Aroma's that I love...

Who doesn't love the smell of bread baking? Right now, I'm enjoying it with every breath...and loving every minute of it. I'm doing a little pre-work for the weekend. You see, Brian and I are going to Philly on Saturday. This was decided before I started this little project...so I just have to make due. So, I'm going to pack a little picnic to take with us. Tomorrow night I'm attending a happy hour for a co-worker who is leaving...which leads me to why I am doing this tonight.

I'm still munching away on my veggie meatballs. I think they firmed up a bit after sitting overnight, which was kind of a nice surprise. It's also nice to see how the flavors "settle" after sitting for a few days. But they are still tasting good! I also had a bite of one cold...OH MAN...it was good. So, next time I think I'll make it into a meatloaf so I can slice it into sandwiches.

Tuesday evening I had an unplanned dinner guest. My friend Katie decided to come over for dinner and catch up. Not wanting to server leftovers, we opted for a quick pizza and wine. I had to grab a quick pic of the pizza before we dug in:

For Saturday's "picnic", I've decided to make  tofu/dill salad sandwiches. I originally made this quite a long time ago from a cookbook called Vegan With A Vengeance. I'm really not sure what all was in there, so I'm just going from what I think is in tuna salad. Here's the details:

Tofu/Dill Salad Sandwiches
1lb tofu, pressed and crumbled
1/4C fresh dill, chopped
4T Vegenaise
1/2 chopped red onion
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1T apple cider vinegar
1t salt
1t black pepper

Mix it all together and enjoy. Side note: this will taste so much better if you make it in advance!
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Now to the bread. I made this loaf my first week of the experiment:

I am happy to say this was my loaf tonight:

I am really hoping that it tastes good...because it looks and smells like it does. I switched it up a bit this time. After making my pizza crust a few times, I began to think about how I should make this loaf...and how I could make it better. The basic ingredients wouldn't change...but I needed to do something. So, I split the flour between white and wheat. I also added some olive oil to the mix. I kneaded the dough a few minutes longer this time...and I think it may have been worth it. Here's the new recipe:

1 package yeast
1T sugar
2C warm water
1t salt (was 1T last time)
2 1/2C white unbleached flour
2 1/2C whole wheat flour
1T olive oil

Let yeast and sugar dissolve in warm water and set aside. Mix all other ingredients, then add in yeast mixture. Mix and begin to knead for 8-9 minutes. Let rise for 1 hour, then punch down and work out any air bubbles. Place in desired baking pan and let rise for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add pan of water to lowest rack in oven 5 minutes before baking. Bake loaf for 15 minutes, then turn off heat and leave loaf in oven for 5 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
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I was planning on making some other snacks for Saturday, but haven't had the chance to get to it yet. Maybe tomorrow night? Monday is a holiday...so I'm hoping to play around a bit and see what I can come up with! Stay tuned.

I've been kicking the caffeine habit the past few months. I have limited myself to ONE cup of coffee in the morning while getting ready (not really so much on the weekends...I venture into two or possibly three cups). Otherwise, I drink hot tea. I'm not going to lie, I was super cranky the first few days but am very happy now. Well, I went to lunch today with a co-worker because we had a lot to catch up. Now, don't worry...I didn't eat anything...I had some carrots before we went and ate my meatballs when I got back. I did however, get a diet coke. I ended up drinking two glasses over the course of a few hours. Holy smokes...I felt disgusting. Not only was I not able to focus as much...I had a huge crash later on in the afternoon. I forget what it's like to be truly addicted to caffeine. I know I'll have soda's from time to time, but I need to limit my intake!

That's about all I have for tonight. I'm going to finish up dishes and be super lazy!

Until next time folks.