A Loaf in the Oven

No, no, I’m not pregnant. But as an almost 30-something who has been married for 3 1/2 years, believe me — it’s a question I get more than I’d care to admit … “When are you going to have kids?” Patience, my pets, patience.

The loaf in the oven in this case is just that. Let me set the scene. In my world, there are pretty much two seasons — Football season and Football pre-season.

So, starting this weekend, Saturdays and Sundays will be taken up with channel-flipping, bar-going, jersey-wearing behavior. Being a Patriots fan, I’m used to winning. Being married to a Lions fan, I’m used to … well, something else.

Knowing that my weekends are not going to be so leisurely for much longer, I decided to really enjoy my Sunday evening, and do something that calms me:

Not exactly the kind of hanging out by the pool I alluded to in my previous post, but when life hands you lemons, you make rosemary focaccia.

Stick with me. I knew I wanted to make lentil soup for dinner, but what to scoop it up with? Some soft-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside bread, made with fresh herbs from the garden.

Those are the last few diehard plants that haven’t withered and died, so I wanted to honor them properly. It was pouring outside when I made the decision, so I threw on my wellies (Australian grandmother) and grabbed the ol’ umbrella and got my rosemary and parsley.

That, plus a recipe from Veganomicon, led to this:

Yummmm… The bread turned out pretty well, considering my past misadventures with yeast and my inability to make bread rise. I sprinkled on some of the Hawaiian Sea Salt that Lucas and I bought at Whole Foods, and it gave it a nice bite. The lentil soup came from the same cookbook, and was pretty good. Honestly, I’ve found that if you start with onions and garlic, sauteed in olive oil and spices, you can add just about anything and end up with something pretty tasty.

And I had some good company:

Don’t even get me started on that tile. We bought the house because of the saltillo tile and I may burn down the house because of the saltillo tile. I mean, homeowners should be required to disclose the upkeep requirements when listing a home! I scrub that dang thing all the freaking time and it still looks dingy. Maybe that’s because of the 90-pound dog that shadows my every move.

I have a big week ahead, including dinner with a recently-married college friend who is in town for business. I’m really excited to see her! But this article caught my eye and made me wonder — does hanging out with our girlfriends really make us fatter? Scary. But when the wine is flowing and the snacks are handy, I’ve been known to overindulge.

Question: What snacks make you overinduldge? Sweet? Salty? Do you have a particular food that you avoid because you know you will lose control?

Tagged as: baking, Food, Pets, recipe, Recipes, Silly Tater Tot