Friday Things
1. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to hang out at the DeLallo store and test kitchen along with Jessica from How Sweet It Is. My family has been frequenting that Italian market since the 1950’s, back when it was just a little market, before it became a national brand. I’m a huge fan of their products and was thrilled to be able to play around there (I whipped up some easy tiramisu!), learn more about the family, the background of the company and where they’re headed. I’ll be telling you more about my visit there this weekend, but in the meantime, as you can see from the photo above, I was in serious love with their kitchen space. I may have asked more than once if I could move in.
2. Most of you know that I am a huge sports fan, so I was totally sucked into the two major sports stories over the last 10 days: (1) Manti Te’o, which, I just have no words. It might be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read. And (2) Lance Armstrong. Did any of you watch his interview with Oprah? I thought it was completely riveting. One of the best interviews I’ve watched in a long, long time.
3. The #1 sign that Pittsburgh had an incredibly mild winter last year: I got my current vehicle in March 2011 and just yesterday had to refill the washer fluid. Some winters I go through at least 2 or 3 bottles! Good news, more snow is on the way today. I am assuming my cozy position.
4. Now that my Chief Culinary Consultant and I are both caught up on Homeland and lamenting the fact that it won’t be back on until September, we’ve been poking around for a new series to start watching from the beginning. We haven’t seen 24, so that’s a contender. I’ve seen tons of people talk about Downton Abbey, but it appears to be more of a “girly” show… thoughts? Any other series you would recommend starting from the beginning that would appeal to both sexes?
5. Last Friday, I came across three separate blogs that were talking about juicing. As in, fruit and vegetable juicing, not steroids. Just making sure we’re clear. I’m not sure if it was International Juice Day or if it was the universe trying to tell me that I am severely lacking in my fruit and vegetable intake. Either way, I was intrigued. I asked folks on Facebook if anyone did this on a regular basis and what their experiences were. I received some pretty positive feedback, so now I’m intrigued even more. Do any of you “juice”? What do you make? How often do you drink it?
6. Did you hear? New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men are touring together.
New Kids on the Block were my first celebrity crushes in grade school. My very first concert. Their faces were plastered over everything I owned: lunch boxes, Trapper Keepers (ah! Trapper Keepers!), buttons, notebooks, sleeping bags… you name it, my sister and I had it. Boyz II Men soothed my hopeful, fragile, junior high heart. If I had a dollar for every time I played End of the Road, I’ll Make Love to You (so not age appropriate) and On Bended Knee on repeat I’d be rich. And 98 Degrees… by the time they came along I was in college and pretty much past the boy band stage, but I admit to having downloaded some of their songs on Napster (I’m totally dating myself).
When the tour was announced and Pittsburgh was on the list of cities, I emailed my best friend and said, “I sort of feel like we need to go to this.” She agreed. We’ll be there with bells on. For old time’s sake, of course.
7. One of my goals for this year is to master sourdough bread. The thing is, I have no idea where to start. Well, I know I need to start with a starter! I know you can make one, purchase one, etc. For those of you who are sourdough masters, what do you recommend?
8. Last weekend, Kristen from Dine and Dish shared a new time management app that she recently started using: the 30/30 App by Binary Hammer. If you fall victim to the vicious cycle of working hard but not being nearly as productive as you should be (I’m looking straight in the mirror), you might want to check out this app. You can assign different folders, which can house different groups of tasks. Then create tasks, assign a specific amount of time, and the app will let you know when your time is up. I’ve started playing around with it a little bit and plan to put it to work next week, but it looks very promising for helping to stay focused and not getting constantly lost in Twitter, Pinterest or whatever your evil time-suck may be (where did those last 2 hours go?!). If you’ve used it, I’d love to hear how it works for you!
9. Yesterday while I was working, I switched on Pandora for the first time in a long, long time. Usually in the car I listen to satellite radio and at home I listen to a lot of sports talk. I liked the change of pace and playing around with different custom stations. Do you have any favorite Pandora stations, or ones you have created?
10. TGIF! I hope you encounter nothing but calm water and lots of sunshine!
love your blog! HAD to comment today — we recently finished watching all seasons of Friday Night Lights – AWESOME SHOW! i highly recommend it! 24 is great, so is Lost, and Parenthood. Enjoy! Always fun to get into a new series!
1. That test kitchen looks AMAZING! Can I move in there?
2. At my aunt’s house over the weekend, 3 different relatives showed pics on their phones of juices they’ve recently made. I didn’t even know that was a “cool” thing. Then my mom told me she’d bought me a juicer but keeps forgetting to bring it to me. So, guess I’ll be juicing soon, too. I look forward to hearing what you make, if anything.
3. Pandora. If you’re going to this concert, I think you need to make a NKOTB/98 degrees/Boyz II Men station immediately. Refresh yourself on the words to all your favorite songs, so you can loudly sing along at the concert. Just sayin.
As others have said, give Downton a shot. And I see someone else posted it, too, but Foyle’s War is AWESOME.
If you’re a Parks & Rec fan, try Party Down. It was on Netflix, but may have disappeared.
1) I would love to know what brand cooktops they use in that test kitchen!! We are getting ready to purchase and I would love to know what the pros use!
