Cracked Wheat Bread

Found a bread recipe that only requires an oven temperature of 350 degrees - great for my oven (has problems with high temps) and great for baking in the summer:) The cracked wheat bread recipe uses molasses which imparts a brownish color to the bread. It is a hearty bread but moist and not too dense - great with sardines:)

Irish Brown Bread

This is my first experience baking Irish Brown Bread or for using Irish-Style Whole-Meal Flour. This wet, cool day in Maryland seemed like a great day to bake so I tried this new bread recipe (recipehttp://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/irish-brown-bread-recipe)
The dough was very wet, almost like a muffin batter, so it was difficult to knead but it turned out well. It would be a great bread with stew or soup on a winter day. Its been awhile since I've had fish so I had a slice with a can of sardines; been wanting to eat sardines for awhile (40% of recommended daily calcium amount!). A delicious, hearty bread!

Note the "cross" the recipe called for cutting across the bread.

Despite having to add more flour than I expected (due to wetness) to knead the bread was moist and not too dense.

Buddhism

My interest in Buddhism has steadily increased over the course of my journey. In addition to attending group meditation and dharma talks at the local Buddhist center, I'm now taking online classes through dharmafield.org. I've read several of Steve Hagen's books and like his teaching style.

Selling Truck

Now that the Airstream is no longer part of my life:(, I no longer need my big truck. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice truck, and in addition to being a great tow vehicle, it often comes in handy for moving things around. But I just don't need a 3/4 ton diesel towing vehicle; besides, it is a challenge to park here on the congested east coast:) So I plan to sell the truck and have contemplated not replacing it with another motor vehicle but have decided my current situation requires some sort of transportation - but what? It rains too much for a scooter; plus, since I'm still mobile, I need more cargo room than a scooter provides.

Selling:
2014 GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab Diesel with Allison transmission
Leather, heated/ventilated seats; bed liner, etc. About 33,000 miles.
Kelly Blue Book lists the value at:
Private Party Sale: $46,764
Trade in to Dealer: $43,318

Neither of the above values include my ARE T-Wedge Truck Topper ($1,787 new).

Cinnamon Raison Bran Muffins

Trying to use up the last of my King Arthur Oat Bran, I made the muffin recipe on the back of the package. Reduced sugar to 1/2c brown and baked at 400 degrees for 21 minutes; turned out well. Their not overly sweet (or moist) but they're relatively healthy and taste good; best with a glass of milk:) Will try to incorporate banana next time to increase moisture. Makes for a quick breakfast of snack. Plan to take some to tea today.

Paper Baking Pans

Been baking with paper baking pans lately; handy for gifting. Baked whole-wheat zucchini bread today in two different size pans; the trick is figuring out when the bread is done in different sized pans:) The cool thing about these pans is that you just tear away the pan before serving; no need to try to remove the bread from the pan.

3.5"x6.5"
2.5"x4.5"

Artisan Bread and Oven Temperature

Artisan and no-knead breads often require baking temperatures in excess of 400 degrees. Since moving to Maryland, I've resumed baking but haven't had much luck with these types of bread; they don't rise in the oven as much as I'm used to. Finally figured out that my oven runs anywhere from 50 to 100 degrees cooler than the temperature I set it for and so far, it hasn't been able to reach 450 degrees. My solution is to set the temperature higher than needed and let it preheat longer; this morning I set the oven temperature for 500 (for a recipe calling for 450 degrees) and let it warm up for an hour. This seems to help although it waste a lot of energy preheating so long and the temperature still doesn't quite reach what the recipe calls for. One thing I've been doing to take advantage of the hot oven is to put a sweet potato in the oven during pre-heating and after baking bread; potatoes seem very tolerant about oven temperature and time:)

A loaf of basic white bread baked (with artisan topping) at about 400 degrees for 35 minutes; recipe calls for 450 degrees.

Breads, like this cracked wheat, that call for oven temperatures of 350 degrees come out fine in my oven. This load was baked in a 9x5 pan.

Basic white bread.

