Baking Bread

I have enjoyed my bread machine. The bread tastes good. But the bread it produces is too dense (in my opinion). So I used the feature where I just get it to make the dough for me and then  turn it out onto a stone and bake it myself. I thought maybe I would get a better 'rise' if I did it that way. Once turned out onto the stone, I followed the directions from a conventional cookbook for cooking temperature and time, etc.

Just after being turned out of the bread machine

 I placed the bread in the warmest room in the house (my Girl Cave) and went to plink on computer and take a nap ( I can't do cat naps. They just make me more tired. So I left that bread unsupervised for a couple of hours).

When I checked on the rising process--WOW! Nice rise. Too nice. I wondered if I should punch it down and let it rise again, but it had gone through its first rise in the bread machine so I left it alone

After rising. Not sure why this loaded sideways.

I thought, "This is gonna be either the most awesome 'fluffy-on-the-inside-crusty-on-the-outside' loaf of bread OR it's gonna fall when it bakes and be a 'dense POS." I suspected it would fall. It was just too big.

It doesn't look too bad in the photos, but it did fall. Dammit!

Let's take a look at the inside and see just how bad the damage is:

Frisbee, anyone??

A slice with butter.

Yep. That's dense bread. Don't worry. It won't be wasted. I'm thinking bread pudding, cinnamon toast, french toast, door stop, etc.

Bigfoot claims to "LOVE IT!" but he's just being nice 'cause he loves me. (And it's really not difficult to please him when it comes to food.)

Sick Baby / Hurting Back / Work

My baby Michael (Nug) was very sick yesterday. I went with his parents to the doctor. Ear infection. He had been fine the evening before. I've never seen him so fussy and miserable. He either cried, slept, or lounged (like a rag doll) on my lap ALL DAY. This is a child who usually doesn't slow down for a moment--and is so happy and sweet-natured.

Yesterday's chiropractor visit seemed to do no good and maybe made things worse. Maybe the reason my back hurts worse is due to sitting at weird angles with a 28 pound baby on my lap all day yesterday. We'll see what today brings.

Crunch time at Bigfoot's job. Lots of things needing to 'come together' very quickly right now. I can tell he's stressed and tired.

Nuthin' Much

I've got an 8:30 appointment with my chiropractor. He did me lots of good last week and I felt like a new person for a few days. Then on Monday, I could feel my back starting to tighten up again--getting a bit worse each day.

Chiropractors have always been 'hit and miss' for me. Sometimes they work. Sometimes not. So we'll see.

Bigfoot and I constantly think about being at the cabin for an extended period of time. But here we are 'working for the man'--torn between two worlds--our dichotomous life. Ho Hum.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

A couple of weeks ago, I came home to Underfoot (Jack, the Pug) and he had his tail hanging down, not eating, not jumping, groaning when touch, and (most worrisome of all) shivering and shaking. Took him for an 'after hours' vet visit. The diagnosis was a hurt back (which he's had before, but didn't shiver and shake). Also took that opportunity to get some more allergy meds from the vet.

Then--last week I hurt my 'already hurting' back. Sent me right to my knees and groaning on the floor. Underfoot was (as his name would imply) right under my feet. Lucky I didn't fall on him and re-injure his back. He did give me some worried looks.

I missed two days of work (My work involves constantly lifting a 27 pound baby--not a good idea with an injured back).

So . . . Jack's vet visit cost . . . .A LOT. (I don't even want to say--But if you've had an after hours vet visit with lots of meds included you'll understand). And MY chiropractor visit cost $40 and I felt great afterwards. So what's wrong with this picture? (But we do love our pets, don't we!)

Breaking Free

My mom has been in and out of the hospital for the last couple of weeks (3 days in, 2 days out, 10 days in). Heart problems, high blood pressure, etc. Then, of course, while in hospital---slight lung infection/pneumonia. Both arms red and swollen and painful from IVs. They wanted to keep her 6 more days just to give her IV antibiotics for her lungs. Yesterday she said 'enough is enough' and told them 'no more IVs and no more poking and prodding. Talked the doctor into oral antibiotics. He warned her they might not work, but she's taking her chances. The longer she stayed in the hospital, the sicker she seemed to get!

So she 'sprung' herself yesterday and I drove the 'get-away' car. Her dogs were SO excited to see her (and she, them)

Here's hoping the oral antibiotics do their job.