Thursday, June 25, 2009

Goodbye Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson died from cardiac arrest today. I am in total shock and can't believe it. Completely devastated. He made music magic and was truly the king of pop.

I was lucky enough to meet Michael and several members of his family when I was a little girl. My parents owned an exotic plant shop in Los Angeles that was next door to the Jackson recording studio. Many times Michael shopped in our store and was beyond kind. I once went with my dad to deliver a cactus to one of the Jackson's home. They gave me a juice box and let me watch cartoons on a giant movie screen.

I feel awful for his children and hope that they are well taken care of during this entire experience.

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Sunday, June 7, 2009

Baseball and Fireworks

My sweet BF and I were gifted amazing seats to the game Friday night. Even though our team was painful to watch, the fireworks were amazing!



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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Has anyone made this?

I found this recipe and really want to make it. Has anyone attempted it? How did it turn out?

No Knead Bread

Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 14 to 20 hours rising
Yield: One 1 1/2 pound loaf

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed


1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

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