cover it again and leave it for another 20 minutes.

Into the oven it goes. 350F for 40-45 minutes

When it's all done the house will smell delicious. Take it out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. 

Lastly, the bread machine.

This one is very easy but equally yummy.

3/4 cup potato water

3 tbsp butter

1 egg

1/2 cup mashed potatos

1 tsp salt

3 cups flour

2 tsp yeast

Put everything in the machine. Liquid first, salt next, flour and then yeast. Press the start/on button. Wait. 

I hope you enjoy!

xoxo

A day at the fort

Every year Chad and I make a day out of going to the fort and we love it. Fort Edmonton park is a day in the past. This year we went on a rainy day and really, it adds more atmosphere. Rubber boots and a hood had me set!

4 areas of the park will show you how life used to be. 

Travel by steam train though the park and arrive in 1846 Edmonton when it was still a fort. Log walls enclose the fort and protect everyone inside. One of my favorite parts is the fur trading post. Furs are out to touch and see (unfortunately they are real) as well as beads, cotton cloth, guns and many other things an 1800's man might need.

Walking through the park all the staff are dressed in costume appropriate to the year they "work" in, it adds a fun element.

Moving out of the fort the other places to visit are 1885 street, 1905 street, 1920 street and the 1920's midway.

There are a few different farms around the park. This one has only horses. Another also has horses, they are used for pulling buggies and rides. One other farm also has pigs.

People are free to go into all the buildings. Houses, shops, a bakery and you can even find a working

 theatre and a hotel that people actually stay in!

A few of the house are original's from the time when they are displayed for and have been moved to the park.

The train station is where you enter the park. I think it is very exciting.. I'm

easily amused that way.

The horses on the carousel are all hand carved by volunteers specifically for the park. 

They are all beautiful. It's always exciting to run around finding the

horse that's just right for you. This ride never gets old for me.

We couldn't pass up the chance to sit in the old desks in the 1905 school house. 

We always have an awesome time when we come to the park. I think it's a really awesome place to come with anyone, kids and kids at heart. 

xoxo

Learn more about it HERE!

Adventures in food

Since moving in Chad and I have been trying to make more food ourselves and we've had some winners. Here they are:

Oven baked potato chips.

Caesar, Sea salt & Vinegar, and Dill pickle flavors. Sea salt and vinegar were the best and more flavorful but none of them were truly "chips" since they refused to crisp up.

Fruit salad!

French fries with dill and sea salt. Crispy outside, soft fluffy inside. Yum!

Onigiri. Rice balls filled with salmon, avocado and dill. So so good.

Homemade burgers topped with guacamole and maple bacon. These were really good. I had something similar in Europe and felt like I needed it again. We made this one our own by adding some jalapeño into the burgers.

Yum yum!!

xoxo

DIY

Being the me that I am, I love crafts. Crafts of every kind make me giddy. Painting, cutting, gluing, sewing, building, scribbling, crocheting.. Beads, felt, paper, fabric...

Making things personalized and having a home full of things I made, altered or otherwise dazzled is exciting. The idea of living in a cookie cutter house with the same furniture/décor/style as everyone else is dull.

The Internet being what it is today has so much to offer, and something I really love is Pinterest. A virtual pin board to collect anything that strikes you. Use it to get ideas for your wedding, find new recipes, get motivation and tips for being fit.. you can do so much. One of my personal favorite categories lately is home decor. Just seeing pictures of other homes inspired me to plan for myself what I want (and don't want) in a home. And let me just say, the dream home in my head is fabulous. Feel free to visit.

One pin I found has inspired a new project for me. Unfortunately I cant get the link to work on here so a picture will have to do.

I have a desk in generally bad shape but that has a really nice shape and detail to it so I'm giving it a new(old) look. I was torn between sea foam green, minty blue/green and pink. You will have to wait for that post to see which color I chose!

See you then!
xoxo

Wanderlust Q&A

A saw this done somewhere else and decided to do mine here.

1. Your most treasured passport stamp?
          Though I have been many places I have very few stamps. I guess my most treasured is from when I arrived in Europe.

2. Can you recite your passport number from memory if asked?
          Absolutely not.

3. Preferred method of travel; planes, trains or cars?
         Car loses for sure. I hate car travel for the most part. I like airports and I'm OK with flying but not crazy about it. I suppose that leaves trains as the winner. It was exciting to get places in a fairly short time while still being able to enjoy the scenery outside. Trains also have the advantage because you can get up, use the bathroom, buy food and even get beds.

Snow day in Nottingham, UK

4. Top 3 travel items?
          1. Camera. 2. My iphone. I couldn't call or text on it but had iMessanger when I found wifi, wrote most of my blog posts on it, took pictures when my camera battery died, listened to music, did research (again only with wifi) and kept myself amused during long trains/ferries. 3. And finally, good footwear. Something comfortable to walk in all day, good in wet or dry weather and good support. I'll plan this part better on my next trip...

(It was a good day at the market)

5. Hostel or hotel?
          I would say that this really depends what kind of trip you are taking and where. I liked hostels in Europe and on a recent trip here in Canada I didn't mind hostels either, but sometimes privacy and a bit more luxury is nice too. I could go either way.

Aegina, Greece

6. Are you a repeat visitor or do you like to explore new places?
         This would really depend on the place. Most places I've been are worth seeing again, but I would like to see so much more.

7. Do you read up on your destination (culture, history, food, safety) or do you just jump right in?
         Both. It's nice to know about the place you are going in case it is unsafe or if they have certain customs that need to be recognized, but it was lots of fun to arrive and find out first hand about the food and history.

8. Favorite travel website?
        I don't really have one. I have a favorite travel app though. Frommers travel tools. I still use it at home too. Hostelling apps are good too. Lonely plant is another good one.

9. Where would you recommend a friend to visit and why?
        Nova Scotia and PEI, Canada. Both places are so beautiful and having amazing "personalities." Also, talk to your family and find out where your "motherland" is and go there. Maybe a certain town or just the country in General. It's a great experience. And also, everywhere... just travel.

10. You are leaving tomorrow, money is no option, where are you going?
        This one is so hard. Life long dream is telling me to pick Egypt.. I'm thinking it's a good choice. also, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, South America and back to Europe... just to name a few.


Feel free to leave a comment a tell me about your travels!
xoxo