So then I sat and stitched length after length of floss. I was determined to make my way up the whole left side of Hocuspocusville, and, well, mission accomplished.
It's going to take me another down and up to get to the right side of this piece, but with the left side done, I feel as if I'm making progress. Now it's hooped up and ready to go again.
The bat and the crow are satin-stitched (at least, that's what I'm doing), which is always a challenge. I'm glad to have both in the same hoop so I can get it over with. Sometimes my satin stitching is perfect...other times, not so much. And I don't know what makes the difference, but I'm always hoping for the best. Rarely do I achieve it. We shall see, won't we. On the occasions when it works out less well, there's always the option to outline it.
So then, I was going to do some sewing, but I got distracted by this book that's been sitting on my coffee table for months. At some point I got it in my head that I was going to read the book, and then bake every loaf of bread contained therein. And as with so many big ideas, it was just that...an idea, and nothing more. This morning, I started reading. Before I knew it I was kind of captivated by the idea.
There are some 100 pages I need to read about all sorts of things before I get started with the "formulas" (love the use of that word). The breads are listed in alphabetical order, and so it could be anything. Now, just because I said I'm going to do this doesn't mean I'm actually going to do it, but my intentions are good. For now, I'll keep on keeping on with the reading and see where it leads me.
Discussion of bread-baking brings me to a different thought, however. I have a dream to visit the King Arthur Flour Baking School in Vermont. Just now I visited their website and had a "Holy Sh*t" moment when I discovered they now have a baking school just north of me in Skagit Valley, WA. I was just about to say that it's one of the things I want to do when we make our trip back east, but now it looks like I can do it right here in my own backyard! Like I said: Holy Sh*t!!!
As it turns out it's about a 5-hour drive, and so this is one of those times when I'd probably want to take a multi-day class.
I notice they have a 3-day "Pie and Tart" class in February. The following week, there's a 3-day "Sourdough Baking Basics" class. There's also a 4-day "Artisan Bread-Baking at Home" class in January. Well. This is terribly exciting. Obviously, I'm going to look into this some more. (By the way, each one of the exclamation points on that map above is an "incident" going on as I write this post. Yikes. Not a good day to be making that drive.)
As for cooking, Mike needed help making a salad for a Halloween Party they're having at his work tomorrow. We were going to make meatballs, but someone signed up ahead of us. Our second choice was this BLT Bow-Tie Pasta Salad. I've made this before, although I've failed to take a picture of it every time. Here's the one from the website. This is a recipe from A Taste of Home.
It's a good choice for pot luck because it can be made ahead. We have the salad all assembled now. He'll just add the dressing tomorrow and stir it up.
And now that I've managed to spend a whole blog post telling you how I've done practically nothing today, I think I'll go do some sewing. What else is there to do on a slow and rainy Sunday?
15 comments:
Wow...I took a 4 hour class when King Arthur came to town about 6 years ago. I learned so much in that short time. I use their flour...always. And their sourdough info is perfect. It is the only recipe formula that I use. Take the class or two and have a yeasty good time.
I'd love to take the sourdough class just to get my hands on a really good sourdough starter again. We had a very old starter when I lived in Alaska, it was said to have been over 75 years old, and was wonderful. When we moved back east it died off and I've never had another one that worked very well. The artisan bread-making class also sounds wonderful - except for the weight we'd inevitably gain after taking it!
That sounds like a fun thing to do. The artisan bread class would work for me - love me a good bread.
Mmmmmm, warm bread & butter. Nothing better! I can hardly wait to read about your King Arthur baking class exploits!
I'd love to go to King Arthur's too but I'll have to go to the east coast. Maybe I could get my daughter to go along. But it sounds like we'll need to stay for a week for all the classes we'll want to take. Oh well, someday I'll get there. Have a good day. Blessings, Gretchen villacrestfarm@gmail.com
Bread making classes sounds lots of fun and very tasty. I have a couple of recipes I make and I always find the kneading stage so relaxing. I want to do a doughnut making course as my family really love them. There is one available in London and that bakery do make the best doughnuts I've ever tasted.
I love to bake bread, so I'd love to take a class from King Arthur. Plopped here in the Midwest, my options of doing that are pretty slim without a long roadtrip. Your Sunday sounds relaxing and lovely. Wendy at piecefulthoughts@gmail.com
Oh how fun -- I was a recipe tester for one of Reinhart's books -- maybe that one -- and my name is listed in the credits along with the bizillion other testers. It was so much fun, baking every one of the recipes as they were perfected, trying them all out on my co-workers and family. Many of the artisan recipes are so easy that a bread-eating family could easily make and enjoy them every day with little effort. We are low-carbing mostly now, and I miss baking bread. Visiting and taking a class at King Arthur would be a fantastic adventure. Sourdough is especially fascinating since its flavor varies according to the local yeast varieties -- I 'collected' wild yeast after I read Bittman's Omnivore's Dilemma years ago, an amazing concept to me! -- here in mid michigan it is far less sour (and therefore not as good) as what you have there on the west coast. Anyway, such fun. :) Love your stitchery, as always.
A bread class sounds great ♥
That 5 hour drive is all freeway (I 5) so it would depend on what time you leave as to how much traffic you would see. It is pretty country and there use to be several quilt shops along the way
Oh. My. GOSH! You are so lucky to have a KAF Baking School so freakin close to you!!!! If I could punctuate that with more !!! I surely would!!! (And they are NOT 'incidences', just excitement.) I love artisan bread making. And all things flour making. And baking. And the like. Details when you do it, okay?!? Your Hocuspocusville is coming along very nicely. I was just commenting on someone else's blog (who is also stitching on it) that I've been captivated by it for some time...I feel like I may soon give into the temptation and get it for myself!! :)
The baking school sounds like fun! I read a blog called Pots and Pins and the writer attended the school in Vermont in 2014 for the pastry class and had a great time.
It seems that there are always incidents along that corridor, especially in and about Seattle. I hear the traffic reports every morning and think to myself, I am so happy I don't have to drive there, ever. (I should watch what I think, there may be a time when I have to go there, I'll avoid it for now)
I would love to go to a baking school. I love the smell of fresh baked bread, I love the taste of it even better!
Be sure and let us know when you go!
My Guy has that bread book and is a big fan of King Arthur. I'm not sure how he'd feel about taking a class, but it certainly sounds like fun.
Sounds like a great bread book to have ... but better still the class! You got my attention with the Taste of Home mention, as it is the first place I go when looking for a new recipe. I first got to know them as a new bride with a subscription gift to their Farm Wife News magazine (eons ago!), and have always gone back to their magazines or online for new recipes. I am sure they have always become favourites. For sure they have all been winners! Thanks for sharing all the adventures around 3-Cats Ranch. Always a good time to be had! Bon Appetit!
I'll be trying that one now, for sure!
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