Challah

Challah is one of my favorite breads. It's fairly foolproof and versatile. I've used the soft dough to make buns, loaves and different shaped breads. It's chewy and buttery and just perfection. Challah is a special braided bread that is associated with Jewish tradition. It is typically consumed on the Sabbath and other special holidays. The recipe is particularly different from many bread recipes because it contains both eggs and milk. I attribute both of these ingredients to the fantastic taste.

Here is the recipe I use for Challah using my KA mixer:
This recipe yields one very large loaf or can be split into two smaller loaves. I doubled the recipe this time.

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 3 cups AP flour
  
• 3tbl white sugar
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:

Warm milk to about body temp, just warm to the touch. Add sugar and yeast and leave for a few minutes to let the yeast get started.


When the yeast is foamy add butter and eggs.


With the dough hook on begin adding a cup of flour at a time until all is incorporated (throw the salt in the mix also). Kneed on a medium setting for 8 minutes.



Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until about doubled in size.


Punch down, shape and let rise again about 30 minutes.

I doubled the recipe and made three different loaves from it:



Bake at 350* for 25 minutes until golden brown.

At this time your house will smell wonderful.

I also wanted to include what I like to do with my eggshells. I keep my eggshells in a container under the sink...

When the container gets full I throw the shells in my food processor and pulse until they are fine.

The eggshells are wonderful to sprinkle in garden soil and inside potted plants.

Happy Victoria Day to all Canadians and have a wonderful week <3

am

Literally folks, from the seeds!

I love this time of year. I am in love with this time of year.

It's been warm here lately which has helped many of my seedlings to get their start for the season. Sharing the photos brightens my day for sure, as well as sharing a recipe that always makes me warm inside. I know, I'm such a sucker for nostalgia.

Hello onion bulbs! Welcome to spring!


Beautiful carrot sprouts!


My bestest gave me a wonderful tea seed/leaf growing set and I finally felt it was warm enough to seed them. If you look in the left hand corner, that fuzzy green thing is a sprout!

Atlast my Rhododendron is budding! I've never seen it bloom before and for some reason I thought the flowers would be pink! This color looks magnificent. There are tons of Rhododendrons around here that have already bloomed and I was beginning to think mine never would!

Right, now for an awesome carbohydrate filled recipe. This is my mum's recipe for scalloped potatoes. I've had lots of variations of this recipe but hers is my favorite. It's comfort food, filling and delicious.

• Potatoes (I used around 6 small-medium ones)
• Can of cream of mushroom soup (cream of celery would work well too)
• Milk
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Grated cheese
  

In a bowl mix can of soup with about 1/2 c milk. If you are doing lotsa taters then add more milk to make the soup base go farther. To that add a good dash of pepper. I do just about a tsp. Add 1 tsp paprika. Whisk that baby up. Cut the potatoes into thin slices. Place one layer of potatoes in the baking dish and cover with sauce mixture, repeat this until everything is in the dish. Sprinkle with a bit more paprika (maybe half a tsp) and sprinkle a handful of grated cheese on top. Cover and bake about an hour and a half at 350* (until you can poke a fork in and it feels soft). In the last 20 minutes of baking remove the lid and sprinkle some more cheese and get it nice and brown.

Look at that lump of paprika! Mmmm I want that piece.

Lotsa love,

am