New Eye Glasses

As with other parts of the aging body:), my vision is deteriorating. Its been about 4 years since my last eye exam/prescription. I've notice my old glasses don't help as much as they used to so I finally got around to getting an exam and new prescription.  Similar to my last prescription, I bought a pair of progressive lenses with polaroid transition (turn dark in sun) Without insurance, the total package came to $650 - ouch! I'm still not entirely comfortable with progressive lenses but probably just need to wear them more often:)

Fire Flies

One of the best things about living in the eastern US is fire fly season! They’ve been out about a week here in Maryland. Been trying to photograph them but the time delay associated with taking nighttime photographs with my iPhone presents a challenge:)

Book Review: The Wisdom of Insecurity - A Message for an Age of Anxiety by Alan W. Watts

First published in 1951, this well-written book remains relevant. The book argues humans spend too much time anticipating the future, regretting the past, and not living in the present. Chapters on suffering, awareness, and self are particularly relevant to Buddhism. With all the recent books on these subjects, I repeatedly marveled at the timeliness of this book written over a half century ago.

Living Mindfully

I was recently asked to share my experience living mindfully as well as my meditation practice; this document served to organize my thoughts.

After years of intermittent meditation and study I decided in 2013 to permanently change my lifestyle. Unlike my halfhearted meditation practice, it seemed important at the time to make immediate, substantial, and irreversible changes to how I lived. So within a 3-month period, I left my job, sold my home in Colorado, and began a solo trek around the western US living in my Airstream travel trailer. No longer burdened with work, I spent much of the time reflecting and studying mindfulness and Buddhism. I was meditating regularly, trying hard to be non-judgmental about my practice, and searching for a stable group meditation environment to support my practice.   

While working, my mind was always filled with endless thought, all of which seemed to require my immediate attention; I felt like I was always “on” and thus always stressed out. One way I escaped from this stress was thrill seeking adventures which required complete focus of mind and body. However, after the adventure was over, I found that the stress quickly returned. My journey helped me realize that I (i.e., my mind) was the cause of my stress - not my job, not my employer, and not anyone else. During my journey, I remember reading a phrase from a book on buddhism (don’t recall the title or author) that helped me immensely. In general, it said - your mind sees everything as a problem but in reality there are no problems; only situations, some of which may require your immediate attention but most probably do not. During my journey, I reached a point where I could observe my thoughts and recognize that feeling stressed or feeling happy was my choice.

I meditate twice a day; 30 minutes each time beginning at 6am and again at 6pm. I meditate in my bedroom, which is large enough to accommodate my bed and an 8’x10’ rug. I keep my meditation cushion on the rug and treat the rug as my “meditation room”, entering it the same way each time I meditate. I follow a simple ritual before and after each meditation session which all total (meditation and ritual) takes about an hour. Meditating twice daily at home is an important part of my practice, but, it isn’t enough. Group meditation, supports my daily practice through interaction with others.  

Living Mindfully

Beyond daily and group meditation, I’ve spent much of my journey thinking about how one stays present the rest of each day. For me, whether working or engaged in some other activity (e.g., commuting, mowing the lawn, shopping, eating, exercising, playing, etc.), reality creates a duality. For example, one can be present during meditation but how does one live in the present when not meditating. 

Recently, I had an opportunity to practice working mindfully at the Won Buddhism Meditation Center. One task during a work session at the Center was to dip malt syrup from a 5-gallon bucket into individual quart containers. With a consistency not dissimilar to honey, malt syrup can be messy to work with, especially in large quantities:) Dipping the syrup from the large 5-gallon bucket into much smaller containers, I found it impossible not to spill some when beginning to pour the full dipper into the quart container. My western mind quickly thought about how there had to be a better (more efficient) way to perform this task; for example, what about a food-grade siphon pump? But after awhile, my mind came back to the present and I began to focus my attention on the syrup as it slowly poured out of the dipper into the smaller containers. This was a slow process but the pouring syrup allowed me to concentrate my attention and, at least briefly, mindfully perform this task. After awhile, I performed the task methodically and no longer worried about how long it took or how it might be performed more efficiently.

Another work task involved cleaning the Temple; specifically, dusting and window cleaning. I found my mind wondering while performing these tasks. While I periodically came back to the present to focus on the task, it was challenging to stay present. I think this task was more difficult to do mindfully (compared to pouring syrup) because I was moving around (from room to room) in a  relatively new environment. 

