Two Loaves of Ezekiel Bread, a Spinach Pizza, and a Mechanical Malfunction

I haven’t posted a recipe for Ezekiel Bread in a while, but it is my favorite bread. The picture of the pizza above and the bread below were both made using the recipe that follows. Interestingly, Ezekiel Bread recipes are still one of the number 1 ways that new visitors find there way to this blog. I’m not sure how these recipes (all variations on a theme) became so popular, but if you Google it you’ll see why this is. Likely, I think people are looking for a recipe that is not complicated, and also one that works. I really believe this is one of the most misunderstood bread recipes there is. If you’d like to read my interpretation of it–with additional pictures and step-by-step instructions–click here. If you want to read why I adjusted the liquid content in the recipe (which is the same recipe included in this page), click here. If you want to see the original post on this recipe–which includes white flour and the most comments any other post on this blog has ever received–click here.

Whole Wheat EzekielBread
Makes 2 or 3 loaves
12cups water
2 tablespoons white beans
2 tablespoons redbeans
2tablespoons spelt berries
2 tablespoons lentils
2tablespoons barley
2 tablespoons millet
2 tablespoonsbulgur wheat
___________________
cooked beans and grains
½cup cooking water
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoonsinstant yeast
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4 cups whole wheatflour

3tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2cups cooking liquid
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1/4cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons kosher
3teaspoons instant yeast

Boil the grains in the water inlogical succession according to cooking times: first the white andred beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, speltberries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add themillet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after eachaddition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all ofthe grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercookedgrains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as thegrains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because thecooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of therecipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). Afterthe grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to roomtemperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooleddrain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon,reserving the cooking liquid.

Placetwo bowls side-by-side; one will hold the pre-ferment, the otherautolyse. In one bowl combine the cooked and drained grains with ½cup of the cooking liquid, 2 cups whole wheat flour, and 2 teaspoonsinstant yeast. Stir it just until combined then cover it with plasticwrap. In the other bowl combine 4 cups whole wheat flour, 3tablespoons vital wheat gluten, and 2 cups cooking liquid; stir itjust until combined then cover it with plastic wrap (take care not toget yeast into this bowl). Allow the bowls to rest at roomtemperature for about an hour, during which time the preferment willbegin it’s job multiplying yeast and fermenting flour, and theautolyse will soak liquid, swelling the gluten.
Afteran hour or so, combine the ingredients from both bowls into the bowlof an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, oliveoil, salt, and 3 teaspoons of yeast (add the yeast and salt onopposite sides of the bowl. Knead the dough on medium speed for about8 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover itloosely, and allow to ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled inbulk. Deflate the dough and allow it to ferment an additional 30minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface andcut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightlyoiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow toferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gentlytouched with a fingertip an indentation remains.

Bake thebreads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times(either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breadsevery ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown andsound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans andallow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes beforeslicing.

 
 
And here’s the quick story of a mechanical malfunction. I was about 4 or 5 minutes into kneading the above recipe and was washing dishes when I heard a loud grinding sound coming from my mixer. I look over to see that, while the motor is running and making very loud sounds, the dough hook is not moving. To make a long story short, it broke. I believe it is something with the gears…sounds like one either broke or came off its shaft. I took it over to the local Sears to have it sent out for repair. I could not find a single small business who would repair it locally. It is only two years old but only had a one year warranty and it would have cost me more to have Kitchen Aid ship it than Sears. Whatever…very frustrating. I have no idea how much it will cost to repair, nor do I know when it will return…the confused man in the repair department at sears said possibly 6 weeks (what?). Anyhow, I have to admit that this is a more than frustrating to me…it’s a bit scary. I haven’t been sans upright mixer in many years…you can see its empty spot waiting its return below. Looks like I’ll be going “old school” for a while…mixing by hand. Egads!
  
 

Life = Risk (one way to look at it)

I’ve seen this short clip in the past, but can’t remember if I previously posted it here or not. Anyhow, I just came across it again on Facebook and thought I’d share it for the end of this year and the beginning of the next. Though I find this very inspiring, it’s title is a little off-putting, I think….Life = Risk. Life, I also believe does not always have to be a risk. It’s often scary and overwhelming at times (to me), but still incredibly rich and beautiful…at least this is how I’m feeling the moment I type these words (now I just need to carry the feeling into the new year). I hope you take the time to watch the short video.

“There are two ways to look at life. One is as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is.”

