Teresa Sheeley

Little french girl making little french baguettes

Let's just say, now I fully understand why bakers get up way before dawn to let us enjoy yummy breads in the morning! 

In one of my brighter moments I decided to tackle making baguettes.  I don't know if I got a complicated recipe from here at the Food Network website.  Actually it is really detailed and I liked it better than other ones I have found, but wow, who knew it was so time consuming.  If you look at the recipe you will see what I mean. 

When starting it seemed like it was going to be pretty simple to make this bread, I kinda just glanced over the recipe like I always do, then I take it step by step.  Then there was the rising and rising and rising.  This little dough has to go through three steps before you can start making the bread shapes.  I am really impatient and want to start right now!  Then I started to think my goodness, how much patience must these daily bread makers have?  More than I tell ya, more than I.

   

So many steps, folding and shaping and waiting, and then...yay, baking.  I thought this part was really fun.  Your oven is on 500 degrees with a pan heating in it, then you fill the pan with hot water, (please be careful when doing this), next step is to spray the dough with water from a spray bottle, and the oven a couple times, it was fun, I felt like a real baker.  I didn't have the baking stone you really should use, but I turned my cookie sheet upside down and used my baking silpat covered with cornmeal. 

Oh yummy, it smells sooo good!

And taste so good with butter and jam!  Along with my favorite tea.  Market Spice!  It's one of those Washington state landmarks, kinda like Starbucks.  If you have never had it before, I encourage you to buy some, trust me you will love it.  It's good hot and really good iced! 

Go be a little french today and try baking some baguettes!  Well, wait you might want to plan ahead when you have some time on your hands during the day...err unless you want to get up in the middle of the night to have it fresh for mornin!   

I am thinking time has flown by especially the past 2 weeks.  Good gracious, I slightly remember Thanksgiving, and yet it seems not a week ago, but a month ago. 

I have been absorbed working on my first major illustration for a national magazine, and my ADD or that darn compulsive disorder kicked in big time.  When I start something I can't stop until it's completed and think it has to be perfect.  Nothing is perfect, can't happen, but you can just do the best you can and be satisfied.  I haven't hardly blogged at all, I did drafts on a few of my post and let them just save themselves at a certain time.  That was pre-planning knowing what my mental state would be starting this illustration.  And whew, it's over, made the deadline, sent and done.  Nervous, yes, scared, yes, humbled, very much so.   In the middle of it all I had massive greeting card orders to get out also, so now I can begin to relax and pull out some of those Christmas decorations!

I can't wait to go visit you and see what you are doing for holiday decorating.  I have visited briefly a few of you, but can't wait just to sit and relax and enjoy your photos. 

Today my sisters and I are off to the holiday bazaars and just hanging out in the bitter cold weather!  I hope you too are enjoying holiday events in your areas and are having fun decorating your homes.  Is it time for baking sugar cookies yet?  That sounds good to me!  Actually after I get home my baguettes I am making are getting popped in the oven.  Love the smell of bread cooking!