road trip

It's 'baking bread on Tuesday' here at three thirty three!  As you may recall, my friend Ceesa and I get together every other-ish Tuesday to learn together the art of making homemade bread.  Now, we are talking flour in the hair, muscles sore from kneading, proofing yeast kind of bread making.

Not that there is anything wrong with bread machines or pre-made mixes!  We just wanted to start from scratch and bake like the old days.  Learn a new-to-us skill while nourishing our families. Baking in community of a friend is a powerful thing, people.  Mistakes oven happen in double and successes are celebrated with jumping high-fives.

Ahem; back to today, Tuesday.  Ciabatta was on the menu and I had already planned to make a white chili to accompany the bread.  The bread requires an 18 hour (yes HOUR) first rise, so we had to plan ahead accordingly.  Since we wouldn't actually need to bake together, Ceesa and I decided to take a road research trip to seek out the freshest ingredients possible for our meal.

Thelma and Louise, mommy style with minivan and MapQuest, we headed north to Wheastsfield Coop.  We ooooooo'd and aaaaaaaa'd and fondled the freshest produce we'd seen since summer.  

So many colors and textures and smells and all NOTHING like Wal*Mart.  The prices surprised me, some higher than I'd expect while others much lower than I would have thought. It was good to see, though.  All a part of my baby-step plan to change how I purchase and prepare foods for my family.

I can't quite go the ToFurky route just yet, but I will say Ceesa Louise may or may not have purchased something of the like to fake out her family tonight.

 

HeHe.  Teese = fake cheese.  HeHe.  Neither Thelma nor Louise purchased any teese.  I promise, Honey.

As you can see, our research was both difficult and strenuous.  We needed to refuel at the deli counter with 'garlic lovers pasta salad' and 'blackened chicken salad'.  We sure took one for the team by trying out all of these healthy new foods on ourselves before serving them to our families.  Selfless servitude, yup.

I did find it funny that we had to be home by a certain time to prepare our ciabatta bread for it's second rise.  I mean, what would the purpose of our road research trip BE if in the process we ruined our bread.  We may be wild, but we are not crazy.  

 

Mmmmmmmmm.  This was mighty fine bread.  Look at all of the nooks and crannies just waiting to be filled with butter or jam or cheese or garlic or mayonnaise or ..............  you get the point.  

As Ben would say; this bread is goodness.