New Year's Eve

2015 is but an hour away.  Farewell 2014.  It's been swell.
A lot happened this year.
I went back to Cali several time.
I started working again.
I can see 20/15.
I got to visit Praha and etc.
I am thankful for all my blessings!

Here's 2014 in a minute.

Biscotti

I'm not a huge fan of biscotti, but the ones I made today were pretty tasty.

I made these almond biscotti for Frank's Birthday. He's been requesting them so it was the perfect occasion.

I also threw in some cranberries and white chocolate just to make it look more festive. 

We'll be enjoying these with some coffee tomorrow morning. 

It's the day before Christmas Eve making today the Eve before Eve.  Today's plans include preparing for Frank's birthday. I have to go to the supermarket again because I forgot to get Granny Smith apples for the apple pie and some bell peppers for the chapchae. 

Peet's

I am at Peet's Coffee and Tea waiting for Frank. So full from our snack from Goose Island Clybourn. And I honestly don't think getting a Sea Salt Caramel Mocha helps. Perhaps, I should have gotten some sort of decaf tea. Oh well. Another thing, caffeine gives me a headache, perhaps I should just cut it out. 

With the holidays are in full swing, I am only working one day this week and am so happy! I have to make some sort of cake and goodies for Frank's birthday and the turkey trimmings. Wrap some more gifts and etc!

We saw the Nutcracker yesterday! I quite enjoyed it. I think that was possibly my first ballet. I was wondering when all the talking was going to start, then I realized it was a ballet. Duh!

Afterwards we checked out the new ice skating ring at the Daley Bicentinial Park. I discovered the BP bridge which has a great skyline view of the loop. 

So tired these days....

It has been a week now since we returned from Europe. I am still so exhausted and just constantly have been sleeping. Yesterday I think I went to bed at 8. I worked right away and I think that is why I am so tired. There was so much laundry to do. Then we had Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I still have a lot of things to sort out. We also got our Christmas tree so we'll be setting that up today.  Thankfully I am only working a half day tomorrow!  

I'll post about my trip stuff in the near future!

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

We bought all these sweet and shishito peppers thinking that they would not be hot since previously purchasing them were pretty sweet.  Boy, that was quite a kicker for they were HOT STUFF!  Now we have all these hot peppers.  We roasted some a couple of days ago and I used the rest of them and more to make this Jalapeno Cheese Bread.

Add less jalapeno pepper if you want a milder flavor. I used a combination of all sorts of peppers. You can really add any kind of cheese you like as well.  I used a combination of cheddar, londoner, babybel, whatever I had on hand. They can be in chunks as well.  For the dinner rolls, I put chunks of swiss cheese in the center so you get a cheesy surprise.  It also helps to balance out the hot peppers. All-purpose flour is okay to use instead of bread flour.  I just like to use bread flour because it results in better texture and chew consistency. I was really happy with how this turned out.  Texture wise it is soft, but not too fluffy, and has a light dense consistency.  Give it a try. In the future, I may try different variations for variety.

This recipe yields about 2 loaves or 1 loaf and 6 dinner rolls or 12-15 dinner rolls.  You can also get one large loaf or a loaf like the size of french bread.  I like to use an egg wash before baking and once it comes out of the oven, I like to brush it with some melted butter.

Jalepeno Cheese Bread Print

Yields: 2 (9X5”) loaves (or 1 loaf and 6 dinner rolls)

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup warm water

2 ¼ tsp yeast

¼ cup honey

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

4 cups bread flour

¾ tsp salt

¾ cup minced jalapeño peppers

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Optional

1 egg + 1 tsp water (for egg wash)

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Combine warm water, yeast, butter, and honey in a pyrex measuring bowl and stir.  Let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.

2. Using a stand mixer bowl, add bread flour, salt, jalapeño peppers, and 1 cup of cheese.  Quickly mix together and add activated yeast mixture.

3. Using the dough hook attachment; knead the dough for 8 minutes on setting 6-8 (Start off slowly so you don’t get a flour cloud).  Then add the rest of the cheese and knead for 2 minutes or until the dough forms a ball.

4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and continue to knead until the dough is nice and smooth.

5. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in the greased bowl, forming the dough into the shape of a ball.  Coat the top with some oil to prevent getting a film on top of the dough.

6. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm draft free spot and let rise for an hour or until it has doubled in size. Punch down dough to release some air.  

7. Grease pans with some oil and set aside.

8. Divide the dough into two portions. Form the dough into a loaf by rolling out the dough into an 8X8 and rolling it like a jellyroll.  Pinch the seams together and place it in the greased loaf pan seam side down.  Repeat with the other portion of dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise for another hour or until it doubles in size.  (For dinner rolls, use the other portion of the dough and divide it into 6 equal portions.  Roll each piece into the shape of a ball and pinch the seams together and place it in the greased pan seam side down.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise for another hour or until it doubles in size.)

9. Lightly brush the top with an egg wash.

10. Preheat oven to 350 degree and bake loaves for about 40 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Rotate halfway through and if the bread starts to brown before it is done, loosely cover it with foil. Bake dinner rolls for 30 minutes.  Brush with melted butter for a soft top or leave as is if you prefer a harder crust.  Allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Pumpkin

Of recent, I have been making my own pumpkin puree because Frank likes that in his morning oatmeal.  He also likes to buy sugar pumpkins since they are in season being that Fall and Halloween is amongst us.

I roasted these babies up over the weekend so I have the pumpkin puree for the week.  It is really easy to make.  Heat up your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook them for 40 minutes.  Make sure you take out the pumpkin seeds and just lay the halves face down.  Stick a knife through them and it will make taking off the skin much easier.  Then you can simply puree it through a food processor or mash it with a fork or a potato masher.  I wash and let the pumpkin seeds dry and roast them the next day and get roasted pumpkin seeds.  It's a superfood, ya know?

Since I had to roast two pumpkins this week, I had some excess and decided to make some pumpkin pie.  I made a basic pie crust using Laura in the Kitchen's recipe.  The pumpkin pie filling recipe I used came from Chef John from Food Wishes.  I actually only used half of the pie crust that I made and tweaked the filling recipe.  Rather, I used 2 eggs, and pretty much halved everything else for the most part.  If I am so inclined, I might write it up and post it later.  But you can tell, I been kinda getting lazy these days.  Sorry for that!  I ended up with about 12 mini pies and a bonus with the extra filling that I baked in a ramekin and got an extra little treat.  I baked them at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, then reduced the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for another 20 minutes.

Mini Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Custard

I was rather pleased with how these turned out.  They aren't too sweet nor are they over seasoned.  It has just the right consistency.

Sugar and Spice makes everything nice!

Have you ever heard of the saying, "Sugar & Spice make everything nice"?  That thought came across my mind while I was showering.  I feel like I get great ideas in the shower.  Does that happen to you too?

I'll admit, I do enjoy something sweet here and there.  But not overbearingly sweet.  We were around O'hare this weekend and while there, we went to the Lindt outlet store.  I probably spent more than I should have on chocolate.  But check out my bounty!

I like to enjoy a little treat here and there.  My favorites are something with hazelnut or white chocolate crisp.  I also like sea salt which I usually get at Ghirardelli.  Belgium chocolates are also very delicious.  As you can see, I do enjoy chocolates.  Unless it is chocolate ice cream.

Indian food uses a lot of spices.  I recently made Chicken Makhani, also known more commonly as Butter Chicken.  All these spices combine together make a very delicious aromatic meal.  I had leftovers yesterday and the aroma of that sauce was so divine.

Chicken Makhani

I enjoy making Indian food because it is a learning experience for me.  I quite enjoy Indian cuisine so to be able to make it at home is rewarding.  I also make my own spices because I like knowing what goes into things.  Making these dishes from scratch can be time consuming but its worth it once you take that first bite.  

So these are why sugar and spice make everything nice.  Happy Monday!

I've got an hour to kill before I head out to work.  Instead of using that time to watch videos on youtube, I thought, why not blog.  I'll got a ton of stuff to blog about too (recipes, festivals, updates, etc.)  I've been taking advantage of the warmer fall days and going out to festivals and such.  This past weekend was gloriously warm. Sadly, I think those days are now behind us.  The days are getting shorter and it is getting dark earlier.

It's the end of September.  I feel like this has been a long month.  That means I did a lot.

