The making of ... Bread Pudding

This is entry #8 of my Project 366. In case you're wondering, this was not just another snapshot, oh no!


Date: 08/01/2012 15:59
Model: Canon EOS D40
ISO: 200
Exposure time: 1/4 sec
Aperture: 11
Exposure Bias: - 0.00 EV
Focal Length: 44.0 mm
Metering Mode: center weight
Flash Used: no
Exposure: manual
Exposure mode: manual
White balance: auto

I baked bread pudding this morning. When it came out of the oven, I knew I wanted to use it to make my photo of the day. I tried a couple of compositions, but none of it seemed to really work. So I ate a piece for breakfast, then noticed it had become a lot more interesting with the missing piece, so I got to work again. I took about twenty photos of it (handheld, using manual settings and auto focus) and showed them to my husband, who advised me to use a piece of white cardboard to reflect the light and eliminate the shadows.

This photo shows how it was made.
Then we took it one step further, by using the tripod. I changed the settings, changed the composition over and over again ...


To make a long story short, I took about 90 photos before I was satisfied with what I got!

Weekend Reflections, While Making Apple Pie

 

I was getting the ingredients ready ready to bake apple pie when I noticed that the sunshine made the apples reflect in the top of my stove. I wanted to somehow include the cookbook in my picture and started to play with the light, the reflections and the shadows …

 

 

More Weekend Reflections at James’ Newton Area Photo.

Friday’s Fave Five, Valentine Weekend

Thanks to Susanne at Living to tell the story who hosts this Friday’s Fave Five it is now time to look back on the week that has passed and list five favorite things from it.

I love this meme, it makes me realize how happy I am, it makes me remember things I would probably just forget.

1. On Saturday we went shopping in one of my favorite supermarkets. It’s a shop for restaurant owners and I LOVE everything there. They have a food department where they sell beautiful fresh produce and delicatessen, herbs, spices … you name it, they have it. There is a department where they sell all kinds of kitchen equipment, like pots and pans and knives and professional tools, and you can also find all sorts of dishes and stemware and everything you need to dress a lovely table. It’s a Walhalla for a foodie like me! I really LOVE the aroma of the smoked garlic we bought there!
2. We were in need of new stemware, and we bought sets of wine/champagne/water glasses that match each other to replace the mismatched collection that was cluttering my closets. Can you see them, they’re on the bottom left of the collage?
Later that afternoon, I dressed a lovely table and started cooking a delicious meal with some of the food we had bought there.
3. Sunday was Valentine’s day and Monday was even more special. It was our anniversary, because we started our life together on February 15th, twenty eight years ago!
My husband spoiled me with flowers and gifts, and I prepared more glorious food to celebrate this wonderful occasion.
4. I made buttermilk biscuits for breakfast and filled them with smoked ham, rucola and cream cheese. ( from a recipe I found at Wanda's blog. It’s in her sidebar).
5. I made a couple of photo walks with my Big Guy again this week. One short walk along the canal just before sunset to capture the beauty of the evening light. That was when I first felt Spring is getting nearer. It has been thawing, all of the snow is gone now. And then yesterday I took the bus to Antwerp and made my first photo walk in the Big City with my Big Guy!! I had FUN!!!!!

Sepia Scenes, Home Baking

Home baked bread and nostalgic kitchenware. Perfect for a Sepia Scenes…

Weekly Winners

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t complain about a rainy day.

I grabbed my camera and tried to capture the gloominess.
 

Instead …

I discovered beauty.  

 
There is beauty in every day. Even in Winter.

 
Although I have to admit that this little splash of color made my heart jump. I discovered very early blooms on the wild strawberries in my patio garden. Do they really think it’s Spring yet?

While inside …

 

Home baked bread …

 

 
and a cup of hot tea bring comfort on a wintery day.

While anticipating…

 

the next meal.

 

More Weekly Winners at Sarcastic Mom’s.

Weekly Winners, It does not get any better than this …

 

This week was all about …

 
Wrapping presents …

 
Comparing recipes.

Making chocolate mousse …
Belgian style! 

A mail delivery from Down Under! 
Woohoo THANK you Kim!!

 

Almost white sepia Christmas.  
 

Keeping an eye on things …


 
A  Christmas toast to good health and happiness.   

 
Unwrapping …

just the right presents …

And …

… good food and sweet apple pie …
Life does not get any better than this!

Merry Christmas!



More Weekly Winners at Sarcastic Mom’s.

Almost Wordless …

 

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch,
you must first create the universe. 
~Carl Sagan~

That’s exactly what I’ll be doing today… 
the apple pie I mean!!

