5 Reasons to grind your own stone ground flour with a Mockmill Stone Mill (plus a bonus Whole Wheat Pita Recipe)

Being a food blogger sometimes comes with benefits.  Take for instance the mail day that brought a Mockmill Stone Mill to my kitchen!

Within minutes of opening the box we had freshly ground, aromatic whole wheat flour begging to be used.  And use it we did as we set to whipping up some of the tastiest Homemade Whole Wheat Pitas we've ever had (see below for recipe).

Grind your own flour, you ask?  Absolutely.  And it's far easier than you think with Mockmill's new Kitchenaid Attachment (see special promotion below!).

But first, why grind your own flours?  Here are my top 5 reasons to grind whole wheat flour yourself:

1.  Freshness - Ever wonder how long that bag of whole wheat flour has been sitting on the store shelf?    Ya, me too.  And the fact is, we'll never really know.  Most of the time my store bought whole wheat flour is fine... no issues.  But on occasion I get one that smells slightly "off" when I open the bag.  Yes, flour can go bad, and whole wheat flour can lose quality and freshness faster than others due to its higher oil content.  Hence, grinding your own insures pure, fresh, nutritious flour.

2.  Nutrition - As with quality and freshness, the nutrition content of whole wheat flour can degrade rapidly, with freshly ground you know you're getting the most nutrition possible.

3.  Flavor - I've never really thought of flour having much flavor, but freshly ground whole wheat flour does!  Nuttier and aromatic, the freshly ground whole wheat flours have a tempting scent that carried through in flavor to our baked goods.

4.  Control - Ever wish your flour was a little coarser grain for a certain recipe?  If you grind your own you can choose the fineness (or coarseness) of your grind.

5.  Choice - When purchasing store bought wheat flour you get whatever wheat berries that company uses.  However grinding your own allowed you to choose from all sorts of berries.  From soft wheat berries to winter hard wheat berries, the choice is yours.  Searching the internet you can find ancient berries and/or organic berries, much harder to find in local stores already ground.  And as an added bonus, I have gluten intolerant friends who swear certain berries allow them to bake with flour again.

Now that we have the reasons to grind our own flour, here's how to do it with my new favorite kitchen gadget... the Mockmill Grinder.

Created and made in Germany by Mr. Wolfgang Mock, the the stone grinding Mockmill attachment fits easily onto your Kitchenaid Mixer and takes mere minutes before you are up and running.  Actually, perhaps even just one minute if you are quick.  And speaking of quick... clean up is just as fast!

Their website describes it best:

~ Mockmill was created to open up the opportunity for virtually everyone to enjoy the benefits of freshly milled grains, spices and dried legumes.  Our innovative stand mixer attachment simply fits and works easily, giving you professional quality results, so that once you own one, it will soon become one of your favorite accessories. ~

Note:  Do make sure your Mockmill attachment is securely set into the attachment slot (It fits right in!) - clear and easy directions come in the box.  I may or may not have found out the hard way that the grinder will spin sideways spilling the entire contents of wheat berries all over your freshly cleaned floor if you are careless and don't follow the directions... :)

When you are ready to grind, attach the grinder to you KitchenAid Mixer and then simply pour your wheat berries into the top of the mill. Adjust the grind fineness of your choice, and then turn it on - that's all there is to it.

The freshly ground and beautifully aromatic flour falls directly into the bowl of your mixer and grinds surprisingly faster than I thought it would.

But the Mockmill Grinder isn't just for wheat.  We ground rice, oats and even chickpeas (chickpea flour works beautifully for thickening soups and stews - and I add it to my dog's food for added plant-based protein - And it's expensive to buy.  Not so when you grind your own!) 

But back to the organic hard red wheat which we chose first... what to do with all that precious freshly ground flour??  For our first experiment we turned it into Homemade Whole Wheat Pitas.  But then the test... would it actually taste different than the store bought we were used to?

In a word - Yes!

Pita is most popular at our house, however of late it hasn't drawn any special complimentary comments other than "Mom... when are you making more pita?".