2) my hubby and I both love Downton Abbey and would highly recommend News Room and if you haven’t seen the Tudors I would check that out
3) I took a sourdough class that I loved (in SF as I live in the Bay Area) . A starter is a commitment but I have restarted several times when I have forgotten to feed it. The base was a 1:5 ratio flour to water. That’s it. I think it was 25 grams water to 125 grams flour. I used a very light whole wheat. The starter gets more sour as you go and we bake the bread with absolutely no yeast as the yeast is a natural product of the starter. If I can find my notes I will email them. The site is Sour Flour and they would gladly answer any questions you have. The guys there were awesome!
I am so jealous you met Jessica!! Are you going to post pics and share a post?
Oh no, Downton Abbey is not girly. My husband, who won’t watch almost anything, watched it with me. :)
Juicing is a must!!! The Hubby and I have been juicing now for a little over a year, best investment ever=] We bought an inexpensive one at Kohls just to try it, its still going strong a year later. We’ve considered investing in a more expensive one since we got so into it, but we will wait until this one dies! Yes clean up in a royal pain, however, there are worse things you could be doing! Since we started our “morning ritual” over a year now niether of us have gotten sick AT ALL!! and I’m a nanny, the kids are sick everyother week! but not me=] from start to finish I’d say it takes roughly 20 minutes! pure vitamins, doesnt get much better.. I could go on forever about how amazing it is. In the long run of juicing being expensive; I’d say buying vitamins(forgetting to take them), getting sick(possibley needing a doctor visit) is going to be way more expensive than juicing.
we’ve found that the tastiest juice is a little of the following:
Kale, a few leafs (lacinto juices best)
Chard, usually one leaf (we like Rainbow, dont think that matters)
spinach, couple hand fulls
cucumber, 1/3-1/2 (more or a filler, produces LOTS of juice)
tomato,1
carrots,1-2
apple, 1
orange, 1 (you dont have to peel it, however the peel makes it very bitter)
you can use so much more, celery is a good one(produces lots of juice) but one little stalk makes the whole juice taste like celery.
hope this was helpful, happy juicing
Hi Shonda, Thanks so much for sharing! Super helpful! :)
Justified on FX…Timothy Olifant can’t miss for anything, my dad and I email back and forth after it’s been on…It’s really the only show I go out of my way to watch. Did see the first season of Downton Abbey..see can’t spell it, and have great respect for the writer Julian Fellows.
I got a juicer for Christmas and have been using it pretty much every day since! I love it! And it is one of the inexpensive ones. The grater part is kind of a pain to clean. I think I may buy a second grater part so I can let the dish washer clean it instead of me scrubbing every morning. I think the key to tasty juice recipes is to make sure at least half of the juice is from fruit. Also, I compost all the remaining pulp, so there is really no waste and it really isn’t that expensive.
I asked for a juicer after watching “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” too. I bet that is the reason for the uptick in the juicing trend! It definitely makes you feel better and must have boosted my immune system because I feel like I am the only person not getting sick this month!
I received Downton Abbey Season 1 and 2 as a Christmas gift from my sister. I had no prior experience with or knowledge of the show. Verdict: You MUST give it a chance! Easily one of the most compelling show on air today. My husband (who didn’t want to get involved with it because in his mind British dramas = Pride and Prejudice = barf) is just as hooked as I am. He seriously loves it.
Also, give juicing a try if you are able. We’re just getting into it ourselves after watching the documentary “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” (Netflix watch instantly). It’s amazing how your body can reap the benefits of eating a massive – and I mean massive – bowl full of fruits, veggies, and leafy greens by consuming 16-20 ounces of juice. All good stuff. Your body will love it and thank you.
If you want to go really old school, I say pull up some Dawson’s Creek. You can listen to Boy Bands while watching.
I second Dawson’s Creek. I’m a diehard fan and unashamed. Seasons 1-6 on DVD. No boy bands though. DC is all about the chick rock.
I first tried to make my own sourdough starter, it didn’t take off, so I bought the King Arthur sourdough starter and it’s been going strong for several years. Gifted some to my mom and she loves it too. The starter is very forgiving, you can leave it in the fridge for 3 months, take it out, feed it, put it back in and it still keeps living. Great stuff. Makes great bread and pancakes. As for shows, I loved Six Feet Under when it was on.
Sourdough = Tartine
I purchased the book, made the starter, made the bread. It is outstanding!!! I highly recommend it.
The recipe is on the web in many different places. The book is a work of art!
Just found your wonderful blog! (Has anyone mentioned that your title is missing a hyphen? Brown-Eyed Baker. :-) Yeah, I know…the Black-Eyed Peas (band) is missing one too.
uhh yeah, still in shock over the manti thing and dying to know the real story, though we probably never will!
i’ve had a sourdough starter for a few months now–my sis in law gave it to me so no advice there but i will say it is awesome to have on hand! i mostly use it to make pizza dough–our freezer is always stocked with a few balls of dough!
Yes, I was SO riveted by the Lance Armstrong interview. Glad I’m not the only one! 24 was awesome, I was totally bummed when it ended. I haven’t seen Downton Abbey so can’t comment, but I haven’t heard anyone say a bad word about it. As for the sourdough, King Arthur has a great set of materials on their site. I used their starter recipe/info and wound up making just about every related sourdough recipe they had :)
Fav Pandora station – Mat Kearney!
We seem to have similar tastes in shows for the most part. My husband got me into Spartacus on Starz right after the first season, and it’s last season started yesterday. It’s really, really good, but has a TON of nudity and sex and a TON of violence, so be warned! Another really good show he got me into is Dexter. It’s an off season now so now would be a good time to catch up on that show, it’s SO good!