–Albert Einstein

Chairs on a Bike

I came across this photo at ClassicCopenhagen (Thanks Sandra!). I find this image inspiring on so many levels, but manly that it illustrates that all sorts of things can be carried on a bike…no matter your age.

To see a few of the things that I’ve carried on a bike, click here.

Urban Simplicity.

Super Delicious (and simple to make) Pasta con Vendure

This is a dish that I served to our staff at work yesterday. I was trying to use up some vegetables because we are closed for the first week of January. It’s really just a more complex version of any of the aglio e olio dishes I’ve posted here before. But before I start the recipe I have to qualify some of the ingredients…most are out of season, which is unlike me when I cook at home. But this was at my place of employment where we are primarily a banquet house, meaning what I purchase and serve is dictated by what the customers request. Unfortunately, to many, everything is always in season (it’s always overflowing in the supermarket isn’t it?). OK, sorry for the brief rant, I’ll get back on topic about the actual recipe. Anyhow, and as aforementioned, this is basically a version of an oil and garlic style pasta dish…but with more stuff in it…mainly how it was seasoned.

Here’s the ingredients I used (but you can adapt this to any ingredients…especially more seasonal vegetables), they’re listed in the order of application…

Olive oil, onion, carrot, sweet red pepper, garlic, crushed hot peppers, fennel seed, saffron threads, smoked paprika, white wine, chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth if you want to keep it vegetarian), kosher salt, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, cooked whole-wheat penne rigate, grated Manchego cheese (proportions are up to you; the more vegetables the better…and I use lots of garlic and hot pepper).

This is how to make it…

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, carrot, and sweet pepper; cook it until it begins to brown. Add the garlic, crushed hot pepper, and fennel seed; cook a couple minutes longer, making a sort of sofrito. Then add a small amount of smoked paprika and a few saffron threads; cook just a minute longer to bring out their flavor. Add some white wine and allow it to evaporate for a few minutes as it cooks, then add an equal quantity of broth. Season the liquid with kosher salt, and while it is boiling add the tomatoes and asparagus. Stir and cook the vegetables for a couple minute, until some of the liquid evaporates and the vegetables are al dente. Stir in the pasta and allow most of the remainder of the liquid to absorb into it. Toss with the cheese just before serving.

Urban Simplicity.

A Little Snow and a Big Sky

This morning when I woke I was somewhat surprised to see there were a couple inches of snow on the ground. It really changes my short commute to work…how I ride a bike. Interestingly, for as big and heavy as the Mundo is, it is not my favorite bike to ride in the snow. In this this light snow it isn’t difficult, but in the really deep and heavy stuff it can be tough to maneuver. That said, this area of the world has had it really easy this winter, by this time of the year we’ve usually had at least a couple lake effect snows. I’m not complaining, just an observation…but I have to admit I have been liking the cold air…it feels refreshing to me; bracing (and you don’t sweat while riding). To give you an example, take a look at this photo I took exactly two years ago today…the bike was parked in nearly the same spot as the one pictured above is. Anyhow, I worked another split shift today, and on my return to work in the evening I chose to walk rather than pedal. And on the way I was taken by what a beautiful winter sky was overhead…it looked so big to me as clouds rushed past. Here’s a photo.

Urban Simplicity.

James the Incredible Human iPod (and an additional photo)

So this is interesting. I had just left work after working a split shift. I didn’t face a stove all of the day but much of it. When I came outdoors the fresh air felt good and it felt good to be on foot, but I was surprised to see that there was a combination of snow and rain…we haven’t had any real snow this year. As I was walking down Allen Street I noticed how the light shone off the wet sidewalk and I had my camera with me so decided to take a couple shots. Being on foot, opposed to being on a bike, I had to set the little tripod on the ground, which gives it an interesting perspective. Anyhow, as I was taking the photos a guy appears out of seemingly nowhere…shows up in the frame and just sort of posed there with his bike. I look up from the camera and he says to me, “You ever hear of the incredible human iPod?” “Um, no.” I reply. “Then you can’t be from around here,” he says. “What’s your favorite song,” he asks. And without waiting for a reply he says that he knows I like Fleetwood Mac because everyone likes Fleetwood Mac, and he starts singing One Winged Dove as loud as he could…he’s singing it in the picture above. To make a long story short, James walked with me for about a block or so while we talked about riding bikes in foul weather, and it was then that I noticed he had two flat tires and he asked me for money (I had none with me otherwise I would have given him some). The interesting thing is that he rode up to me (on two flats). I didn’t notice it at first because, as I mentioned earlier, he just showed up in the frame. But after getting home and uploading them I could see him approaching on his bike like an apparition (in the upper left photo he’s in the distance and the upper right he’s a blur while getting off the bike). I just find it interesting that I–being interested in bicycles and taking photos–have this guy just show up and step in front of my lens and pose with his bike. One never knows what they’ll see when on bike or foot. Also, I thought I’d share the below photo I took yesterday…Days Park at night (click either photo for a larger view).

