• A Fundamental Lapse In Judgement, Perhaps?

    When I started this blog, I decided that I wasn’t going to write about politics. That does not mean that I am not interested in politics (though, mostly, I’m not) because this year’s political scene is definitely interesting.

    It’s so interesting, in fact, that Mr. Handsome and I have allowed the devil-in-a-box to enter our home.

    In our twelve years of marriage we have never had a TV. Ever. In my entire life, I have never had a TV. Never. I hate the thing. Passionately.

    But, I do like movies, the occasional DVD (we subscribe to Netflix—two DVDs a month for $5.95—and if you decide to subscribe after reading this post, please note our names so that we can get whatever bonus they are offering at the time) or video. For years, we would borrow Matt and Crystal’s TV/video combo thingy when we needed to veg. But then we moved to the country and didn’t have easy access to anything, so we borrowed (kind of permanently, but shhh, don’t tell the kids) an old TV monitor/video player from Matt and Monica (Matt did not get remarried—they are different Matts).

    At least I thought it was just a monitor.

    On the night of the first debate, Mr. Handsome called me up to our bedroom, and lo and behold, there he was, just standing there in the buff… (I’m kidding! Though that sometimes is the case. Of course.)

    Lemme try again: Lo and behold, there he was standing beside the old TV monitor and on the TV were the fuzzy faces of McCain and Obama. What??? Here he had rigged the thing up with cords—one was running up the side of the window and draped over the curtain rod. I don’t know what he did; all I know is it was electrical and ugly and messy. It wasn’t the best connection, and sometimes the images dissolved and the buzzing sound overtook, but we learned that if Mr. Handsome sat next to it, leaning his body just so with his hand over the top of the TV (in a perverse sort of blessing), the picture came through satisfactorily.

    Soon we heard a scuffling noise outside our bedroom door. I tiptoed over, opened the door, and there were Miss Becca Boo and Yo-Yo Boy crouched down, trying to listen under the door. So I invited them in. Miss Becca Boo said, “What movie are you watching?”

    Mr. Handsome shushed her and said emphatically, “It’s not a movie. It’s history.”

    “Oh,” she said, and snuggled down to watch.

    Since that night, Mr. Handsome and I have watched the following two debates. When we’re watching, a bowl of popcorn between us, it seems just like a movie, but then afterwards the ads come on (some of which I can not follow and do not understand) and all the fast-talking reporters and then I remember that it’s a TV we’re watching and I get a yucky, tired feeling and we turn it off and go to bed.

    So, can I still say that I’ve never owned a TV? Have I crossed The Line?

    And in regards to politics, I’m not going to tell you who we’re rooting for. (The yard sign, our first ever, isn’t up yet, and even if it were, you couldn’t see it, right?) Can you guess?

    Ps. I’ll reveal the answer if I get twenty (20!) guesses. If not, I’m keepin’ mum.

  • Staying Regular

    First off, I need to apologize: I have been lax and inconsistent in my posting practices; I have neglected to be there for you when you needed me; I am a dismal failure. (Am I allowed to have a colon and three semi-colons in one sentence?) This has a lot of you up in arms—frustrated, angry, and disconsolate. I know this is so because my in-box has been flooded with every type of email, from the polite queries as to whether or not I am still alive to the angry denunciations of my (lack of) character to the pathetic pleas for more minutia (“Please, sah, may I have some mo’?”).

    Okay. Not really. But I do get your vibes, so be careful what you’re vibing.

    So here’s to a renewed commitment to post more regularly. (I must insert here, to give myself a little credit, that I have been posting on the sourdough blog, so even when there is some big lag time on the minutia end of things you can click on the bread picture in the right column of this page if you need evidence of….uh…me.)

  • Basic Whole Wheat Bread

    The whole wheat boule is a little tangier and nuttier, more of a sour bread, but it’s still not what I would call a strong-flavored bread. And it’s neither too dark nor too dense. Of course, you can make it as dark as you like by adding a higher ratio of whole wheat flour to white flour or by including other whole grains. But I like it as is—for a basic whole wheat bread, this is about perfect.


    The dough is a little wetter than the Country White dough, and it doesn’t rise quite as high which results in a flatter-looking boule. I may be doing something wrong, so if I figure out the problem (if this is even considered a problem) I’ll let you know.

    Whole Wheat Boule
    Adapted from Breads from the La Brea Bakery by Nancy Silverton

    2 cups (1 pound) cool water
    1 3/4 cups (1 pound and 1 ounce) whole wheat starter
    1 tablespoon barley malt syrup
    5 2/3 cups (1 pound and 11 ounces) unbleached bread flour
    1 ½ cups (6 ounces) whole wheat flour
    1/4 cup wheat bran
    1 tablespoon sea salt

    Mix together the water, starter, syrup, flours, and bran on low speed for 4 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes. Add the salt and mix for another 6 minutes. Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl, cover well, and let proof for about three hours.


    Proof and bake the bread as is outlined in the recipe for the Country White bread. (Dock the bread with a backwards C, followed by a slash that is perpendicular to it and then two slanted slashes on either side of the main perpendicular cut. Confusing, huh? Look at the photo, or else cut it up in whatever way you find pleasing.)

    Update, December 8, 2008
    The dough is too wet, even when shaping into loaves. When docking, it deflates and does not rise again. Therefore, I have started adding more whole wheat to the dough. The recipe calls for six ounces, but I put in somewhere between 10 and 12 ounces, plus another 1/2 teaspoon of salt.