Heartistic Desires

Posted By Cori on July 15, 2009

I have been working on making a great loaf of homemade bread again. I use to make bread all the time, but haven’t regularly for several years. I’ve been experimenting with different recipes and trying new things and today’s attempt turned out really well; I’m pleased!

The Cinnamon-Swirl loaf looks very good this time – nice and tight.

And when I’m baking I get SO thirsty! My favorite drink right now is Garret’s Cranberry Soda. Since I don’t have the bread recipe perfected yet, I’ll give you the soda “recipe” today. But keep an eye out for the bread recipe – any week now, I promise.

I like to use a tall iced tea glass because they just feel so elegant; add a bunch of ice. Pour one can of chilled lemon-lime soda over the ice. I like to use diet and I have no problem with the store brand at all. I would say only the most discerning palette can tell the differences – except for name-brand Sprite. Not my fave and I can taste the sweetness. But, if you like it, use it. We are not prejudice here!

Next, pour in some cranberry juice to taste. I just fill up the glass (you can see by the photo that I couldn’t wait to take a drink) with cranberry juice. Give it a little stir and OH! Yum! Incredibly refreshing! For an extra little lift or to impress at a party, add a lime wedge or two. Very nice.

This past week I also started a container herb garden – very small scale. Haven’t tried this yet, so I’ll be interested in how it goes. I’m just trying to learn to be as self-sufficient as possible and I’d love to cook with more fresh herbs.

My Mom is an excellent gardener and has taught me to add plenty of perlite or vermiculite to potting soil to give the roots some air. I feel very insecure about how much is enough when she isn’t around to guide me, though.

I love the fact that these brand new pots already have a little character. I’m not real okay with pristine things.

Want to hold in that dirt…

And give the water a place to stand away from the roots – if there’s any standing water at all. I do try to avoid it, though.

I planted cilantro, basil and parsley for starters. We’ll see how these grow and go from there. I’m attempting an indoor herb garden to see if I can grow them year-round. Some herbs are annuals, others are bi-annuals, and still others are perennials. It will take a bit of effort to determine who’s who and who can take my method of plant-care. I’m not so great with “tender” plants, I’m afraid.

But look! We already have little Basil plants poking up! I’m thinking I should probably thin them a bit so they aren’t too crowded. But I am most excited for fresh Salsa made with my very own home-grown cilantro, and a Basil Tomato salad with home-grown basil.

I’ll keep you posted!

Category: Food, Pursuits
Tags: herbs