February 25, 2011

Snow Season 2011

Catching up ( there will be a few more posts I am WAYYYY behind......

It was "Operation Thank-you" at 3 ski resorts in PA, right over the MD state line. Free ski lift passes for law enforcement/EMS/Fire. Guess you know what that means? Free snowboarding? YES PLEASE!! :-) Went with a few friends, free passes, it was a good time all around


February 8, 2011

A recipe for the whole family

I took a bread making class last year as a gift from all my in-laws. It was a great class, a whole 16 hour weekend. It has also given me the confidence to know I can take on new difficult baking projects, and get great results!

I found a recipe for a french baguette in a magazine that looked easy and good to make. I was a bit worried I would mess it up, plus I added some of my own ingredients so it wasn't plain old bread. I wanted a little bit of seasoning! I added rosemary for a little extra taste.


Here is my recipe! Very easy, tastes great right out of the oven!

Rosemary French Baguettes

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 cups of warm water (110°-115° degrees)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
41/2-5 cups bread flour
1 tsp cornmeal
1 Tbsp. Rosemary (how ever much you want is up to you, i'd say use at least 1 tablespoon)

Directions:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the salt, sugar and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
  • Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
  • Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into 12-in.-long loaves.
  • Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cornmeal.
  • With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf.
  • Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).