That's great! Be sure to let me know your favorites. I ordered the book this morning. We love the Volkornbrot and it sure is easy. I have a loaf in the oven right now.

Are you avoiding the cooking forum these days?
It certainly can get heated over there. As much as here sometimes :-)

When I came back to GW 5 years ago I swore off the CF. There are a few "personalities" over there that I came to know a little too well behind the scenes. Not crazy about one in particular, but at least she doesn't attempt to hide who she really is. Loved the recent comment on the corn shuck thread from a member telling it like it is.

haha, you wouldn't be the first to leave because of certain personalities. I almost did and sometimes I do feel like strangling certain someones. Yes, that reply was right on. I felt like applauding.

Natal, I assume the title of the book about which you speak is, Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day?

I can't offer tips or cooking ideas, but I read whatever you write about food with great interest (& Bumblebeez too!) Everytime you describe a meal or snack you have prepared, or post a recipe here, it sounds absolutely marvelous.

I don't say that lightly. Nine out of ten times, I don't feel inspired by a recipe, and a lot of dishes just don't sound appealing to me. Even when looking at a menu in a restaurant, I can feel a big yawn coming on. But, your things are different.

Just yesterday, dh asked me what I wanted for dinner & I whined, "I wish something sounded good ...but nothing does!" Of course, I can always whip up my enthusiasm for a big bowl of ice cream, but dh doesn't want ice cream for dinner every night (party pooper!)

I know your bread will be yummy! Your dh is SO lucky to be married to such a talented, creative cook.

Stinky, yes that's the title. Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois' first book was Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. They've made baking bread something anyone can do. I have a little experience with bread baking and was slightly skeptical about their method until I tried it. Didn't care for the overly yeasty flavor of the bread and was happy to find the yeast could be reduced by half (or more) with the same wonderful result. So that's what I've been doing ever since. I still make bread the old way too. I enjoy the kneading process and that's totally absent from the 5 Minute method.

Here's the master recipe.

master recipe

using less yeast

Maybe you need visuals to help with the inspiration. I used to enjoy cooking shows on PBS in the '80s ... Julia Child, Jeff Smith, Graham Kerr, Justin Wilson ... even Emeril got his start on PBS. Then I watched the early days of the Food Network. Still like to watch Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) on Saturday mornings.

Also, some cookbooks have photos which help pique interest. All of Ina's books have photos of the finished dish. And now there are food blogs galore. Or even food porn sites like TasteSpotting and FoodGawker

BB, are you able to buy the ingredients locally or do you have to order from King Arthur? I'm guessing Whole Foods would probably have everything. At least I'm hoping.

I use Rose Levy Beranbaum's Bread Bible, and everything takes longer than 5 minutes, but I don't much care because the taste is worth it. Most of her recipes take a long rising time.
And what is going on in the Cooking Forum? I stopped reading because the signal:noise ratio was just getting out of control. The guy with the bad videos? Where do these people come from?

Ideefixe, these breads have a wonderful flavor. The initial rise is 2-4 hours (depending on yeast usage) and then a second 24-hour slow, cool rise before baking. I usually wait 72 hours before baking the first loaf.

I find Dcarch's posts interesting. Unfortunately, you can always count on the one who thinks she knows everything to show her ass on his threads.

Stinky, if you don't enjoy cooking a whole lot., don't worr about it! It sounds like you have stir fries down pat!

Natal, we have a country, natural foods store a few minutes from my house that has everything I could want baking wise. I found chia seeds there, fresh milled prairie gold flour, wheat berries, bulk yeast, etc. and think they have what I need. They also sell natural beef, raw milk, goat meat and milk, all kinds of good stuff. They're run by Mennonites and I'm glad it's close by.

No need for King Arthur.

Thw cooking forum can be a trip sometimes. I admit, I like the drama as long as it's not focused on me!

I sometimes lurk at the kitchen forum just for the entertainment value. It's interesting how the different forums here each have their own feel. I think this one has the nicest people, even though it also sometimes gets heated.

