I think I found the perfect diet. It’s called The Midlife Crisis Cook Like a Crazy Person diet. I have been in such a mood to cook lately, and the thing is, the more I cook home made food, with real stuff like butter, oil, lard, crust, cream, etc. the less I eat. It’s weird.

I guess there’s something about cooking that’s very satisfying. More satisfying than the food part. I LOVE most of what I cook but by the time it’s done, I eat it and I am happy through and through. If I get something from a restaurant to bring home, or make something quick, it’s not the same.

I’m sure there’s something mental about all this, or some emotional component. I would say some of it is that I miss my grandmother. She passed away a few years ago and those times in her kitchen are some of the best of my whole life, so now I am thinking I can get some of that happiness back. I can share it with my nieces and nephews, but mostly I can smell the good smells, taste the good tastes…..and have fun.

The bread is done, now it’s time to make some garlic toast to have with the spaghetti we are having for dinner. I don’t make homemade sauce…not yet!!

Shandy Bread

1/4 cup 7 Up
1/4 cup New Castle Ale
2 T. Sour Cream
2 T. Brown sugar
- Mix these three things in a large measuring cup, add enough water to make the total 1 1/4 cups liquid.
- Heat in the microwave (or in a small sauce pan on LOW) until it’s the right temp for yeast.
1 Packet Regular Yeast
- Whisk the yeast into the warm liquid
1 T White Sugar
- Sprinkle the white sugar on the top of the yeast mixture
3 Cups White Unbleached Flour
2 Heaping T. Cornmeal
1 tsp. Salt
Pinch Baking Soda
- In a large mixing bowl whisk 1 cup flour, salt, soda and the liquid mixture.
- Add 1 cup flour, start mixing with your hand.
- Add final cup of flour, if the dough is too sticky, add enough flour to make it um, not so sticky:)
- Turn dough out onto counter dusted with flour and a little cornmeal.
- Knead for 8-10 minutes
- Put dough in large oiled bowl, cover, let rise for 1 hour.
- Punch dough down, knead lightly, make into 4 equal parts, form into long loaves (Like baguettes, sort of)
- Put on lightly oiled baking sheet, let rise again for 1 hour.

- Make a slit about every 2 inches down the back of each loaf.

- Brush on egg wash to make the bread shiny when it is done.

Bake @ 400 for 15 minutes. Make sure the bottom doesn’t get too close to the direct heat in the bottom of the oven or the cornmeal will make the bottom crust too crunchy. I put the loaves on a baking sheet, bake for about 8 minutes, and then raise it up to put a 9×13 pan under it. That insulates it enough not to burn or get too tough on the bottom.