Winter seems the perfect time to take a break from writing, scouring Facebook and Twitter, scrambling for those book reviews and to simply step back and take a deep breath. Because, despite the weather now, we know that spring will be here in a matter of eight weeks or so.
And if you're into gardening like I am, that means another stress level, although one I welcome - at least for the first few weeks until my back is screaming in pain if I have to lift one more bag of garden soil or mulch! But that hard work pays off when I gaze out on the back lawns and drink in the view of English roses, clematis twining up through the deck railings, the colorful pots of impatiens and dahlias -- oh, my heart sings then. But I digress -- that's down the road.
Right now I wanted to do something with my hands. Crochet? Knit? No, did so much of that during the late summer and fall. Painting? No, not really.
Something with my hands; something I could eat. Eating in winter is a big thing for me. So I decided to make bread.
But not just any bread. Artisan bread. You know the kind -- big and round and crusty, where you pull off hunks of it and slather it with butter. Yummmm!
Luckily I found a recipe online (click here -- so how generous I can be when my tummy is full?) -- which did not require kneading. Cool! Very simple to follow --
And here's the result:
Now isn't that a thing of beauty, I ask you? And in that recipe, the woman mentions other things you could add, such as rosemary, cheese, cranberries, etc.
Well, I'll probably be making a few more of these before I return to the computer and begin working on the next romance. What am I planning on? It'll be something different than my regencies -- always trying to stretch myself as a writer. So stay tuned -- or better yet, sign up for my newsletter and be the first to find out more!
And if you're into gardening like I am, that means another stress level, although one I welcome - at least for the first few weeks until my back is screaming in pain if I have to lift one more bag of garden soil or mulch! But that hard work pays off when I gaze out on the back lawns and drink in the view of English roses, clematis twining up through the deck railings, the colorful pots of impatiens and dahlias -- oh, my heart sings then. But I digress -- that's down the road.
Right now I wanted to do something with my hands. Crochet? Knit? No, did so much of that during the late summer and fall. Painting? No, not really.
Something with my hands; something I could eat. Eating in winter is a big thing for me. So I decided to make bread.
But not just any bread. Artisan bread. You know the kind -- big and round and crusty, where you pull off hunks of it and slather it with butter. Yummmm!
Luckily I found a recipe online (click here -- so how generous I can be when my tummy is full?) -- which did not require kneading. Cool! Very simple to follow --
And here's the result:
Now isn't that a thing of beauty, I ask you? And in that recipe, the woman mentions other things you could add, such as rosemary, cheese, cranberries, etc.
Well, I'll probably be making a few more of these before I return to the computer and begin working on the next romance. What am I planning on? It'll be something different than my regencies -- always trying to stretch myself as a writer. So stay tuned -- or better yet, sign up for my newsletter and be the first to find out more!
Happy Baking!
Claire
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