The Culinary Enthusiast and I are currently working our way through “Nurse Jackie” and enjoying it very much. That’s my recommendation! Love the serenity of the last photo – is that Einstein?
It isn’t, but I’m convinced it’s his twin!
Go watch BBC’s Sherlock. It’s incredibly well done, and there are only six episodes TOTAL. Everything is absolutely perfect about the show and casting! Just please watch it. :)
DeLallo sounds so interesting! I can’t wait to read more. I think I have had their torrone before. Torrone is one of my faves. I’m a total TV junkie. I would really recommend watching The West Wing if you’ve never seen it. It’s my favorite show of all time and I think there’s something in it for everyone to enjoy!
We watched the series premiere of The Following this week too—excellent! My hubby is a fan of your favorites too (Homeland, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire) so since you have similar taste in TV shows, you should like The Following. Try it out!
On Pandora: I find that the Flogging Molly channel is effective for dealing with loud talkers in the business office next door. The walls are extremely thin and I don’t think they want me to hear all about their trade secrets while they have a phone meeting. That and I guess I’m a tad passive-aggressive when dealing with the obnoxious.
If you like Damian Lewis in Homeland, check him out in his too short-lived series Life.
Ok, here goes…if you haven’t seen West Wing or Brothers & Sisters, I would recommend both! Although I will say that a gave my son-in-law the first season of “The Unit” since he’s a veteran, and now my daughter won’t let him watch it without her. Go figure!
I adore Pandora and have created my own station that plays a very eclectic mix of music. It ranges from Toby Keith and Dr. John to Steve Tyrel and Luis Miguel. Just find artists that you like, add them, then hit “shuffle”! Enjoy!
We love Mad Men and Sherlock. If you are willing to go back and find them, The Shield was great, and my husband insists that The Wire was one of his all time favorites.
I just discovered “The Killing” on Netflix….also, if you have Hulu, you might try “Prisoners of War”…it’s the Israeli series that “Homeland” was based on…not as fast moving, but absorbing.
NKOTB are my all-time favorite band. I even went on their cruise a couple of years ago… I’ll be seeing them on this tour, too. Have fun at the show!
My husband and I like How I Met Your Mother. It’s a fun comedy with lots of memorable jokes. :)
My husband and I LOVE Psych. It’s so funny! I’m also a big fan of West Wing, but that’s not really current.
I like “Downton Abbey” but much prefer “The Closer” “Dexter” and “Saving Grace” ~ as for “24” it’s the same plot year after year, and “Lost” was fabulous until the ending, which sucked big time. The British imports I really enjoyed were the new {set in current time} “Sherlock Holmes” {NOT the one on CBS} and “Inspector Lewis” {the precursor series “Inspector Morse” was great, too.} All just my opinion, of course. {smile}
I know King Arthur Flour has a sourdough starter and I trust their products completely. There is a Richard Stiennon video I used with great success in which he prepares the dough with a Julia Child “technique” plus steams the bread for a crispy crust. Obviously, you would use a different recipe for sourdough, but the technique would be the same if you want the baguette type crust. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTY4WJRSzY8
Hi Michele–
Huge Downton Abbey fan here. Try Castle, too. My husband likes the Stana Katic/police officer character. She is beautiful. Nathan Filion is appealing, too.
SOURDOUGH: I have been having fun with this for some time. I recommend Peter Reinhart’s “ARTISAN BREADS EVERY DAY cookbook. His starter is begun with pineapple juice, but since I have apple trees, I used this starter:
http://www.newscancook.com/recipes/sourdough-made-with-apple-peel/
It has been fresh and delicious. The above recipe is a little short on actual instruction, so i follow the Peter Reinhart method. I have found, too, that using the starter as leavening is a heart-breaker. I add the amount of yeast that Peter recommends. It is still yummy and sour! Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is also a terrific bread book. Cheers!
My sister and I might go to that concert.
I am starting to get into Parks and Rec and might go back and watch it from the beginning. It is pretty funny.
One more vote for Breaking Bad here… It’s AMAZING. Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, Mad Men is phenomenal, and I’ve heard wonderful things about Dr. Who as well.
I say you either try watching 24 or Breaking Bad. Actually, watch both! My dad recommended both shows to me. I dragged my husband into watching the shows with me and he got hooked too.
Hey Michelle!
I had to escape my Google Reader to give you my TV suggestions. My man and I don’t have many shows we both love, (Homeland is one of them,) but the next best is Breaking Bad. We both love it, it’s so good and we can’t stop watching.
Also- Dexter is great. and 24 is really fun and suspensful- just a little cheesy after the first couple seasons. :)
I would really recommend 24 if you haven’t watched it yet. we both really enjoyed the entire run. A show that I never really thought that I would like is Sons of Anarchy. Katey Segal has totally impressed me the entire run of the series. Six Feet Under is a series that my husband and I both really enjoyed. We missed out on it when it first came out. I was surprised that Dave liked it because he doesn’t usually like show that he deems as “soap operas” – which is what he deems that Downton Abbey is and refuses to give it a shot. We just started rewatching The West Wing and I am still impressed with how well acted that show was. Cinemax is running a new series called Hunted which is prettey good. We watched the first night of the new Kevin Bacon series – The Following – this week and it seems good. More and more I find myself watching shows and wishing they were on cable rather than network TV. Other recommendations – The Tudors, The Wire, Camelot, Sherlock (from the BBC), Doctor Who (the reboot that started in 2005/06), Torchwood, Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. And none of these did we start watching until we stumbled across them on either Netfix or OnDemand!
