Mediterranean Chicken

Happy Monday friends.  Today was my first day back to work after a week off.  The week off was much needed.  I did a lot of thinking and soul searching.  I began to read, again, from the beginning.  Brene Brown's Daring Greatly. 

I think that this time around I might actually finish it.  I came to realize that a lot of my problems that I had this past month was from me withdrawing myself from human connection.  I finally today just summoned up my courage and asked for what I needed.  Only time will tell if things will improve the way that I want them to, but I feel better for putting myself out there.

Sugared Crescents

This is the last weekend of spring break.  It has been a much needed break.  I feel it was far to short.  I'm not sure if I am zen enough to return to work on Monday.  Work has been extra challenging this past month.  I've been trying to sort out my feelings about it over this past week away and have come to an impasse with myself.  I am not willing to give up, so I need to move forward.  Thus I'm declaring this weekend the weekend of Crescents. It's something I have not made before.  And something very French.  I feel that in order for me to move forward I need to get back to the things that I use to love.  I need to remember that I use to love using my weekends to make lovely things in the kitchen. 

First up: Sugared Crescents

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 Tablespoon dry active yeast 
• 1 & 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick melted butter
• 5 cups of flour (add more if needed)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• Egg wash
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water 
• 9 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

1. Combine 1/2 cup milk and yeast.

2. Stir.
3. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to rise.

4. Pour 1 & 1/2 cups of milk into stand mixer.
5. Add salt, sugar, eggs, butter, yeast mixture, vanilla, and flour.

6. Turn mixer on low and let ingredients come together.

7. Allow mixer to knead dough for another 20 minutes.
8. Cover with a cloth in a warm place and let rise to 1 to 2 hours.
9. Punch the dough down.
10. Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil on work surface and cover hands with oil as well.
11. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and bring ends towards the center making a neat ball.
12. Make ball into a log.
13. Cut log into three equal pieces.
14. Shape each into a ball and set aside to rest.
15. Whisk together  2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of water, set aside.
16. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
17. Set baking rack in the middle.
18. Roll a dough ball as thin as you can into a circle.  
19. Lightly sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of sugar.
20. Cut diagonally 5 or 6 times (like a pizza).
21. Roll the crescents starting with the thickest end, rolling towards the thinnest end.
22. Place shaped crescents onto a baking sheet, end down, about 2 to 3 inches apart.
23. Allow them to rise for 15 to 30 minutes.
24. Brush with egg wash.

25. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Ten things to do!

Ten things I’m going to do this weekend in order to feel like a real human being again.

1. Paint my toe nails
2. Finish a book
3. Visit the library 
4. Bake cookies 
5. Bake a yogurt cake and serve with fresh strawberries 
6. Watch back episodes of Grey's Anatomy
7. Start a knitting project
8. Take down velentine's decorations
9. Put up birthday month decorations
10. Remember that tomorrow is the first day of the best month of the year.  

Baked Pasta

Day 8 of no meat.  I cannot say that I miss it entirely, but there are certain things that I find I cannot do.   One is eat at Alex's favorite sandwich place Jersey Mike's.  Sure they have vegetarian options, but they are not as satisfying as a nice turkey sandwich.  I choose to just get something from the grocery store and he can have his sandwich.  Today was a snow day from  school.  My car has not left the parking lot since I arrived home on Thursday.

Sourdough Bread Lasagna

Time gets away from me.   Weeks turn into months and pretty soon we do the whole year again.  This year is already flying by.  On February second I took my last bite of meat (hopefully) until my birthday.  So far so good, especially if I find more recipes like this one that are wholly satisfying.

Peach Streusel Pie

The end of the year.

Christmas Review and French Bread

French Bread

 (Julia's Kitchen Wisdom pg. 81)

Thanksgiving Recap

My friends I had not meant to be away from this space for so long.  I've been so busy with work and not really doing anything else that I haven't had anything to share with all of you.  Here are some of pictures from our feast yesterday.

Finishing up the last of the meal!

Wellington

Instead of going out to a Halloween party Alex and I stayed inside on Friday night and made these beauties.

Fall Reading List

Today is the first day since early September that I feel like I can breath.  I feel like I'm able to get back into my own skin.  Today, I cleaned my pantry, kitchen, and dinning room.

Getting back to normal

The apartment is almost done.  Just a few little things still need to be taken care of, but for the most part everything has a place and it feels like a home.  Even the kitties are getting back to their normal selves.

Mamasita exploring her new favorite place to sit

Fabulous Friday Links

It has been some time since I've done one of these.  I've had the past week off of work and my apartment is finally feeling like a home.  This weekend we go to get the kitties.  It will be the first time in over a year since we have lived with our cats.  On Tuesday Alex starts his first real semester of law school and I go back to work.  Wish us luck in our new lives in the beautiful pacific northwest.

Happy Friday Friends!

1. I really want THIS rug for my living room.  
2. And THIS coffee table.
3. And THESE for the window, so the kitties do not ruin the blinds.  
4. I'm dreaming of fall.  THIS sounds like a good first thing to bake in my new kitchen!
5. Or maybe THESE!
6. After we pay off our credit card debt I really want to do THIS.
7. I'm missing my lucky bamboo.  I think it got lost during the move.  THIS would be a nice replacement. Since this seems to be the only plant I can keep alive.
8. All my twinkle lights are MIA as well.  I think I need THESE to start rebuilding my collection.
9. Alex has informed me that we need adult things now.  I think THIS would be a very adult thing to own!

Treetop Queen Headboard (see more antique headboards)

Montessori International Congress 2013

At the end of July we headed up to Portland.  I attended the Montessori Congress and we found a place to live.  Here are some of the highlights...

Just a Day in New Orleans

Here Comes the Rain... Again

We left Durham, North Carolina early in the morning.

Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo

More Wheat Bread

Another day, another Wheat Bread recipe.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

There are very few things that make me deliriously happy.  Fresh baked bread with honey on top is one of them.  After a long week of practice teaching, after dealing with another snafu with the California DMV regarding my vehicle, after learning I'll probably have to drive the entire 3,000 miles home in July, after another air bead sprung a leak, and missing my kitty it was time to treat myself.

Pizza

Today was hard.  Today required no working out, no healthy food and a bit of cream soda.

But, I wanted to make something new, something from scratch, and I really wanted pizza.

Why not combine them all and make...

Fabulous Friday Links

It's been a hard few weeks.  Spring break was no break.  And the past two weeks have been an emotional roller coaster of stress and tears.  Now that I know I have passed BOTH of my written exams one would think that the stress levels would go down.  Nope.  The world is going crazy and my own little piece of it is full of studying for Oral exams that are still a month away.  Next week I will spend another two weeks with children.  That should calm my nerves a smidge.  On to happier (hopefully) things.  On Wednesday Alex and I are going to see Jillian Michaels live and I'm so excited!

1. Rhubarb Almond Breakfast Cake.  Need I say more?
2. Joy made some killer French bread pizza's this week that remind me of my childhood.  I think I need to make THESE soon! 
3. Maybe I should have made THESE for my school birthday celebration.  
4. THIS might be a good idea for my lunches this week.  
5. I want to pick some of THESE up, I'm always loosing the scrunchie bands.
6. Did you know that April is child abuse prevention month?  Neither did I.  GET INFORMED.
7. Free online science books HERE.  
8. The Power of Talking to your Baby.
9. 10 Things to Stop Saying to Your Kids.