No Knead Bread

The easiest crusty bread recipe ever!

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 ½cups water
¼teaspoon yeast
1 ¼teaspoon salt
olive oil (for coating)
extra flour, wheat bran or cornmeal

Directions:
1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add water and, using a wooden spoon,
spatula or your hand, mix until wet and sticky, about 30 to 60
seconds. Place the dough in another bowl lightly coated with olive
oil. Cover and let rest for 12 hours at room temperature.
2. Remove the dough and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest for 15
minutes. Next, shape into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with
flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the
towel and dust with flour. Cover with a cotton towel and let rise one
to two hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size.
3. Preheat a six- to eight-quart pot, at 450 to 500 degrees, at least
30 minutes prior to baking. Once the dough has more than doubled in
volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot,
seam side up. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes. Remove the lid
and bake 15 to 30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.

Fresh Pea Soup with Mint and Lemon

Very refreshing cold on a hot summer day (but looks a little like baby food)

Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
- 1 chopped med/large onion
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 5 cups freshly shelled peas (~8lbs unshelled), or 20-oz frozen peas
- 1 cup mint leaves
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- sour cream
- salt, pepper

Directions:
1. Saute leeks and onions in butter until soft/browned
2. Add stock and peas, boil for 5 minutes then take off heat, season with salt/pepper
3. Blend soup in batches with mint and lemon juice/zest
4. Serve with dollop of sour cream
5. Serve hot or cold

Strawberry Mirror Mini Cakes

You can find the recipe for Strawberry Mirror Cake all over the internet, but I first found it here. I am now imagining putting mirrors on ALL my cakes.

Matcha Green Tea Mousse Cake

I told Kristal that she should make something like this awesome looking cake for Kim's birthday. I was surprised when she actually said she would, and she did! I think we upped the ante for any future birthday cakes with this one.