The leaves are already starting to change colors and even started to fall.  Last year, this came pretty late. It sure does worry me because I am not ready to brave the cold winter.  I hope Autumn will linger around longer.

Things are so much brighter these days!

These were some of the eye drops I used after having PRK done (picture below).  I wore those blue things to sleep for the first 5 days after surgery.  And those lovely solar shields whenever I went out. I just recently started wearing my regular sunglasses again.  It's been about a month now and my right eye is 20/20; my left still has some acellular cells that need to slough off.  It's not quite 20/20 yet, but totally functional.  I have my next appointment in 2 weeks or so.  

I got to admit, things appear much brighter now than they did before.  Like the sun seems so much shinier.  Makes me think if I was in the dark all this time.

I'm back!

I have been MIA these days for two reasons.  I had PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) done on my eyes, so I can almost see 20/20.  The other reason is I been working temp jobs here and there.

What is PRK?  It is a type of refractive surgery to correct my myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism.   Some people do LASIK instead of PRK.  My doctor recommend PRK for me and so that's what we did.  Apparently, I have pretty tight orbital fissures so PRK is best suited in my case. PRK is also the first type of laser surgery for vision correction. The differences between PRK and LASIK are: healing time, procedure time, how the procedure is done, and cost. There is no flap done with PRK, rather the cornea's entire epithelial (outer) layer is removed  and the excimer laser corrects the refractive error.  At the end, they put a contact lens in and a few days later, they take it out. 

It's been a little over 2 weeks since I did the procedure.  I have not blog of late because I was waiting for my eyes to get comfortable looking at a computer screen.  My left eye isn't 20/20 yet, so things aren't crystal clear yet.  With PRK, the healing time is longer.  On a positive note, my doctor said I am healing very fast.  That's a good sign.  My eyes still get sore so I frequently use artificial tears.  

Prior to having the surgery, I had to fill a prescription for antibiotic drops that were crazy expensive. In addition, Restasis is also recommended to prevent haze. There are other drops that I also used to reduce inflammation and etc.  Post surgery, I slept and kept my eyes close.  I wore these bug eye protection for sleeping and solar sunglasses when I am out. I am so blessed that my husband took care me post surgery. He's such a sweetie pie.  Timing was just right too because he just finished a project. 

I started seeing patients again and it was definitely tough on my eyes, but manageable.  I had a good week or so to rest them up. I have another follow up this week.

I would definitely recommend PRK or LASIK if you are thinking about vision correction. Just make sure you have someone to take care of you afterwards, it will make life easier to get stuff done. Being free of contacts and glasses is great.  I no longer have to worry about buying contacts, contact solution or glasses.  In the future, I may need reading glasses, but that's much later on.  For now, I am enjoying my new found sight!

Coconut Milk Bread

I made this last night as my post recovery treat for my upcoming PRK surgery. This is the baby roll and here is the momma loaf. 

Upcoming recipe post in the future so look forward to it!

I made a video!

Many of my friends know that I bake and cook a lot.  In fact, I spend a good amount of time in the kitchen.  For example, today I made Multigrain Bread and blueberry muffins.  I've gotten into the routine of making homemade bread.  Since moving out here, I have had plenty of time to get to know plenty of recipes.  

I often watch things on youtube and subscribe to many youtubers. There are a lot of great channels out there and I am very grateful for the people who make these videos.  I recently made one myself.  

Check out my youtube video entry for Eugenie Kitchen's Nespresso Espresso Maker Video Contest.  I made a Green Tea Castella Cake. I learned a lot about castella in the process and a bunch of other baking techniques.  Baking for me is a lot of fun; so filming it and editing the footage introduced me to a whole another level.  

Green Tea Castella Cake

Over the weekend, I was working on a project. Since I had some free time this weekend, I decided to enter an online giveaway from Eugenie Kitchen.  It's a video response to one of her recipes.  I decided to make her Green Tea Castella Cake.  Below you will find the recipe that I adapted from Eugenie Kitchen.  I'll post my youtube video entry soon, still putting the final touches on it.

