by Nikki Amare | Nov 7, 2018 | Musings
I’m just one of those people who likes to do things with my hands such as make bread.
I’ve been looking at a lot of bread recipes lately. I have my go-to white sandwich bread recipe that I’ve used since I started making my own bread when I was fifteen. But I also like to try new things instead of always staying with the same old thing all the time. Hubby and I like to experiment with food especially since we both enjoy different aspects of cooking and it’s relatively easy for us to try new things.
When I make bread I usually do two loaves at a time since that’s what my recipe calls for, but since it’s just me and Hubby we end up throwing at least half a loaf away. Two loaves is a lot for two people to eat in roughly a week. (Fresh baked bread doesn’t last the way store bought does.) Before I met Hubby I used to give one loaf to my elderly neighbor every time I made some. We’re not really friendly with any of our current neighbors which is fine with Hubby since he is always convinced he’s going to be able to eat it all this time and he doesn’t want to share. LOL
So while looking at bread recipes I came across one for freezer rolls. They are good for up to a month in the freezer and when you want some, you just pull it out, let them thaw and rise (which takes about 3 hours according to the recipe), preheat the oven to 350 degrees, brush the top with an egg white, and bake for around 15 or until done (which depends on the size of your rolls). I decided this would be a good option for us. Whenever we want bread with our supper we can just pop it in the over while we’re cooking and have fresh baked bread with our dinner. And it’s cheaper than constantly buying bread and rolls from the store. The recipe is for small dinner rolls packed into a round tin, but I decided to make small loaves and individually package them. One small loaf is plenty for me and Hubby to split for supper.
As you can see I made up two loaves the other night because I knew we would want bread, both Monday and Tuesday night, with our meals. Friday, I’ll be thawing one out to have with dinner then as well. Since we’ve started doing meal planning for the week it makes it super easy to know when we’ll want bread with our meal and when it isn’t needed.
One of the added benefits of this is that we have built in portion control since I’m not likely to thaw out another one and wait three hours for it to thaw so I can have more bread. Hubby and I both really like the way they turned out. The flavor is great, the inside is soft, and the crust is thin and flaky. I’m already thinking about ways to experiment with this recipe. I’m considering adding some flavorings to the next batch to see how that turns out. I might even do a wheat version.
I love fresh baked bread.
Making it, working with my hands, allows me time to just turn my brain off for awhile. It’s also a great way to get rid of some frustration. It’s been awhile since I’ve made bread and boy could I tell the next morning—my arms and shoulders were sore. That just means I need to make it more often so that I those muscles are being used on a regular. Hubby agrees.
by Nikki Amare | Oct 31, 2018 | Musings
People are often surprised to learn that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Especially since I’m not a fan of horror movies or anything scary.
I love that one day a year we get to be someone, or something, else. We get to leave behind all the things that demand our attention throughout the year, don a mask, and become something different than what we are.
For just a little while we get to be kids again without the worry of responsibilities. We get to be silly or clever or scary… we get to be unique. Anything we want. The possibilities are endless.
So what are you going to be?
Me?
Well, I think I’m going to be a writer.
by Nikki Amare | Oct 24, 2018 | Musings
I am one of those people who loves to learn new things. Every month, I make sure to set aside time to take a new online course. Most of the time they have something to do with publishing or writing, but I also take a lot of online courses that have nothing to do with either of those things. This isn’t something new for me.
Back before there was an online course or video tutorial for everything like there is now, I taught myself how to knit. I decided one day that I wanted to learn so I found a book and I read it from cover to cover several times. I’ll never be a master knitter. While I like to knit on occasion it’s not something I’m passionate about or something I want to do all the time. It’s the same for embroidery and cross-stitch. I wanted to learn and occasionally I’ll decide to take on a project, but it’s not something I want to do all the time.
There are other things I’ve learned because I thought it might be interesting only to realize I didn’t really enjoy it all. I’ve also tried other things I was only mildly interested in to start with and then realized it was something I actually liked doing.
Last year, I started a list of things I’d like to try. I’m always adding to it and marking things off as I go. About half of the things on my list at the moment are related to homesteading since Hubby and I plan to homestead once we move. There are skills I already have thanks to growing up in the country and watching/helping my mom and grandmother doing things like gardening and canning. Although, I’m the first to admit I did not inherit their green thumbs.
