A variety of happenings

Today I went into Borders, the bookstore that is closing. I have to admit that it was pretty bleak looking,seeing all those empty shelves. I am a lover of books and so for me there is something forlorn about seeing a bookstore emptying out. A part of me knows that all those books are going to new places.. perhaps to someones bookshelf. That is the optimistic me.. the other me thinks that someone is buying them only to turn around and sell them at extremely high prices to people who do not know any better. Either way one more bookstore is gone. Yet I will still love the feeling of going into a bookstore(little sad that my options are decreasing) and looking at all the bright new books. I love that feeling and I think I could spend hours just looking at interesting books or sitting observing the happenings around me. It may be that the internet will replace bookstores if that should happen I will be very sad. There is just something neat about looking at books in a bookstore. I feel like I get to know the books there and it is nice to be able to just sit around and read or sit at a table and browse the internet. For me it is the atmosphere and it really gets my creative juices active. 

 

While looking through the slim supply of books at Borders I opened one that was some kind index of dreams. I thought hmm I wonder what it has to say about the image I had in my dream. You see I had this really odd dream(well all my dreams are strange) but I remember that there were crows in it. It said something about how it could represent my darker side or could symbolize escape and tenacity. I found it amusing at the least. You see I actually turned into a crow to help save my friends and family and gathered a whole bunch of other crows  to help in the fight. The dream book was not forthcoming with an answer. Here is my answer. I am often awakened by 5 or more crows. In Star Trek: The Next Generation there is an episode in which Data dreams he dreams of  crow/raven and he becomes the bird. A book I have read before and recently listened to on CD(called The Pyrdain chronicles) has a crow by the name of Caw, he gathers other crows together to help defend friends.  My conclusion is that the recent infusion of crow type stuff allowed me to use a crow in my dream.There is really only one good interpreter of my dreams and that is me. I still plan on making books out of some of my dreams due to their deep creative nature and potential.  

Tomorrow I get to sing in the choir for Stake Conference. I am pretty excited about this despite feeling a little unprepared.  I have been taking the advice of the choir director and taking time to know  the words and understand them. It is amazing how powerful the message is in the two songs we are going to sing. I just hope that the message can be conveyed as we sing. 

Tasty summer soup

Today I enjoyed a favorite recipe of mine http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Zucchini-Cucumber-Soup-235460. I did modify it extensively. I find it to be rather bland when the recipe is followed exactly. I did not measure the ingredients either but I reached what I considered a good balance between the two main vegetables. I did add about the same amount of onion they suggested.  I blended those together with a little bit of fresh New Mexican green chili but still it was not spicy how I liked. So I added  some red pepper flakes and a little bit of  Red pepper powder. I also added two cloves fresh crushed garlic. I did not add as much vinegar as they call for at all but just enough to give it a slight tang. Then I added black pepper and salt but still it did not seem right so I added more Coriander powder(ended up being double the amount they call for). I did not have any creme frache so I just added some Darigold sour cream. http://consumer.darigold.com/All-Natural-Sour-Cream.html. I put the link because it is a certain variety and other varieties will not work if you wish to attempt this tasty summer soup. Greek style yogurt can also work or anything dairy with a mild flavor.  

All I can say is that this soup turned out amazing. It had a nice spice to it and is just perfect for a summer day. 

So if you have an abundance of Zucchinis and Cucumbers in your garden I would try this out(granted you like the two at all). A nice advantage to this soup is it is not cooked and just takes a blender to prepare.  A good night to you and good eats. 

Greetings once more

I decided to make another attempt to write in this blog.  I will keep this one so long as Google does not drive me crazy. If they continue to do updates and changes that make it near impossible to get into my blog I may have to change.

My hope is that through future entries you might learn a little more about me and perhaps be entertained.  My entries prior to this have had less to do with everyday life and more to do with the strange things that enter my head while I am dreaming. As interesting as it might be to post about my dreams everyday..it might also be a bit disturbing since what people dream about is often...well bordering on neurotic. I would much rather save my strange dream sequences for novels or short stories.. since they fit better there.
I am hoping that as I get back into writing my posts shall improve. For the meantime you might have to tolerate slightly less grammatically polished posts.

