Thursday, March 26, 2009

Carb loading



The house is overflowing with fresh-baked bread. 'Cause that's just what my jelly belly needs.

My latest obsession (these come in week-long waves, as Greg can attest) is bread-making. The domestic arts—or at least the more pioneerish, less necessary ones like bread-making, knitting, canning—hold a romantic appeal for me, and every so often I pick one and become myopically focused on it. Somewhere in my mind I have a fantasy of living on a farm, raising goats (and, of course, making goat's milk cheese) and chickens (whose funky-colored, ethically attained eggs will grace our breakfast table), and growing enough fresh veggies and fruit not just for our daily meals, but also to last us through the long winter. In the evenings I sit on my antique, but comfortable, couch by the fire, knitting and hand-sewing cute-as-a-button hats and Waldorf-inspired playthings for my (GREG: COVER YOUR EYES) six kids.

But then I remember: I can barely keep our 5x8 plot of garden alive, I tire easily of knitting, and I relish small-city living, which allows me to have impromptu conversations with neighbors, walk to playgrounds and coffee shops, and buy things like coconuts and Jerusalem artichokes without driving 100 miles. So I try on the breadmaker (or canner, or knitter, or seamstress) hat for a week or a month, and I get my pioneer-woman fix.

Oh, and this weekend I'm going out to the sticks to my friend Katie's house to learn to make cheese with her (count 'em) six kids.

4 comments:

Mark and Sarah said...

You are so...me! Love it. Mmmmm...that bread looks delish.

Jamie Barkley said...

You crack me up. I can't think of anything less appealing than 6 clinging children pawing at me while I slave over an overgrown garden and burnt bread. :)

New York is where I'd rather stay.
I get allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a penthouse view.
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.

Your bread does look fantastic though. I can smell it through my computer screen.

Mama Papaya said...

Carblicious!

lisa said...

Yes-I had similar fantasies-still do sometimes. Started with sheep and moved to alpaca farm-but finally settled on urban farmsteading because I just can't give up the resources and community of city living. Interestingly, I've had a string of relationships with men who escaped the family farm, including of course, my in laws sheep ranch (ex husband was cattle ranch, so at least I moved away from meat production). Not sure how it happened-certainly never knew any of them grew up on farms before I started dating them...