Another new favorite...maybe.

I have a bit of a crush on "artisan" bread. Like this photo (not my own, but from here), I long for bread with a crusty, chewy, golden crust; spongy, chewy insides; and, preferably, nutty, seedy crunchiness inside and out.

Of course I could just buy it in the store, but my goodness, I've been a fairly competent bread-baker for 20 years now and I should be able to make something like this.

Two things usually hold me back:
1. Cranking the oven up to 450 degrees for a loong time, and
2. sourdough. That stuff just seems complicated.

This week I checked out yet another beautiful book from the library (not quite as beautiful as this one, but not quite as dogmatic either). And yesterday made some wet (meaning annoyingly sticky. At one point Anna was sitting at the table watching me and said, "Mommy, good friends are happy together." In other words, I wasn't being a good friend) dough, let it rise a number of times, rolled it up all fancy, cranked the oven up, and baked this on our old pizza stone:

It actually turned out pretty well and tasty, with two boule for the freezer.

The crust is just like I wanted - nice and chewy, and the interior is maybe a bit less crumby than usual.

I do think it's funny, though, that this is the "hearty wheat" bread. Where are the seeds, the nuts, the multi-grains? What we usually eat is downright barbaric in comparison.

It came out just in time for supper (which for us is almost always bread, cheese, and fruit) and we thought it was really great - especially since it was so fresh. But I'm not sure that it will really be worth all the extra effort and heat energy.

Farmhouse chedder, now that is definitely worth the effort. I've been making a weekly batch for a while now and it is tasty!

A new favorite

Our new favorite healthy snack is this: apples sliced horizontally, smeared with peanut butter, and topped with nutty granola.

Yummers.

Christmas, part 2: Virginia

As has become tradition for us (in the 2+ years we've been back), we left Minnesota the day after Christmas for the Schrock family Christmas in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This year we took a more southern route - through Kentucky and West Virginia rather than Ohio and Pennsylvania - and it was great! The distance (1300 miles one way) and time (roughly 22 hours) was roughly the same for us, but we saved $80-100 in tolls and the new scenery also helped. The savings in tolls allowed us (in Harder accounting terms) to stay overnight in a hotel rather than with friends, as is the custom when we go through Goshen.

I very much enjoyed the drive itself, all four days of it. After all, we're in this cozy little pod hurtling past new sights with my three favorite people in the world - all of whom more or less also enjoy the ride.

I must say that our kids are rather stellar travelers. They use the bathroom with less frequency than either of their parents. A quick run run around a gas station parking lot twice a day got their limbs stretched. They are content to sit and look at books for hours on end, with little spurts of playing (e.g. with a jump rope as a phone between them) and/or wildness in between. I had also checked out several books-on-CD from the library, and let's just say that we all have the Bob the Builder one memorized and then some.

They don't sleep in the car anymore (what??), so they were sooo tired each evening. No matter...they heartily enjoyed floating and splashing around in the hotel pool on the way there and back. This cliff is a few steps into West Virginia.

We got to Ramont's parents' home in Harrisonburg late Saturday afternoon, and were happy to find all his siblings and their families there as well.

Here aunt Ravonn helps the youngest four make gingerbread houses. Not sure what incited Jonathan's wrath above...

This is one of the best things about being there: all hanging out in the kitchen/dining room for hours.

One of the evenings we had the Schrock Christmas Eve Meal of Yore. Tradition has it that one year each family suggested one favorite item and that's what stuck. Here Radell and Noelle mix dough for the apple fritters, and realize they actually need to triple all the ingredients.

In addition to apple fritters with sweetened condensed milk, the menu includes mini sausages, omelets, kiwi fruit, cheese, and sparkling green juice.

It's a bit eclectic, to say the least.

The "little" cousins quite enjoyed each other. (at least ours did!)

One day we took a tour in the countryside. First stop was Joseph and Ranene's lovely farm a few miles outside Harrisonburg.

In addition to several sheep, chickens, and formerly a pig or two, they have planted tons of garlic and some fruit trees on their property....

...with Shrock plans for much more!

Then we drove a few miles to Radell's sheep farm. His llama came out to greet us,

with great curiosity.

Brothers Radell and Ramont.