These freshly ground flour flatbreads though, had 3 out of four people commenting "Wow... these pitas are awesome! Did you do something different??"  (Sorry Mr. Mock, I initially took all the credit as simply my really good baking ;)

To date we've put our Mockmill to the test and have ground organic soft wheat berries, organic hard winter wheat berries, dried chickpeas, oatmeal, flax, and brown rice.  All ground more consistent and much easier with the stone grinder than my past processing in the blender (with the exception of the oatmeal - I did find oatmeal to grind easier and faster in my high powered kitchen blender - but my next experiment will be oat groats which seem to be more fit for the stone grinder!

Note:  I found organic berries on Amazon.

So, have I convinced you??  Do you want a grinder too?  As a part of this Mockmill promotion, Mr. Mock is offering Liv Life readers a special deal good through August 31st (Check out my friend Mimi's review too!).

Included in the special summertime promotion for $179 (Value is $259) good through August 31st is the following:

• 1 Mockmill Grinder
• 2 lb bag of rye
• 2 lb bag of oat groats
• 2 lb bag of red fife
• 2 lb bag of spelt
• a specially reprinted book "Flour Power" reprinted only for this promotion!

** Check out the summertime promotion and receive an $80 discount when you enter the code  livlife  at checkout and you'll be on your way to freshly ground flour just like me.  Let me know what you think when you receive it and I'm curious what you will make first!

And lastly, my thanks to Mr. Mock for giving me the opportunity to review the Mockmill Grinder.  Liv Life received a Mockmill Grinder for review purposes and this review is all my own words and opinions.  I do love the product and I'm eager to share it with you all.  The grinder has become one of the most reached for items in my kitchen - who knew freshly ground flours smelled so good?  Thanks Mr. Mock for including me, I feel your passion!

"For over 30 years and with many patents for flour mills,
I’ve worked to create the perfect flour mill for everyone.
And now with Mockmill, we’re one step closer.
It’s the most affordable, durable stone grain mill available.
And professional and home cooks alike are impressed with the results.“

~ Wolfgang Mock, millwright of passion ~

Homemade Whole Wheat Pita
Nutty and healthy, these pitas bring the nutrition of whole grains.  Split open and fill with your favorite sandwich ingredient for lunch on the go!
Printer Friendly

1 cup warm water
1 tsp yeast
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbs flax meal
1 tsp salt (may use 1 1/2 if you are a salt lover)
2 - 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Place water into the bowl of your stand mixer and add the yeast.  Stir and and wait a minute or so, then add the 1/2 up of all-purpose flour.  Begin mixing with the regular beater on low.  Add the flax meal and salt, then add about 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour.

Switch to the dough hook, and add another 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour.  At this point I begin adding the flour in 2 Tbs increments, waiting a for flour to be incorporated before adding more flour.

Note the amount of flour needed will vary based on humidity and measuring - you want the dough to come together, but be careful not to add too much flour.  The fresh whole wheat flour will continue to absorb water as it rests.  You want your dough to come together, but it should still be sticky.

As the dough begins to clean the side of the bowl, stop adding flour and allow the dough to knead for about 5 minutes or so. The dough should be sticky and may not create a full dough ball like with other breads.

Remove the dough and place into an oiled bowl, turning once to coat with oil.  Cover with a dish cloth and allow to rise for 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 425º while dough is rising, placing a stone or baking sheet in the oven to preheat as well.

Remove dough from bowl and place onto a floured rolling surface.  Cut dough in half, replacing one half into the bowl.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel.

With the remaining half, roll with your hands into a fat "log" then cut into 5 pieces.

Roll each piece to about a 1/4-inch thickness.

Place the rounds onto the hot pan or stone in the oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until pita is puffed and lightly browned.

Remove baked rounds to a wire rack to cool.  Note, the pitas will deflate when removed from the oven.

Liv Life Note:  We make this recipe so often I no longer measure the ingredients... to make a slightly larger batch, place about 1 1/4 water in the bowl, add yeast, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and the salt and mix.  Simply add enough flour (either whole wheat or all-purpose) until the dough ball just begins to clean the sides of the bowl.  Follow the rest of the directions as above.