Green Tea Castella Cake Print

Yields: 1 small loaf

Recipe adapted from Eugenie Kitchen

Ingredients:

3 eggs, divided

61 g caster sugar ( ¼ cup)

50 g bread flour

2 tbsp honey

½ tbsp green tea powder (1 tbsp)

2 tbsp hot water

Optional topping:

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp hot water

Procedure:

1.  Grease a small loaf pan and line with parchment paper then set aside.

2.  In a bowl, whip up egg whites on medium speed.  Once the egg whites become frothy add the sugar one tablespoon at a time and continue to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.   This method is commonly referred to as the French meringue.

3. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat until combined.

4. Add the sifted flour with a spatula and stir just until moistened.

5. Add 1 tbsp of hot water into the honey and mix well. 

6. Mix honey mixture into the batter and stir just until combined.

7. Pass the batter through a sieve for finer texture. 

8. In another bowl, set aside 1/3 of the batter.

9. Add 1 tbsp of hot water into the green tea powder and mix well. 

10. Add the green tea mixture into 1/3 of the batter and stir until homogeneous. 

11. In the small loaf pan, add in the plain batter and evenly spread on the bottom with the back of a spoon.  Add in 1-2 tablespoon of the green batter and spread. Repeat until all the batter is used up.  Make sure to only fill 2/3 of the loaf pan.

12. Tap the pan a little and insert in a chopstick to make swirl marble like textures. 

13. Bake at 320˚ F for about 35-40 minutes.  If the top browns too quickly loosely cover with foil. If a toothpick comes out clean then it’s done. 

14.  Brush the top with a honey mixture (1 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp hot water).  After 5 minutes, remove parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to let the castella flavor develop. 

15. Enjoy and serve with your favorite tea!

Back Pains

Last Friday, I did a general cleaning of my place.  I heard that doing housework can be the cause of lower back pain.  Either that or its age.  Probably a combination of housework and work.  I've had to take a few rest days to let my back heal.  I did yoga for lower back pain, but I still feel very stiff.

Tomorrow, I might have to work; so I am hoping that my back feels better.  Even though, I do not work consistently, I pick up odd end jobs here and there and I think it is also a cause of stress contributing to my body pains.

I also met up with a friend who I haven't seen in a long time.  It was so good catching up.  We checked out this place in downtown that I've wanted to try.  It was a Spanish Tapas place. I like the ambiance there, it's lively.  Then afterwards, I took them to Firecakes.  It's this donut place on Hubbard.  They also have ice cream doughnuts.  The donuts are fresh and not too pricey compared to other places in the surrounding area.  It's definitely more than your average donut though.

Savings

My neighborhood pharmacy is CVS.  I like going there because the pharmacy staff is friendly and helpful.  I also buy my vitamins at CVS. And if you have the ExtraCare Card, then you are saving a good chunk of money. CVS typically has coupons when you have the ExtraCare Card. There is usually a sale going on where you buy 1, get 1 free.  I buy my calcium and prenatal vitamins at CVS.

I got all this for $12.62!  What a deal!

It is so hot here, likes in the 90s and with high humidity. I must admit it is terribly unpleasant.  Why are the winters here so cold and the summers so sticky?  That's a BOO all around.  After work today, I did my work out and showered.  Then I just laid around the couch trying too cool off.  Boy, I'll tell you microfiber fabric insulates a lot of heat in this humid climate.

I've had a pretty eventful week since I have been back.  This past Friday and Saturday, I worked a Demo gig with Oral B promoting an Electric Toothbrush. It's sales experience which I can add onto my CV.  It was really tough standing for 6 hours. I was in a lot of pain after the first day. The next day, my demo table got trashed so I made due with a table and decorated it with the product. Unfortunately, that's when someone was checking up on me.  But she was cool about it and said I did a good job.  Phew!  I also had a mystery shopper.  It was an eventful Saturday.

My demo table

My impromptu demo table after it got trashed.

After work on Saturday, I also committed to volunteering at the Summer Celebration at the parish we have been attending. It was actually quite fun manning the Ice Cream Station.  We got all suited up as you can see.

I head back home today.  Just chilling at my sister's place until my flight. Even though this has been one of my shorter trips, I felt like I have been out here a while.  When I checked in yesterday, I contemplated extending my time out here.  But alas, I have an appointment tomorrow so it is time for me to return home.

