Day Seventy Three

{A Girl's Best Friend} Drum roll please...this is my walk in closet! Of course it still needs some work...

Day Seventy Two

{Eagles Galore} We drove by a bay this afternoon, there were a bunch of cars and people with cameras..."pull over the car right now."  Ha! There were about 30 eagles feeding, it was amazing to watch.  Here are a few pictures, they aren't the best but it was pouring down rain and we were not very close. Enjoy!

The one picture of all the eagles sitting on rocks has 14 eagles in it.  Holy cow.  This last picture is my favorite, the average wing span of an eagle is 6 to 7 feet.

Day Seventy One

{Molokini Crater} We went and saw the movie Just Go With It tonight.  I had to post another Maui picture as the movie was filmed at the Hilton that was next to our hotel. Tomorrow, I will use my camera...sorry for the slow days.

Day Seventy

{Thankful} We are so thankful that our dear friends that traveled to Japan yesterday are safe and sound.  And that our other friends currently living in Japan are all safe too.  What a devastating day. We will continue to keep all those in Japan in our thoughts and prayers.  Safe travels Olson and Draper families.

Random picture of the day, I did not take any pictures today.  This picture was taken in Maui this past December, one of my favorite captures.  "Jesus Coming Soon," a neon sign sitting atop a church Christmas Eve.

Day Sixty Nine

{Lens fun}  I have been blown away by everyones perfectly sharp photos, and by blown away I mean totally jealous.  I knew I needed some photography help, but I didn't think I was taking horrible pictures.  For one my kit lens (I know, I know) is dead (hallelujah) and I don't have an all around lens other than that.  I do have a 50mm 1.8, so I have made an effort to use it more. I also want to take more people pictures, but sadly I have no children and being home alone with the dog can only produce so many pictures.  Ugh!  So, I took some pictures of myself and of course Moser today in hopes to work on taking more sharp photos. 

Isn't it nice that only one eye is in focus...jokes. But really, is that good or bad.  Help!

And the ever so handsome Moser...his eyes look blurry to me.

Day Sixty Eight

{Pizza Dough} I made yummy homemade pizza tonight. Recipe follows the picture! 

Olive Oil Dough 

Makes four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

Ingredients

2 3/4  cups lukewarm water 

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (1 1/2 packets)

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Method

Dough

1. Mix the yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or lidded (not airtight) container.  I just mixed it all in my stand mixer bowl. 

2. Mix the flour without kneading, using a spoon, I put the flour in my mixer with the dough attachment and let it mix for a few minutes.  Don't over mix. 

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.  My dough never collapsed, after 2 hours it looked flat on top so I went from there. 

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 12 days.

Pizza

1. Preheat oven to 550º (holy, cow I just figured out how to make the degrees symbol *happy dance*).  If your oven does not go above 500º then that will work, which is what I did...550º seems really hot for my house.

2. Measure your toppings in advance, the key to pizza is to work quickly. 

3. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. 

4. Flatten the  dough with your hands and a rolling pin on a wooden board to produce a 1/8 inch think round, dust with flour to keep the dough from sticking to rolling pin and board.  Do not overuse flour. Place the rolled-out dough onto a liberally cornmeal-covered pizza peel (or a pan for all us normal folk that don't have just fancy pizza making tools). 

5. Distribute desired pizza toppings. Remember, sauce first, then cheese, then toppings.  

6. Place in oven. Check for doneness in 8 to 10 minutes.  It may need up to 5 minutes more in the oven (which mine did).  Rotate pizza in oven if one side is browning faster than the other. 

...

I have a bowl of left over dough in my fridge, which will last for up to 12 days.  I plan on making a yummy focaccia bread with my left over dough.

Recipe courtesy of the cookbook Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.   I am totally intrigued by this cookbook,  the recipes are simple and delicious.  Their theory on having fresh bread everyday is this, you simply make a batch of dough that lasts for up to 12 days, each day you use part of the dough to make a loaf of bread...genius!  When our house is built I am so going to follow this theory, who doesn't love homemade bread?  Bread machines, blah! 

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Holy, longest blog post EVER.  Sorry if you were just looking for a picture... I dare you to try this simple recipe, your family will love you and you will not be disappointed!  Now I've got to get my pork shoulder in the crock pot for its 8 hour slow cook.  Pulled pork sliders for dinner, whose in?

Day Sixty Seven

{King KONG}  Moser likes LOVES his Kong (which is still an understatement)!  We love it too, when it is full of peanut butter our dog is 100% occupied!  Labs are hard to keep entertained sometimes.