Diary of a DC Diva

2010 Resolutions: Update

Good lord, I can't believe September is almost over. I'd ask where the year went, but I already know. I thought I would put a toe in the "blogging" water again by checking in on my New Year's resolutions and just see how badly I had fared after getting derailed, albeit justifiably, early in the year.

1. Explore the Smithsonian

I'm doing pretty well. We hit the zoo and the portrait gallery in January. Tom and I attended the Smithson Society weekend in May, where we were able to walk through the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. This summer, I not only attended the Food for Thought series, but I was lucky enough to hear Madeleine Albright speak about her "Read My Pins" exhibit at the Castle. Tom and I were treated to a private behind the scenes tour of the National Museum of American History in August and see the new Abraham Lincoln exhibit, the Star Spangled Banner exhibit, the Stories on Money exhibit and the wonderful Cosmos in Miniature exhibit. I'm looking forward to returning next month to find out more about an upcoming exhibit that's in the development stages. Last weekend I took a class at the Ripley Center and walked through the Enid A. Haupt garden.

2. See Tai Shan Before He Returns to China

Check! During my dad's last trip we did visit the zoo and see Tai Shan before he left for China. It was a great visit. What I sadly couldn't know at the time, was that this would be the last time my dad and I would go to the zoo together. It's a lovely memory. While the weather was a bit cold, it was one of those rare weekends that month that we didn't actually have snow.

3. Attend the Famous Old Ebbitt Oyster Riot

Ok, I concede defeat. This is the only resolution that I can't actually accomplish.  After checking ticket prices and dates, I completely forgot to get up and buy tickets the day after Labor Day. There's always next year.

4. Read War & Peace

Well, it hasn't happened yet. I did finish Wuthering Heights for the first time, if that counts for anything! There's still time to get this one done by the end of the year. I think I can do it. I can be the Little Engine That Could...I think I can, I think I can...

5. Join WIPP

Apparently as a member of WBENC and WPO, I am a member of WIPP. So check! It's not often I can accomplish something without actually doing anything.

6. American Legion's Post 24 Patch Quilt

Short story...the patch quilt is done--thanks to my stepmom, Diane and her friend DG taking it over...however, it was donated to the Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation in Fredericksburg for their September Golf Tournament and Silent Auction. It raised $50...It's a worthy organization--please consider them in your own charitable contributions.

7. Make the Hostess Cupcake recipe in Cook's Country Magazine

Done! And were they yummy. Did you see the pictures and my post?

8. See the National Christmas Tree LIT UP

To be fair, it hasn't happened yet!

9. Write in my blog more than once every six months

With this post, I barely made it, but check. After my dad passed away in February, its been very difficult to write new posts, mainly because it's been tough to be alone with my thoughts. So I am cutting myself some slack and just starting fresh. I have learned a lot this year I wasn't ready to learn, and faced things I wasn't ready to face. But life happens and things are what they are.  Difficult times always pass, they never come to stay.

10. Lose 10 pounds again...

See #9, I'm cutting myself some slack...at least I haven't gained any weight and Tom and I have started hitting the gym again. So it's still an attainable goal for the year.

So what do you think, is 6 out of 10 a fair accomplishment for September?

Deli-Rye Bread

Thanks to America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book, making homemade bread at home with my stand mixer is easy and perfect every time.  Now last year when I started making bread, I miscalculated how much rye flour I needed for peasant bread, so I have a huge stockpile of rye flour that can't be used in many recipes besides rye bread.  If you love a fresh reuben sandwich, then check out ATK's approach.

Necessary tools: A stand mixer with a dough hook, parchment paper, a pizza peel (I prefer that over an upside down baking sheet), a large baking stone, plastic wrap, an instant-read thermometer, wire-cooling rack, and 1 or 2 bowls for letting the dough and sponge rise (can be the same bowl if you want to clean the bowl with the sponge before using it to rise the dough)

Ingredients: rye flour, bread flour, rapid rise yeast, warm water, caraway seeds, vegetable oil, honey (I use the generic honey bear honey for bread making), salt, 1 large egg, vegetable oil spray

For specifics, get the cookbook or a subscription to ATK's website

First step is to make the sponge which adds flavor to the bread.  For the sponge, stir rye flour, bread  flour, warm water (110 degrees is imperative--too warm and it kills the yeast--too cool and the yeast is not activated), and yeast together until combined.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit between 6 and 24 hours.  The sponge will have risen and fallen in that time.  I tend to let the sponge sit all 24 hours to let the flavors have the most time to set in.

For the dough (the next day), I mix the bread flour, rye flour, caraway seeds, vegetable oil, honey,  and yeast in my KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  With the mixer on low speed, I then add the warm water until the dough comes together.  Stop the mixer, raise the dough hook, cover the bowl (on the stand) with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes.

At that point, remove the plastic wrap, add the sponge and salt to the dough, and knead the dough on medium-low speed for 4 minutes.  If the dough is too wet at this point (it should be starting to clear the sides of the bowl while sticking to the bottom), then you can add more bread flour gradually until it clears the sides of the bowl.  Knead for an additional 4 minutes.

Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand to form a smooth ball.  Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise until doubled in size (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). (You can also use a rising bucket if that's easier to see how much the dough has risen).

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a 10-inch square.  Fold the corners of one side into the middle (like a paper airplane), and then gently fold the dough into a torpedo shape. 

Place the torpedo onto a sheet of parchment placed on a pizza peel (seam-side down). Mist the loaf lightly with vegetable oil and then cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Continue to let the dough rise until again doubled in size (another 1-1 1/2 hours). 

At this time preheat the oven (with the baking stone in the oven) to 500 degrees.  Let the baking stone heat up for at least 30 minutes but not longer than 1 hour. 

I then score the dough (with diagonal hash marks) either using a serrated knife or my dough knife, and brush with a glaze made from the egg and water.

At this point, slide the dough and parchment paper onto the baking stone.  Immediately turn the oven down to 425 degrees and let bake for 35-40 minutes (rotating half-way) until the crust is a deep golden brown.  I always check with an instant read thermometer to make sure the bread has reached 210 degrees.  Our oven is unpredictable, so the thermometer is critical.

Take the bread out and place it on the wire rack to cool for 2 hours before serving.  The parchment paper can be thrown out. 

From there, slice and serve in a reuben sandwich, or any number of yummy choices.

I also recommend the bakery bags from King Arthur Flour to help keep your bread fresh--it works like a charm for us.

Goodbye Tai Shan

So DC's favorite panda cub goes to China next week. I, like many other Washingtonians, will be sad to see the little guy go.  Although he's no longer little!  I remember being entranced by the panda cam right after he was born in 2005.  He was such a darling little thing, barely the size of a human hand.  It is hard to believe that his time here is finished so soon. 

While my father was in town a few weeks ago, I decided to cross off one of my most time-pressing resolutions and visit the National Zoo to say goodbye to Tai Shan.  It was a chilly, drippy Saturday morning, but a perfect time to visit before the crowds appeared. 

Lucky for us, pandas like chilly weather, and all three were out and about.  Here's our goodbye visit to see Tai Shan.  What a hungry mungry he was that morning!

Goodbye Tai Shan! You will be missed!