The people at the kitchen forum seem really, really obsessed with kitchens. Well, I guess that makes sense.

I meant to say I sometimes lurk at the cooking forum.

I think the people here are really nice too. It's all those Infj's :-)

BB, sounds like that store is a gold mine. Lucky you!

Oh, it is Natal. I'm afraid they're going to go out as I never see any cars there and I'm always the only in the store.

Natal, thanks so much for the suggestions and links! I DO love Ina Garten! She's adorable...the way she says, "Tonight I'm making a special roast for Jeffrey," or "I'm cooking an egg for Jeffrey," or "I'm mixing up some fabulous chocolate mousse for Jeffrey, just like we had in Paris..." I mean, the woman is head over heels for that man. She's so sweet, smart and talented. What a lucky fellow he is, and what a beautiful house they have, too.

Bumblebeez, I have by no means mastered the art of the stir fry! I need to work up more enthusiasm for cooking for nutritional purposes, if nothing else. If I wasn't married, I'd surely live on ice cream and oatmeal. One bowl and a spoon, and I'd be set for life! But that's not good. Besides, I am married, and my dh is a huge lover of good, wholesome, real food! He deserves a nice meal, hard worker that he is!

Stinky - I don't have anything to contribute to this topic and I think it's probably a good thing I don't go to the cooking forum, but just have to say your posts brighten my day. You always have something nice to say and see/look for the best in a person. And that, my friend, is much more important than cooking!!

tina

Tina, that's so very nice of you! Thank you much.

I am in awe of people like Natal and Bumblebeez, who cook with flair, finesse and creativity! ( Tina, I know that you are no slouch in the kitchen either!) Maybe some of this expertise will sink in if I keep reading the food and cooking posts from you ladies. Because y'all are "real" people, I find your ideas extra inspiring and interesting. I mean yes, Ina is great, but she's a "TV personality," iykwim!

Stinky, you're a dear and you give me much more credit than I deserve LOL. I am not a slouch in the kitchen and I do enjoy cooking and it is important to me to prepare healthy foods for my family. However, it's not a passion for me and there are many times I do not want to cook. It's something I must have time for. I don't do cooking forums or cooking shows. I do occasionally pick up a cookbook, although I'm more likely to search out a recipe on line. You just find what works for you. My husband and I share many household duties, but cooking is not one of them and I, like you, do like to prepare a good meal for him.

I am in awe of people like Natal and Bumblebeez, who cook with flair, finesse and creativity!

Ok, that's a little over the top. ;)

I do enjoy cooking ... most of the time. And am fortunate to be blessed with a hubby who's willing to try anything. That makes the whole process much more enjoyable. Like Tina, I wouldn't call it a passion. I reserve that term for gardening. I love that dh sometimes joins me in the kitchen and that he's an enthusiastic charcoal griller ... even with these miserable summer temps.

Oh lord yes, we love our charcoal grill too - year round!!

Oh, I don't know Natal, I like being awed sometimes :-)
All too funny if you saw what we ate half the time (Lean Cuisine anyone?) The other half is not bad though.

Since we essentially gave up carbs (and lost weight) cooking isn't as much fun as it used to be.

Speaking of carbs ... no way I could give them up ... but have been a little surprised that dh has lost a few pounds in the past few weeks since he drastically reduced his white flour consumption. I've been using Barilla Plus and whole grain pastas for years, but the white flour creeps in with those French & Italian breads and English muffins. Pretzels too. Tried Snyder's whole grain and oat sticks this week and I swear they smell like bird seed and don't taste much better.

So the only carbs you eat are from the bread you bake? Did you cut out all fruits and veggies with carbs?

Giving up or reducing "the white stuff" is great. I bet your hubby can tell a difference in how he feels. For me, it makes a difference in my energy level. I reduce, refuse to give up any food group totally. Ocassional treats! And sadly, I love sweets.

We eat whole grain english muffins. You might want to give them a try.