Oh, and Supernatural!
My wife is an avid reader of your blog and she mentioned #7 on your list today. I’ve been fooling around with bread-baking for the past 4 years or so, and I’ve got my own sourdough starter I cultivated from the ambient yeast in my kitchen. It’s surprisingly easy to start one as long as you use the right culture ingredients. I found the method that Peter Reinhart lays out in “Artisan Breads Every Day” to be pretty foolproof. Rye flour and pineapple juice are what I used to capture the yeast. My mother starter has been going strong since early October. I store it in the fridge and then feed a portion of it right before I’m going to make some bread. Good luck!
We just finished Homeland and just watched the first couple of episodes of Downtown Abbey. Love! My husband laughed out loud several times which surprised me. He said he liked it because if different than everything else we are watching. We also love Justified on FX. We own the DVDs for 24 and Alias. We’ve watched the first season of both and enjoyed it just as much as the first time around. There are lots of choices our there…happy exploring!
My husband likes Downton Abbey, although I’m sure he rolls his eyes a some of the drama! Also we love the series Chuck, especially seasons 1 & 2. We watched all of the episodes of 24 and we liked them, but they are intense and long! Whatever you do, don’t watch Lost (maybe you already have) I hated it (well the ending anyway)!
Ok I asked Kristen (@dineanddish) this same question. I haven’t heard back from her yet. I don’t have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer therefore no hook attachment. Any suggestions on how to make homemade bread? I’ve made Ali’s (gimmesomeoven) honey beer bread- no mixer needed! I’d love to make some though.
Juicing- hub’s cousin and friend both do. Both men who’d been overweight, decided to go vegetarian and vegan (one and the other). DH has diverticulitis. When he had a flare up he had them make him some juice. He felt a lot better! We don’t have a Viramix either but it’s on the list. :)
Tv- hmm I really only catch short series’. Modern Family, I like Suburgatory, I don’t really watch much though. Hubs likes Walking Dead. Eek!
Hi Shelly, Of course! Just knead with your hands on a lightly floured surface until the dough reaches the consistency described in the recipe.
The DeLallo kitchen is amazing! So jealous of your field trip.
Best Pandora station ever: “Worldbeat Radio” – it’s not a single artist, but it pulls a good mellow mix perfect for a trendy dinner at home.
my brother attempted to get into doing a juice fast after watching “fat, sick, and nearly dead” on netflix this past fall. he did okay with it (he really didn’t like kale in his juices) but his doctor found out what he was doing and put the kibosh on it … he was a recently diagnosed type 2 diabetic and hadn’t gotten that under control yet. our mom did the fast with him while he was doing it and she said that it was pretty much like anything else … once you get used to being on total liquids, you’re fine.
i’m no help on series … i don’t really watch very many. criminal minds and ncis are two that have been able to hold my attention for more than a season or two.
A series that I think has only gotten better in its second season is Grimm. It’s the only show the hubs and I watch together, and that’s saying something! Of course, we got into early being a bit biased into loving it as we live in Portland, OR where the show is filmed and based. In fact the 2nd half of season 2 is starting March 8th so you’d have enough time to get caught up before the new episodes begin again.
Definitely try Downton Abbey! If you have Hulu Plus you can watch the first two seasons and catch up on Season 3 on Masterpiece’s web site. I also love Grimm. Season One and the first part of Season 2 is available on Hulu, and Season 2 starts up again in March. Happy viewing!
In response to #4 – Shameless!!!
My husband and I found it even more addicting that Homeland and if you have Showtime you can watch the past 2 seasons “On Demand”.
I must cast my vote for tv favorites my husband and I both love & watch faithfully. Justified, Dexter, & Shameless. All great shows. Try Deadwood for an oldie but a goodie. Loved it.
If you decide to make your own starter, I recommend using instructions from http://www.thefreshloaf.com. The method with pineapple juice is very good. The Fresh Loaf is a wonderful resource for sourdough bread baking. There are posts about flour types, stretch and fold techniques, shaping, scoring, and steaming. Did I just scare you? Also, Jeffrey Hamelman’s book “Bread” is an excellent primer on using a levain (starter).
Susan at http://www.wildyeastblog.com has great info on creating and maintaining a sourdough starter. Her website is great for bread bakers
You mentioned listening to Pandora. I’ve found one that I like even more because I can access TONS of various types of music and then save things in a playlist instead of having Pandora pick things for me. I have a playlist for Country, Pop, Christmas, Good Old Days, Kids, etc. I really enjoy Spotify and would suggest you give it a try. Enjoy your recipes a lot. Thanks.
I have my own sourdough starter, have had it for about 2 years now and it is still going strong. I would suggest King Arthur Flour, they have the instructions to make your own or you can buy the starter from them, but it is really easy to make and just keep it going in your fridge, every once in a while pour a little off (maybe a cup or so, make pancakes or waffles) and add some flour and water and let it sit on the counter for a day. King Arthur has tons of recipes also (my favorite is their rustic loaf, it toast up so good).
It’s a short series but then you can watch the movie, check out Firefly on Netflix!
