livinintherainforest

I love Sundays. Yesterday was simply awesome. I had been having yeast problems (for baking purposes, of course). The yeast that is available in the local stores is practically dead. I wasted several batches of dough learning that there was still some life in what I had purchased but it took eight hours to rise. I was relating my experience to Perla and she gave me some yeast she had in the kitchen. Wow! This was dynamite. I had picked up a tip on the web that suggested heating a glass of water in the microwave for 2 minutes and then putting the dough in the microwave to rise.

And rise it did...more than doubled in size in less than an hour!

Unfortunately, the yeast Perla gave me was only enough for a couple of batches of dough. So I went to the local bakery figuring they used enough yeast to keep their supply fresh and they filled up a spice container I happened to have in my pocket so I am good for a while now.

So yesterday, I baked a batch of banana-oat-apple-walnut-raisin power bars. I also baked a batch of apple-oat muffins. Then I undertook the big experiment.

I love English muffins but only rarely are they available here and then, of course, they are made with white flour and undoubtedly filled with preservatives. I made whole-wheat English muffins yesterday. I must admit the results were pleasing for the first attempt. There is a lot of technique required in handling the rounds to produce an aesthetically pleasing product. But it worked as advertised in the recipe I found on the web and I am delighted.

To wind up the day, I made Chicken Parmesan for supper...what a treat! Since I embarked upon this weight loss program, I have been somewhat stumped regarding meal preparation to support the program. A few days ago, however, I acquired a cookbook specifically designed for the program with interesting recipes containing the appropriate balance of carbs, protein and fat. My life has taken yet another turn for the better.

Five pounds lighter in paradise................