Liv Life Note 2:  Occasionally my pita doesn't puff... after much research, I still haven't come to a good reason why, but whether it puffs or not, it's still wonderful! 

Soft Oatmeal Bread with Oat Flour, Steel Cut Oats, and a Dose of Love.

Nothing says love quite like warm oatmeal bread fresh from the oven.  Soft, slightly sweet and slathered with a pat of butter, oatmeal bread brings a sense of balance to nearly any moment in your day and fills the recipient with a dose of needed love.  And this week as I prepare to send my baby boy off to college, I'm looking to fuel him with lots of love and good food, hence... we have our favorite oatmeal bread.

The bread has a history though, and I'm excited to be a link in its story.  You see a few months ago a girlfriend moved her aging mom from their family home and began the process of cleaning out decades of life.  As world travelers Cindy's parents had accumulated artifacts, souvenirs, and books from nearly every corner of the earth, and knowing my love of books she invited me to peruse the collection before they donated the leftovers.

Immediately my eye touched the stacks of cookbooks, and the first one my hand touched was a yellowed, paperback version copyrighted 1970 of Our Daily Bread, by Stella Standard.  Picking the book up a few handwritten recipes fluttered from the pages, but it was the notes carefully taped to the front cover that led me to the recipe on page 187.  A few recipe tips along with a water stained page had us making the recipe titled Cracked Oats and Oatmeal Bread the very same day.

Adapting the recipe for our dairy-free needs proved an easy task and our leftover steel-cut oats had the ingredients already one step ahead of the game.  Filled with the aforementioned prepared "cracked oat porridge" along with oat flour and whole wheat flour, the bread packs a healthy dose of whole grains.  A small scoop of coconut sugar serves to enhance the sweetness of the oats, and fresh from the oven our loaf lasted only a mere 20 minutes before satiated eyes begged for more for the next day.

As I wash that final load of clothes for my son and help him pack up those few last minute items before he heads out the door, I tell him I'll have a loaf ready for him to take to college with him.  He assures me there will be bread in Santa Barbara, but I know even he, my stoic and non-emotional son, may need a little dose of love that first day in a new dorm.  I'm sending it along.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pita

What could be better than a soft pita fresh from the oven?  Well... how about if that pita was soft and fresh from your oven??

With only 4 ingredients, homemade pita is easier than you think.  Adaptable to your tastes, either all-purpose or nutty whole wheat flour can be used with equally successful results, and before you know it, the aromas floating from your oven will draw family members away from their personal tech devices and you'll have smiling faces actually chatting in your kitchen.  Well... I can't promise they will put the tech gadgets down, but if they don't it's probably just because they're posting to Instagram (just like I did!).

Hot Bread!!

Served warm, pita is a delight with hummus or simply spread with plain ole butter.  But the "pocket" in the pita is what makes this bread unique.  Whether it be spread with hummus and stuffed with cucumber, arugula, tomato, onion and avocado (my personal favorite), or turned into a ham and cheese pocket, pita makes an ideal meal to go.

Make your own, and make them often.  You'll never be able to go back to store bought.

Crispy Yeasted Belgian Waffles

Spring is here!!!  Well... at least that is what I keep telling myself.  Truth be told, this week I've considered packing up, leaving this frigid San Diego and moving myself somewhere tropical and steaming with hot humidity.

Yes, San Diegan's are somewhat, shall we say, "sissified"?  Dip those daytime highs into the 50's and out come the jackets, hats and gloves.  Throw on a scarf and you might stay warm.  Something called a "cold front" has blasted through my little coastal surf town, and as a girlfriend and I faced the gale force (30-40 MPH) winds for our beach walk yesterday, that nagging thought of moving tropical was looking more and more like a better option.

This morning's early morning temps left frozen grass in the front yard and two chilly Maltese pups snuggling close together in their bed with no desire to head outside to freeze their tender little paws.  Cranking the heat and wrapping my scarf (yes... in the house) just a tad tighter, I set to encourage the Spring Gods as best I could.

