Bread

I’m on a bread kick. And that doesn't bode well for the health kick that I’m also trying to be on. ‘Just say no to dough’ is a phrase that I've heard said by healthy looking people who have the energy to jog at 5am. I think it is a bit overrated - the saying no to great stuff like bread. I feel that chasing after 2 little kids is my exercise and my excuse to keep on the bread band wagon.
It all started with 2 wonderful books and the fact that Josh built me a kitchen that I love. The first book was TASTE, which is not a book but rather the BC Liquor store’s free food and wine magazine that has 100’s of great recipes ( paired with great bottles of wine of course)
It was a cold winter night, and after walking out of the store with a
faithful red tucked under my arm (and Jesse in the other) a bright
light shone from TASTE and I opened it to a life changing Brioche.


A savory cheve, caramelized onion and herbs brioche that is. I do believe there are many a great recipe for brioche with a chocolate filling too...I might have to tackle that next.


The 2nd and main cookbook that has brought me into this new break making addiction is Richard Bertinet’s ‘Crust’.
I’m writing all this as the house smells of fresh baked bread ( a light sourdough) and I can’t help but be passionately moved to talk about my love for bread. It’s not just the eating of it, I love making bread. I love the way it all starts as this wet goopy mush and forms into a beautiful ball of dough. ( I’d love to say that I have the time and arm stamina to do it all by hand, but I rely on my trust kitchenaid mixer) I love the smell, the artful way you can shape it, and cut patterns on the top to let the steam burst out. But yes, I do really really enjoy eating bread.

My heart was fluttering with warm fuzzies when I watched Ava sitting in her chair with a piece of bread in hand slowly eating around the edge of her bread- she was eating the crust first! She likes it, she really really likes it!

I had a 3rd grade teacher who used to always remind us that chewing produces saliva to help us digest our food and to Chew chew chew … 30 times per bite...and she did it!

No more of this crustless mushy 'wonder'bread. ( what is so wonderful about that stuff anyway? )


Well, I think it is time for a cup of tea, and of course , a slice of bread.


Nutella anyone?

Quick trip to Mexico

I was surfing some of my fave travel web sites a couple of weeks ago and ended up on the West jet website. After making a few quick keystrokes on the site we found ourselves on a 737 two weeks later. Laura was pretty stoked as it's been a long winter and with two small kids you certainly loose some mobility and are more housebound than you'd like. So, this was a treat for her. We know we are truly fortunate to jet off to a warm climate like this - it hasn't become commonplace for us.

We stayed 8 km north of Mazatlan at a large 3.5 star hotel called Pueblo Bonito.. Its a beautiful Mexican styled hotel owned and staffed by locals. We were there for just eight nights - but it was a perfect time. We had a one bedroom suite with a small kitchenette and west facing balcony. From the balcony we watched eight glorious sunsets and also the five flamingos that stayed free of charge at the hotel .

On our first few hours there we went out in the ocean to play. Ava was immediately knocked over by a wave- no big deal but then she got away on me, climbed up onto a wall and surprised Pancho the resident black iguana. Both of them were quite frightened. Ava had a good thumb sucking session after that.. Jesse ate many, many hand fulls of wet pacific sand and cut his third tooth on it!

Dad and Mum had some time to hang out , think, ponder life and work on their Margarita recipe but mostly fed, changed and tended to the kids somewhere new and without the slush and snow for a week. PS - the local food was tops!