Zopf -Swiss Twist bread

The plan bread form( this recipe calls for all white flour)

Zopf-Sunday bread

3 2/3 cups flour( 2 cups whole wheat 1 2/3 cups unbleached white flour)
1 1/2 cups milk( 2% or Whole)
1 stick butter
1 -2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Do not preheat the oven!

mix flour and salt. heat 3/4 cup of the milk in microwave until warm enjoy to react with yeast properly. mix warm milk, sugar and yeast let stand.melt butter in microwave( you can use the same container you used to heat the milk, A glass measuring cup is best since you can heat the milk in it and then melt the butter). Make a hole in the flour, pour yeast mixture in add butter. measure out 1/2 more of milk and add it to mixture. add one egg white( separate the yolk and set aside in a little bowl for the glaze later). Mix all ingredients well and begin to knead until all flour is mixed into dough knead for about five minutes until it is no longer sticky( should be a pretty moist dough not too dry). Round dough into a ball and place in a large mixing bowl cover with a cloth and let rise until double. Punch down and separate into two parts. divide again so you have four equal pieces of dough or if you want a larger loaf just leave it as two pieces.Stretch or role dough pieces into long ropes (this is best done pressing it with your hands as you stretch it out) it does not need to be any particular length the thicker the ropes the thicker the bread. The pieces of dough should be the same length. Take two ropes of dough lay them across each other so they make an X( If one seems slightly larger I try to lay that one down first).(see explanation below)
After dough is braided coat with egg yolk be sure to get in the cracks of the braid. Put finished bread onto a cookie sheet ( will increase about double so make sure there is enough room. A normal cookie sheet can easily fit two loaves) .Place place the bread into a cold oven and turn on oven to 350. Bake for about 45 minutes or until glaze is dark golden brown and loaf sounds hollow. It might be closer to 50 min but not over that until making an extra large loaf.

this and such

I am not sure if I have entirely mastered the purpose of a blog. I do write in it and often share some very random stuff but I always go about in a wary manner. I have some secret fear that someone will find my work original and use it for themselves that is why probably the most rich or creative of my writings remain in my mind. I sometimes share them with other people in a oral version but that is the extent of it. I love being creative it does not matter all that much how but as long as I am using it. I feel like I have this large orb of creativity and passion hidden away next to my heart. I say near my heart because I cannot determine the exact location only that it is in there somewhere and feels as intense as an explosion right before its climax. It has to come out somehow or I risk an eruption. Sometimes it comes out in writing, other times drawing, painting, ceramics, language studies, cooking, family history, chemistry, or solving problems. I like mysteries I like puzzles. So there it is this intense passion of creativity inside of me. I do not know completely its origin but it is always there. I guess it is really a matter of using that creativity although I cannot understand that anyone possessing such a gift could manange to go without using it. Wouldn't they die inside somehow due to giving it up?

great homemade pizza

I decided to share some recipes on my blog.Why not I think. Perhaps you shall like them. If you try them out let me know post a comment.

So I stumbled across a great recipe for whole wheat crust I would suggest using hard red winter wheat flour. I prefer the Montana Wheat brand. They have a website. I found their product first in the local grocery store. Hands down it is the best whole wheat I have ever tasted. I bought another brand and it turned out really sticky. This flour is not sticky at all be makes a fluffy light loaf of bread and a flavorful pizza crust. Some whole wheat I have tried has a green smell to it. This does not at all. I think the pizza crust recipe I am sharing will still turn out good with other whole wheat brands.
This recipe takes a lot less time perhaps 20 mins to make and pre-bake the crust

This is for a 9 x 14 cookie tray size pizza- It is for a thin crust
for larger pizzas simply double or triple until appropriate size


2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 to 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
two squirts of honey (1-1.5 tablespoons)
abt 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sweet basil


mix flour basil, baking soda and salt well
add honey and oil mix while adding water until you get a moist dough not too wet but not dry it should be a little sticky.
roll out dough on floured surface and with floured rolling pen.
roll out very thin like the consistency of a tortilla or those nice healthy vegetable wraps you buy in the store.