Urban Simplicity.

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#383), a Minor Confession, a Very Brief Story, and a Recipe

Things on the bike…4lbs/1.8kgs of green and yellow split peas.

My minor confession…for the past three days, even though the streets have been snow-free, other than a few small jaunts I have relied mostly on my truck for transport. This is mostly–but not entirely–because of family gatherings outside the city. I also have not had much physical/aerobic exercise in the past few days (and have eaten a lot);  I really cannot imagine living a lifestyle like this all the time…riding a bike and getting exercise, for me, is more than just about the physical aspect, it–or lack of it–effects my emotional state as well. I’ll be back on track tomorrow. 

The brief story…as I was loading the split peas on the bike today it reminded me of an incident that occurred just about 20 years ago. I was riding a Raleigh at the time (click here to see it) and was carrying a loose bag of red lentils on the rear rack. At that time in my life, unlike today, I was addicted to speed; no I am not talking about the chemical drug, I am talking about going really fast on a bike. I was flying down Niagara Street on my way to work. I don’t know how fast I was going, but likely it was pretty fast. That bike is fast and I would also lean way over the handlebars to be more aerodynamic. Anyway, as I was speeding down Niagara Street a slow moving van decides to make a right turn directly in front of me, forcing me to slam on the brakes…thankfully I had just started wearing a helmet around this time. What happened next was like a slow motion action film, and though it happened 20 years ago I recall it vividly. The rear wheel came off the ground as I slammed on both the front and rear brake. Stupidly, I turned to grab the bag of red lentils (yes, my life was in danger but I was still concerned about spilling the lentils), and as I turned the front tire turned as well…bringing the bike–but not me–to an immediate stop, sort of vaulting me up and over the handlebars. I hit the pavement on my side, knocking the wind out of me (if you’ve ever had this happen you know how painful and uncomfortable that is). Now here’s the interesting part. This happened on a street corner, and I landed in front of a small group of people waiting for a metro bus. And as I lay there clutching my side and gasping for air guess who the first person to ask me if I was OK….it was a young girl, maybe 10 years old. Others did come to my rescue; maybe they were initially in shock of this guy falling directly in front of them. The van never stopped (likely didn’t even know what they did)…but I saved the lentils. And this is what I was thinking about as I loaded the split peas on the Mundo today (I pedal much slower and sit upright today).

The recipe…this recipe is actually the outcome of two holiday dinners; Thanksgiving and Christmas. The day after Thanksgiving I made this broth utilizing the leftover carcass and then froze most of it. And two days ago, after having ham at our Christmas dinner, I diluted some of the broth with water and re-simmered it with the ham bone for flavor…delicious. Split pea soup recipes are pretty standard but what’s different about this one is how I seasoned it…with a bit of chilies, curry, cumin, fennel, and tandoori spice. The recipe I made today is below.

Spiced Split Pea Soup with Ham

Simmer a ham bone, which still contains a bit of meat on, it in broth or water for an hour or so. Remove the bone and strain the broth; remove any meat from the bone; dice or shred the meat and discard the bone. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy soup pot, then add a diced onion and carrot (and a stalk of celery if you have it). Cook the vegetables until they begin to brown, then add a couple cloves of minced garlic. Cook it another couple minutes and add whatever seasonings you like (I used chilies, curry, cumin, fennel, and tandoori spice), cook them in the oil for a minute then add split peas, stirring them in the oil and spices. Then add the broth (6-8 cups for every pound of split peas). Bring the liquid to a boil then lower it to a slow simmer. Season it with salt and pepper. Cook the soup slowly for about and hour, or until the peas are thoroughly soft and mashed. Stir the soup often to alleviate scorching. If the soup become too thick, add more broth or water. I like to make mine thick enough that–if I want–I can serve it over steamed rice for a more complete meal. This soup is even more delicious the second day, and leftovers–if there are any–freezes well. If you’d like to see a recipe for 3-bean soup using the same broth, click here.

