Baking Folly, Part Two

I made a loaf of Italian bread using the pre ferement biga, and learned the value of planning ahead.  If you want to read about how it went and what I though, just click that read more do-dad!

A couple of follies in baking bread, Part One

This week had a few interesting Occurrences when attempting to bake bread.  Here's tale #1

Here's what I've learned today

1. The Biga preferment is identical to the pate fermentee, save for salt.


2. Attempting to make a quality loaf of bread when you get home from work is possible...as long as you don't mind going to bed at 11:05.


3. The iPad is still a "less than optimal" product name.


4. I would love a chance to play with an iPad for a week or two to see if it does or does not do enough for me.


5. I need a baking stone.


6. The Dell Streak is shiny


7. I think I've given up on attempting to watch TV.


8. I like to end lists on an even number.

The iPad!

So Apple just announced the iPad.  Horrible name aside let’s get down to it!

Good/bad news

I got a call from the Vet today.  Time for a round of good news...bad news...

I couldn't wait..

I broke into the Deep Winter Stout..

I was amazing.  It still has a bit of the pine, but the flavor has mellowed.  I think it tastes like Guinness extra stout.

Let's see what happens when it fully carbonates.

Bread baking can make for a long night

I am still up.

I'm waiting...

Waiting for bread to bake.

Note about pre-ferments

So I should have known this.  But then again, I"m just starting out and got a little excited.

Anya Update!

So Robyn took Anya to the pediatrician this week.

Miss Anya weighed nine pounds, five ounces!  Gaining weight like a champ!

Slight Delay for Bread making

I didn't get a chance to make my pre-ferment today.  I got caught up with Beer bottling and watching Anya Sleep!  She went down around 4:45 and slept until after dinner which was about 6 or so.  By the time I bottled the beer, ate dinner, cleaned up after dinner, wrote my beer post, and checked out the latest Geekiness it was eight.  I'm not staying up another three hours to put my pre ferment in the fridge!  I'll just make it tomorrow night.

Who knows?  Maybe it'll be a busy blogging week!  This is my second post tonight!

HopHopHop

I bottled my lasted beer tonight.  The recipe came from the Brewer's Bible and was called Deep Winter Stout.    The brewing itself was done on New Year's Eve.  I thought this was a great way to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another...way better than consuming too much beer/wine.  Read on for my Recounting the tale of the best two dollars ever spent and my love/hate with Centennial Hops.

The Challenge

Alright,

So going forward, I am challenging myself to blog at least once a week.

I'm not putting any kind of length/topic requirement, but I would expect a blog at least about baby Anya, beer making, bread making, and/or Gadgets.

You've been warned!

What I plan on doing next week!

I've been baking bread like a madman the past few weeks!  I've really got the "basic" wheat loaf down.  Having a scale to weight out ingredients is awesome.

Pre-ferment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Oh great...

I've been on Parental leave for almost 5 weeks.

Just got an email saying that people were waiting for me to come back...and "had been saving things for me to fix."

Really? But...that's why we have a team!

well...at least I won't be bored when I get back :)

frustration

Just found out that our not even two year old puppy might have heartworms. While we are going to get a second test to confirm, I am aleaft kind of freaking out. What really gets me is that we've done everything we were supposed to do: we stared him on heartworm medicine as soon as we got him. Total suck.

Totally True

Hey Girl

I love you Anya Sage.

Who knew editing MSIs could be so much fun!

One of the joys of my job is getting crazy funky software to work.  Recently to get some software to work, I needed to modify the MSI package so when it was pushed out to the domain, it would apply all the required settings.

This has given me the pleasure of using the free MSI editor from Microsoft, aptly named ORCA.  It really does feel like I'm attempting to interface with a killer whale...and the Program Icon reflects that as well!!

Strangely, I kind of enjoy it...it feels like I'm editing a file in Windows 3.11.

Holy Retirement!

I'm a bit of a Vikings Football fan...and I was not that pleased with the prospect of bringing Favre this season.  I was mostly concerned with his age, and after watching the way he played with the Jets last year, I was preparing myself for a pretty bad football season (my other Team is the Bills...Let's not go there..)

But I got to admit, ever since he arrived in Training camp, he has been a class act.  No temper tantrums that I have noticed, and he has been playing like a real assassin!  He does have a good O-Line protecting him though...

Pump Man Found!

Well, the Well pump man was found!  He came in, and about 30 minutes later, water was flowing again!

Looking back on it, I feel bad for our Landlord.  Each time I called her (four times total) for status updates/whatnot, it sounded like she was on the verge of breaking down, or had just completed a breakdown.

...Then again, I was without running water...a basic necessity of life.  If I had reacted as I did (not letting up until I had an answer that was workable) over...I dunno...a dent in the fridge or a loose door frame I would think I was overreacting.

I think Over think things too much and I should get back to talking about gadgets...