Recipe: fastest yeast bread ever!

I was so excited on Thursday, September 17th ... it was cool enough during the day (actually pretty rainy, yucky, knitting-or-read-aloud kind of weather) to inspire me to cook a true Fall dinner:  homemade split pea soup, sweet italian sausage, mixed greens salad and homemade bread.  The warmth of the house from taking the chill out of the air was only exceeded by the aroma of successful home cooking!

Here's the bread recipe, tweaked from one I received many years ago from a friend in Greenville, SC.  Kristy's version was very good .... but I'm not one to follow directions too well.
Fastest Yeast Bread Ever (this is how I made it; feel free to tweak as necessary):

Heat to body temp, 1 cup 2% milk with 1 cup plain (full-fat) yogurt
Meanwhile, prove 1 T yeast in 1/2 cup hot (100 degree) water and 1 T sugar

Transfer liquids to bowl and blend in:

• 1-3/4 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill whole grain high-fiber cereal (with flaxseed)
• scant 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill stone-ground corn meal
• 1 T honey

Cover and let dough rise 15 min in warm spot.  If you live in a dry climate, cover with a damp towel to ensure the dough doesn't dry out.

Add 1 T olive oil and stir in.  Than add, 1 cup at a time till a firm dough develops:

• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4-5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Divide dough into two and knead into a stumpy, football shape.  Place on greased baking sheet.  Cut slashes in the top (I always do a Cross and say a little prayer for the health of my family).  Cover and allow to rise another 10 minutes in a warm spot. Preheat oven to 400 while rising.

Brush loaves with olive oil and place in preheated 400 degree oven.  Bake for 20 minutes or so.  Remove from baking sheet and place loaves right on oven rack ... bake another 5 minutes or until hollow-sounding when thumped.

Voila -- yeast bread in an hour that is amazingly good ... warm from the oven and the next day, too!

End of Summer, Start of Fall ...

... and school all the time and college football and cooler weather -- as my 6 yos says, "bring it on"!

Saturday, we celebrated the end of summer and beginning of Fall:  the opening day of college football party and the annual lighted-boat parade here at the lake.

We love college football games around here ... and this year, since we finally have cable, we actually can watch and SEE the games!  Unfortunately, the games weren't the best -- we were watching Nevada at Notre Dame and it was such a rout, that it got boring after the first quarter.  We switched around but all the games that were on seemed similar routs.  What to do?  Eat all the junk food String Bean and I prepared for the boys:  buffalo wings, taquitos, dilled cream cheese, pizza, chips, crackers, celery & carrots (for SOME nutrition), and just about every other kind of game-day food you can imagine ... with pride of place going to our traditional "game day menu": cheese whiz!  We know it's bad for us all ... but hey, we just buy it for college football games!

On Saturday evening, LegoManiac and I boarded a party barge and headed out into the lighted-boat parade.  This parade had been postponed twice due to rain ... but we couldn't have asked for a better night -- full "corn moon", clear skies and calm "seas".  Our "Mame" boat didn't win, but we had a great time and dh and the littles said we looked great.

Today, I attended the annual "hoa" meeting ... not alot discussed but good to get involved.  The rest of today was spent in true holiday fashion -- laying around, reading fun books and catching some smaller college football games.  Don't you just love Labor Day?  And yes, it's getting chillier here -- less than 75 degrees all day, kind of gloomy and a bit rainy ... leaves are starting to change and windows and doors wide open to bring in the fresh air!

Welcome FALL!