Urban Simplicity.

Playing with Light (again)

These are photos I took a couple nights ago, just a block from my house on Buffalo‘s lower west side. I took them with an inexpensive little point-and-shoot camera; proof that you don’t need an expensive camera to take interesting photos (though I wouldn’t mind if I had one…but their price is prohibitive at present). Sunset and sunrise are some of the most magical parts of the day I think…and the light that it brings–from an extreme angle–makes it even more so. As beautiful as these photos are, though, the thing that freaks me out is the lack of snow for this time of year…this is the land of lake effect snow after all; it’s rare that it is this warm and snow-less this time of year (makes me wonder if we are going to get pummeled in January). Anyhow, as I was taking the photos of the sun setting over Lake Erie, the title of one of my favorite books came to mind…The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway. The title of the book, of course, was a play on the first paragraph in Ecclesiastes:  

The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
Ecclesiastes 1:5

This may be the case, but the real question to me is when will the snow come. Nonetheless, I’m enjoying the mild weather (it’s great from bike riding). Enjoy the photos; click either for a larger view.

Urban Simplicity.

Five Quotes from Jesus of Nazareth

This is another in the Five Quotes series on this blog, but I first have two preface the quotes with a couple comments. Firstly, I just wanted to say that I found the above photo at St. Francis Place. I chose the photo because I do believe that Jesus meditated (there are plenty of resources for this but the post at St. Francis Place is a  good one). I also believe that Jesus studied in India with the spiritual masters of his time; many refer to this as the Lost Years, or more specifically, the years which the Bible is silent on the life of Jesus. It is also likely that December 25 is not the actual birth date of Jesus, but as Christians this is the day we celebrate it. At any rate, whether you are a Christian or not, you have to admit that if more of us (myself included) followed the teachings of Jesus–lived them–the world would likely be a better place. Anyhow, these–in no particular order–are just a few of His words that inspire me.

Merry Christmas!

Love your neighbor as yourself.
Mark 12:31 

 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 
Matthew 6:25

The Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, but men do not see it.
The Gospel of Thomas 113

 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
 Mathew 5:9

To read more in the Five Quotes series, click here.

Urban Simplicity.

Merry Christmas!

I know it’s a day early, and that not everyone in the world celebrates Christmas, but I thought I’d send out well wishes to all my fellow bloggers, bikers, cooks, and other misfit souls on this material plane in which we currently find ourselves. Merry Christmas and with hopes for a healthy and prosperous New Year

Merry Christmas, Milad Majid, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Fröhliche Weihnachten, Kala Christouyenna, Mo’adim Lesimkha, Buone Feste Natalizie, Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
(translation source; my apologies for not including all.)

Urban Simplicity.

Broccoli Aglio e Olio

Vegetables can be so beautiful. I’ve posted on cooking things with aglio e olio many times in the past, but I had this for dinner last night and thought it was so beautiful and delicious I thought I’d share a picture. Click here or a recipe (with pasta); click hereto see many other versions of this dish.

Urban Simplicity.

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#382)

A gym bag containing wet clothes, a quart of milk, a dozen eggs, a rug (measuring 60in/152cm by 84in/213cm), and a new laundry bid which also contains 1/2 gallon of bleach, 4 lbs of dog food, two rolls of tape, and a pair of reading glasses.

Urban Simplicity.

24 Hour Bread (or, how to control your dough)

I’ve mentioned in previous posts many times (many, many times) how I feel about homemade bread…that it is not only good for the body but also the soul; having your hands in raw dough–and making something as beautiful as a loaf of bread out of such humble ingredients–can be, well…spiritual. If not awe inspiring, at least something to be really proud of. Anyhow, I really think that one of the things that hold people back is that some (many) think it is overly complicated and laborious to make your own bread (not so), the other is that the bread won’t rise or that you won’t be able to make a really good loaf (also not true). This post focuses on the former misconception…that it is really difficult, time consuming, and laborious to make your own bread. Sure, these loaves took 24 hours from start-to-finish, but that was my choice. I manipulated the dough so that I could go about my life without having to worry whether it was time to bake the bread or not. And an outcome of a long, slowly risen bread is that it has a richer, more complex flavor and crisper, chewier crust. But I’m getting ahead of myself, here’s the basic idea behind controlling your dough.

