Stories from a weary traveller

HI!!!

I'm back from South Africa....currently at The King's Lodge.

We left the YWAM base in Worcester, SA at 6am on Monday, and arrived here at 10.30 am on Tuesday. I am TIRED! Managed to sleep on the plane but still....am beginning to get a bit of a headache. Plus the fact that I'm also trying to sort out all the photos for the team and burn them out in a timely manner...

I'm just going to post up a few of my favourite pictures....

Raphael birthday pool party resulting in Raphael's Angels

Children on the trampoline at the Worcester base

Sunset in Lesotho

Kelda surrounded by school children at the first farm school we went to in Worcester

The ocean & mountain view in Muizenberg

I will post up more pictures when I can. The next few days are going to be preparation for graduation, goodbyes and tears.

Can't wait to see you all!!!!

White Vienna Loaf 2

Tried the bread recipe again. I substituted 1/4 cup of sourdough and 1/2 cup of graham flour + 1 tsp of vital wheat gluten + unmeasured amount of pastry flour (ran out of bread flour).


So gooooodd!!

I probably added about 1/2 -3/4 cup of pastry flour before the dough was the right consistency. I left the sourdough dough and the yeast to ferment. But Berembaum usually adds flour + water +sourdough - ferment with a yeast+flour covering. It turned out alright though. I wasn't sure :)

Lovely. The bread was soft, tasty (mild sourdough taste, a hint of sweetness from the graham flour), and very easy to make.

Verdict: ++++++

p.s.
Oh.
I had a picnic..and made farmhouse white bread.
Also very good! Sorry no pics. Only this:

Chocolate Expresso Mousse Cake

Today was a really slow day.
Some data analyses. I was happy when things worked out..double mediation until I realized that the mediation contracdicts my theoretical model! haha.

Am meeting G to talk about the results on Tuesday before she goes off to Ireland on Wednesday.

Anyway, I made chocolate mousse cake. Hm. No offence to David but I prefer the other flourless chocolate cake that I made. Maybe it's just me though..and not the recipe per se.
But the other one seemed smoother. The picture that I took was the extra mousse..:) I had too much "batter" so I ate it as mousse. heehee. Mousse and banana.
whoa. It was good. So somehow baking it made it a little weird.
K and D said it tasted like soya sauce.
???
:S
:(
But everyone else said it tastes nice.
O_o

A spoonful of sugar keeps the doctor away

To be continued....

p.s. Although I think Ms. H, dr. wannabe is abnormally attracted to sugar. ;)

A failed attempt at bread

But...I'll get it right the next time!

White Vienna Loaf..

Not wrong per se.

Nice crumb structure..

But NOT a white loaf!

I added 1/3 cup sourdough starter. I wasn't sure how wet the dough was suppose to be.

But as you can see, my dough was really wet. Possibly..70 -80% hydration. (sounds so cool when I say that right? lol! I don't have the bakers % though, so I'm just guessing).

Anyway, nice taste. But too wet.

I'll try it again tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes.

Granola Bars

I'm trying to finish some of my stuff...

So I made granola bars! Yummy.

I had a bag of Bob's Red Mill Muesli which I bought to make oatmeal cookies. But tak jadi. So couple of days ago, I said to myself "gotta finish that muesli".

But what?

But how??

Yogurt, muesli and fruits.

Mmm.

But..I don't have yogurt.

So, granola bars.

But I don't have hunny.

No worries! I found this recipe.
Instead of hunny, she made it with butter-toffee kinda thingamajig.

4 tablespoons butter

2 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

Perfect!

I used muesli, hazelnuts (filberts), some almonds and some leftover chopped toblerone.

Delicious!!

I also tried making Tai Gao Meen. But tak jadi.

I'm not sure whether it's the gan sui..maybe I put a drop too much. or whether it's the baking soda.

Either way, bluek. Inedible.

Fortunately I'm going back next Friday! WOOhhhooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

I just want to be home. Although maybe in a month's time, I'll write - I just want to be back at Waterloo. haha

Anyway, it looks alright. So here's a picture.

