THE best bread recipe

I have this friend. Her name is Katie. She makes the best bread I have ever tasted. I don’t know if it’s just girls that love bread so much or if there are actually guys out there that drool at the thought as well, but when she tells me and my small group girls that she’s making this bread, we all start salivating. It’s ridiculous.

I started craving The Bread the other day, (that’s what we call it. The Bread) so Katie and I decided to make it and document it as well so that no one has to live without this bread any longer. I know I’m talking it up quite a bit. You might be skeptical. But I think most of you know about my love for Red Lobster biscuits. Well, this bread is better than those biscuits. (Agh, I feel like I’m having an affair with The Bread!) For real, make this and you’ll agree.

THE BREAD

What you’ll need:

2 cups hot water
2 Tbls dry active yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
4-5 cups flour (but probably more like 6)

Mix the first 7 ingredients together

Then add 2 cups of flour and mix well for about 2 minutes.

It should resemble something like that.

Slowly add the rest of the flour a cup at a time. A spoon will work for a while but then you gotta get your hands in there.

Put the dough on a floured surface (or floured bowl) and knead it until the bread is no longer sticky. (You can decide if it needs more flour as you are kneading)

Once it’s kneaded, not sticky and looks like a ball, place it in a well oiled bowl and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Once it’s risen for an hour, split the dough in half. Separate each half into 3 small balls.

Form the balls into a long, thin ropes. Then braid them on a well oiled cookie sheet.

Once you get to the bottom, tuck each end in. Your 2 halves should end up looking like this:

Let it rise like this for 30 minutes before baking. Then bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with butter. EAT IMMEDIATELY. I say this because it’s the truth. This bread tastes the best when it’s a little gooey inside and very, very warm.

See? Perfection. I just can’t describe this to you or even just convince you by the pictures. You have to bake it and try it for yourself! Or I’ll make it and tell you to come over and eat it. I think it’s the oregano that does me in. It’s just perfect.

The Bread Recipe

2 cups hot water
2 Tbls dry active yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
4-5 cups flour (but probably more like 6)

Mix first seven ingredients together, plus two cups of flour.  Mix well for two minutes.  Then slowly add in the remaining flour until dough forms a ball.  Put out on floured surface and knead in more flour until dough is no longer sticky.

Place in an oiled bowl to rise for 1 hour.  Split dough into halves.  Separate each half into three small balls.  Make each small ball into a thin rope.  Then place on a greased cookie sheet and braid the three strands together.

Let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Concerts :: The Civil Wars

Back in July Nick and I went to see The Swell Season in concert at First Avenue. They were fantastic. At the end of my recap post I mentioned that we were going to see The Civil Wars that August. We never did end up going (and I’m not sure why). But we went with a ton of friends Monday night at Bryant Lake Bowl and oh my word…

Breathtaking

I think that might be the best word to describe that concert.  I’ve been to concerts and they were okay. This one was outstanding. First of all, Bryant Lake Bowl Theater was such a nice, homey place for a concert. They served food, we got to sit, and every seat was an amazing. You just couldn’t go wrong! By the time the show started I was full, relaxed, and ready to enjoy some lovely music.

Their opener was White Dress. She was good and we all enjoyed listening to her. However, I think it’s safe to say we were ALL itching for The Civil Wars to play! We were not disappointed. They were delightful to your ears and mesmerizing to watch. They had us laughing and I even came close to tears several times. Their harmony is so good!

At the end of the concert, Nick showed me a piece of paper that our friend Ashley had snagged from off the stage. It was The Civil Wars’ song set for the evening.

Why yes. Yes that is our names. Nick had contacted them and asked if they would dedicate a song to me that evening. He told them about our molar pregnancy and our failed adoption and how that would mean a lot to him (and myself!) if they could do it. Unfortunately, they both forgot or weren’t able to fit it in. We met them afterward and Joy Williams apologized for not dedicating it publicly. She told me that during the song however, she was dedicating it to me herself and to know that I was not alone in this. Not at all. Seriously, I almost cried. Kindness does that to me. It was so awesome of them. Here are the lyrics to the song they picked to dedicate to us.

C’est La Mort

Joy Williams and John Paul White

Swan dive down eleven stories high
Hold your breath until you see the light
You can sink to the bottom of the sea
Just don’t go without me

Go get lost where no one can be found
Drink so long and deep until you drown
Say your goodbyes but darling if you please
Don’t go without me

C’est la vie
C’est la mort
You and me
Forevermore

Let’s walk down the road that has no end
Steal away where only angels tread
Heaven or hell or somewhere in between
Cross your heart to take me when you leave
Don’t go, please don’t go
Don’t go without me

Ashley was way to kind and actually gave us the original piece of paper. We’ve decided to frame it and hang it in our room. Nick made my night by doing all that for me. <3

I wish we could go to another concert…and soon! I will be going to Bryant Lake Bowl for more concerts though. I loved it. Here’s one more song from the evening. Nick recorded it on his phone and it came out really well.  This is one of their most popular songs. It’s very beautiful.

Poison & Wine

Now go buy their cd! Or you can download their free album here.

To the west! …or just Montana

This past weekend was Monica and Andrew’s wedding! These guys are in my small group and I’m so blessed to have them there. I couldn’t imagine not going to their wedding so, Katie, Carrie and I road tripped to Montana to celebrate with them. It was SO FUN. I had never road tripped with just my girl friends before. I was surely missing out on some good times!

I can’t even begin to tell you all about the funny things we experienced. However we did encounter:

-Flooding in Fargo

-The endlessness of North Dakota

-Wendy’s is gross. In a hurry? Eat somewhere else. It’ll mess. you. up.

-Katie’s version of Yoga

-How tired you get from sitting in a car doing nothing

-Waffle Makers at our hotels. WIN!

-10 year old girls (Hannah and Madison) that had a room connected with ours and got up at 6AM!

-A pact to keep our attitudes happy after being woken up early and angry. see above ^

-Monica’s Wedding!

-Red mud out in the middle of nowhere while trying to find the wedding

-The 2nd Largest Dinosaur Museum in….MONTANA!

-The Theodore Roosevelt National Park

-BISON!

I wish I was still on that trip. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time. Of course, I did need a whole day to recuperate afterward. I think it had something to do with 10 year olds and flooding. yeeeeah.