off to...

As the middle child...

I now realize why I have two sisters: if you lick both beaters and the bowl you get an upset tummy.  See, this is just smart parenting.  Way to go Mom and Dad.  Lesson learned. 

Artisan Bread

Like many, I've hopped on the No Knead Bread band wagon.  It is brilliant, tasty, and I love making it.  I won't go into how each loaf is different in neat ways, or how it crackles as it cools, or how the crust explodes when you cut into it.  Give it a go on your own.  You will not be disappointed.  What's interesting, is that I've started to bake more and more bread even as I read and teach a book on the dangers of carbohydrates.  It's been an interesting experience, to say the least.  And one day two weeks ago, I brought in a loaf and some of my sister's awesome strawberry jam, and the class and I made peace with the carbohydrate. 

I wasn't sure how teaching Gary Taubes's excellent Good Calories, Bad Calories would go.  Some of my friends were skeptical, and my younger sister, a dietician, won't even talk about it with me.  And going into class, I expected a lot of resistance, at least as much resistance as they showed to Postman's Technopoly.  But by the end of the book, the majority of the class seems to buy Taubes's argument (in brief: Taubes's argument is that the carbohydrate hypothesis is at least viable enough to warrant scientific experiments; they're haven't been any, and at the end of the book I think most people will be convinced, not that they should give up bread, but that some degree of scientific due dilligance is in order.)  Surprisingly, some of my students seemed to agree even more strongly with Taubes after we read a harsh review of the book by an expert in the journal Obesity. 

It's been an interesting journey with this text, and a longer discussion of it in my class is probably in order.  On the last day, however, I did tell them what I think are the major points to remember, and they aren't that they should stop eating bread.  Instead, they had to do with writing, research, argument, tone, style, and the effectiveness of treating a scientific topic in a sophisticated way.  Taubes's book is an exemplar for showing the public how science really works, and I hope that my students walk away with a sharper eye for how people can and should write effectively about issues in science and technology.  If they paid attention as they read, these lessons could not have missed them.

And the bread?  I plan on baking it for a long time to come.  Here's what you're missing:

Granola

**Update: Since it seems people actually read this thing, if anyone would like a sample before jumping in, let me know, and I'll drop some off.**

I get requests for this recipe every now and again, and I always forget where I keep it.  Honestly, I make it up from memory each time, so there's no "official" recipe and this one is a bit fuzzy.  Recently, I've made it cheaper by cutting down on the amount of honey.  Give it a shot, but be creative: it's never the same twice (which is a good thing if you eat as much of it as I do).  And if you find something that really gives it a kick, you gotta share.  That's the deal.

Time: It takes 30 minutes to mix the ingredients and begin baking.  You can do lots of other things while it bakes, like write your dissertation. 

Greg's Granola

Dry Ingredients:
~10-12 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
~2 cups unsalted chopped peanuts
~2 cups chopped almonds
1 cup flax meal, optional
1/2 cup flax seeds, optional
1/2 cup wheat germ, optional
1/2 cup wheat bran, optional
raisins or craisins to taste

Wet Ingredients: (This is fuzzy; I'd recommend having more honey on hand; if you combine too much, refrigerate it for the next batch.)
2-3 cups honey
1/2 cup oil (vegetable or canola work best)
2 cups water

Steps:
1.  Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2.  Combine honey, water, and vegetable oil in pan, heat on low until warm.
3.  In large pot combine all dry ingredients except raisins/craisins and mix well.
4.  Pour 2/3 of honey mix into dry ingredients and knead by hand until evenly coated.  Give it time, the liquid will spread, and the kneading is good for your hands.
5.  Pour in rest of liquid if needed and continue to mix.  Everything should be 'touched' by the liquid ingredients. You can easily extend the recipe by adding more oats at this point.  The mix should not be wet, just moistened. 
6.  Spread evenly onto baking sheets (depending on baking sheets, you will have to bake more than one batch).
7.  Bake for 30 minutes; stirring at the 15 minute mark.  Careful: it will burn if you bake it much longer. 
8.  Let cool completely; add raisins/craisins; store; consume.  I eat mine exclusively with soymilk. 

Makes more than a single swimmer can eat in 2 weeks.

Clown Cake

Dyeing

Yum

Crepes by Greg and blueberry compote by Krista.

Consider it capped

Capping off my Weekend Adventure in Beer, the men pulled themselves together this morning to bottle 15 gallons of beer and brew 10 more.  We've streamlined the system and continue to respond to crises with aplomb: Did Greg throw out the muslin sack?  That's OK, this sock will do.  And this time we are not expecting any late evening volcanic explosions of IPA. 

Bliss

I've never really believed in the whole "work hard then reward reward yourself" idea. This morning's donut, however, might have changed my mind. I wonder if I could request blue and green sprinkles...

Limited Edition

I recall a cupboard, mom-stocked with colored boxes of refined grains. It stunned and amazed my friends: all the options. It never contained this variety from Cap'n Crunch (it is, after all, a limited edition variety), but Cap'n Crunch's Peanut Butter Crunch was definitely a staple. After baking my own granola for the past two and a half years (see below), this sort of cereal does not dare show it's face in my apartment. That is until I put "Fun Cereal" on my Christmas list.

But what is this constructed, red- and green-infused, crunch thing? There's nothing to it. Thank you, but after this box I'll be sticking to the granola. Sorry Cap'n Crunch, it's time we go our separate ways.

Question: If you look closely, doesn't his "mustache" look like a set of tusks and his free-floating "eyebrows" like horns? Are you some kind of wooly mammoth anti-christ, Cap'n? Have I ever truly known you?

The Great Sea of Granola

Horizon:

Depth: