Breakfast with Beethoven. My favorite symphony (#6), my favorite tollhouse muffins (is there such a thing as too many chocolate chips in a muffin?) and coffee.

Life is good. Too bad the government sucks so hard right now.

I'm just lettin' the good things override the bad! All day long..

Armed and Ready!

A lot of folks ask us how we are able to knead all the dough for the dozens of loaves we make weekly.

Don't get me wrong. Kneading dough is a wonderful, warm and homey thing to do and we do a lot of it for small batch bakes. Our basic bread recipe - white, wheat, sourdough, etc. -  makes 8 nice loaves. I've never weighed the dough (and I should to get the right price at the Lansing Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings from nine to noon beginning Memorial Day Weekend), but I'm guessing after all is said and done, it must weigh near 8 pounds. And that's a LOT of dough to knead.

Here's why we don't have Popeye arms -

Honest to goodness BEST hamburger buns ever. So easy you won't believe it.

Thirty-minute hamburger buns

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/8 cups warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3 -3 1/2 cups flour


Directions:

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Do not let rise.

Divide into 12 pieces and shape each into a ball. Place 3" apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 425° for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire rack to cool.

I couldn't find a pic of the buns. But, it this lobster dinner doesn't sell you on these 30-minute buns, nothing will!

OK! I'm back. I really want this blog to become one of the tools in the new arsenal of intelligent steps I am taking to make our golden years more fulfilling. There is an option for singing up on the blog, to follow us by e-mail. It allows you to comment and post, etc. 

I could sure use your membership to the blog as inspiration to keep going. In fact, don't even think about me, think about my lovely wife. If I can keep her in here or on the summer kitchen while I'm out doing the hard stuff, she can be researching medicinals, making tinctures and teas and taking notes to make it easier for me to put up here. If I have that, I will give you stories, recipes and general musings that just might even entertain. 

Invite your friends! Let's make it a party.