I have made my own starter and sourdough bread but that was many years ago, maybe I will start again! I have always liked Sunset Magazine’s recipes so thought I would post one that I found that looked very simple.
Sour Dough Starter
Ingredients
•1 cup nonfat or low-fat milk
•3 tablespoons plain yogurt
•1 cup all-purpose flour
Preparation
1. Warm milk to 90º to 100º. Stir in yogurt.
2. Pour into a warm 3- to 6-cup container (glass, ceramic, plastic, or stainless steel) with an airtight lid.
3. Cover and let mixture stand in a warm (80º to 90º) place until it has the consistency of yogurt, 18 to 24 hours; the mixture should be so thick it doesn’t flow readily when container is tilted. A single clot may form or smaller curds may be suspended in clear liquid. Stir to mix in any clear liquid. If liquid turns bright pink, discard the batch and start again.
4. Once a clot forms, add flour and stir untl smooth. Cover airtight and let starter stand in a warm (80º to 90º) place until it is full of bubbles and has a pleasing sour smell, 2 to 5 days. Again, if clear liquid forms, stir to blend mixture, If liquid is pink, discard and start over. To store, cover airtight and refrigerate.
Using and maintaining the starter:
Notes: For most active starter, feed at least once a month. To increase starter supply, in a large container, add as much as 10 cups each of milk and flour to 1 cup of starter. The mixture may need to stand up to 2 days before the clear liquid forms on top.
1. Use starter at room temperature. To hasten, set container in warm water.
2. Use and/or feed starter. To feed, replenish each 1 cup starter used with 1 cup warm (90° to 100°) nonfat or low-fat milk and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Stir to mix well.
3. Cover starter airtight and let stand in a warm (80° to 90°) place until bubbly and sour-smelling, and clear liquid has formed on top, 12 to 24 hours.
4. Stir before using. Store airtight in the refrigerator.
Sunset
MARCH 1998
Thank you so much for sharing this!
I just finished the Homeland DVDs too. Waiting for season 2… Some of my favorities: Game of Thrones (I was surprised I got hooked), The Good Wife (I resisted, but also got hooked). Agree with the other suggestions for Six Feet Under, Dexter and Breaking Bad. Believe or not, I also liked Oz, but that’s pretty much the anti – girly taken to the extreme. Keep us posted.
Although I can’t vouch personally, I have many friends who live for Sons of Anarchy. I’m trying to get my hubby on board. We also like Dexter.
Check out Nicole’s blog – Pinch My Salt – she does a good job of explaining how, when, etc. with a day by day direction with pictures (love those pix). If you have not watched 6 feet under – it was a really good show (quirky but good).
Ooh, thank you Suzanne, I will check out Pinch My Salt. Pictures and a day by day tutorial sound like exactly what I need!
I spent
Loved this post-related to everything you wrote today!
Love the kitchen, I’d move in there too!
I was more a Boyz II Men/Color Me Badd fan (sigh-Bryan Abrams!)
My sourdough starter, Jabba, is 3 years old now, though I don’t bake with him much.
When I was hard core juicing, I would do an orange/apple/carrot combo. Couldn’t get hubby to do green juices.
Hubby & I loved Chuck, try it! Geeky spies!
“24” is an awesome show, but there are a couple of slow seasons in there, but Jack Bauer is on my short list of people I want around during the zombie apocalypse! :) This is going to sound terrible, but I loved the show “Prison Break” but I am a sucker for action-oriented shows with hot men! Just don’t try to watch it all at once, your head may explode.
I just got a sourdough starter from a friend, so it will be fun to learn alongside you! If you can find someone with a starter, I’d guess that’s the more reliable option (along with buying one). I tried starting one from scratch 3 times and failed all times. Maybe because it’s winter? But right now I’m just adding to one to build it up in volume so I don’t decimate it when I need it for a recipe :)
I am sad that Homeland has finished too. If you haven’t seen Lost, that is a good way to waste many hours.
I am HIGHLY RECOMMENDING the show “24” as a series you and your CCC would both love. Fast paced yet easy to follow, twists and turns, intrigue, and a gorgeous star (Kiefer Sutherland), what more do you want in a show? My son and I started watching it a few summers back and loved it. We were in serious mourning for weeks when it went off the air. Let me know how you like it!
I know a lot of people may think it’s gory but, it really does have a great story line, The Walking Dead. I’m also a fan of Once Upon A Time. Lost.. Its an oldy but goody if you have never watched it. The Twilight Zone or The X- Files are always great fillers in between seasons.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/03/07/148120591/into-the-wild-science-of-sourdough-bread-making
Not sure if you want to get into the whole ‘make your own starter’ from somewhere before ‘scratch’ but this article is kind of intriguing…
I look forward to seeing whatever results you come up with, have fun
I’ve been doing sourdough for about a year and I love it. I started out with Baking with Sourdough by Sara Pitzer. It’s a very small cookbook, more like a large pamphlet. The kindle version was on sale for 99 cents so I decided I couldn’t go wrong. It has lots of tips and and pointers and quite a few recipes. It even teaches you how to “catch” wild yeast in addition to making a dried yeast starter. I think it’s great for someone who’s just learning how to work with sourdough.
Breaking bad or lost!! You won’t be disappointed!!
My fiance I an just finished watching Sherlock on Netflix! It was fantastic and definitely appealed to us both. The only bummer is that the third season has just started filming.
What a week!