Macro Monday and the Christmas Stollen Recipe

I thought I’d share something different for this Macro Monday.
After all, 'it IS the baking season par excellence, so …

There is nothing like home made bread. This festive Christmassy bread originates from Germany and is filled with lots of dried fruits and nuts, and rum flavored almond paste.

Just imagine a white carpet of snow outside while inside your house is filled with the aromas of this sweet and lovely wintery goodness….

Am I beginning to sound like Nigella Lawson?

Are you hungry yet ?
Do you want to sniff those aromas too?
Okay, here’s what you do.
Light a scented candle …

OR get into that kitchen of yours and try the recipe!!
I tried to make the recipe as complete as possible but if there are any more questions, just leave me a comment and I’ll update the post.

You need:
- 170g - 1 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
- 70ml - about 5 tbsp of water ( I added some milk to the water instead of using milk powder)
- 17g of milk powder ( I skipped that)
- 12g - 1 tbsp of sugar
- 12g of fresh yeast OR 5g (= one teaspoon) of dried yeast
- 3g = 1/2 a teaspoon of salt
- 1 egg ( half of it goes in the dough, use the rest to egg wash the crust.
- 30g - 1 ounce of butter
- grated zest of one clementine ( you could use lemon or orange instead)
- 17g - about 1/5 of a cup of roasted hazelnuts
- 17g of candied fruits
- 130g - 1 cup of raisins. ( I made an assorted mixture with died apricots and prunes, figs …)
- 75g of almond paste flavored with rum ( mine was Cointreau flavored)

Mix all the ingredients except the almond paste, the nuts and the dried fruits. Knead until the dough becomes elastic. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
Mix the fruits and the nuts in and shape into a ball.
Shape the almond paste into a sausage. Flatten the dough and place the almond paste in the middle. Roll tightly around the almond paste and shape the bread.
Place it onto a baking sheet in the oven ( 40°C - 100° F ) to rest and rise for about one hour.
Brush the rest of the beaten egg over the dough to give it a shine.
OR
A little bit of research told me you could brush it with melted butter, which would probably produce a softer crust. (I still need to try this next time)
Bake for half an hour at 165-175° C - 350°F

Friday’s Fave Five Ups and Downs

 

I don’t think we can look at the calendar today and not think about what happened eight years ago today. September eleventh. Nine eleven. May the people that died there and the heroes who sacrificed their lives to save others  all rest in peace.
Let’s hope such cruel events never happen again. EVER.

 

1. Highlight of the week was my daughter’s birthday. She was on vacation in Greece, so we could not celebrate together, but I was with her in thoughts. Thanks for all the Birthday wishes you sent her in the comments, I’m sure she had fun reading them.

2. Baking. I had a little bit of fun baking biscuits from scratch. Wanda posted pictures of the the buttermilk biscuits she had made, and when I asked her for the recipe, she posted it in her sidebar. Thank you so much Wanda. The biscuits are easy to make and they taste delicious. I filled them with cream cheese and blackberry jam and smoked salmon and sour cream as part of our weekend brunches.

3. Lunch with my friend Nana: Tuesday morning I had lunch with my dear blogger friend Nana. A little bit of shopping, girl talk, lunch and a cup of coffee… 
Time passed much too fast again.

4. Photography class: Tuesday was the first lesson and I’m thrilled. I think this workshop is exactly what I was looking for, to learn and understand the technical aspects of my camera. Our teacher is a very artistic person, so I’m really looking forward to the next lessons and the excursions we’re going to do together.

5. Doctors and medication: It’s been months, maybe even years since I needed a doctor and I kind of forgot what it’s like to be ill. I’m not the kind of person who runs to the doctor for every little pain or itch, but this time I’m so glad I did. I got an appointment within the hour, and because of the quick diagnose and the strong medication my doctor prescribed me, it looks like I’m going to beat the shingles virus a lot faster than the first time I got it. That was Wednesday, it’s Friday morning now, I’m still in a lot of pain, and my energy level is still very low, I do need a lot of rest, but I’m hoping for a quick recovery.

So if I’m not around as much as you’re used to, please forgive me?

 

Look for more Fave Five posts at Susanne’s Living to Tell the Story.
Have a great week!

Weekly Winners, the Food Edition ...

 

 

 

 

 

If God had intended us to follow recipes,
He wouldn't have given us grandmothers.
~ Linda Henley ~

 
It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. 
~ Lewis Grizzard ~

We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink...
~ Epicurus ~

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. 
~ Carl Sagan ~

When baking, follow directions.  When cooking, go by your own taste. 
~ Laiko Bahrs ~

Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts! 
~ James Beard ~

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. 
~ John Gunther ~

 
There is no love sincerer than the love of food. 
~ George Bernard Shaw ~

 

 

Oops! Did I make you hungry? 

More Weekly Winners at Sarcastic Mom’s.