Tulips of Skagit Valley

April 22, 2013July 22, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

There is something wonderful about having perfect timing. Last year, Isaac and I didn’t have it. We showed up two weeks too early to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon, WA to view the blooming tulip fields. To our credit, the festival lasts all month to allow for the temperamental flowers to arrive when they please.

The tulips were in full bloom for us at Roozengaarde this weekend. I’m convinced Isaac could care less either way; sometimes the only language he speaks is Fudge.

Margot was a delight the entire day, she’s still newborn-enough to sleep through pretty much anything, as long as she has her binky. Which reminds me, we finally broke down and gave her a pacifier. She loves it, and we’re enjoying a less fussy baby. It allowed us to visit with the friends we traveled with and navigate the muddy fields of Skagit Valley with ease.

In retrospect, I probably should have taken Margot out of her stroller for a photo-op, but I really wasn’t willing to juggle a camera and baby on such a windy day. Plus she looked so peaceful in her stroller, why mess with success?

It was our first major outing as a family, and it went swimmingly.

Happy Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2013February 14, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 1 Comment

May your flower vases come out of storage and brim with beauty today.

Sprouted Lentil Bread

May 24, 2012June 21, 2012 ~ Crystle ~ 7 Comments

This week I worked on cultivating lentil sprouts. It took several days, but it was well worth the wait.

I watched the lentil-filled mason jars on the windowsill diligently, rinsing them twice a day to ensure they were cared for properly. When those tiny green leaves finally emerged at the top of the sprout, it was chow time. I immediately went to work on incorporating them into meals. For lunch, they found themselves sprinkled on our sandwiches. For dinner, they ended up on pizza. And as for the weekly baked good, I baked them into a hearty wheat loaf of delicious sprouted lentil bread.

I’ve heard of people using sprouted flour in their hippie breads, but the recipe I looked up from Trusted Earth called for simply kneading them into the dough. So I did. And it was good. Beyond good.

The crust was artisan-tough, while the interior was soft and springy. Lentil sprouts punctuated the bread with a coarse quality akin to sunflower seeds. It was a fun balance.

I had to refine the recipe a bit, mainly because when the dough hits the mixer to knead on the bread hook, the consistency has to be correct before you can let it rise. At first the dough was too dry and wouldn’t combine. So I had to add water. But I added too much water….so went the game of adding flour and water to get the consistency correct. Typical me, I overlook such things as “let rise in pan”. So I ended up letting this loaf rise 30 extra minutes total. Which in my opinion, is never a bad idea. I find that the longer you let bread rise, the better the end result. Patience is a time honored skill in bread making.

This entire process was extremely cost effective. The dried lentils turned sprouts cost less than a dollar per cup, and we all know flour, sugar etc. is equally inexpensive. The priciest ingredient is the yeast, and I started to buying that in bulk.

I thought I was a true homemaker when I bought my first bag of flour by the 5 lb. denomination, but then I bought mozzarella in a 10 lb. bag and blasted through a quarter of it in the first week. All I could do to cope with this rapid change in lifestyle was sit in the corner and rock myself gingerly, while eating veggie pizza on homemade dough.

Splendid, delicious, life changes.