Eight days ago a dear friend of mine left a bag of goop for me in the spin room. I knew exactly what it was - I cursed and through the blob in my bag. It's damn friendship bread. How could I not follow through on this torturous "chain-letter" like experience. Yet, I am getting over a major cold, had been so "Monkish" about germs all winter and I have a bag of milk, sugar, flour shlopping around the house, un-refridgerated.
So I squeeze the bag every day for 4 days. On day 6, I add 1 cup of milk (all I have is soy), 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of flour (of course I start to health it up with whole wheat) and squeeze it some more.
I squeeze the damn bag several times again for another three freakin days.
Day 10 - I get to make the bread. Great. I did mindless shopping and did not get home until 8:30, starving, tired and had to pee like a banshee. I take care of business, eat, hot tub, ready the house (GS Lancaster/Spinners guys will be meeting at our house for their first bike race of the season - Strasburg Road Race tomorrow). I do not like going to bed with a messy kitchen. Oh, and I like to have a clean kitchen and empty sink when I bake or cook. Grrrrrr. That damn bread. I should have just composted it.
10 O'Clock. I began the process with the March madness in the background with those crazy air horn/buzzers. "In a large non-metallic bowl, (damn-as I am typing this I used the wrong bowl-I used a Metallic bowl, %*$*) combine the batter with 1 cup each of milk, sugar and flour. Mix with a wooden spoon (I did and I did not like it-I prefer using a big metal fork as I do not own a KitchenAid). Pour 1 cup starter batter in four 1-gallon ziplock bags. Give to 4 friends with instructions." I skipped this part. I'm such a procrastinator that those 4 bags would be sitting in my kitchen and I'd have to make more bread in a week and a half.
With baking, you really shouldn't deviate from the recipe. I am a rebel. I totally deviated from the recipe as it called for cups of sugar and boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix (never have that stuff around the house)
So I had a little fun.
"To the remaining batter add: 1 cup oil, 1 cup sugar, 3 large eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding mix, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp cinnamon."
My scary version:
1/2 cup canola oil, 1 banana, 1/4 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup briar rabbit molasses, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup of rum
1 egg, 1/2 cup of fat free plain yogurt
I did not mess with the 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt (I like salt)
1 cup unbleached flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup soy milk
not a fan of cinnamon so I left it out.
"Grease two loaf pans WELL and bake at 325 for 1 hr or until done. You may add 1 cup of apples, nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips"
I added 1/2 cup each of rolled oats, chocolate chips, semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, pecans and cranberries.
I fantasized about my banana bread from weeks ago and was hoping this batter would come close. Hum. Not quite. Crap. I just saw that I was not supposed to use metal utensils, either. Oh, well.
In the oven by 10:30 - out by 11:35. I have a taste and wonder why I wanted to add rum. It may be a bit gooey since I did not use "3 large eggs". It is not bad but I am not sure if it is good. It may be okay and that's not good in my house. I want to be salivating. I will try another taste in the morning when it has cooled down. Maybe I added more than a 1/4 cup of rum. I could smell it pouring out of the bread. I think I will call my bread: Drunken Amish with no Friends Bread.
Maybe I will have Brad's teammates taste test it for me, too. As long as I don't get sick in the middle of the night from the slice I had earlier. he, he.
Thanks, Marcy. I still love ya but I could not continue the bread chain. Buonas noches.