Pulling out my Christmas Gift, a bright and shiny new Double Belgian-Waffle Maker, the kids rose to aromas of freshly baked waffles.  Having experimented over the last few weeks, I've discovered that my usual waffle recipes don't pair well with the Belgian maker, and a higher fat content seems to be key to crispiness along with a very thin batter.

With this new successful recipe under our belt, we soon found ourselves topping our perfectly crisped waffles with berries, syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar (representing snow...), and spring almost seemed a glimmer.  Either that or the heat in the house was finally warming us up.

Crispy Belgian Waffles
The Belgian Waffles we know today, are in reality an American creation, though they do have roots in Brussles.  Belgian Waffle Makers feature deep grids which in turn create deep pockets in the crispy finished product.  Belgian Waffles are noted for their golden, crispy outside and creamy-like, moist interior.  The Belgian version typically uses yeast in place of baking powder, making it necessary (but OH, so worth it!) to plan ahead.  We whisk up our batter the night before, and in the morning with the batter already prepared our waffles are done in no time.

Searching for waffle recipes after I received  my maker for Christmas, my heart sank as recipe after recipe came filled with high contents of oils, butters and white flours.   While I don't mind such splurges on occasion, these recipes won't do for me as a "good start to the day" breakfast.

Adapting numerous recipes into our version below, we've added whole wheat or spelt flour to increase fiber and protein, replaced whole milk or cream with skim or rice milk (for our lactose intolerant family member), and decreased the amount of oil or butter to reduce saturated fats, all while still maintaining the ever popular and traditional golden, crispy crust.  Toss a few berries or bananas and nuts on top of your waffle and you have a decent start to your day.

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cups whole wheat or spelt (we prefer spelt for its light, nutty flavor)
2 Tbs ground flax meal (optional, but healthy and tasty!)
1 pkg yeast - 2 1/4 tsp (we use Red Star Active Dry Yeast)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter (or melted butter substitute like Earth Balance)
2 Tbs brown sugar (add an additional Tbs or two if you like sweet!)
3 cups room temperature low-fat or skim milk (we sometimes use rice milk)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (we made our own!)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, flax (if using), yeast and salt, whisk to combine. 

In a medium bowl, add the oil or butter, sugar, milk, eggs and vanilla.  Whisk vigorously to blend.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking vigorously again to combine thoroughly.  I give it a good 1-2 minute whisk (it's good for your arms!), or use a hand mixer to combine.  Note:  Your batter should be thin.  Add a bit more milk if too thick.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours to overnight.

When ready to use, remove from fridge.  Heat up waffle maker and follow waffle maker directions. 

Top with fruit, nuts or a simple pat of butter along with syrup and powdered sugar if desired.  Enjoy!

One VERY cold and empty San Diego beach... winds at nearly 40 MPH sent sand stinging across the face and a chill directly to my bones!

Holiday Bread Braid

Every once in a while I sit back and revel at how lucky in life I am.  Thanksgiving often gives me inspiration to reflect back on my year to indeed, give thanks, and this year I once again have so much to be thankful for.

I'm extraordinarily thankful for the family who surrounds me with love, for Liv's smiling face each morning the moment she wakes, for my son who is getting old enough to take care of me on occasion, for my husband who works hard to keep us happy, for my parents who are always so supportive, for my Father in Law whom I've grown to know so much better this past year, and for all of our continued health.

In addition, I'm so thankful for my Food Blogging community where I've come to know a talented group of people who continually brighten my day, for the ultra supportive ladies in my Inspired Plate Photography Group, and or my fellow crazy Dance Moms.

I'm thankful to the vet who saved our pups life when he ate dark chocolate.  I'm thankful to the server in Rome who brought the most wonderful pasta and wine.  And last but not least, I'm thankful to Roxana, of Roxana's Home Baking, for picking us as one of her winners in her Red Star Platinum Yeast Giveaway.

I don't win things very often, and when Roxana's email notifying us that we had won her giveaway arrived, Liv and I set right to work deciding what we would bake.