You should give Game of Thrones a try! I was hesitant at first because the whole fantasy genre doesn’t really appeal to me, but I got really into all of the political intrigue. My boyfriend and I loved it, and you can get all caught up before the third season comes out in March!
Hi Tiffany, Thanks for the recommendation, we are actually big fans of Game of Thrones as well. We’re waiting for that one to come back, too!
Downton Abbey is AMAZING!!!! Not “girly” at all – my husband LOVES it!
I have seen NKOTB in concert two times now, and I had an awesome time. The first time was just them, the second time was the NKOTBSB tour (new kids and backstreet boys.) Also a fun time. My husband actually went to the first one with me – it was a funny wedding anniversary present actually – and I think he was not at all prepared for the hysteria of a boy band concert, even if most of the crowd was in their 30’s! He looked a little overwhelmed at all of the screaming, that never abated. He did grudgingly admit that they were pretty good!
The season of “Justified” just started back up on FX a couple of weeks ago. It’s cop and bad guy stuff, but it’s comical, too. Timothy Olyphant isn’t hard to look at either! I also watched the first episode of the new series “Following” with Kevin Bacon on Fox, which I thought was gripping, although creepy. I think Fox may have a hit on their hands. I like cop shows!
Lance Armstrong is a huge disappointment to the sports world, just like Barry Bonds and so many others that continuously lie about using steroids. People make mistakes every day, the most important thing is just to own up to it when you’re caught red handed.
Have a great weekend!
Ditto on Justified! We love that one too.
24 is great, but gets old after a couple of seasons. I watch an embarrassing amount of TV and my two favorite shows are:
Sons of Anarchy (it is a little more male-driven, but I think it’s one of the best shows on TV…husband and I love it! And there’s great eye candy for the ladies)
Breaking Bad (so intense but so so so good!)
Have a great weekend in the snow! It’s freezing in NYC and I’m ready to go into labor any day now, so we’ll be drinking hot cocoa and watching Sons of Anarchy season 5 this evening :)
Breaking Bad and King Arthur sourdough all the way~ Looks like it gearing up to be a snow day here in OHIO!
Sometimes I swear we’re sisters from another mother ;) So many things in common in background, etc. Some of your recipes and references to your grandmother fill me with memories of my own mom and was italian.
Yes to Downton Abbey but we just got hooked on the new Kevin Bacon series “The Following” that jsut started the other night. They have the premiere encore on tonight on Fox at 9:00.
Falling Skies on TNT one of the best series the hubby and I’ve watched! You have plenty of time to watch first two seasons before new one. Its a summer series. Anyone we’ve told to watch it comes back and thanks us because its so good.
I have been following your blog for a few months now and have really been enjoying it. I’m pretty well seasoned in the kitchen and ‘Love, Love, Love’ real recipes from real people. Thanks for taking the guesswork out of it! I also consider my husband and self to be very seasoned in the television and movie department. Lol, I know it’s terrible! We just started with season 1 of Homeland and are loving it! If you want to keep with that same tone, then 24 is definitely the way to go. My hubby and I both started it separately and it was so intense and captivating that we mindlessly lost sleep and kept late/early hours telling ourselves “ok, just one more episode and I’ll go to bed.” It was like going into withdrawal when we got all caught up and only got one episode per week! You’re lucky, if you do watch it, that you can watch fluidly without interruption. If you want something light, Psych is really cute and funny. The new season hasn’t started yet, so if you get on it you can get caught up and TiVo the new season while doing so! In any case, good luck with the search! Can’t wait to hear what it is.
Hi. When I saw you asked about juicing I had to comment. I got a nutribullet for Christmas and I love it. Its different than juicing – no waste. It breaks all the fruits and veggies down so you can better absorb them. I felt like I was seriously lacking in my fruit and veggie intake too so figured I would try it out. I try to have a smoothie/drink/blast whatever you want to call it everyday. Clean up is super easy. Just rinse the blade and cup. I can’t handle the taste if I put too many veggies in so for now I’m mixing fruits (mostly fruit) with spinach or greens, experimenting as I go. There’s also a milling blade but I haven’t used that yet. If nothing else I’m still using it and I’m getting a lot more fruits than I was before! As for shows – my husband and I are huge Sons of Anarchy fans (on FX). One warning: it’s pretty graphic / violent.
Love your website. I have made quite a few things I have found recipes for on your site and they have been wonderful! In fact, I always your website as a first go-to for recipes for everything! For a TV show to watch, try Suits on USA and White Collar is very good as well.
Michelle~ Seriously the most adorable Picture of Einstein.!
Hi Dawn, It’s not Einstein, but I think it’s his twin!
My husband and I like White Collar too. We watched the first couple seasons on Netflix, and now buy them from Amazon.
Love that you want to master sourdough bread! My grandma, mom, and myself have been making it for years. The starter I have I got from Mom who got if from my Grandma, and it’s been alive for over 20 years and is still going strong! We give it out often to people who want to make it themselves. The starters are really hard to start, but once they’re going, they’ll last forever. Grandma is the one who originally started it but she had some failed attempts before she got it right. I was actually thinking of trying to start one on my own to see if I could do it, but who knows how it will go. I want to post about it on my blog, but I want to be able to tell people how they can actually do it themselves. I’ve never heard of buying one.
I’d be happy to share the starter with you (or anyone else near Pittsburgh who wants it).