If I had to sum it up in one word the most important factor in controlling a yeast dough is–whether you are doing a long slow rise or not–it would be this: temperature. Yeast thrives in warmth and becomes dormant in the cold. If you want to speed the dough up place it in a warm place. I can remember when I was a child seeing my mother place her bowl of raw fastnacht dough on a towel resting on the kitchen radiator. Inversely, if you want to slow the dough down, put it in the refrigerator. This is what professional bakeries do; they have proof boxes (boxes with steam and warmth) to speed the dough up, and retarders (refrigerators) to slow it dough. And yes, the professional term (in English) to slow a dough down is to retard it…it’s an ugly term, I agree, but it is the one still used (likly carried over from a less-than-politically-correct time).

And just to reiterate, making bread is not difficult; and it gets easier the more you do it. After a while you will be able to control the dough so that it does not interrupt your daily activities. Just remember, after mixing, the bread is alive with activity (until it is baked)–it nearly makes itself–you simply guide it along.

As usual with this blog, the recipe I’ve included below is 100% whole wheat. If you’d like to read more about how to bake with whole wheat, click here. Anyhow, this is how I made a couple loaves over the last 24 hours.

Last night just after dinner I mixed two bowls: one contained the biga (pre-ferment) the other an autolyse…and I let them rest and ferment for a few hours at room temperature.

About an hour before bed I mixed the dough, placed it in a dough bucket, and put the bucket in the refrigerator to ferment overnight. Even though it was cold, it still doubled in size overnight (likely before the dough cooled).

In the morning while coffee was brewing I removed the bucket from the fridge, pushed the dough down, and let it rise a second time as I did things around the house (the second rise took nearly 3 hours because the dough was cold). Just before leaving the house to go Christmas shopping I portioned and shaped the dough and placed it in loaf pans. I also covered it in plastic wrap and returned it to the fridge. I was gone for about 4 hours and the dough rose beautifully; here’s the before-and-after photos.

After doing a couple things around the house, I removed the dough from the fridge and preheated the oven while  the dough warmed and rose a bit more. After getting a few things together, I baked the bread while I made dinner. Here’s the bread just before it went in the oven, and then while it was baking. Beautiful, isn’t it?

The bread was finished before dinner was, so I removed it from the oven and their pans and allowed it to cool at the back of the stove while I prepared Lebanese-Style Chicken and Rice for my son and I. The bread was ready just in time for dinner…nearly 24 hours after I had started it and it barely interrupted the rhythm of my day (but it became part of it). A recipe follows…

100%Whole Wheat Bread
Makes2 loaves
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
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4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 3/4 cups water
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1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons instant yeast
3 teaspoons kosher salt
Inone bowl make a preferment by combining 2 cups of whole wheat flourwith 2/3 cups water and 2 teaspoons of instant yeast. Begin theautolyse in another bowl by combining 4 cups of whole wheat flour,the gluten, and 1 ½ cups water. Stir each bowl just enough tocombine the ingredients, taking care not to get yeast into the bowlwith the autolyse. If the contents in either of the bowls need morewater, add a small amount. Cover both bowls and allow to rest andferment for 30-90 minutes, duringwhich time the preferment will begin it’s job multiplying yeast andfermenting flour, and the autolyse will soak the grain, swelling thegluten. After an hour or so, combinethe ingredients from both bowls into the bowl of an upright mixerfitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, olive oil, salt, and 3teaspoons of yeast (add the yeast and salt on opposite sides of thebowl). Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8 minutes. Placethe dough in a lightly oiled container, cover it loosely, and allowto ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Deflate the doughand allow it to ferment an additional 30 minutes. Turnthe dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Looselycover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with afingertip an indentation remains. Bake the breads for about30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with icecubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes.The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow whentapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cookon a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Five Quotes about Bicycles

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments. Here was a machine of precision and balance for the convenience of man. And (unlike subsequent inventions for man’s convenience) the more he used it, the fitter his body became. Here, for once, was a product of man’s brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, and of no harm or irritation to others. Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle. ~ Elizabeth West 

It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle. ~ Ernest Hemingway

The journey of life is like a man riding a bicycle. We know he got on the bicycle and started to move. We know that at some point he will stop and get off. We know that if he stops moving and does not get off he will fall off. ~ William G. Golding  

Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammelled womanhood. ~ Susan B. Anthony

When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking. ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