A long time bread baker, I understand the frustrations of working with yeast.  While I usually have success, on occasion I have been known to produce loaves akin to hockey pucks, loaves that make wonderful door stops, and loaves that would most likely sink like rocks if dropped into water.

Years of practice has thankfully made these occasions few and far between, but every once in a while a little extra lift is appreciated (in more places than one... but we'll keep this post on the topic of bread...).

Receiving a beautiful bow tied gift box with the Platinum label prominently affixed to the outside, our first use fell to one of our favorite holiday breads.  A traditional Bread Braid, the bread tends to be a bit fussy since we have altered the ingredients to make it dairy free.  Occasionally becoming a bit heavy, the beautiful loaf has failed me a time or two (or perhaps my kneading technique failed it...), but being that it is my son's all time favorite holiday food, the loaf graces every holiday table we host.

After Roxana's high praises of the yeast along with a comment of, "Kim, you are going to love it!"  I couldn't wait to get kneading, and everything she said in her posts was right.  According to Red Star the yeast contains dough enhancers, "This simple-to-use yeast strengthens and improves your dough, increasing oven spring and finished volume of any recipe."  While I've only tried the yeast with this one loaf, Roxana spent days trying bread recipe after recipe and her results had me excited.

Citing slightly quicker rise times along with greater loaf volume, I maintained high hopes as our day proved chilly, and with no heat on in the house I worried that the bread would not rise well, but it did.  Once in the oven, the words "oven spring" gave full meaning as I peeked in after 10 minutes to behold a beautifully shaped loaf puffing over the confines of its braid.

Some 10 minutes later, pulling two perfectly golden loaves from the oven I reined in every bit of strength in me to resist ripping a crusty end piece off one end, purely for tasting purposes, of course.  Snapping a pic instead, I immediately sent it off to my son who quickly responded from class, "Don't eat all the bread before I get home!", and I set out for my rounds of school pick up.

With a soft texture and plenty of flavor, I think I need to add that I'm also thankful for irresistible holiday bread.

Irish Oatmeal Bread

Steel Cut Oatmeal makes for a wonderful, satisfying, warm-you-to-your-toes, breakfast.  The 1 cup of dry oats, however, cooks into far more than I can eat in one sitting, and if I'm the only one partaking on any particular day I have leftovers.  My Great Aunt Betty makes oatmeal and reheats it for a day or two afterward, which I have successfully done, but with the return of winter-like weather to our soggy San Diego coastline I found myself reteating to the kitchen to bake.  

Oatmeal Bread is one of our family favorites, and the addition of the leftover steel cut oats gives this loaf a slightly nubby texture.  Without giving me a chance to even get a single photograph my husband hardly let this loaf cool before he sliced it up and followed me into the laundry room with a couple of toasted pieces saying, "Wow... this bread is awesome, I meal absolutely awesome!  We should have it more often."

Toasted and slathered with butter or topped with sweet honey (we have some special Macadamia Hawaiian Honey from Felice, All That's Left are the Crumbs, that we have been rationing!) this oatmeal bread with added flax meal gives not only a dose of fiber and nutrition, but a delightful flavor.  The loaf does not last long, and I'm here to say it makes a darn good PBJ as well!

-------------------------------------------

On a side note, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Monet, of Anecdotes and Apple Cores.  Her sister's family has been in a tragic auto accident and our prayers for them continue. 

-------------------------------------------

King Cake

Highly sought after frequent flier or visitor upgrades bring a smile to our face.  Who wouldn't jump in elation as the airline employee smiles and says, "Well, Mrs. Liv Life, you are being upgraded to First Class on this leg of your journey." (This has only happened once, but I keep hoping every time I fly!!)  Like Jerry Seinfeld, I'm lucky enough to know the elusive comforts of first class...

Jerry: Elaine, have you ever flown first-class?
Elaine: No.
Jerry: All right then. See, you don't know what you're missing. I've flown first-class. I can't go back to coach. I can't, I won't.

