Christmas 2011...16º

Yesterday I asked the "Guys" if they wanted oyster stew or clam chowder for Christmas Eve dinner...Oyster stew without a doubt...Second question, do you want lemon pie tonight or tomorrow...Tomorrow...Okay, so it quickly turned into a "Rusty" day when next I said, "We" can make pie crust today and maybe another batch of bread so we can stock the freezer and also I'm thinking about making another bag.

Bag for Yen (Ing)

Russ was on these ideas like a dog on a bone...(he was tired of playing Angry Birds)...I measured the flour, he diced up the butter and soon with the help of the cuisinart we had pie crust ready to chill...With me giving directions he started the bread...Bread flour in the bowl, made a well, add stone ground wheat (Herb did the grinding), then add about one quart hot water...Cool the water, a bit, by adding cubed butter, stir...Now sprinkle yeast over this mixture and a little sugar over that...Let the yeast work...Start working on a bag.

Nice Loaves

Rusty has a new friend in Viet Nam and wants to take her a bag when he visits the end of January...Yen (Ing) carries a bag on her scooter everywhere she goes...We look through my fabric stash and settle on a piece Bobi got at Ikea...Out comes the fabric cutter and directions...For the next few hours we alternate between adding more ingredients to the bread, kneading the bread and cutting and sewing on the bag...REMEMBER to wash hands between projects...It was hard for me but I kept my hands out of the bread dough, so Rusty could get the feel of nice elastic dough as it went, over several hours,  from a heavy 8# lump to 5 loaves of light fragrant, bread...By now his bag was also finished (only having to unpick two seams) and the oyster stew simmered on the stove...I also started a bag but made a major goof so ripped out lots of stitches and will work on it this morning.... Merry Christmas to All..... OWAV:)