Today was a pretty average Saturday around here.
I started my morning with a special treat.
A grande Skinny Vanilla Latte. Oh, how I love them!
And then, the grocery shopping began!
I got to go to one of my favorite grocery stores around here. It’s an international market and has everything that you could ever imagine! I always find something new to try!
Today did not disappoint either. I have a very hard time finding the brand of hummus that I like around here. I’m not a huge Sabra fan, and since we moved, I can’t get the locally made kind that I really love. So, I’m usually searching for Tribe hummus (because no one carries it, so I have to search) or I grab some at Trader Joe’s if we happen to be making a trip!
Today I found this….
Tribe jalapeno hummus?!!? Yes, please.
I’ll just say that between the hubby and I, we ate 3/4 of the container and I’m mad that I didn’t buy more than one!
Does anyone else get excited as I do when you find something new that you really like?
We came home and then I spent the afternoon in the kitchen baking!
I made a few different things that I’ll tell you about as we use them in meals this week, but the item I was most proud of was this guy.
I MADE BREAD!!!
I’m terribly excited about this as yeast and I don’t get along very well and every single time I try to make bread, I usually screw it up.
This time, I didn’t.
I even messed with the recipe and added some spices to it. I was very, very brave.
I’m also thankful to my favorite kitchen accessory for helping me out.
My Kitchen Aid mixer.
I got this during my blogging hiatus. I had been drooling over the mixers for a LOOOOONG time. One day I came home from work and this was sitting on my counter. I about passed out! The Good Eats Guy surprised me!
Anyways, this bread turned out wonderfully!
French Bread with Herbs (adapted from allrecipes)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
In a large bowl combine the yeast, sugar, salt, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and 1 1/2 cups of the flour.
In a sauce pan combine the milk, water and 1/4 cup of the butter or margarine until 110 degrees F (38 degrees C). Add milk mixture and vinegar to the flour mixture and blend at low speed of the mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups additional flour to form a sticky dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead adding 1/2 to 1 cup more of flour until dough is smooth and pliable (I used my mixer with the dough hook for this step). Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
Punch down dough and roll into a rectangle shape. Roll this up.
Place the bread seam side down onto a greased cookie sheet and let rise until doubled in sized. Score the top before cooking.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Let cook for 20-30 minutes. Mine took about 26 minutes.
And PRESTO! A loaf of french bread!
I’m still excited about this as I’ve been trying for so long and just couldn’t seem to get it right!
I turned it into cheese bread for dinner tonight!
We paired it with steaks and baked potatoes!
All in all. It was a good day!
What was the best thing you did today?!
A bit of relaxation is on the agenda for the evening. And then tomorrow we have to gear up to watch the Bears vs. Packers football game!
Happy Saturday!
Oh yes, I definitely get excited when I find good groceries!! It’s even more exciting than a regular shopping find
And congrats on the breadmaking!!
Oh my–that bread? Looks delicious. I love food porn so much, especially carby food porn. I need to make french toast soon, it’s long overdue.
You just reminded me I have a coupon for Starbucks that expires on Monday!
Tribe jalapeno hummus?! I need to find that! I get so excited when I find new foods, too!!
How nice of good eats guy to get you a mixer!! I can’t wait to get one someday!
I hope you had a great relaxing night!
There are few things I enjoy more than finding a new product at the grocery store
I cannot find tribe here in wilmington! omg! I miss it!
Your bread looks DIVINE! Ah-mazing!
I love making bread – I used to be afraid of it too, but it’s really not hard! Yours looks great!
Yes! When I find something I like, I get really excited too!! That’s so awesome that you made bread! That’s a huge accomplishment
The best thing I did yesterday was get a massage. Felt so amazing! Go Bears!
That loaf of bread looks wonderful! I will need to try it. I’m headed to my kitchen this afternoon as well!
that bread looks delicious! Trader Joe’s has a cilantro jalapeno hummus that is seriously like crack it’s so good.
Nice work on the bread. It looks really beautiful and I bet it tasted even better! I’m still learning the bread-baking basics, haven’t tried just a baguette like this yet. YUM
I have an unhealthy relationship with the grocery store. I stay there for hours at a time and get way to excited over new foods. & I love hummus.
Your bread looks amazing!!!
Ahhh, a KitchenAid mixer! Don’t you just love it?!
Want to know a shameful secret? I’ve never used yeast before! I bought some and it’s in the cupboard, but I’m just super intimidated!
I was always super scared to use yeast, too! My husband kept telling me to just try it…after a few fails, I used it successfully twice this weekend! I was so excited!!
That’s so exciting that you made bread!
I also moved to my own domain, so be sure to update your bookmarks/RSS feed.
Yay!!! I tried to read your post from earlier today and couldn’t access your blog! So glad that you were able to move to your own domain!
The bread looks delicious! I will definitely have to try it! I need to start baking more often!
Congratulations on your bread! Bread and I have had a love-hate relationship, but you have inspired me to try again. And I love my KitchenAid mixer too
Changed my life!
Congratulations on the bread – it looks absolutely amazing. I haven’t made bread yet but have been dying to try it… I think I may have to use your recipe as my first!
wow, that bread looks perfect and so pretty!