Dracula, Homemade Bread, and Cookbook Update

I decided that I wanted to read some classics that I never got to read when I was younger and last month read Edgar Allan Poe’s works. This month I’m reading Dracula by Bram Stoker. Like Poe, Bram Stoker sets the gothic mood from the very beginning and I’m enjoying reading it. I love how the entire story is written from journal entries and letters. I think my daughter and I will watch the old Dracula movie from 1931 on Halloween, just for fun!

A few weeks ago, we had our first cold front and the chill brought back memories of when we were homesteading and I made bread all year round. I would take one day to bake bread for the month. It was easier to do it all in one day since I was busy taking care of a horse, milk goats, chickens, rabbits, ducks, and a goose named Goose Goose. I also had a garden to weed and care for. And in between, we homeschooled. So, life was very busy every day.

I had researched Weston Price’s book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration and Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions, on traditional cultures around the world and how ancient peoples used to eat—back when food was real and untainted by today’s pesticides, preservatives, and additives.

In Sally Fallon’s book, she talked about how traditional cultures ground the grain and soaked the freshly ground flour overnight to neutralize the phytic acid so digestion was easier. I tried the soaking method and loved the rustic old-world taste and hearty flavor of the breads.

We bought buckets of wheat and a manual wheat grinder and experimented. The kids and I took turns turning the big wheel of the grinder—around and around—grinding the grain down to a fine flour.

Then I’d soak the flour overnight and the next morning after milking and feeding chores were done, we’d settle in for a full day of breadmaking. It was a lot of hard work to pack into one day but saved me hours in the kitchen the rest of the month.

We made loaves of bread, dinner rolls, and pizza dough. Fresh baked, hot out of the oven, slathered with butter and raw honey. We’d polish off a whole loaf between us as soon as it cooled enough to hold in our hands.

Homemade pizza crust was a favorite, especially when we made “stuffed crust” with mozzarella cheese! So, I made several crusts and froze them for future meals. All I had to do was set one out to thaw, top with the fixings, and pop in the oven.

We made dinner rolls the most. After experimenting, we found that for us, making big rolls and freezing them in baggies gave us a lot more bread to eat all month long. We used them for sandwiches: lunch meat and cheese, turkey, peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, and fried egg sandwiches.

The kids and I would pack up the rolls and chunks of cheddar cheese to take on our hikes with the goats. It was a satisfying hearty meal on the trail.

Today, years later, my daughter and I have decided to bake bread again. Having chronic fatigue doesn’t allow me to do the things I used to do, including kneading dough. I recently came across this No-Knead Bread recipe that we are thoroughly enjoying. It takes five minutes to mix the flour, yeast, salt, and water and then set aside to rise for a few hours.

I’ve lost my bread pans through recent moves, so we use a round casserole dish. The big round loaf is reminiscent of old-world rustic bread and is so good. We have enjoyed this recipe for several weeks now. Compared to store-bought bread, it has great flavor, simple ingredients (no preservatives or additives!), and makes a dense loaf that holds together well for sandwiches.

We bought a turkey this week and have had turkey sandwiches with this bread. It turned out great! I think for the next batch of bread I’ll experiment with some seasonings like rosemary, garlic, and cheese.

Cookbook update:

Due to a problem with my computer, publishing the cookbook has been delayed. I’m still working on it though. Once I clear up these issues, I’ll be able to publish the cookbook.

The world seems full of good men–even if there are monsters in it.                              ~ ~ from Dracula by Bram Stoker

Shanna