Bread

What a week!  Sis was married last week on Saturday down in SC, then we rushed home so I could be deposed.  Talk about an abrupt mood change.

I've been cooking, of course...not much entertaining, but that's only to be expected.  Tonight we're making Greek Chicken and I decided to attempt making bread again.  I'm following Jaime Oliver's technique but using a cup of white whole wheat in place of one of the cups of bread flour.

One thing he recommends is to make a pile of flour on a large open surface, put a well in and pour the liquid in.  What he completely fails to mention is that you need some sort of barrier on your surface or any break in the "dam" of flour will create an incredible mess and half of your yeast mixture will end up on the floor!  Thanks, Jaime!  I suppose I should have thought ahead, but what do I know?  A bit more now.

I've always had difficulty rising bread in this house, unless I'm doing laundry...our house is just too cool and drafty except in the laundry room if the dryer is running.  It's still difficult.

Anyway, dinner is in the oven so I'll have to post back with an update to how the loaves turn out.  I'll think I've described Greek Chicken before?  Time time I picked any likely herbs from the herb garden, chopped them up and pushed them under the skin, along with some lemon zest, salt and pepper.  That takes a bit more time than sprinkling, but is very, very nice.

Caprese Salad

Farmer Fred is going on hiatus for the month of September, but I used his fantastic cherry and little yellow tomatoes tonight to make a Caprese Salad. Basically, halve or quarter the tomatoes, chop up fresh basil (from my herb garden, which is doing surprisingly well!) and slice fresh mozzarella. Layer tomatoes, basil, mozzarella twice deep in your dish (a glass one where you can see the layers is especially nice, but not necessary), sprinkling each layer of tomatoes with a little fleur de sel and ground pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

We also made the Carolina BBQ ribs tonight for a neighborhood party (yes, we do still have those, darnit). That's what Ms. N brought to our party the night before she died. They were really, really good, she would have been happy to chow down.

I'm bracing for Tuesday, when the search warrants will be publicized. I have no idea what to expect.

Kiddo's birthday

Nothing new on the Nanner front, sadly. I know the police are still working on the case, I just wish the wheels of justice turned faster than, say, a wooden cart drawn by a recalcitrant donkey.

On a positive note, Kiddo turns 5 next Monday! Usually we do a party at home, but due to the circumstances acquiesced to his wish to a party at one of these places that caters to kids (which generally I really hate). Saves me from cooking up a storm, but it's kind of strange for me.

Breaking Point

For a while now, I've been re-reading a comic strip from Ohio University that the creator (who happens to be my ex-husband) has been blogging about 20 years later. It's about college as a "Breaking Point", and the smaller points of decision/derision/derailment/discovery for each of the characters involved.

The last couple of weeks I've been thinking about how this tragedy is a breaking point for me. But not only for me. I think that my relationship with my husband and family will come out stronger, but I worry about how far and how deep the cracks of this will spread into my neighborhood, my circle of friends, my community...will we break apart? Or will the welds we use to fix the break end up making us stronger?

Nan was a hub. The wheel is now spinning freely. This bit of poetry also keeps running through my mind:

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold -- William Butler Yeats

Two years ago today

Two years ago today, I was hosting a party to welcome Ms. N's beautiful new daughter, then called Gabriella, into the world.

I wasn't at all upset that my birthday was forgotten in the hoopla.

I'm not upset today, at least about my birthday...it's just not important.

When I get home, I'll add a picture from that day. She was radiant.