Last night Mr. Graham and I finished watching the whole series of Battlestar Galactica, after starting it around Christmastime. I was so happy and relieved when he got into it because then I knew we could still be friends (phew). Seriously though, this show is so good. I have a hard time imagining getting into another show as much as I have this one, though I suppose only time will tell. But really, it's so good.
I'm not going to recommend to every one of you, my fair and illustrious readers, because it's not for every one (mostly in terms of, ahem, content). But I just want you all to know that is excellent, and if you think it's just about space ships shooting each other then, well, you have no idea. I keep trying to make a list of all the things that are good about it and it is just too long. The story! The characters! The action! The drama! The music! And yes, it has some killer space fights too.
Battlestar, I love you like Adama loves Roslin. Except not romantically. So maybe more like Starbuck loves Helo.
I desperately wanted to end my no-salt bread story with the words "I forgot the salt." so I did, and now I will give you the second half to the story.
I was temporarily daunted by the breadmaker. Besides tasting like styrofoam, the bread had a ridiculously thick crust that exploded all over if you put the knife to it. It also had a gently concaved top that perplexed me. Mr. Graham praised me anyway and ate it extra happily, but I just ignored it bitterly (the bread, not his praising and happy eating). But! Since I knew the lack of salt was probably 95% of the problem, I was determined to try again.
So, while we fast forwarded through the Oscars, the breadmaker (maybe I'll call it George) worked away on a new batch--complete with salt. Of course, I forgot that it takes 3 hours and 50 minutes so it didn't finish until about 10:30. It had looked good while it was cooking and it smelled pretty nice too. But then! I took it out!
It was so beautiful I promptly named it the Bread Baby and took pictures with it. It was so beautiful it glowed.
Then we ate half the Bread Baby while all my Oscar predictions came true.
The breadmaker still feels a little bit like a cheat to me. I put all the things in and it does 100% of the work. It's like my own electronic bread-making hen--and yet I still wind up with all the bread in the end. It takes away some of my satisfaction in having made bread, since I didn't have to put forth much effort. Still, they have their place and I know some days I will want bread but won't have the time or willpower to do all the work.
On a similar note, Comrade Ferskner and her sister are having a Year of Pie Cake Bread. I guess I have been having my own little bread fest, although so far it is mostly filled with, well, standard rolls and saltless bread. Maybe I can call this my year of bread. Not quite on par with the actual Year of Bread, but a year that includes bread nonetheless.
Here is a little information about my Mama (I say this in the British way). She bakes many a thing and bakes them quite well. Chocolate mayonnaise cake is one of my particular favorites (no no, the mayonnaise is not chocolate. It's just a chocolate cake with mayo to make it delectably moist). My very favorite thing is her rolls. I have fond memories of waking up early on Saturday mornings, pilfering some rolls from the kitchen and then reading fairy tales in my bed for a few hours. Obviously this was a while ago since I haven't woken up early naturally for years.
Anyway, her rolls are delicious. But. My Mama has a little problem sometimes with her baking: salt. Or rather, a lack of salt. I don't know how many times she has put rolls in the oven and then said "Oh my gosh, I forgot the salt!" (Then she promptly makes another batch. Such dedication to quality!) If you have ever had a bread product without salt, you know what a big difference it makes. They're totally edible, but they're also totally flavorless.
So, this year I've been attempting bread things. I made two batches of rolls all myself, but one of our first wedding presents was a breadmaker.
I'd never so much as touched a breadmaker before, and its intimidation was second only to the Kitchenaid. Or maybe the food processor. Anyway, last week I finally got myself some bread flour and stocked up on yeast. Then, I did it. It was easy, and I only got a little scared with the pan popped out of place and I had to fix it mid-kneading. It cooked away while we were at church and when we got home the first thing I did was open it up.
Since he is so strong and manly, I had the Mister pull it out of the pan. It looked ever so large and square and was quite crusty as well. Undaunted, I got the knife and I cut it open. I took a bite.
"No no no no no NOOOOOOOO!"
I forgot the salt.
