the only real difference is in the people you meet

[jawnbc]

toneyvr and I made it up to Cypress for some cross-country skiing this morning--early. We got there at 835, only to discover they now open at 900...though they opened 10 minutes early. It was very crunchy, but also very quiet. So we stomped our way up and across some green and blue runs before the ceremonial hot chocolate here:



Ritual is important, and when it's in fab place like this (wood-burning stove, crooked floors, memorability galore on the walls), it's all the more the pleasure. Then, since it was too icy for us to head all the way up (toneyvr gets stressed on icy black diamons...fair enough), we still had some gas in the tank for another stomp back up, across and to the car. Home by 1030!

I decided to make Irish Soda bread for St Patrick's Day on Monday...4.5 loaves actually. 1 for toneyvr to bring to work, 2 for my office, 1 for home and .5 (no raisins) for querrelle. I mixed and baked while watching the Swedish national final. In Sweden the Melodifestivalen final is the most watched programme of the year--edging out the actual Eurovision final for which they are selecting a song. Wholly predictably after finishing near the bottom last year (they send glam rock légere The Ark), they opted for a blond amazon schlager kween stomping in front of a wind machine to a song not terribly unlike ABBA. Make that faux ABBA.

Still, it was great entertainment, impecably produced, and the webcast looked great on my new HDTV (which doubles as a monitor).

Then we destroyed the bedlinens before having toasted chicken sandwiches for dinner. Now we're off to our gay hockey team's annual fundraiser. Hairy men in jockstraps + ice skating + dancing = fun!

Comments

[garpu.livejournal.com]

Oooh. What's your recipe for soda bread? And went with sirriamnis to a hockey game. Was fun. Kind of jerry springer the way fights break out, though.

[jawnbc]

At its best there are no fights in hockey. It's a lot cleaner than it was a decade ago though..Nana Egan’s Irish Soda Bread

Preheat oven to 350F 180C
Need a flat baking sheet or a pizza pan

Ingredients:
Dry Flavourings
4 cups refined flour 1/4 cup caraway seeds
1 to 1.1/2cups white sugar 3/4 to 1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder Wet
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pint buttermilk


Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Gradually cut in the caraway seeds and raisins.

Add 1/2 pint of buttermilk and mix well. Gradually add more buttermilk, until the thoroughly mixed dough is quite moist, but more like a baking dough than a batter—it should stand on its own pretty well, though it will stick to everything!

Lightly flour your baking sheet/pizza pan. Place the dough in its centre, in a rounded, somewhat flattened dome. Take a very sharp knife, and cut an X into the top of the dough, to about 3/4’s depth. Sprinkle dough on the loaf so the top (and much of the new cross) is covered in dough. DO NOT KNEAD THIS FLOUR INTO THE DOUGH!

Place on the centre rack for 15 minutes. Rotate 180° and let bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until loaf is golden on most visible surfaces. Remove it from the oven and GENTLY separate the loaf from the sheet—it will probably stick, so use a spatula of some sort.

Lower the oven to 300F 150C. Put the loaf directly on the centre rack, and let bake for another 15-20 minutes. Remove and let stand for 15 minutes.

Served best with butter or margarine, and a proper cup of tea.

[garpu.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, thanks!

Since hockey was watchable, I might give soccer another go someday. I'd definitely go to another hockey game.

Wait..."sprinkle dough on the loaf..." should that be the flour?

[jawnbc]

Yeah