And then I ate the bowl!

In my mind, winter is the direct equivalent to soup, even here in the South where you can wake up one morning and bizarrely walk out the door to 65 degree weather. I LOVE soup, all kinds of soup, and I make it a frightful lot! Brian is an awfully good sport about it. :)

This is something I like to make every now and then when I want to make soup feel a little fancier. It's easy and delicious. Ladies and gents: crusty bread bowls!

These are the size of a very large roll (waste not, want not!). I allot approximately 1 cup of flour per person, but if you want really large bowls you could increase the recipe amounts by 1/2 or even double.

Ingredients for two bowls:
-2 cups flour (bread flour is preferable)
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon yeast
-1 scant cup water

Here's how ya do it:

Grab yourself a tupperware:

Throw in two cups of flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon yeast, and mix 'er all up. I like to use a butter knife.




Now microwave a scant cup of water for about 40 seconds or until warm.

Mix in the water until the dough is sticky and no flour remains unmixed. Add tiny bits of water gradually if the dough is too scraggly. When it's done, it should be all lumpy and sticky like this: see?

See?

SEE?

Sorry. I don't mean to yell at you. Anyway, throw a lid on it and let it rise for a few hours.

Now it's perfect!

Look at that!

Would you just LOOK at that?

JUST LOOK AT IT! (Hahaha. Semi-related funny video here.)

Hehe. I get passionate about my bread bowls. Pardon me. Anyway, grab a large board and something to bake on, like a cookie sheet. Here, I'm using a pizza stone.

Flour the board generously and dump the dough out. Roll it around to coat with flour.


Chop it in half. I like to make Brian's bowl a little bigger than mine, so I just eyeball it.

Form into rolls by pinching the dough at the bottom until the ball is taut. See how small they look? Of course, they'll rise and get a little bigger, but I don't like to make them huge because - who wants to eat a loaf of bread in one sitting?

Sprinkle your baking apparatus with cornmeal or spray with cooking spray, throw on the bread dough, and cover with a clean dishtowel or rag.



Let rise for 30 minutes. See - they've gotten a little bigger.

Cut an X into each loaf with a sharp knife. This isn't crucial, but I like to do it.

Bake at 450F for 25 minutes. If you make larger bowls, increase the cooking time. If the top starts burning, decrease the temperature to 400F.

Aww, how pretty.

Let them cool before cutting. And let me tell you, you are going to love how crusty and chewy this bread is! See how great it looks?

See?

SEE?

Haha! In truth, I just figured out how to work the 'macro' setting on my point & shoot. I like using it now. :)

Now, you'll know how to do the rest. Slice the top off , and cut up the 'insides' and the 'hat' to dip in your soup. Although the bread is crusty enough to stand up to brothy soups, I prefer to make thick soups for these, like chili or stew! Tonight is creamy chicken stew with potatoes and vegetables. Yay for cheap and delicious meals!

Now go forth and bread it up, baby!

Blog spotlight and the tricky business of cooking brown rice.

First of all, a great big SHOUT OUT to a new blogger friend, A, at Remember All the Way. She just posted on Sunday that after three years of trying for a baby, she and her husband are PREGNANT! I just can't imagine better news. Click over to her blog to read her story - God has been faithful to bring her through a lot of dark times. I also love A's blog because she is ALSO a wonder wife - lots of great recipes, gardening tips, hostessing tips - and she's a dog-mama too, which is RIGHT up my alley.

This morning, she gave a shout out to The Wonder Wife and I am so thrilled and grateful! Thank you, A! In honor of this great... uh, honor, I present to you an oft-used tip:

How to Cook Brown Rice Perfectly without a Hassle! As you know, brown rice is so much healthier than white, but cooking it on the stove has always been frustrating for me.

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Measure 1.5 cups of brown rice into an 8x8 Pyrex (or similar oven safe dish). Add a teaspoon of salt and any seasonings you fancy. (I added chili powder since I'm making it for a Mexican dish.) Add a tablespoon of oil or butter on top of the dry rice. Now, bring 2.5 cups of water (or broth, for more flavor) to a boil on the stove (or in the microwave). Pour the liquid over the rice, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 60 minutes.

Perfect brown rice, every time. Voila! This makes a lot of rice, and it stores well in the fridge. I throw it into my enchiladas for some extra fiber or mix it with sauteed vegetables for a stir-fry. Scroll below for pictures of this extremely simple process!

Thanks everyone! Have a great Tuesday!