I used to eat toast or English muffins, french toast (still whole wheat) a bagel, that sort of thing for breakfast. I don't eat that anymore.

The healthy bread is for when I want a carb but I cut the bread in half and after baking freeze it. I'm not inhaling it the way I used to and it's primarily for weekend breakfasts.
I haven't bought a ciabatta loaf or baguette in nearly a year.

We stopped eating most pasta, rice, potatoes, pretzels, popcorn and other carbs mindlessly. I still eat some carbs every day but I do think about it and have to really want it.
I had a slice of spinach, meatless pizza from Whole Foods today but only one slice not two and I don't get any of those tempting desserts (a gelato cup) to go with it.

If my weight creeps up, I skip or heavily cut back on the carbs.
For every carb I skip, I eat some natural, toasted nuts. I buy raw cashews and almonds and toast them myself.

I also eat more lean meat: smoked oysters, grilled chicken breast, non fried fish, sirloin, pot roast, etc.
No rotisserie chicken anymore- I loved the skin too much.

I stopped baking sweets. No more brownies, cakes, scones and pies around all the time. I used to bake because it was just fun. I still make something for special occasions, but that is what it is, a special occasion. No ice cream in the house all the time or cake squares in the freezer. No constant availability of homemade brownies.
I do keep my favorite dark chocolate around for when I want some.

I still eat some cheese but not as much. I eat a lot of Greek yogurt and spend more money on the vegetables I could eat all the time: asparagus and fresh wilted spinach.
I rarely eat fruit.

I rarely eat sandwiches and stopped getting fast food a couple times a week.

I'm 161 right now at 6' and right in the middle of the bmi. I would like to be 140 ultimately but then I will have to buy all new clothes again.

Probably a whole lot more than you want to know, but I am so happy to have lost weight!!

I forgot to say, last year I was addicted to bread. There was no way I could have given it up but now, I don't find it satisfying at all. So while it may seem like you could never give them up, it might surprise you too. Congrats to your hubby!

I remember when Faron posted a recipe for Lefse (?) some kind of amazing Swedish potato bread, and I thought, I can never, ever, make that. I will eat the entire pan in 30 minutes.

I'm always interested in healthy eating and weight. It's a struggle.

I could never bake for just the two of us and have it sitting here in the house - I could not resist. If I bake something, it has to be something small (few servings), or I share. It helps that my dad doesn't cook and enjoys the sharing LOL.

I can't do just a bread type meal for breakfast. One of the best things I've learned (for me) is that I need some protein for breakfast. I am lucky in that I also love veggies and fruit. I could eat salad every single day. I also don't like many fried foods. But again, sweets are my downfall. I do like bread, but do not crave it often. I like cheese, but like you, we limit it. Hubby has a family history of high cholesterol and bp so that started our healthy quest. We eat small amounts (he more than I) of almonds daily. That was something I brought up to our doc in helping with cholesterol. I also love pasta and have to limit that but we do use the whole wheat. Thankfully hubby doesn't love it like I do, so it's not something we have often (although I made Pioneer Woman's lasagna last week!). We've never been big on rice, chips, etc. but he is meat and potatoes. We've cut down on white potatoes in a big way. We do eat sweet potatoes more.

It does make you feel so good (both physically and mentally!) to lose weight, but for me it is still a struggle to keep it off. We've cut back on our walking in the last couple of weeks since it's gotten so much more humid and mid to upper 90's. I'm thinking of an eliptical.

Bumble, you shouldn't have got me started on this topic! Right now I am thankful for all the fresh produce. It helps!

It can get tricky especially when you're trying to balance carbs with fiber and calcium or whatever your dietary goals.

Bought Thomas' whole wheat English muffins mainly because I was looking for something with more fiber. Carbs are about the same. I'm not a big bread eater. That's dh's downfall and why we're trying to make the switch to healthier breads.

You're both fortunate that cutting back yields results. I was like that once too. Menopause has a way of changing things. :(