Happy Birthday Nikki!

Hope you got an ice cream today to celebrate!

Jorgen's English Muffins

My little brother, the artisan baker and bread enthusiast, has selected this recipe to share with you. English muffins! They look so good. I wish I could be eating one right now. Enjoy!

Traditional English Muffins
1/4 cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees)
1 tablespoon (1 package) active dry yeast (or a little less than a tablespoon of instant yeast)
Pinch of sugar
4 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1 1/4 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
Cornmeal (for dusting)

If using active dry yeast, combine the water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. If using instant yeast, mix the yeast in with the flour and omit this first step and the sugar.

Combine 2 cups of the flour and the salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in egg, milk, butter, and yeast mixture. Mix until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining flour a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring in each time, until you have a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes. Return the dough to a clean, greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Sprinkle a work surface with cornmeal. Pour the dough out of the bowl and onto the surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with cornmeal and then roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Use a large round cookie cutter or an upside down drinking glass to cut the muffins out of the dough.

Cover the cut dough and let rise for 1 hour.  

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Place the muffins onto the skillet and let the bake for 5 to 10 minutes until quite dark before flipping.

An optional step, if you are concerned about baking them all the way through (which I was), is to have your oven heated to 350. After baking the muffins on the griddle for 5 minutes on each side, place them on a cookie sheet and place them into the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. This assures that they are baked through.

Bon Appétit!

Hidden Gem #6: Craigslist End Table

I picked this up today from a woman who was trying to get rid of her parents' antique collection that had been in storage since the 80's.  I had to hold myself back from all of the other hidden gems in their warehouse unit.  I bet you can still find some of them on craigslist! happy hunting.

Knitting Project: Doggie Sweater

I have decided on a project based on the votes counted from my recent poll.  The winner: matching dog sweaters for Riley and Scout.  The only problem is that Scout has no need for a sweater.  Since he shed his puppy coat he is now left with thick, shiny, wavy tresses that keep him very warm in the cold.  It would really just be uncomfortable and he would probably chew it up anyways.  So that leaves me with the task of one dog sweater.  Fine.  I need to start out easy anyways.  It's been a while!

I will be trying my hand at this pattern found on Ravelry.com, the online community for knitters and crocheters.

Here is the yarn I will use, with size 8 needles:

Wish me luck!!

Cheap Date: The Metropolitan Opera for $10

Coming to a movie theater near you!  Carmen is one of the first productions of 2010 in The Met: Live in HD series.  You can see it tomorrow and only tomorrow, February 3rd at 6:30pm, playing at your local movie theater.  Carmen was filmed live on January 16th at the Metropolitan Opera House so it will be just like you flew to NYC and you're sitting in the loge at the Opera House, except for only $10! This sounds like a formal occasion.  I might have to break out a full-length gown.  This is definitely what I'll be wearing...

To find a theater near you and to buy tickets:

Click here, enter in your zip code next to your chosen event in the box on the left and click 'buy tickets'.  A list of theaters showing your event will appear.

Here is the official Metropolitan Opera website. Other operas showing this year include Simon Boccanegra, Hamlet, and Armida.

I will be going to the opera tomorrow at the Palo Alto CinéArts theater, maybe with my husband, and maybe not.

To get you excited, here is a clip from the 1984 film version of Carmen, directed by Francesco Rosi...