Thankfully, Hubby has his own green thumb because when it comes to plants I can harvest with the best of people but keeping them alive is beyond me. Case in point: I decided to grow green onions in my kitchen window. Three times I planted and nurtured them and three times they were dead within a month. Hubby got tired of seeing me fail so he took over and a year later his green onions are still going strong. So I think I’ll leave the gardening to him.
One of the big things on my list at the moment is to learn to use a sewing machine and learning to quilt. I can sew by hand, but I’ve never mastered the use of a sewing machine. In fact, the last time I tried I got it so tangled up it took forever to get it untangled. I know it’s going to be a challenge but I also think it’s a useful skill to have; both sewing and quilting.
I have a few other things like learning to make soaps and lotions that I’d also like to learn. I have very sensitive skin and several allergies that make it hard for me to find products that don’t make me break out in hives, itch, or have trouble breathing, so making my own makes the most sense. And it will be cheaper than having to buy handmade soaps like I do now.
Of course, those things will have to wait until we after we move, in the mean time I’m learning new programs and skills that will help with publishing. Things like creating vector graphics in Adobe Illustrator and designing an ebook in Adobe InDesign. I already know how to use InDesign since that’s the program I use to do print layout, but right now I use Sigil to design my ebooks. So I’m going to take some time to add that skill to my repertoire.
What about you? Do you like learning new things? If so, what is one thing you’d like to learn?
by Nikki Amare | Oct 18, 2018 | Musings
If you’ve read my bio or follow me on social media then odds are you’ve realized I’m a nerd. I’m also a huge Doctor Who fan. I started watching it when Christopher Eccleston played the ninth Doctor, but David Tennant was the Doctor, who made me fall in love with the show. He made me laugh, made me cry, and made me love him more each time. I was heartbroken when he left and was determined not to like Matt Smith. That determination lasted about halfway through the first season and then I found myself liking him in spite of missing the previous Doctor. It was the same for Peter Capaldi. It took me a little longer to warm up to him, but by the end I knew I was going to miss him.
This season has just started and it’s history-making. For the first time, Doctor Who is being played by a woman. Jodi Whittaker crashed onto the screen October 7th.
Peter Capaldi’s Doctor was a bit dark. Jodi Whittaker has gone to the opposite end of the spectrum with her bubbly, but not annoying, personality. She plays the doctor with a lightness that I think we all need. The real world is a dark enough place at the moment that her colorful outfit, lighthearted commentary, and joy of life is a refreshing change. I love this show for so many reasons. One of the biggest is its ability to pull me in enough that I can—just for a little bit—escape from the world around me. Most of the time that I’m watching television I’m also doing something else—knitting, checking social media, reading, etc. Doctor Who is one of the few shows I give my full attention to when it’s on. If I don’t, then I end up missing too much.
If you’re not already a Whovian (a Doctor Who fan), then I highly recommend you check it out. If you’re in the USA, it’s on BBC America or you can buy it on Amazon Prime.
by Nikki Amare | Oct 10, 2018 | Musings
I have always believed books are important. With the state of American politics at the moment, I believe they are even more important now. Books give us a place to escape the harsh realities around us. Regardless of what your political leanings, I think it is undeniable that there is so much negativity on the news, on tv, on social media, etc. that we can all use a moment where we can step outside of everything and immerse ourselves in fiction.
I think romance, more than any other genre, is what this world needs now. I’m not saying that simply because I read and write in the genre, but because it’s one of the most diverse genres. By diverse I’m not only talking about the cultural backgrounds or sexual orientations of characters, but but also the authors themselves. This community is primarily women, but there is also a growing number of men who are writing romance. With each new voice added to the genre, we as readers, are introduced to a new world view whether we realize it or not.
Over the years I’ve seen article after article written that denigrate the romance genre and/or romance writers. Most of which have been written by people who don’t read the genre. From the outside, people look at the romance genres as “mommy porn” and “bodice rippers”, nothing more. They miss the point altogether. It is so much more than those things.
Romance gives women, and men alike, a fantasy of what’s possible. It gives it’s readers an escape. It shows that women can be strong and still find good men who will love them for that strength. It shows men they can be strong, but that it’s also okay to be weak. That allowing a woman to be strong doesn’t make them any less of a man.
This genre reflects the changes in society that have happened, that are happening, and that will happen. And it teaches us that while love might not conquer all, it makes those hard times more bearable.
