Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Versatile Blogger Award {Sally Lunn Bread}


I got my first blogger award!! I'm absolutely honored and I was very excited when I got the email from beautiful Alaina.  She's a wonderful blogger that I just found recently and have been loving her blog ever since.  She occasionally posts recipes, but mostly writes her thoughts on living.  Go check her out and be sure to read her "About Me".  She's very inspirational!!
Thanks, Alaina! Xoxo

Here are The Versatile Blogger rules:
  1. Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post.
  2. Tell 7 random facts about yourself.
  3. Pass the award on to 15 new found bloggers. 
  4. Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you've done so, and let the giver of the award know you accept it...or not!
7 Random Facts about me:

1.  I'm a huge book nerd!!  My only problem is that I have two main loves:  Harry Potter and Jodi Picoult.  The problem?  There are no more Harry Potter's and I've already read all of Jodi's books!  I, of course, read books other than those, but they never compare.  For some reason, I really like reading about controversial, devastating things.  Weird, huh?

2.  I get really embarrassed when people compliment me.  I don't take them well at all.  I always feel awkward and I blush a lot and never know what to say.  I think the problem is that I appreciate them so much, but I don't know how to show my appreciation accurately.  I feel like no matter what I say, it won't be as sincere as I really mean it.

3.  My favorite number is 12.  I'm not sure why, but I've always chosen the number 12 for everything.  It's also the day of my birthday, so maybe that's where it started.

4.  I keep a journal that I write in occasionally. In a jumbled mess, I just jot down everything I'm feeling, everything I've been doing, and everything else I have to say.  I should really do it more often because once I'm finished, I feel refreshed.

5.  I can't think of anything I'm afraid of except for ceiling fans on high speeds.  I was always scared of them and then Final Destination came out with a movie and a girl suffered a death by a ceiling fan... I'm scarred for life.

6.  I'm a planner.  I plan my days out to a T and I can't stand being late.  The only days I don't plan things are when I don't have to work, be anywhere, or go to classes.  So...basically never. 
7.  My only "requirement" from people is kindness.   I really believe that "kindness is a language the the deaf can hear and the blind can see." --{Mark Twain}  I also like to describe things in quotes. ;)

I'm supposed to pass it on to 15 newly found bloggers, but I'm going to add some that I've religiously followed for a while, too. :)

1. Karly @ Buns in My Oven
2. Gracie @ Girl Meets Life
4. Alyssa @ Life of bLyss
9. Molly @ Midwestern Touch
10. Estela @ Weekly Bite
11. Amber @ Almost Vegan
12. Nicole @ Heat Oven to 350
13. Jenny @ Fit Girl Foodie
14. Rachel @ Dressed 2 Dish
15.  Sheila @ Elements

All of these bloggers are awesome! 
I can't even tell you how many blogs I read a day, so don't feel left if I didn't tag you!  I guarantee I read yours. :o)








Sally Lunn Bread + Honey Infused Brown Butter
Bread is still intimidating to me, so I followed this exactly.  It turned out wonderfully.  I brought it to a church dinner and it was the first thing gone! :o)

This recipe makes 1 9×5x3-inch loaf of bread. For a more traditional shape, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9-inch (10 cup) tube pan. My changes to Heatter’s recipe were halve the recipe, further reduce the sugar, halve again the yeast (yes, halve, there was a lot!), swap out some water for additional milk and to streamline the directions to hopefully keep them as simple as possible.
2 cups (250 grams or 8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (25 grams or 7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt
1 1/8 teaspoon (1/2 packet or 1/8 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4 cup (177 ml) milk
4 tablespoons (57 grams or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
In a large bowl, mix 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt and dry yeast by hand or with an electric mixer.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter together until the mixture is warm (105 to 110 degrees); don’t worry if this butter isn’t completely melted. Gradually pour the warm ingredients into the dry mixture and mix with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or stir vigorously by hand with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk and another 1/2 cup flour and beat again for 2 minutes by machine or 3 by hand. Add the last of the flour and beat or stir until smooth.
Scrape down bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour or until doubled. Meanwhile, butter and flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan. Once the dough has doubled, scrape it into the prepared pan. Cover with buttered plastic wrap and let rise for a total of 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, however, remove the plastic and preheat your oven to 375°F.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Heatter says the bread should make a hollow sound if tapped with your fingertips but I haven’t weathered mine enough yet that I didn’t find it unpleasant.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out to a rack to cool.
Just to note, Heatter suggests that the bread be cooled out of the loaf pan but upside down on the rack, I presume to square off the loaf, so this is an option for more perfectly square bread.
Salted and Honeyed Brown Butter Spread
1 stick (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (use less for lightly sweet, more for a more traditional honey butter)
Few pinches flaky sea salt
In a small saucepan, melt half your butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. While it is cooling, leave the other half of the butter out to soften slightly (semi-firm is fine).
Whip softened butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the room temperature browned butter, honey and salt continue whipping until combined. Chill butter in fridge until a nice spreadable consistency, or until needed.

