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I wonder whether there is any mythology about the Water Snake being followed by the Wooden Horse. The Water Serpent and the Wooden Steed.
Anyways. Complete sidetrack there.
What I dropped by to say was: Happy Imbolc!
Also, I have been experimenting with beer bread recipes and having a good time. My mom gave me a beer bread mix from Hazelwood Herb Farm (http://www.hazelwoodherbfarm.com/) on Vancouver Island, and we enjoyed it so much that I looked up recipes and started using the one I found at Farm Girl Fare (http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/11/beyond-easy-beer-bread.html).
One of the things I have finally learned after years and years of being told, is that fluffing your flour prior to measuring makes a huge difference to your baking. It improved my attempts at beer bread - and it has improved my bran muffins, too. So: fluff your flour first. I don't have a sifter, so I put more than enough flour in a bowl, take the wire whisker to it for a few minutes, measure my flour (level), and put the excess fluffed flour back (which is how I got the serendipitous discovery for the muffins).
I also tried the beer bread (baked usually as a loaf) in muffin portions, because I like the crust, and when warm it is excellent, but when cold it can't be toasted in a toaster (at least not my toaster), so overall it is not a good strategy. The cold loaf can be sliced and toasted - and you get much more crispy edgy parts with melty butter. :)
In other news: Chuck's diabetes is regulated. :)
Anyways. Complete sidetrack there.
What I dropped by to say was: Happy Imbolc!
Also, I have been experimenting with beer bread recipes and having a good time. My mom gave me a beer bread mix from Hazelwood Herb Farm (http://www.hazelwoodherbfarm.com/) on Vancouver Island, and we enjoyed it so much that I looked up recipes and started using the one I found at Farm Girl Fare (http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/11/beyond-easy-beer-bread.html).
One of the things I have finally learned after years and years of being told, is that fluffing your flour prior to measuring makes a huge difference to your baking. It improved my attempts at beer bread - and it has improved my bran muffins, too. So: fluff your flour first. I don't have a sifter, so I put more than enough flour in a bowl, take the wire whisker to it for a few minutes, measure my flour (level), and put the excess fluffed flour back (which is how I got the serendipitous discovery for the muffins).
I also tried the beer bread (baked usually as a loaf) in muffin portions, because I like the crust, and when warm it is excellent, but when cold it can't be toasted in a toaster (at least not my toaster), so overall it is not a good strategy. The cold loaf can be sliced and toasted - and you get much more crispy edgy parts with melty butter. :)
In other news: Chuck's diabetes is regulated. :)