place in a the oiled and floured pan. press until it covers entire baking pan. if extra dough falls over the edges cut with a butter knife and cover spots the dough does not fill the whole sheet
take a fork and make holes over the entire surface of the crust.
bake in a preheated oven at 400 for five minutes.

pull out pizza crust and put on sauce and toppings and cheese bake for 15-20 mins or until crust is crispy brown and cheese is baked. Note the more toppings the closer to 20 mins it will be less toppings and meats only take 15. Basically just keep an eye on it
NOTE : REMEMBER TO COOK ALL MEATS PRIOR TO BAKING!!

Healthy sausage pizza
put a thin layer of pasta sauce onto the pizza crust or more if you are a sauce person but not too much to prevent sogginess. sprinkle with with gradulated or powered garlic and a touch of grated parminsian cheeese. The spread with cooked sasuage ..(see below). Then add grated cheese mixed with sweet basil.. just a touch. colby jack works well. I added a little bit of swiss to it though and grated parmisian.

two Italian sausage turkey links ( uncooked kind).
If you cook it prior to making the pizza crust it saves time
defrost sausage in microwave for a few minutes until you can peel off the coating that holds the sausage together in a link. crumble into a same frying pan cook until cooked completely through. make sure it to break it into small pieces as you cook it. drain off extra oil if desired.

put back in to a 400 degree over cook for 15 min middle cooking rack best for cooking for a longer cook time put the cooking rack higher than the middle.

Veggie Pizza

Mix cut red, yellow or green peppers, mushrooms, onions and freshly cut parsley with a dash of olive oil so they are lightly coated.

put thin layer of pasta sauce on pizza sprinkle and garlic powder to preference
cut fresh tomatoes in thin layers and place on bottom of the crust. sprinkle sweet basil over it all.
add the vegetables and then cover with cheese to your liking. It can work with Monterey Jack , Mozzarella, and Parisian or all of those together. I used Monterey Jack because that is what I had.
Well I will keep you posted on my pizza ideas. I hope they turn out as amazing for you as they did for me.

mansion house

I awoke this morning with the remnants of a strange dream in my head. I was visiting my family but now they lived in a large house and wanted for nothing. I was only there for a short visit I think but my mother approached me and asked if I want to help out with a trip to the ocean at first I thought she meant the east coast but no she said it was a spot up near Canada. TheI began to walk and explore the house. It had various bedrooms and then I started finding the dinning halls. They where everywhere large kitchens sometimes apart and sometimes attached. The tables where decorated in splendor with all the finery one could image with large crystal chandeliers. There were bathrooms too some with looked like ones for the public and in the halls I passed people with visitor passes in small or large groups. There were people leading something like a tour and people of the household doing errands. I was lost in the large maze of rooms they just did not end at all so I asked a guard fellow and he explained how to get back to the part of the house I was seeking. I went into a larger room and at the far end people dressed finely where eating a meal it was closely connected to a large living room with a Christmas tree and fireplace. Children of various ages where running around.I tried to calm them because of the guests. It seemed there must be various families not just one in the big mansion house. The outside of the house had brick driveways and many garrages. Now either before or atfter my dream switched to where I was putting on a movie for a bunch of children I was babysiting or something it was a strange movie a musical mix. The girl in the story lived in our time and such but is awakened by people dancing and having fun. She goes out to join them but has two sisters that follow out of jelously or couriousity. Then it switches back and forth to showing the whole group in modern cloths to showing them in more brightly colored dress from the past. When she is in the past part she meets a prince but he is only in the past. He speaks to her in love type terms and so they sing a song. It is very playful though and constanltly switching back between the times. It has a jovial feel and even the sisters are not that mean. It is very obivous that is it a play yet at the same time sort of real. Not much happens and it continues like that.
So there you have it probably one of the first times I have posted one of my dreams online at anytime. haha. Well I am out of here.