OK…I know I said five quotes, but here’s a sixth…seven counting the graphic 🙂

 I began to feel that myself plus the bicycle equaled myself plus the world, upon whose spinning wheel we must all learn to ride, or fall into the sluiceways of oblivion and despair. That which made me succeed with the bicycle was precisely what had gained me a measure of success in life — it was the hardihood of spirit that led me to begin, the persistence of will that held me to my task, and the patience that was willing to begin again when the last stroke had failed. And so I found high moral uses in the bicycle and can commend it as a teacher without pulpit or creed. She who succeeds in gaining the mastery of the bicycle will gain the mastery of life. ~ Frances E. Willard 

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#381)

Eight cardboard boxes (I feel like I should have done a Twelve Things That Can be Carried on a Bike Before Christmas series…maybe next year).

Urban Simplicity.

Playing with Light

Since recently purchasing a small tripod, and using my bike as a platform, I have been able to take much fuller evening and night pictures with my inexpensive little point-and-shoot camera. I have always found the night to be very spiritual, and taking photos such as this is, to me, a form of contemplative photography. I usually carry a camera with me (and lately the mini tripod as  well) and as I pedal and coast silently through the chilly city streets I’ll often stop and take a few photos. Sometimes I find it a soothing and reflective experience…I have to really look at the object or scene before me–study it a bit–before I take it’s photo.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with a brief story. Tonight as I was leaving the health club I had my little camera and tripod set up on the back of my bike and was about to take a picture. A guy I’ve met before was walking from the parking lot to the building. As he passed he asked what I was doing; I told him taking pictures of a tree. Why, he wanted to know; because I thought it was beautiful, I told him. Okay (but pronouncing it (ohkaaay) he said as he rushed passed me. I was hoping he would look up to see it, but I don’t believe he did…the above image is the one I was taking. The light–or the lack of it–really changes things.

Urban Simplicity.

A Bevy of Swans (and how to build them)

Before I talk about the above photo I have to mention how interesting I think it is the different names for groups of birds. A group of swans on the ground, for example is a bevy or a game, but if they are in flight they are refereed to as a wedge. The oddest one, I think, is what a group of crows are called: a murder of crows. Creepy. For a full list click here.

Anyhow, the above swans are some that were served at a brunch last week. They are so simple to make yet people are thrilled over them because of their swan apearance. They are made with a pastry, which refered to in its French name, is called pâte à choux, which translates loosely as “cabbage pastry” (or literally as cabbage paste). And no the dough does not have cabbage in it as an ingredient; the reason–I assume–that it is called such is that when the dough is baked in round balls (such as cream puffs) it comes out looking a bit like little cabbage balls.But what is truly unique about this dough is that it is a cooked dough, meaning it is made on the stove top and then baked.

The images below are how to cut the bodies after they are baked; they can be filled with any number of custards or creams. The video will show you how to pipe the dough out into the shapes (video credit: Master Pastry). For a basic recipe for the dough visit Just Hungry, and if you’d like to see step-by-step of the dough being prepared, visit Michael Ruhlman. 

Urban Simplicity.

Life in Motion

How did it get so late so soon?
It’s night before it’s afternoon.
December is here before it’s June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
~Dr. Seuss

Sometimes I forget about it…or at least refuse to be aware. It has been such a busy year–the past month especially–and now Christmas and the year’s end is just around the corner. But then when I slow down I remember. Sometimes I just need to stop and take a breath. And this is what I was thinking as I pushed the Mundo up the Plank of Gratefulness today, and as I stopped to look at the withered weeds and plants pictured above. It’s an image of where–just a brief time ago–I grew vegetables. It seems like just a few days ago that I was relishing in the fact that it was the longest day of the year and now–in two days–it will be the shortest (and darkest). Oddly, as I looked at the shriveled plants they looked beautiful to me. So after pushing the Mundo into the living-room (yes I keep my bikes in my living-room) I grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos. And as I was taking the photos–zooming in on them–it occurred to me that nothing is permanent on this physical plane in which we currently reside; everything is in transition…it always has and always will be. Life moves on and we must move with it. And with the sake of sounding hokey (as if I haven’t already) I also think that each of us has a purpose in this current incarnation which we find ourselves….whether we ever realize it or not. I’ll get off my little soapbox-pulpit now. Carpe Diem. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 1 There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:
 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 6 a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 8 a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

Urban Simplicity.

Things That Can Be Carried on a Bike (#380)

Three liters of red wine.

Urban Simplicity.