I’m no sourdough master, but I made my own starter two years ago. Lucky (I named my starter) still lives in my fridge and I faithfully feed him. I think it is rewarding to start one’s own starter and it’s not hard. Personally, I think its a waste of money to buy one, when you can make one. Email me and I’ll look up and pass along the link to the site I used to make mine… I think it was The Fresh Loaf site?
I’m in love w/ the DeLallo test kitchens too! I’ll have to visit it the next time I’m up that way. I was curious if that was Einstein too?
I’ve been following you for a long time and always mean to comment, but then I saw NKOTB and just had to! First concert, first HUGE celebrity crush (I was so sure I could really be the future Mrs. Jordan Knight!) Anyway, love your site, love your recipes!
Regarding TV shows to watch with the Hubs: I just started him on Downton Abbey. I watched the first two seasons without him and made him watch (spoilers!) this http://bit.ly/UpSkVY. And our favorites are Dexter and Breaking Bad. 24 is also worth a watch! Have fun!
Aw, thank you for taking the time to comment today! I also thought I was going to marry Jordan Knight ;-)
Boardwalk Empire is one that my husband and I have been really enjoying. We both also watch Downton Abbey.
We are huge fans of Boardwalk Empire! I’m so bummed that we have to wait for another season of that now, too!
My husband likes Downton Abbey more than I do! You should definitely give it a shot.
Downton Abbey, a girly show? Really? My husband is just as hooked as I am! It is some of the best entertainment out there. There is a reason it is PBS’s highest rated ever show. It’s not just women watching this show, I guarantee it. Grab the Season One DVD and watch an episode. You’ll find yourselves checking the clock near the end to see if you have time to watch the next one..and then..maybe just one more.We’ve watched three episodes at a time.
My absolute favorite Pandora station is LFO! It play Summer Girls and all the POP songs from Y2k. :) IF you love NKOTB, you’ll love this station!
Elementary on CBS are me and my boo’s favorite show right now. Enjoy!
First of all – LOVE the kitchen at DeLallo!!! Oh, what I wouldn’t do for something half as nice. LOVE the dog, too – I can’t wait until we get a golden. I haven’t seen 24 either, but it seems like it might be good for both men and women. Downton Abbey has been my guilty pleasure lately. It’s got it’s girly moments, but there is intrigue and lots of great one-liners from Lady Grantham (Maggie Smith)…hilarious. I must admit, though, that my husband doesn’t care to watch it – but then again, I did marry a red neck who likes watching hockey, drink beer and expel bodily gasses! Hope your winter isn’t as long and snowy as our is!
My bf and I watch a lot of Mad Men. I am pretty sure it’s available on Netflix. Regarding the juicing, I think I’d rather just get a Vitamix and do smoothies. Are there more health benefits to juice vs smoothie? I’d just rather something more significant than juice (add some yogurt or almond milk etc).
I am getting into Scandal. That is a good show. The first season starts off a bit slow but stay into it. I am about to start season 2. It is really filling my Homeland void.
For a show, there’s none better than Breaking Bad. Once you get into it, you’ll never want to leave the couch!
I couldn’t agree more! Breaking Bad all the way!!!!!!!!!! My husband and I got the DVDs from a friend over Christmas and haven’t stopped watching it since.
Agreed! Breaking Bad is excellent, we were hooked almost right away and there are 5 seasons out, I think? So it will last longer than Homeland and keep you guys busy for a while!
One of my goals for 2013 is mastering sourdough as well. However, since 2012I I have had the same issue. Do I buy one from King Arthur Flour (they say its hundreds of years old) or start with my own. And if I start with my own, which recipe? I hope we can figure this out! Regarding juicing, I went through my phase with that a few years ago. All I have to say is borrow a juicer before you buy one until you know its gonna stick. Oh and make sure you have alot of space in your fridge for all the extra fruits and veggies. It takes alot of them to make a quart of juice. I made carrot juice with a beet and apple in it.
One of my favorite shows EVER was Six Feet Under, done by HBO a number of years ago. The writing and acting are superb! I was so so sad when I watched the last episode. I wanted it to go on forever. I got hooked on 24 for a couple of seasons, but then it got old. It was fun, though, almost cartoon-like, for the first few seasons, and definitely popular with guys.
NKOTB was totally my first concert! Crazy. I need a good new show to watch with my guy, too. I’ll be stalking your comments for suggestions.
Echoing the other comments, definitely give Downton Abbey a shot! It’s riveting for myself as well as my husband, who usually is pretty “no thank you” to other Victorian/Edwardian era romance/girly shows. Some of the storyline is romance-related, but much of it also has to do with class-conflicts, war and other historical events, and just human drama. So plenty for everyone. Also, I made sourdough from scratch using just flour and water last year, but also King Arthur Flour has a tutorial about how to make your own starter using just a pinch of commercial yeast to jump start. I would recommend that over buying a starter kit since over time the yeast population will be replaced by local yeast so there’s not much point in getting “San Francisco” or “French” sourdough starter in the long run (i.e. it will lose the SF flavor after a few cycles). Plus it’s fun to know that my sourdough is uniquely “Pittsburgh” sourdough!
Thank you for the tip on KAF’s tutorial on making your own starter, I am definitely going to check that out as a first step!
My husband and I love “Chuck,” although we haven’t seen past the second season. We keep thinking that eventually we’ll get around to watching all five seasons. We we’re sad when it got cancelled.
