Common Ground Coffee House #114

I'm still here, but busy. It seems I may have secured a job, writing a column for the newspaper in our home county. I'll write about life and culture of this country. I'm really excited, but I'm trying not to be, just in case it falls through. It would be great to write from home, share my stories, and get paid a little while doing what I love!

We're still waiting on the birth of our kid(s). The goat is huge and seems miserable. It could be any day---and it could be a month from now. We really don't know.

I'm not cooking much today, but I am making more no-knead bread. If y'all haven't tried that recipe, you MUST! It's fabulous, especially with butter and honey!

 

Ann, did you say, Hungarian Beef Stew? Then it must be the famous Hungarian (Magyar) Gulyás. Lenke just had it last weekend when our older daughter, Elizabeth, was visiting with us from Manhattan. The family were together and everyone loved the meal.

 

Here is one for the no-knead bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.





and here is a link that I really want to try out for pita bread. We can't get that here and I would LOVE a grilled chicken pita!

http://momgrind.com/2009/02/26/pita-bread-recipe-homemade-soft-and-fabulous/

 

Oh and I LOVE Hungarian goulash!

 

I don´t think I have ever come into the "coffee house" before in all my time on BB (and I am an avid coffee drinker) , but ann´s comment about it hard to get dinner together at 6:30 mad me chuckle.

I realized how much I have adapted to my new "home" and the customs here when I though to myself that she would have plenty of time to get dinner ready. You see it is normal here to eat dinner anywhere between 9:00 and 10:00 P.M. We don´t always eat that late but my wife never has dinner ready before 8:00 at night (on school days).

I had forgotten that we used eat dinner early in the US!

Anyhow thanks for the coffee.

 

It's cold but sunny. I'm so looking forward to spring! I have plans---BIG plans!

I've got a pot of veggie bean stew on the woodstove. Help yourselves.

Have a good day, everyone!

 

4Hisglory, I have a friend from Spain and remember her saying they always ate about 9p.m. right before bedtime. Wow. If I did that, I'd be up all night with heartburn.

Today will be a busy day for me. My parents are coming to visit. They live 6 hours away, so I have just enough time to finish cleaning house and cook dinner before they get here. No homeschool today. The kids will appreciate that.

 

Well if you don´t go to bed until real late as well, the heartburn thing is not as big of a problem, however I here what what you are saying.

 

Its warm and sunny (31 celsius). The windows are open and a nice ocean breeze is blowing through the house. :smilewinkgrin:

Yerba mate anyone?

 

Anyone else think it's been a long week? But the weather was tolerable for February in Ohio, so it was a good week to be a long week. :laugh:

Trying to keep up, even if I don't take time to post. Wishing for y'all a safe and happy weekend! HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!! :wavey:

 

31F here.

I'll see your Yerba Mate and raise you a Boza.

 

6 celsius here in Eastern Ontario, but pouring rain. Think I would rather have snow.

When I speak of a mate, it is another bloke and not a drink. What is this speaking in other tongues?

Cheers (not a drink, but greeting),

Jim

 

Well I have another beautiful sunny warm ocean breezy day for you all. I tell ya, life on the mission field is hard!

Ahh... Well thank you. Really though mate is to be drank by everyone from the same mate and the brewer (cebedor) keeps filling it and passing it around. Its more than a beverage in that it is a symbol of community and friendship.

I need to get to work on my Sunday School lesson on Pnuematology. Que tengan un buen día (have a good day everyone).

Ciou y Dios les bendiga

 

Today is going to be very busy for us. We're visiting with my parents and dh's parents, our girls have their last basketball game, we're putting in new flooring in the bathroom, and to top it off my arthritis is killing me. We're supposed to get snow tomorrow, so I guess that's why it's acting up so bad.

My mom has already got the kids to clean their rooms, something I have never accomplished since they were born, and she's even convinced them to let her "fix" their hair! Will wonders never cease? My little tomboys will not look like "little orphan Annie" today! hehe. You just have to love grandmothers. They can do anything!

 

Gwyneth, Hapus dydd glydl Dewi Sant. I understand that Swansea will have celebrations all week this year.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Its warm, storms clouds are rolling in off the ocean like blankets, church went well, and the mate tastes good, especially while passing the afternoon reading a good book.