Tassajara Bread

The The Tassajara Bread Book has totally changed the way I think about bread. I received it as a Christmas gift, and every second Friday I take it out to make a new two loaves of bread.

Tiffany introduced me to molasses, which led me to try molasses bread.  

Rather than just giving a recipe, the book helped me understand the role of each ingredient in the loaf. Whereas I used to hesitate when a loaf of bread turned out hard or grainy or gritty, I now just keep trying different loaves. The primary recipe is marked by fairly long rise times-- partially because it's 100% whole wheat. I also acknowledged that whole wheat bread is not supposed to taste like white flour bread-- they're just different.

After the first beating

There's something satisfying about making something as simple as bread. I beat the water, flour, yeast and salt, you knead it, I see the yeast working, and then we eat. I feel connected to the process in a way that I didn't before, and bread has become my gateway to thinking of all the other things that I can make from scratch. Primarily because I thought bread making was very difficult, and not worth the effort. Bread making made way for pie-crust making, which made way for eating a little more fish, which made way for...

After the first rise, at which time the camera battery died... I can give you the recipe if you'd like to try it out.

I think of each week's bread making as an investment in our family's future: I put in a few hours and try to take note of how each loaf turns out, because five years and 200 loaves later, I can only imagine how much I'll have learned.
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Eug, Noah and I are leaving for Korea on Saturday. We'll be away for ten days, but (unlike while I was in South Africa) I've scheduled posts while I'm away. So you may not notice the absence this time. We will be there to celebrate Noah's Dol. It's my first visit to Korea, so if you're so inclined, please pray for us to have a good trip.

I Made Something!!*

*with [a lot of] help from my friends...

I'm not someone who naturally gravitates towards textiles or crafty stuff.  I have no problem buying second-hand clothes that were made in a dodgy environment, I just mumble some excuse that the person who bought the clothes new is responsible for that environment, I'm just helping give the clothes extra life. Right?  Anyway.

Then there were the 16 or so years where I needed to rebel against the idea that women sew. 'Cos if we're busy sewing, we're not studying or leading or, well, doing other stuff. Which is still compelling to me, but I think maybe we can do both, in limited quantities in my case.

Feminism aside, I am rather too excited to let you know I made a bunny. Modeled after this bunny (and with help and materials from the maker of this bunny). Noah now has his very own home-made easter bunny, stuffed with an old sock.  And I feel incredibly crafty and brilliant.  So much so that I'm inspired to learn to knit socks.  Right after I re-learn to knit, period. Granny will be proud.

Because my first bunny needs more than one photo.

And, congratulations, Vanessa, our soap winner!! Soap will be on its way to you!

Simple Baby Part 5: Stuff to help him stay clean

First, I realized I've kindof beaten this topic to death by making it a series. Sorry about that. But I've learned something: that you need a bunch of stuff for babies, and exactly what you need depends a lot on how you balance space vs. having the stuff. I get excited about having space and as little stuff as possible, because stuff takes energy. But the reality is, trying to minimize stuff also takes energy. I think I like spending time trying to get rid of things. It's hardwired. Trying to articulate our real needs helps me think through my goals around frugality, social justice, simplicity and sustainability. Hence the five-part series.

So this one's short. I refer you to an earlier post on cloth diapers.
Help Staying Clean (Part 5)
Diapers
Diaper pail
Fabric wipes-- which we just put in the diaper pail with the diapers.
A potty-- in case Noah learned about that early.
Almond Oil-- with a little lavendar for massage.
Baby Wash-- a lot less than I expected though, because most of the time water does the trick.
Diaper Rash Cream-- only very, very occasionally.
Recently, nail clippers-- because those little nails grow so fast.