What? No posts?

See, I live only 3 hours away from Florida.
So, it's summer, and I'm spending a great deal of my time over there with my family! This would be the reason I have so sadly neglected my blog. But that's okay. I have a tremendous bread recipe to share (which will also be going on Tasty Kitchen for easy access).
I love to make bread and this one was so easy! Honestly, when I first looked at the ingredients, I was thinking, "I wonder if I should even try... there's so little, how can it be good?!"
But it was incredible. My family informed me that it tasted like an artisan bread and go into the kitchen and make us a dozen more loaves.
My family is inspiring that way.
So, here is the recipe!

Italian Bread
1 (1/4 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 to 3 cups bread flour
2 tbls olive oil
1 tsp salt

Combine yest, sugar, and 1 cup warm water in bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Let stand 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of flour, the olive oil, and the salt to the bowl, and beat at low speed using the dough hook. Gradually add additional flour if needed (I always do!.. but that's me) until the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl and pull together. (When enough flour has been added, the dough will look soft and smooth, not wet and sticky or overly dry with a rough surface)
Increase speed to medium, and beat 5 minutes. Cover the bowl of dough with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down and let stand 10 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; shape into a loaf and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut 3 1/4 inch deep slits across the top with a sharp knife (these release interior steam and prevent the loaf from blowing apart at the side.)
Bake at 400F for 16 minutes or until golden. Enjoy!

Quick tip: My mother, an uh-mazing cook, has a trick for making sure the bread dough rises in just the right temperature. Turn on your oven for precisely two minutes with the dough inside. Once the timer goes off, TURN OFF THE OVEN. (i swear, 5 times out of 10 I forget!) Then let the bread rise...

Sugar cookies!

But not like you've had before.
These are wonderful; delectable; refreshing; fun to make; amazing to eat--

herbal sugar cookies!
I first heard of the recipe and went, ?! herbal sugar cookies?? Strange.
Then I made and tasted them.
W.o.w.

They're far better than one would imagine. far better than regular sugar cookies. These are killer. And so very easy!!

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 cup fresh finely chopped herbs (I have been making mine with mint. They are oh-so-good. Another variation is to make them with rosemary!)

Cream butter and sugar. (seriously, do. this makes the final result soooo much better! My sis made them and didn't cream the butter and sugar and we found that the cookies were not so fluffy and became stale. Probably because no one ate them) Add eggs, mixing well. Add vanilla. Mix in flour, sifted with salt and baking powder, kneading toward the last if necessary. Add herbs. If using more than one kind of herb, separate in half, and then add the herbs. Refrigerate one hour.

Roll out a little over 1/4 inch thick. Note: dust counter or board with a combo of flour and sugar to prevent stickiness.

Bake at 375 Fahrenheit until bottoms are lightly browned--about 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Or it would if I'd stop eating them. Hah!

Hi!

I think you can guess that I love to bake and cook :) I come from a family of cooks; my mom is the type who NEVER uses a recipe; my sister cooks gourmet on a regular basis, so I have to try to keep up with them.

Anyway, this is the journal of my adventures... so enjoy and please leave a comment!