P.s. Go here to watch my sister, Angela Lewis, on Good Morning America!!! 
P.p.s Check out Lindsey's awesome giveaway!!


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46 comments:

  1. I love it! It's great to learn more about you :-) I'm a total book nerd too! Harry Potter for sure! I get embarrassed and blush when I receive compliments too. Awww...you are such a beautiful person! I'm liking that we have some similar traits :-) Wonderful Mark Twain quote too! Ahhh I just love it all! You're so wonderful :-)

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  2. Oh, and THANK YOU for saying such sweet things about me :-)

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  3. Aww thanks Katie! I love your blog so much, I really love all your baking creativity. I'm a planner too. I plan my meals in advance. I know I'm totally nuts lol

    Amazing bread! :D

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  4. Congratulations, Katie!!!! You so much deserve your award!! I really enjoy reading your blog, always find your recipes interesting, and your photos never fail to tempt me! :) You're also a very sweet person! :)

    I enjoyed learning a bit more about you. Like you, I also get embarrassed when people compliment me. I also can't stand to be late, and in fact...always arrive about 15 minutes early to everything. I have to be organized too, but I'm not as good as planning as you are.

    I agree...I just need people to be nice. It's the most important thing.

    Anyway, I have to tell you that I'm honored and shocked that you're giving my blog an award! I'm so excited, and Yes...I definitely accept! Thanks so much!! :) You totally made my day!! :)

    Your Sally Lunn bread looks wonderful! I've always wanted to make it but still haven't done so. Don't know why though. I'd love to have a slice or two though with your honey infused brown butter. Sounds amazing!

    Congratulations again on your award, and thanks so much...not only for the award...but also for being such a sweet person and for doing some research for me so I can make your pretty cookies with an icing that isn't made with processed sugar. I really appreciate it! :) Cheers! sheila

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  5. Thanks so much, sweet girl!:)

    Your baking creations are out-of-this-world. I just bookmarked a few!!

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  6. Oooooh thanks for the new blogs to lurk! =D

    I have a problem with #2 too. I can't accept a dang compliment!I always reflect it back or disagree. Eugh.

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  7. Congratulations on your award! I need to check out these blogs now. :) Your Sally Lunn looks delicious!

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  8. Congrats on your first blog award! :) The bread looks gorgeous with the dark caramel hue!

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  9. Haha, I cracked up at your #5! I have some weird fears too :) Thanks so much for the award! <3

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  10. Congrats to you! I love reading your blog, and it was fun learning those random facts. I especially laughed at the ceiling fan one. We had ceiling fans in every room of the house growing up and on the top speed they'd be a high-speed blur that used to frighten me, too. I was always afraid it would just fly right off the ceiling.

    Thank you for thinking of me to pass the award on to! I'm honored!

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  11. I loved hearing more about you!! No lie - my favorite number has always been # 12. I don't know why other than it was always my jersey number in sports. Needless to say I practically jumped out of my seat when I started reading all the stuff we have in common haha. And I lovee Jodi Picoult! I just finished The Pact and it was so good! Thanks so much for the award!! Your bread looks delicious! :)

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  12. Congrats on the award!! You deserve it:D

    I saw that bread over on Smitten Kitchen the other day and it does look tasty, now that you are reminding me about it I might have to make it!

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  13. Hey girl! :) It is so cool to meet you!! :) I love that you like to bake! I do too! :)

    I love your blog!!!