It will be nice to be back in my element and return to my daily routines.  I noticed every time I am back in Cali I indulge too much in desserts. I went to Porto's yesterday, had Half and Half, got macarons the day before and etc. Perhaps, next time I shall limit these indulging habits.

I don't know when my next trip back will be.  Perhaps in November or sometime next year.  I have already been back 3 times this year.  During this trip, I went wedding dress shopping with my sister and mom.  My sister was such a trooper, so kudos to her!  This isn't her favorite activity. There's another place that I want to take her to, so I'll have to play that by ear or get someone to go with her if I don't return anytime soon.

I got my In-N-Out fixl and my shaved snow.  My usually spots that I like to hit up are:
1) In-N-Out
2) Shaved Snow (Class 302 or Tasty 2 go)
3) Din Tai Fung (for the Juicy Pork Dumplings)
4) Cheese Rolls (from Portos)
5) Bottega Louie (for the Earl Grey Macarons)
6) Half n Half Tea House
7) Baked goods or coffee jelly milk tea from 85C
8) Bibingka from Josephine's (over at Island Pacific)

These are all the things I cannot get in Chicago.  Thus, it is important to get my fill while I am here, eh? I knocked out 7 out of the 8 which isn't bad at all.

Sunny SoCal

I am beyond tired!  This usually happens when I make a trip out to Socal.  The good news is, I am all done with the working part of my trip.  How fortunate!  The rest of my trip is seeing family, hanging out with friends and etc.

Tomorrow, I am getting a haircut.  I can't wait.  I feel like my hair has lioness on me. I will probably just trim it enough for my next cut when I head out here again.  I have noticed that it is so dry out here!  I wake up with a very dry throat.  It's painful.  Perhaps, I need to stay better hydrated!

I had some cronuts today and brought some in to share with my coworkers.  They enjoyed it and I was quite glad. I am not a big cronut fan.  I actually like donuts and croissant individually, but not as a hybrid.  I just wanted to check this place at referred to by one of my colleagues.  They have a lot of varieties at DK's donuts on Santa Monica Blvd in between 16th and 17th.

Refreshing Snack or Breakfast

I must be crazy because I am baking bread in this 90 degree weather! It is so hot and humid today that my dough just wanted to melt away. Fortunately, the bread just came out of the oven so the kitchen isn't crazy hot anymore.

I wanted to share a great snack/breakfast with you guys.  I typically will have this for breakfast and top it with some fruits.  It also makes a great snack.  Really perfect for the summer heat out here.  It's Chia Pudding.

This is a really easy recipe.  You don't have to be super exact and you can play around with the pudding consistency.  For example, if you like a thick pudding consistency, then add more chia seeds, like 1/2 cup or so. If you like a thinner pudding consistency, then add less chia seeds.  Also, if you prefer a stronger vanilla flavor then add more vanilla extract.

I'll add mangos, strawberries, blueberries and whatever fruits I just happen to have.

What is Chia?  Chia is an edible seeds that comes from a desert plant. They have healthy omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, calcium, and proteins. It is super easy to add chia seeds into your diet.  I often add it onto my yogurt, fruits, and baked goods.

Chia Pudding Print

Yields: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chia seeds

2 cups milk

1 tsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine chia seeds, milk, honey and vanilla extract in a pyrex measuring cup.  Stir to combine.  

2. Let sit for 10 minutes and stir again.  

3. Place in a container and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.  

4. Top with your choice of fruits and enjoy!

I have also used pandan which will give you Pandan Chia Pudding. You get get a nice green hue.

Topped it with mangos and blueberries

Summers in the Midwest

Where did the week go?  It's almost Sunday and I feel like time is just breezing by.  Mondays is when I usually do the laundry.  This past Tuesday, I had an interview.  On Wednesday, I had another LASIK consultation.  I have to go back again in two weeks because the doctor wants to check my left eye again. He said I have chubby corneas which I thought was really funny.  Thursday was a day in the kitchen, I made strawberry ice cream, pecan tarts, and mexican wedding cookies/russian tea cakes. Friday was an eventful day at Target.  Today, I went to a picnic with some of the parishioner at this parish I have been attending.  It was nice to meet some people from the parish and get to know them.