Waiting

Life is about waiting.
You see, we often think that if we don't actively seek out stuff, grab this, do that, our lives will just pass us by. And before we know it, we've waited our whole life for....nothingness.

Yet, we are called to wait on the Lord. Eager anticipation. Hope. Trust.
Isaiah 26:8
Yes Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you.
Take the word laws and replace that with grace and you have the new covenant.
Yes Lord, walking in the way of your grace, we wait for you.

Wait for the Lord. Wait on the Lord. And before you know it, you've waited your whole life for eternal life, abundant joy, renewed grace and everlasting love.

HOt cross buns!

I'm very excited to share this recipe with you!
This is a winner! very tasty and light. ,mmmm..
Traditional spiced, sticky glazed fruit buns with pastry crosses. Served as a classic Easter treat, the buns can be also enjoyed at any time of year.

Ingredients
For the ferment starter:
1 large egg, beaten
215ml/7½fl oz warm water
15g/½oz fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar
55g/2oz strong white flour
For the dough:
450g/1lb strong white flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground mixed spice
85g/3oz butter cut into cubes
85g/3oz sugar
1 lemon, grated, zest only
170g/6oz mixed dried fruit
2 tbsp plain flour
oil, for greasing
1 tbsp golden syrup, gently heated, for glazing

Method
1. Prepare the ferment starter for the dough by combining the beaten egg with enough warm water to give approximately 290ml/½ pint of liquid. Whisk in the yeast, sugar and flour, cover and put in a warm place for 30 minutes. (I used instant yeast and left the starter to ferment overnight)
2. make the buns: sieve the flour, salt and spice into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Make a well in the centre and put the sugar and lemon zest in the well. Pour on the ferment starter. (I added about 1 teaspoon of instant yeast)
3. Gradually draw in the flour and mix vigorously, then knead to a smooth, elastic dough.
4. Carefully work in the mixed dried fruit. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a warm, greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
5. Turn out the dough and knead to knock out any air bubbles and give an even texture. Shape it into a ball again, put back into the bowl, cover and put back to rise for another 30 minutes.
6. Turn out the dough again and divide into 12 even pieces. Shape them into buns and leave to rest for a few minutes on the work surface covered with the tea towel.
7. Place the buns on a lightly greased baking sheet. Slightly flatten each bun and then cut into quarters, cutting almost all the way through the dough, so that as each bun rises, it has a well-marked cross on it. (I don't know about this part....obviously because the bread was left to rise with the cuts, the bun was kinda weird looking.. hence no pictures! :) so I think maybe..make the cuts before you bake the buns. Also, perhaps I made the cross too deep? or because I did not make cross paste?)
8. Grease a large polythene bag and place the tray with the buns in it and tie the end. Put in a warm place and leave to rise for 40 minutes. (hm..I fell asleep at this point and I'm sure it was about 40 minutes to an hour before I woke up! hahaa. )
9. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 8. Make a paste for the crosses on the buns with the plain flour and 2 tbsp cold water. Mix until it is soft enough to pipe through a nozzle. (I preheated the oven at 250. but...after 15 minutes or so, I increased the temperature to 300C. I think it's better this way. To start at 300 and turn it down to 250 after 5-10 minutes)
10. Remove the polythene bag and pipe a cross on each bun. Bake the buns for 8 -12 minutes or until risen and golden. Brush the buns with hot golden syrup as soon as they are ready. Cool on a wire rack.

Spice mixture
I really can't remember what I put in the mix...I took this guide and kinda created my own mix. But this should be alright I think.

3/4 cup ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon grated nutmeg

Oh. duh! I have a french cook book.
Alright - so this is what Julia used in spice bread.
4 tsp anise seed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground mace

sorry no pictures..

Hillsongs

I went for the Hillsongs United concert with D and C.
Brother D as I call him. I just made it up. Or frere D, which is brother D in french - but this way I can say Freddy.
haha.

He wasn't too amused. lol

Wait on the Lord.
What does that mean?

Challah

I know i know..I wrote a post on this before.

But I made it again and mmmm...
it was good all over again