Thankfully my mom received her own kind of upgrade this week when she was awarded a private room at Scripps Memorial Encinitas Hospital.  Arriving early in the morning a few days ago for a hip replacement, she was wheeled hours later to her coveted private room with a new hip along with an unfortunate complication.  The surgery had caused a small fracture to a part of the remaining bone as the new joint was being inserted, pushing her full recovery back some six weeks.  The private room was a godsend indeed!

While nurses, aids, doctors and volunteers all helped to make her stay more pleasurable, there really is no pleasure in having to ring for help every time you need to head to the bathroom.  Even less pleasure when the person who arrives to help you with this most private function is a man (no offense men, it's just a bit embarrassing...).  However, over the few days of her stay she came to truly appreciate those strong arms that helped her in and out of the bed, the chairs... and even to the bathroom.

Wanting to thank the many people who helped to make Mom's stay at the hospital (in her upgraded room) as pleasant as possible, I took the opportunity to open a new cookbook that had been sent my way.  Storey Publishing contacted me a few weeks ago asking if I would be interested in reviewing Krystina Castella's book AA World of Cake.  Jumping at the opportunity I was thrilled when my friendly UPS man dropped the eagerly awaited package into my waiting hands just a few days later.

Definitely not your typical cake book loaded with variations of frostings, cakes and decorations, Ms. Kastella has taken cakes from around the world and filled her pages with recipes, photos and most interestingly, history and lore.  Traveling to Italy for Panettone, to Israel for a special holiday Seed Cake, to Kenya for a Banana Cake with Crunchy N'Dizi (this post is up tomorrow!) and last but not least to New Orleans for a traditional King Cake, Liv and I spent well over an hour reading about the origins, traditions and stories that go along with the featured sweets.  Each recipe comes with variations for different tastes and occasions, along with a description of what you will be making.

Churros from Mexico were the first treats to catch Liv's eye, but the King Cake from New Orleans won out.  In California the 5th grade curriculum covers the United States with each child completing a detailed project on a certain state.  Last year Liv did her report on Louisiana, and what report on Louisiana would be complete without a Mardi Gras section featuring a King Cake??

Ms. Castella's synopsis of the King Cake would most definitely have come in handy last year as Liv was researching Mardi Gras food and traditions:


The French brought king cake to New Orleans in the eighteenth century, and for a hundred years this cake was associated with the Feast of Epiphany on January 6.  A bean, pea or small trinket would be baked into the cake and the person who found the hidden item was named king of the feast, said to have good luck for the next year.

Over time, the king cake became the official cake of Mardi Gras, the new Orleans carnival that kicks off on Epiphany and ends on Shrove Tuesday.  No Mardi Gras party is complete without its king cake.  Instead of a bean or trinket, Mardi Gras king cakes have a small ceramic or plastic baby baked into them, said to represent the baby Jesus.  The person who finds the baby is charged with, among other duties onerous or joyous, bringing the king cake to the next Mardi Gras party.

Filled with a luscious, lemon enhanced cream cheese layer this yeast cake is then topped with a sweet/tart lemon icing and decorated in bright Mardi Gras colored sugars for a brilliant presentation.  The directions were clear and easy to follow, providing us with a wonderful treat to bring to the hospital to share with those who have been such a comfort.

A World of Cake Giveaway!!!
(This 2011 giveaway is closed...) 
 

Storey Publishing was not only kind enough to send me a copy of A World of Cake
, but they have also offered to send one to one of our readers!!  To enter our giveaway simply leave a comment below with the country you would most likely check out first in the book.   We visited Mexico, Tortuga, Austria and then headed over to China for Mooncake.   Tomorrow we will bring you to Kenya for an amazing Banana Cake topped with a Crunchy N'Dizi... stay tuned!!

Leave your comment and country of choice below - the giveaway closes next Sunday, March 13. Unfortunately this giveaway is open only to United States residents....however, we'd still love to hear what country you are interested in even if you don't live here!