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  14. First of all, thanks so much, Katie!! You are SO sweet!

    So, I totally love Harry Potter and Jodi Picoult too! I'm a Twilight fan (though I haven't liked Stephanie Myer's other stuff) as well. And a Francine River's fan (especially her Mark of the Lion series and Redeeming Love book). But yeah, I know what you mean about it being a problem that there aren't more books up to par with what you love. I have a stack of books that I want to read sitting in my house and yet what am I reading now...? Harry Potter again. ;)

    Girl, I hear you. I am a planner too. Really almost to a fault. But I married a guy who had never planned for a thing in his life. So it was good. He's learned to plan more thanks to me and I've learned to be more spontaneous thanks to him. :)

    And that bread looks so incredibly deliciously yummy! I am so saving this recipe! Thanks for passing it on. :)

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  15. Awesome job with the bread. I love the number 13, no idea why as well.

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  16. Omg I have the exact same taste in books! The Harry Potter books I almost know by heart and I've read most of Jodie Picoult's books. But I also love funny ones like Janet Evanovich's and Lisa Lutz'.
    I really like this post, how about posting things about yourself more often :)

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  17. Congrats on your award!
    You deserve it, I like your bread and your blog is a very nice place, I like to read it!

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  18. THANK YOUU for the award!! I will post mine soon. :) woohoo!

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  19. I have always had a hard time with graciously accepting compliments, but I think the best thing to do is say thank you and be genuine. I always used to feel like I had to come up with something nice to say right back and it always seemed kind of forced. Just takes a little practice :) Congrats on the award! xo

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  20. you are too sweet katie! thanks :) I have had this bread bookmarked forever! i really need to try it, it looks amazing!

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  21. Just stumbled across your page, so glad I did.
    I love these award posts, they let you get to know the reader so much better :)

    You should check out my giveaway :)
    http://yogalifeandlove.blogpost.com
    xx

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  22. you're welcome, cindy :)
    you definitely should try it, it was so delicious!

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  23. you're welcome!!
    yayyy! i can't wait to read it.

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  24. i'm heading over to your blog now!
    thanks or following :)

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  25. hi helena!
    thanks for the other author recommendations, i'll have to check them out!!
    i'm always hesitant about posting stuff about myself... i'm glad that you liked it, though, and i'll try to do that :)

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  26. you're welcome rachel!!
    haha, i want to read harry potter again, too!! you aren't alone!
    mines definitely to a fault... but my boyfriend is the same way as your husband! i've yet to learn how to be spontaneous though. lol!

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  27. aww thank you lucy!
    you should! deb at smitten kitchen is awesome!

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  28. haha! i'm glad that you can relate so much!
    you're welcome, you deserve it!

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  29. thanks nicole!!
    lol that scares me, too!!!

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  30. i'm glad i'm not alone!
    you're welcome!! :)

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  31. thank you!
    ohhh and it was so good, too!

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  32. thank you betty!
    i hope you like the other blogs as much as i do!

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  33. i'm the same way! maybe we should work on that ;)

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  34. you're welcome!

    thanks, i hope you make some!:)

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  35. thank you so much, sheila!!
    i arrive 15 minutes to most places, too!!
    i'm so glad that you're excited and you accept!!
    your kind words made my day!

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  36. you're welcome, jenny!!
    thanks, i love yours, too!! (obviously lol)

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  37. ahhh you are so sweet, alaina!
    i love reading when you update your blog :)

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  38. Just stumbled across your page, so glad I did.
    I love these award posts, they let you get to know the reader so much better :)

    You should check out my giveaway :)
    http://yogalifeandlove.blogpost.com
    xx

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  39. Hey girl! :) It is so cool to meet you!! :) I love that you like to bake! I do too! :)

    I love your blog!!!

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  40. thanks!! :))
    i just tried to go to your blog, but it won't let me!! :(

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  41. you're right!! i just get so embarrassed!!
    thanks so much!

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  42. You got good points there, so I always love your site, it seems that you are an expert in this field. keep up the good work, My friend recommends your blog.

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  43.  Thank you so much for including me on this list! I am so very honored. And
    congratulations to you too!


    Bakery
    Equipment

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