And then the real purpose of the entire 2600-mile trip for Jonathan: a ride on Radell's tractor with Grandpa.

[Don't think we hadn't heard about this tractor in the preceding few months.]

Grandpa gave the grandkids rides,

first time ever on a tractor for these two!

Another highlight of the time together was the Christmas play, complete with fantastic costumes made by Grandma and the telling by Grandpa.

I wish I had more pictures of the event - it was really special (and our kids love it).

There was also plenty of down-time to take naps, visit, play games, and do ambitious things like read books to kids (thank you, Ravonn!).

And then, back in the little blue Saturn for the long, and quite lovely, trip home.

Such a good vacation!

First day of...

 preschool!

This morning Jonathan began his first (and last) semester of preschool at the public school in town. The class is three mornings a week, for kids ages 4 and 5. We figured it was a good way to ease into the big life change that kindergarten will bring: five long days away from home (let's be honest, away from a/the farm), riding to and fro on a school bus, to a strange building and kids in town. This way he'll get to know the kids he'll be in school with for the next 13 years and maybe even get used to not necessarily being the master of all youngens.

Anna is pretty excited for him, though a bit forlorn: "mommy, why can't I go to preschool?" I'm looking forward to the time alone with her.

I'm also looking forward to hearing detailed reports from inside the classroom (there are a few perks to having observant chatterboxes in the house).

At the same time, it's hard for me to get used to the idea of "losing control" of my child. All that outside influence! All those Spiderman and Princess [insert ridiculous Disney character name] backpacks and stocking caps we saw this morning! All that noise! All that...that. Ugh.

But such is the price of letting go to let them grow. May it just go well.

Christmas, part I: Minnesota

Christmas in Minnesota this year slipped by with not quite enough photos capturing it. Even so, it was a good one.

To start with, my younger brother David, Rachel, and 2-year-old twins Andrew and Annalise came for almost a whole week! It was so nice to visit unhurriedly with them, watch all the kiddies playing, hear Annalise grunt "butter bread" rather insistently at mealtime, and in general feel relieved that our own kids are no longer toddlers :)

On Christmas eve we all attended the lessons and carols program at Bethel Mennonite Church - Ramont sang in a quartet and I played organ this year. Then we headed to my folks' house to open gifts and eat some serious yummies.

Here Oma Claus hands out the first of the gifts.

I must say what was in Jonathan and Anna's bags because they were absolutely PERFECT for the long journey ahead (more on that next post): reading flashlights! There might also have been a candy or 19.

The next morning we had our own little Christmas gift-opening at home.

The biggest hit among the gifts, though, was this backhoe from Oma and Opa.

And Anna got a yarn mama doll with baby made by our pastor, along with a quilt and pillow made by my mom.

So this was our sweet scene for mate on Christmas morning.

Our gift to the kids was a playmobil set for each of them. It tends to be more Anna's thing, but we figured they'd both get some enjoyment out of them.

Not quite like this, but still.

We got quite a bit of playing in before 10am, which was when our church's  annual Christmas hymn sing took place (I played for that, too) - it's always a highlight for us. Then we headed to my folks for the noon meal together with David's family, and then to my grandparents in the afternoon for faspa with all of them and an additional uncle and aunt and her family.

And finally home for a bit more playing while Ramont and I washed clothes and packed up the car for Christmas, part II: Virginia.

Merry Christmas!

from the

Harder Schrocks

2014

Getting closer

A few weeks ago I read some wise words about avoiding the "busy Christmas season." Get all the gifts ready by Thanksgiving, this woman wrote, and then settle into Advent.

So that's what I did this year and it has been good. Slow (well, when isn't our life slow?) and calm. My only complaint? It's taking forever for Christmas to come this year! 

Among other things, we've had plenty of time to bake.

Jonathan's favorite kitchen duty is to run the mixer (machine, obviously).

Decorating gingerbread people was a hit.

Also quite fun to assemble the cookie plates and deliver them around the neighborhood.

So yes, we're getting closer to Christmas.

We're also getting closer to having a family band. I wish I could add the video of this fantastic trumpet-harmonica-harmonica-piano combo that plays around here, but a photo will have to do.

And it's almost Christmas!