Tag Archives: bread

day 62 – a time to bake bread

This past weekend’s project…a few loaves of bread. My favorite parts of the process? Watching the yeast activate in warm, sugar-sweetened water…and kneading soft, warm dough…it’s not something you rush through. Good bread takes time and effort, but it is so worth it. When I’m in need of a glimmer…when I feel stressed or overwhelmed, I bake!

you say i’m overreacting …

Obviously, over half of us are losers.
Victory was never in the cards for us.
Everyone knows the truth now.
Remember when
Republicans were respectable?
End of an era…it’s the end of all endings.
America is on the brink.
Can you see it? Why can’t you see it?
Tell me when things are great again.
It’s not going to happen, not for us
Only for the rich…and the soulless
Not that it matters…lies comfort you more than the truth

~kat

A little back story on today’s poem. I had a disturbing conversation with someone close to me recently. Someone who voted for Trump. I know several people who lean that way. They think what’s happening is great…it’s about time someone shakes things up. It’s obvious they get their news from this administration’s reliable unreliable sources and the sycophants who spin and regurgitate the lies that keep half of this country afraid and angry. It’s that…or they just don’t watch the news.  Once, every four years, they come out in their red, white, and blue attire on Election Day…cast a vote for the person who entertained them the most. And then go back to living their happy little lives while the rest of us burn in the hell’s wrath that they’ve unleashed with a flippant stroke of a pen. There’s really no talking to them. All I can hope for…and it makes me feel like a horrible person for thinking it, is that when the pain and suffering comes knocking at their door…as it will (I don’t know any billionaires), that they get a belly full of what they voted for, thinking it would only affect other people. It’s a horrible way to think, but sometimes people need to hit bottom before they can begin to heal. 

There are a few things I can commit to when that day comes. I’m not heartless…I’m a bleeding heart liberal who wants peace, justice, fairness, and freedom for everyone, for goodness’ sake! But I am bracing myself, and intent on finding redemption for thinking what I’ve thought. To that end, I won’t say, I refuse to say, “I told you so.” But I will be there for them, to console their profound disillusionment, to lift them from the shame they might feel for having been duped by a vile con artist. I will love them, even as I do now, even though we believe very differently about how the world should work. It’s the very least I can do. I promise to keep a light shining. To be a safe place. I’ve been preparing my whole life for this. Compassion and empathy are often forged in the fire of hardship and adversity. Yep I can do this. I am here for such a time as this. 

Peace, love, and glimmers of light to you. 

~kat


Today’s Poetry Form: The Acrostic

An acrostic is a poem or other word composition in which the first letter (or syllable, or word) of each new line (or paragraph, or other recurring feature in the text) spells out a word, message or the alphabet.



Kat’s Famous Beer Bread

This is my favorite “when company is coming over” recipe.  Not only is it super easy, it also fills the kitchen with the most amazing aroma. And it’s a nice complement to any meal.

Ingredients
3 Cups of SELF-RISING Flour
3 TBS of Sugar
1 Bottle or Can of Room Temperature Beer (Lighter beer will give your bread a milder flavor, darker, more robust flavor and apple or fruit infused beer will accordingly give your bread a fruitier flavor- experimenting to find your favorite is part of the fun!  You can also add optional ingredients such as shredded cheese, garlic, herbs, etc.)
1/2 to 1 Full Stick of Butter

1 loaf pan
Aluminum Foil
Non-Stick Spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour and sugar. Add beer and stir until all dry ingredients are moistened forming a wet dough. Turn the dough into a loaf pan that has been prepared with non-stick spray or oiled and dusted.

beerbreadbefore

Bake for about 1 hour or until the top is lightly browned and produces a hollow sound if tapped. (Time will vary depending on your oven.) Remove from the oven and immediately coat the entire top with butter (it’s okay if it runs down the sides too).

beerbreadbutter

Cover the hot, buttered loaf with aluminum foil and wait at least 15 minutes for the crust to become soft enough slice.

bearbreadsliced

Remove loaf from pan and slice along the side of the loaf with a serrated bread knife to prevent breaking the top. Serve warm.  Enjoy!

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Add a bit more flour for a denser loaf…perfect for slicing for toast.

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