A while back, one of the parishioners came up to me and welcomed me to the parish and got my contact info and invited me to check out their Young At Heart Adults Group.  I thought it was pretty cool, since growing up Catholic, I was never really part of the church.  Coming up in a few weeks there is a Summer Celebration going on at the Parish.  We might check it out and even volunteer at the ice cream sundae stand.

For two weeks, I won't be able to wear my contacts since the doctor wants to check my eyes in its natural state without contact manipulation.  So I am going to have to sport my glasses.  Sadly, Frank just accidentally punch my glasses into my face so now the bridge on my nose hurt.

It has been quite warm with days, like in the 80s and 90s with high humidity.  The lake effect is really nice with the humidity.  Even though it is hot, a cool breeze is welcomed.

It's Friday!

Last week, I had a gig as a Brand Ambassador Dental Hygienist in which I promoted the Sensodyne Dental Health Spa at Fiestas Puertorriquenas (Puerto Rican Festival).  It was pretty cool because Humboldt Park isn't my usual stomping ground.  I got to step outside my comfort zone and experience another part of Chicago.  I got to meet a lot of really cool people and spread the word out about how to help prevent acid erosion.  I was able to network with local hygienist which was ideal because I am looking for work out here now.

I had Puerto Rican food for the first time.  I really enjoyed the arepas.  Here are some pictures from the festival.

Combo Plate: Rice, Chicken and Plantains

I call this Lechon

Arepas, YUM! The corn and cheese fusion!

Sensodyne Dental Health Spa

Humboldt Park

I thought this week was going to be pretty chill, but it was quite the opposite.  I ended up going on a casting call, had an interview then followed up with a working interview.  I also got some good news this week.  I am a licensed RDH in Illinois, that's why I was able to do that working interview.  I found out earlier this week.  I honestly thought I wouldn't find out until next week.  Hence, I assumed I would be pretty free.

I also got a call back from the casting call.  The clients were very happy with me, but I was unable to commit to the shoot day because I will be out of town and already have commitments for those dates. So I am kinda sad about that because it was a good opportunity.  Oh well, perhaps next time.

I am hoping next week will be a bit more chill.  I just have one event that I know of.  I am super excited because sushi is involved.

I am waiting for my other half to come back from the gym so that we can get some strawberry custard ice cream. It's my reward for such an eventful week.  Off to make some dinner, it's going to be chicken salad or chicken wrap.  We'll see what happens in the kitchen.

Multigrain Bread

Last week, I was experimenting with adding chia seeds and flax seeds into my bread recipes.  I was really happy with how it turned out.  In fact, that's how this multigrain bread was born.  I pretty much used the basic foundation of my Honey Oat Bread Recipe and added the chia and flax seeds.  With this recipe, you will get a nice soft texture and the bread will be delicious because of the butter.  

Now, let's say you want a more dense multigrain bread that has a lot of chew.  Then you would not use the butter or only use like a tablespoon and add 6 tbsp of flaxmeal.  This will give you a denser bread and you will not get as much rise out of it.  It will still be very delicious and you may just have one slice instead of two because you will feel more satisfied.  

Multigrain Bread Print

Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup warm water

2 ¼ tsp yeast

¼ cup honey

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3 cups bread flour

1 cup Old Fashioned Oats

1/3 cup milk powder

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp chia seeds

3 tbsp Flax seeds

2 tsp honey (warmed)

2 tbsp oats

2 tsp flax seeds

Directions:

1. Combine warm water, yeast, honey, and butter in a small bowl and stir.  Let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.

2. Using a stand mixer bowl, add bread flour, milk powder, salt, chia seeds, flax seeds, and yeast mixture.

3. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough for 10-12 minutes on setting 6-8 or until it comes together. (Start off slowly so you don’t get a flour cloud).

4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and continue to knead until the dough is nice and smooth.

5. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in the greased bowl, forming the dough into the shape of a ball.  Coat the top with some oil to prevent getting a film on top of the dough.

6. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm draft free spot and let rise for an hour or until it has doubled in size.

7. Grease a 9X5” loaf pan with some oil and set aside.

8. Form the dough into a loaf by rolling out the dough into an 8X8 and rolling it like a jellyroll.  Pinch the seams together and place it in the greased loaf pan seam side down.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise for another hour or until it doubles in size.

