First, I really like the athlete's bouquets. I know some people think they look like broccoli. But as someone who has been honing their eyeballs on good floral design the past few years, I am relieved that the traditional, and often cheesy, rose bouquet was tossed for this fresh, green one that represents the lush green of British Columbia. Feminine enough for the ladies, and masculine enough for the gents, I thought this was a great choice. And bonus: the bouquet’s designer, 75-year-old June Strandberg {owner of Just Beginnings Floral society} teaches, employs and empowers women who have left prison, are recovering addicts, suffer disabilities or have been the victims of violence. So these bouquets are bettering the community too!
Have you noticed the ceremony podiums? They are gorgeous! By industrial designer James Lee, the podiums 'echo the undulating peaks and ridges of the Coast Mountain Range'. The medal trays are beautiful too, made with the same wood harvested in BC forests, and have a special coating so that the medals don't slip.
And speaking of which, the medals are pretty cool too. Designer Omer Arbel created the very artistic 'wavy' metal look, again inspired by the west coast landscape of mountains and water. The medals each have a unique element of aboriginal artwork which are constructed in a 30-step process. Looking at the medal designs over the past few winter Olympics {all are a bit ew with the exception of Turin's}, you might agree that this are the most unique, stylish and visually pleasing!
The outfits of the medal presenters are awesome too, and were created by every Canadian gal's favourite store Aritzia. I'm loving the heritage knit sweater coat...how cozy!
I am at 5 months now...wowee, time is flying! I'm officially half-way through my pregnancy {why did I not know that pregnancy lasts 10 months, not 9?!}. I am big...well I feel big...and yes, there is only one in there! I have a lot more growing to do too, so can only imagine what I'll look like by July. Will I be able to sit at my desk? Will I be able to put on my shoes?
Have you heard of that movie?? Probably not. Hey everyone. Rob here.
The movie debuted at Sundance in 2008. It never really hit theaters. However it was shown on a lot of international flights. Most people who stopped me and said, "I saw you in that movie" usually saw it on a plane. Can't wait to interview Tom Hanks one day and say, "Like Denzel we were in a movie together."
Marzullo Here... 
over $63 million for aid in Africa and the US.
I found this home office shed on Busyboo Design Blog. I would love this...you could feel like you were leaving your house to go to work! But I can't see how it would work in our cold, wet and snowy Canadian climate. It is also like a sweet version of Dexter's home office shed!
Flour - I use all-purpose flour and frequently substitute some whole wheat flour (up to half and half, usually). I don't recommend going completely whole wheat unless the recipe calls for it. Whole wheat flour is coarser and a bit of white flour helps keep the texture of the bread workable. Not all white flours are equal (King Arthur brand is known for having a higher gluten content, which makes it great for bread making) but don't stress yourself out about it. You can make excellent bread with just about any flour.Recipes - bread recipes are pretty similar, once you get used to the formula. You generally mix the wet ingredients with the dry, let it rise, punch it down (and possibly shape it) and then let have a second, usually shorter, rise before baking. Easy, right? The problem is that some bread recipes assume you know this formula and they don't give you much explanation.
Yeast - I use active dry yeast, which is what you'll commonly find in the grocery store baking aisle. It comes in packets or in a little tub. Unless you are a dedicated bread maker, you probably won't use up your tub before it expires. Get the packets and store them in the freezer. There are other yeasts you can use and I'm sure they're wonderful, but so far I haven't had any experience with them.
Water - Most recipes specify lukewarm water. Some even note that it should be 110 degrees. If the water is cold, the yeast won't become active. If it's boiling, you'll kill them off. Before you start stressing and break out the thermometer, just dab a bit of the water on your wrist. It should feel comfortable - neither warm nor cold. That's good enough.
Proofing the yeast - this means exactly what it says. You are testing out the yeast to make sure it's still viable before you use it. You can skip this step (and some recipes do) but I prefer to know the yeast is working before I start putting the effort in. You just need to mix the yeast into a bit of lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar (might be a folktale, but I was always taught that a little bit of sugar helps the yeast) and wait about 5 minutes. That's it. If the mixture is starting to foam a bit, then you know your yeast is good. Go forward.I highly recommend working with your mistakes. I've had dough that didn't rise and I've finally just tossed it in the oven in desperation. Sometimes it even comes out well. Funny looking bread still tastes good, so don't worry about appearances - shaping takes practice.
Building up the gluten - flour contains gluten, which contributes to the unique texture of bread. We build up the gluten by mixing and kneading, which is why you never want to overmix your cake or cookies - you lose the delicate texture and end up with bread-like product. To get a good start, I use my stand mixer for the initial mixing of the wet and dry ingredients and let it work the dough for a while. You can also do this by hand with a wooden spoon. When the dough forms a ball (if you're using the mixer) or is thoroughly combined (if you're doing it by hand), it's time to move onto kneading.
Kneading - I really don't think you can do this wrong. I did a quick search and found this helpful video on Epicurious. I don't knead the bread with exactly this method, but it's very similar - I think everyone has their own style. I enjoy the kneading process, because it gives me time to think and just enjoy the moment. In general, dough takes about 10 minutes of kneading.
Rising - Shape your dough into a ball and put it in a bowl (usually with a light coating of oil). Set it in a warm place and let it double in size. Times are all approximate. On warm days, your bread will rise more quickly. I'll usually search out a little patch of sunlight and put the bowl there, to facilitate the rising. If there's no warmth to be found, I'll just set it on the stove top (turned off) in hopes that the pilot light will help it along. Unless it's actually freezing, your dough will eventually rise. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or a piece of plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
Punching down - Less violent than it sounds. I usually just push it down with my fingers, turn it out of the bowl and knead it a couple times to get it back in a ball shape and then put it back. At this point you'll either shape it according to the recipe or let it sit for a second rise.
That sounds good, right? We Wish...Good Morning Frank Marzullo Here,
My post from last Wednesday is continued with MORE funky rooms, thanks to Meredith, who is lucky enough to be able to read french and therefore read Marie-Claire Maison magazine! Thanks for alerting me to such funkadelic rooms, Mer. They are totally funky and fun. What do the 'Bloomers think? Would you do something this bold? {all pics from Marie Claire Maison}
Bolillos (makes 16 - 20 rolls, from Prairie Home Breads)
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup lukewarm water
6 - 6 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 cups lukewarm water
* In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup lukewarm water and set aside to proof (see if it gets foamy), about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine 5 cups of the flour with the salt and sugar. Pour in the yeast mixture and the additional 2 cups lukewarm water and stir until the dough forms a ball (I do this in my stand mixer, but you can also do it by hand with a wooden spoon).
* Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 - 8 minutes, adding more flour if the dough gets too sticky to handle. The dough should be nice and smooth when you're done. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Because I wanted the rolls for breakfast, I did this the night before, popped it in the fridge overnight and then pulled it out when I woke up in the morning to let it warm up a bit).
* Grease two baking sheets and set aside (or use your Silpat). Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half and divide each half into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then flatten it with your hand into a 4 inch oblong football shape. Place about one inch apart on the prepared baking sheets, cover with slightly damp kitchen towels and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. (I find rolls this large to be slightly intimidating at breakfast time, so I made mine a bit smaller and left them round instead of oblong).
* Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. With a serrated knife, cut a 1 inch deep slash down the center of each roll. Brush with canola oil, if desired (I didn't bother). Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.
I'm definitely inspired by these offices found via inspire*inspire blog although the top one is a bit too girly for our gender neutral apartment. I really like the floating square shelves in the green room.