Potato Bread and a Stylish Award

Something about the aroma of freshly baked bread warms my heart.  As the aroma seeps into every corner of the house visions of the finished golden loaf flash through our minds and activate our salivary glands.  Professionals advise waiting until the loaf has cooled before slicing, but that kind of willpower I don't have.

More often than not the breads in our household are filled with whole grains, but on this occasion with potatoes on hand and Catherine McMichael's award winning Potato Bread recipe on the counter my decision was made.  Assembling the ingredients, kneading the dough and then baking the loaf, I knew we had a winner even before I tasted the first soft, tender slice.  Fresh from the oven (no, I did not wait for it to cool...) and slathered with butter this bread literally had me groaning with pleasure and utter amazement that these few ingredients mixed together could bring forth something so exquisite.

Speaking of award winning bread, I am reminded that I have been remiss in acknowledging a few Stylish Blogger Awards that have kindly been sent my way!  One award was enough to make my day, but to have four bloggers I hold in high esteem pass this award my direction is beyond belief.  Thank you to Raven, of RavieNomNoms, Michele, of Fit Foodista, Susan, of The Spice Garden, and Hester, of Alchemy - Simple Ingredients Magical Food. Each of these bloggers authors a blog I frequently visit and I feel like I personally know them through their posts.  Thanks for thinking me stylish!

In receiving this award the responsibilities include:

• List seven things about yourself that people may not know
• Pass the award on to 10 additional Stylish Bloggers
• Notify the bloggers that they have received the award

7 things about ME!

1. I love the beach!  From some of my posts you may already know that, but even though I love the beach I really don't like to go into the water.
2. I really like office supplies!!  I don't have much use for them, but a visit to the local Staples Store makes me want to load up my basket.
3. My favorite movies are Buzz Lightyear and The Birdcage.  When Harry met Sally is a good one too...
4. I would live on a tropical island if I could.  A pair of floppies, a few sundresses, Jimmy Buffet... life is good. 
5. Tequila is my drink of choice.  I don't like vodka.
6. I worked as an Accountant and an Assistant Controller at a power plant before being promoted to the best job in the world, Mom.
7. I don't like tv.  If I had my way, I'd give our tv away.  (Liv has issues with this one and is thankful that I don't have my way!)

And now I would like to pass this award to some additional Stylish Bloggers.  These are a few bloggers (in no particular order) that we have not passed awards to before who truly show passion and style:

1. Judy at Tastemonials.  Judy's blog was one of the first blogs that I stumbled upon when I started blogging.  She personifies style!  Wonderful restaurant reviews, tasty recipes and posts, and the most adorable grandson!  Her recent trip to Peru was an example of her passion for life.
2. Bella from Bellabits.  This 11 year old girl has got it going on.  She's engaging and has a passion for food and food items.  Her recent visit and review of Williams-Sonoma had me smiling.  She has quite a future if the foodie world!
3. Sommer of A Mama with Flavor.  Sommer lives in Germany and I truly look forward to catching up with her in her posts.  Her little Sous Chef has the most adorable curly hair and is quite a help in the kitchen!  We are sending safe travel wishes to her husband!
4. Letizia Golosa, of Lesizia Golosa, For the Love of Food.  Letizia has the most amazing eye for photography and made a simple slather of Homemade Nutella look sensuous.
5. I couldn't pass this award without thinking of my friend, Dionne, from Try Anything Once.  Dionne's style and passion shows in each and every post she writes.  She has inspired me to return to bread making, something that I love to do, but just haven't made the time for lately.  Her true love of life shows in her prose and style!
6. Becky of Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves.  Becky's posts frequently make me smile.  We have little pups in common, and when I read her posts I feel like I'm sitting at the kitchen table with her sharing a cup of coffee.
7. Ang, of Life Given, Eat Well.  Ang is one of those people who seems to live life with style.  Her quest for balance in life is one I hope to achieve as well.
8. Sabrina, from Eat. Drink. and Be Merry.  Sabrina's blog is a new blog for me.  She was also our recent giveaway winner and I could have been happier that the giveaway went her direction!  Recently married, she had my daughter and her friends drooling over her gorgeous wedding photos in the "about me" section of her blog.  I'm looking forward to following her!
9. Zerrin of Give Recipe.  Zerrin has made some healthy changes of late and I'm truly enjoying her healthy recipes along with bits and pieces of her culture and life.  Zerrin resides in Turkey and seems to "Liv Life" with a smile!
10. Jean, of Lemon's and Anchovies.  Jean writes from her heart... her Valentine's Day post has stuck with me.  Gorgeous photos to go along with some wonderful posts, all done with style!