9. Lightly brush the top with honey and coat with oats and flax seeds.

10. Preheat oven to 350 degree and bake for about 40 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Rotate halfway through and if the bread starts to brown before it is done, loosely cover it with foil. Allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

I was playing with Flipagram and made this video of my bread rising.  I love a good proof!

Honey Oat Dinner Rolls

Dinner rolls are quite delicious!  Everybody loves those King's Hawaiian Rolls.  You really just can't have one.  The only down side is that each of those King's Hawaiian roll has about 100 calories.  Now, I haven't actually calculated the calories count on my Honey Oat Dinner Roll, but I can tell you that they have nutritious value.  Plus it is homemade!

I really enjoying making bread these days (especially when I get an awesome rise). There is a difference when you have homemade bread versus the store bought bread.  Homemade bread taste fresh and your kitchen will smell amazing! I know exactly what went into what I will be consuming.

I decided to make dinner rolls because it is the perfect size for my turkey burgers.  The sandwich bread was always a little big for the patty.  So this was the perfect solution and we really like the bread to burger ratio. These are like sliders size more or less.

Dinner rolls make great burgers.

Dinner rolls also make great snacks. What I also like about these dinner rolls is I won't gorge on a ton of them; they contain oats which are are more filling and leaves me satisfied with just having one.  I brushed the top with melted butter to soften the crust, you can leave that out if you want a harder crust. 

Also, make sure that you use warm water around 110-115 degrees to activate the yeast.  If your water is hot you will kill the yeast.  If it is not warm enough, then you will not activate the yeast.  Here's what it looks like when your yeast has activated.  

This recipe is just like my Honey Oat Bread; I just made them into dinner rolls.  Enjoy!

Honey Oat Dinner Rolls Print

Yields: 12 rolls

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup warm water

2 ¼ tsp yeast

¼ cup honey

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3 cups bread flour

1 cup Old Fashioned Oats

1/3 cup milk powder

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine warm water, yeast, honey, and butter in a pyrex measuring cup and stir.  Let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. (Make sure that the water is around 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit; if the water is too hot, you will kill the yeast and your bread will not proof.  Wuah Wuah)

2. Using a stand mixer bowl, add bread flour, milk powder, salt, and yeast mixture.

3. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough for 12 minutes on setting 6-8 or until it comes together. (Start off slowly so you don’t get a flour cloud).

4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and continue to knead until the dough is nice and smooth even.

5. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in the greased bowl, forming the dough into the shape of a ball.  Coat the top with some oil to prevent getting a film on top of the dough.

6. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm draft free spot and let rise for an hour or until it has doubled in size.

7. Grease a 13X9” pan with some oil and set aside.

8. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into the shape of a ball and pinch the seams together (if necessary) and place it in the greased pan seam side down. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise for another hour or until it doubles in size.

9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Rotate halfway through and if the bread starts to brown before it is done, loosely cover it with foil.

10. When you tap on the bread and it sounds hollow, you know it is done. Brush the top with melted butter.  This will soften the crust. Allow it to cool completely.  (You can also dig in, but I would wait 5-10 minutes at least)

Wanderlust Chicago & CHGO DSGN

This past weekend, one of my dear friends came to visit me.  She introduced me to Wanderlust.  We did Yoga in the City at Grant Park.  It was a great event and the day was perfect, sun and all.  I've never done one of these and am really glad I did.  Thanks Linh!

We snagged some great freebies and got to try some new products.  I would definitely come out to another one of these events and would encourage anyone to.  Since it was quite warm that day, I got a little sunburned.  Next time, I will have to use the sunscreen spray.

Here are some pictures from our Wanderlust adventure. #WLChicago +Wanderlust

Butler Field. Wanderlust Chicago.  What a great backdrop to practice yoga!

Yoga in the City

Getting ready to unleash our inner yogis.

After Wanderlust, we checked out the CHGO DSGN exhibition going on at the Chicago Cultural Center. This is really cool exhibition featuring pieces of recent objects and graphic design curated by Rick Valicenti.  I would highly recommend checking this exhibition out if you are in the area or planning a visit to the Chicago area.

Here are some of my favorite pieces. 

Symbols