We used to watch Chuck too! I was surprised when it got cancelled.
I have a juicer which I need to break out so I am anxious to try whatever recipes you post. My neighbors have been juicing for about two years and swear by it. They have one to start their day. I checked out that 30/30 app and I am going to download it to my Ipad….I am one of the few that don’t have an Iphone yet! Thanks for your blog…it is always fun to visit.
Hi Lori – There is sensible healthy advice and great juicing recipes with nutritional information on http://myjuicecleanserecipes.com – happy juicing
Downton Abbey is an absolute must – my husband and I both adore the show. We even hosted a special dinner this year in conjunction with the opening episode. Check it out at our website: eatsipswirl.com
I’ve been reading your blog since this summer and really enjoy both the commentary and the recipes. My list of favorites is growing and this weekend am going to try the peanut butter banana bread. My kids said we have to try it – that and the oreo cheesecake bars that my daughter said should be on a plate by the time she got home from school! Not today unfortunately… Have to comment on the shows because my husband and I watched The Following last night that we had taped earlier in the week. The pilot airs again tonight on FOX. Its a MUST SEE with Kevin Bacon tracking a serial killer. Also next week on FX, The Americans starts and looks like it might be good. I know both appeal to men as well because my sons recommended them. Enjoy!
PS though Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is technically not sourdough, it has a lot of the same properties without the starter –several days in the fridge gets you the taste. Bet your library has the book. You could try and no one would know!
Downton is a great series so far (though it kills me that it got so popular because that will probably ruin it). My husband does not watch much tv but when he does it’s “guy” tv, and yet if he’s in the room with Downton, he watches. Another series you might enjoy is Foyle’s War. Great stories — based during WWII but not a war movie.
I enjoy making my own Pandora stations. I created a Bobby Daren station which plays lots of good “oldies” you would know. And when I’m not in the mood for that, George Winston.
Have a fun weekend. My guys are all excited for the first hockey game of the year — they are going to a Columbus Blue Jacket’s game. Which means I stay home with my daughter, a pot of bolognese and pasta, and an old movie (I love that my 10-year-old prefers old movies!)
Thanks for the recommendation of Foyle’s War. My CCC loves WWII stuff, so he’d probably enjoy that. Have a fun girls night while your boys are at the hockey game!
Haven’t seen Downton Abbey, but it’s in my Netflix queue with a long wait time (just to see what all the hoopla is about). “Psych” gets my vote–hilarious. For my darker side, the choice is “Dexter”- oh soooo sick, but so clever. He’s a bad, good guy.
King Arthur’s starter is pretty good…my sister bought it and gifted some to me. I used it until it got too warm to bake and then I let it die. I’m debating buying some more of it. I believe Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish has a recipe for starter. I made his Saturday White Bread, which turned out beyond amazing, and the Same Day Pizza Dough totally rocks.
As far as television, we watched almost all the 24 episodes except the last season.. Some seasons were better than others, but we did get to the point where we commented that no one could have THAT MANY bad days! I watched the first few episodes of Downton Abbey, but I don’t think my hubby would go for it!
Is that doggie pic Einstein? It’s SO cute!
Hi Dana, It is not Einstein, but I swear it’s his twin!
I love downton abbey and my husband will watch it with me but it isn’t his favorite. We like watching Psych or White Collar together!
Ive been juicing on and off for 8 years or so. Mostly off. It’s a royal PITA to clean the juicer. It’s nothing like cleaning a Vita or a food proc. It takes forever and food just multiplies in the juicer teeth. I have 4 juicers from cheap to not cheap at all. None are perfect. Juicing is also expensive. You need a TON of produce to juice it down; then you need more for everyone else in the family who wants in on the green action. But you know what, I LOVE the way juicing makes me feel. It’s like mainlining purity. Injecting nature straight into your cells. It’s amazing. Once you get past everything else :) And I saw all those posts too. And then my hubs was like, we need to juice more! I had it from all angles last week, too!
I bet your time w/ Jessica was a blast!
I’m also going to vote for Downton Abbey. I’d heard enough about it to know I was going to rent it and watch anyway but I wondered if Mr. Hungry Couple would be into it. He’s usually a “guy” about this kind of stuff. So I kind of “forced” him to watch the first couple of episodes and he was totally hooked. We’re just finishing up season 2 and waiting for season 3 to release on Netflix in a few days. He’s as eager as I am. The staging and acting are phenomenal!
My very manly husband actually likes downtown Abby more than I do. I say give it a shot.
I’ve never heard of someone buying a sourdoufg starter. I made my own and it was super easy.
I second that. It took me about 4 or 5 episodes before I was really hooked. My husband is obsessed with this show.
You should give “Downton Abbey” a try! I actually started watching it on the recommendation of my dad, who is possibly one of the manliest men I know — he started watching it by accident while flipping channels during football game commercial breaks. I got hooked and ran through the first two seasons in a week! Now my mom, dad and I all watch it together. I strongly recommend it. You could also try “Castle.”
I just started reading your blog and I have to say that, by far, it’s one of my favorites! I love baking. It’s one of my passions so thanks for all the great recipes! As for TV shows that both sexes will like; my husband and I are both fans of Parks and Recreation. If you haven’t seen it before it is on Netflix up to the current season. Anyway, thanks for all the great recipes!
Hi Brittney, Thank you! We both love Parks and Recreation, too. Such a funny show!