Working on my Discipline

I am quickly learning I am not very good at being disciplined in multiple areas of my life at once.  I really wish I were.  This revelation has occurred to me recently because I just began "training" for a 5K.  I put the word "training" in quotes because I don't actually have a training schedule.  I googled "how to run a 5K in 6 weeks" and multiple training plans popped up for me.  However after looking them over, I just about hated every one of them.  My current jogging regimen has consisted of jogging slowly every other day or so.  It seems to be working for me and I can see a very slight decrease in my time.  I will take that.  Wish me luck on March 23rd!  If my "training" actually worked, I might just be the next Jillian Michaels.

Anyway with this high correlation between the lack of blog posts and my recent increased attempts at jogging slowly for this 5K, I need to apologize.  My blog posting has clearly gone down substantially in the last 4-5 weeks.  I promise that although I have not been blogging consistently, I have been cooking. Maybe one day I will be disciplined in two areas of my life at the same time...

This past weekend I was able to train for my 5K in the magical land of Hilton Head.  If you have been there, you know how relaxing this place is.  It is filled with old people, quaint little seafood restaurants, and more miniature golf places than you could ever imagine.  Although this recent trip just included Matt and myself, our friend group has developed a wonderful tradition of visiting Hilton Head at least one weekend a year.  We all look forward to reading, hitting golf balls off of a nearby green, relaxing by the pool, laying on the beach, and just catching up with each other throughout the weekend.  It is just a wonderful time!  Below are some of the photos from me and Matt's recent trip.  Our friends weren't able to make it to this trip but we look forward to the next visit which will hopefully include all of them!

  

White/Wheat/Scrumptious Bread

It is that time again.  Time to break out the bread machine!  A homemade piece of bread is just a wonderful way to enjoy a bowl of soup, a piece of cheese, or an afternoon reading.  Who doesn't need a little more bread in their life? 

The above picture is the beginning (and almost only) step in making bread via a my sweet and awesome bread machine.  It is really quite magical how I just put all the ingredients together in one big metal pan and within four hours I have steaming homemade bread.

I have found a bread recipe on Food.com that is my go-to bread recipe for all occasions.  It is called Country White Bread.  Here's the link: Country White Bread (or Dinner Rolls)  As you will see when reading through the steps, this recipe can be made into a loaf of bread or into dinner rolls.  I have never made the dough into dinner rolls because it seems like too much work.  Why take the dough out of the machine, roll it around, let it rise, and then bake, when you can just let it bake in the machine on its own?  I say be lazy.  The lazy route has only been deemed as successful in my book. (I am speaking to bread making at this moment. Not life in general just to clarify.)

This weekend I wanted to make some bread so I knew where to go for my bread recipe.  However, I also wanted to add some whole wheat flour to the recipe to make it slightly healthier.  I replaced half of the regular white bread flour with whole wheat flour.  Even with the addition/substitution, the bread turned out fluffy, slightly sweet, and filling.  Again, I would like to say that this bread machine has changed my life.  (Thanks, Mom!)  If you don't have one, it is a wonderful investment and so much fun to have around. 

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Country White Bread

taken from Food.com

1 cup water plus 1 tablespoon water (70-80 degrees)

1 large egg

4 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 1/4 cups bread flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

In bread machine pan, place all ingredients from flour through yeast in order as recommended by the manufacturer. (Most recommend placing the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients.)

Select the basic bread setting. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing, if needed add 1-2 tablespoons of water or flour. (I have never needed to do this.)

Bake as normal. 

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