And I could go on!  This flood blogging community has won my heart.  My husband belongs to another online community and is constantly amazed at the support and kindness that flows through the people I visit with.  I feel lucky to be a part of it.

Potato Bread... one of those that's worth each and every calorie (and extra for the butter!!)

Golden Bread Braid

My teenage son doesn't ask for much in the way of food.  Lately he has been extremely satisfied with Trader Joe's Black Bean & Chicken Burritos and Rolled Chicken Tacos.  However, holiday time brings out a special request for his favorite Golden Bread Braid!  

My gushingly positive notes show that this bread first made its appearance on our Thanksgiving table in 2001 and it has been a guest ever since.  Words like, "Excellent" and "Best Ever" have been written by myself as well as family and friends who have enjoyed this tender loaf with us.  My favorite note though is written in crayon by my then 6 year old son reading, "Mom, I love it!".  

Asking everyone in the family what they would like for our holiday meal I had requests for varying items, but my son just looked at me and said, "You know what I want.".  Our challenge this year, with his recent intolerance to lactose, is to make this recipe without the called for milk and butter so he can enjoy to his heart's content.  

Our first experiment with a butter alternative and soy milk proved to be the only experiment we needed!  A heavenly scent permeated the house as our loaves baked away, and the same soft, tender crumb that we have come to expect was present as we buttered our warm slices.  The first loaf lasted all of 10 minutes with all of us reaching for seconds and thirds as dinner was getting to the table.

Simply tossing 1/2 of a recipe in the bread machine on the dough cycle makes getting this bread onto the table easy.  Removing the dough and shaping it into the lovely braid makes it look like it's not so easy!  Best the day it is made, but it is still possible to make the bread a day earlier and reheat for wonderful, nearly fresh from the oven results.  Left overs make wonderful toast, or even a tasty French Toast.

Coconut Bread

Soon after arriving home from our Vegas adventure my son informed me "Mom.... there is no bread...".  As the thought of returning to my driver's seat was not very appealing and I thankfully remembered a recipe that I had printed out just before our departure. 

This recipe comes from The Virtual Goody Plate, a lovely blog I found while perusing the net before our trip.  The Coconut Bread immediately caught my eye with her lovely pictures of a nicely domed, perfectly cooked loaf, so I printed it off as a must try.

Coconut is a new favorite flavor for me.  My cake baking neighbor, Claudine, makes a divine Coconut Cake that awakened my taste buds to this tropical flavor, but for years I had been saying "No thanks... I'm not a coconut fan" to anything and everything coconut.  I've read that taste buds change as we age, and I believe that something changed in me as I now can't get enough of it.  (Next up Coconut Cheesecake!).  Luckily my family seems to love the flavor and I have been loading up on coconut recipes!

Multi Grain Bread

Bread is my weakness!  I love it... all kinds of it, from crusty white loaves to soft seeded grains.  Warm from the oven, toasted, or sometimes just smeared with peanut butter.  There are not many breads that I will turn down, and this multi grain loaf is a favorite.  I have long since lost the name of the poster and message board where I found this treasured loaf recipe, but one of my scribbles on the page notes that the first day I made it was March 7, 2003.  Also among the scribbles regarding it's tastiness is a note that Liv and I made this loaf together on the day of her first conference in preschool.  I remember coming out of the teacher's classroom with a smile plastered on my face from the glowing compliments!

Among the other scribbles are notes that I made brown rice and froze it in 1/4 cup measurements for future uses, that on occasion I reduced the sugar "a bit" and that this loaf consistently rises well.