Mama bakes bread

Yes, this reads as a consumer testimonial, but I used King Arthur All-Purpose Unbleached Flour and its dry milk powder for extra rise action. The loaf rose very well indeed, maybe a little beyond what the recipe called for.

I have to say that the dough becomes less pliable with repeated rollings. I was trying to get it into a flat circle for loaf formation and it was most accommodating on the first try, although it was more rectangular.

I should dedicate one day to making multiple loaves. I compensated for my husband caving into our child's demands and buying factory-baked bread not on special: my rule for this year is no bread over $3.00/loaf.
Check out KAF recipes.

Soon to come: Mama makes apple pie for (Cdn) Thanksgiving.

Detoxing this week

I am fighting cravings for salt and dairy, and trying not to think about pizza and danishes, which I don't even eat much of. I am having fun with the juicer though: made a splendid concoction of carrots, cucumber and beet. This fast will help me get rid of the excess vegetables. I'm hoping it'll restore circulation to my extremities... the feet have been getting cold.

What I'm reading now: September 2008 edition

Lifehacker -- there's an actual softcover book I have on loan from the library. Blindingly obvious tips I never thought of before.

The Learners -- the second novel from Chip Kidd. Astonishingly good writing. Appeals to the Communications major within me. Check out the promo video. Safe for work, but use headphones.

Weird dream

I cooked up some plums with ginger, honey and cayenne and served myself with some creme fraiche last night. Then I grated and chopped some more ginger and mixed it in with sea salt and epsom salts for a detox bath.

The dream I had: "after the election, in which Americans chose a Republican government, I decided I would move to Canada. My spouse wanted to move to the Finger lakes, which I misinterpreted as the Great Lakes. 'Why do you want to move to Wisconsin? That's still the United States!' I said. We couldn't agree where we wanted to move to so we agreed to divorce."

I slept really well, though. I recommend an occasional detox bath: Run a hot bath, as hot as you can stand it, and pour/stir 1 cup sea salt with epsom salts with minced or grated pieces from a two-inch portion of ginger into the tub. scrub your body with a dry brush for about five minutes, using circular motions, toward the heart. Enter the tub and stay there for 30 minutes. Keep a large container of drinkable water tubside. You'll start sweating in 15-20 minutes. When your half hour is up, empty the tub, get out, vigorously rub your body to remove dead skin and improve circulation. Wrap yourself in a towel and head for bed. During the night your skin will eliminate toxins through the pores. Have a beautiful sleep.

The Key to Personality at Your Fingertips

Article

Very interesting! I'm going to check my child's fingers tonight. My index finger is shorter than my ring finger, but that's no surprise, considering what a closet math geek I am.

Focusing on the kitchen, and Osaka

The morning is not so good when my husband's first words to me are about Merrill Lynch. We don't have money with Merrill Lynch, but the implosions of Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, AIG and Merrill Lynch aren't helping my retirement any.
I was going to rebalance my holdings on or before 9/17 but with the Dow off 2.0% does it matter?

I signed a contract for my kitchen and chose appliances. Today I look at color schemes. I have a 1940s house, so am thinking of the following:

traditional black, white and red.
opaline, lavender, light green
white, celery/celadon/mint, lemon

white subway tile as backsplash and accents of red or bright yellow.

I have a small kitchen, facing south. Right now it is white and peacock/teal blue.
Color meanings I seek: fresh, light, healthful, calm.

My cabinets are light maple, which may be repainted white. I do kinda want "appetizing, saucy" colours, but then again I've been under stress lately, and prefer to be soothed.

Thank goodness the appliance retailer and my contractor are experienced and reliable!

Screech

I'm not talking Newfie Screech. More the screech of brakes, the screech of a woman having her Howard Beale "I'm mad as he!! and I'm not taking it anymore." I need to be flexible and patient, sure. I need to release my ego and let go and be with the flow, sure. But I have goals that I want/need to accomplish, and we're being kept too busy, too disorganized, too on-the-go.

It beats being unemployed, although I am now actively seeking work. I posted on Monster that I'd be okay with taking work in Metropolitan Toronto, the Capitol and Island region of British Columbia, and the Lower Mainland as well as my current environs. I need to declutter my house, communicate with people, network and make my intentions known. I just feel I am failing on so many levels right now--health, job satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, parenting, financial, selectively disengaging as well as failing to make the time for people I genuinely want to connect with right now...