I spent a good part of my younger years living in the past and worrying about the future. Over 50+ years, I developed habits that I’m now trying to undo by practicing meditation and living mindfully; it is a work in progress.

Almond Tea Cakes

Baked almond tea cakes; tried these once before and they didn't turn out but this time - delicious! Almond flour and almond extract gives them a distinctive flavor. Made 24 in a mini-muffin pan. The batter is more liquid than I'm used to with muffins but they turned out great; a blueberry (or two) on top provides a nice finishing touch:) The front desk at my gym club loved them; plan to bring some to  Saturday Tea.

Airstream Sold - Confirmed

UPDATE: Received wire for remaining funds yesterday - Airstream is officially sold!

I received a deposit on the Airstream; we have a closing date of 6/25 so hopefully all will go well. The Airstream was nice while I used it but I'm ready to move on and further minimize my worldly possessions:)

Baking Mindfully

One of the reasons I love baking, and cooking in general, is that it creates a healthy product that can be gifted to others. Indeed, if one bakes a lot, gifting your baked goods is essential; its impossible for me to eat everything I bake.

The other reason I enjoy baking so much is that it helps keep me present. I have to concentrate on the present moment, following the recipe, otherwise the end result doesn't turn out as planned:)

Swimming Record!

So after proving to myself earlier this week that I can maintain a quicker pace, I swam a mile today in 45:25 (45 minutes and 25 seconds)! My goal was 48 minutes (1:30 per lap) and my previous best was 48:25. Hard to believe I shaved 3 minutes off my best time but I was careful about counting laps so I'm confident the time is correct.

Being relatively new to swimming (about 8 months) and only recently reaching a mile in distance, I've carefully paced myself when swimming to ensure I could make my distance goal. Now that I know I can do the distance, I've been pushing myself to swim faster; also, my stoke efficiency is improving. Hopefully I can keep this up:)

Fresh local produce is in

The local organic market (Roots) is starting to get local, fresh produce, which I'm thankful for. Red chard, strawberries, scallions, and kale are what's available this week and what I'm using for this week's meals.

This is red chard sautéed in olive oil; also includes filberts or hazelnuts (pine nuts would be better), minced garlic, and balsamic vinegar.

Added baked sweet potato wedges for a nice color contrast:)

What's in your smoothie?

Smoothies are easy to make; maybe too easy:)  I used to just toss stuff in a blender and not think much about the individual items or the total quantity of food and nutrition. As a result, while the individual items (e.g., kale, banana, etc.) were all "healthy", they were sometimes too much of a good thing:) For this reason, and to eat mindfully, I  sometimes set out everything that goes into my smoothies before blending.

This morning's smoothie contained a banana, 1 carrot, 3/4c almond milk, 1/4c rolled oats (soaked in the milk for 30 minutes), 1 heaping cup of blueberries, kale, 1tbsp flax meal, 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut, 3 tbsp raw wheat germ, and 1/2c plain, fat free, Greek yogurt (forgot to include in photo). This is a lot of stuff when you set it out and think about sitting down to eat it in one meal.

The blueberries won over the kale in making this beautiful purple color smoothie.

Didn't feel like cooking dinner (too hot) so tonight I made a smoothie consisting of cooked sweet potato, banana, almond milk, 1 orange, 1 small carrot, kale, and 2 tbsp of pecans - yum!

Swimming Personal Best

Swam a mile today in 48:50, my personal best! 48 minutes (1:30 per lap) per mile is my goal so I'm almost there. I got into a rhythm today that felt comfortable and faster than my typical pace. I've been afraid to push to hard when swimming a mile, fearful I wouldn't have sufficient stamina to complete the 32 laps; however, now that I'm regularly swimming this distance and feel comfortable, I pushed myself today and focused more on my left arm (which I tend to neglect). After awhile I fell into a rhythm that felt more balanced than my typical stroke which seems to me to focus my attention and energy on my right arm.

I asked the lifeguard to video me for a couple of laps so I my Tucson swim coach review. Been waiting to ask this favor of the local lifeguards until I got to know them; wasn't sure if they would do it; also brought them cookies today so that helped:)

The video shows that my freestyle stroke is still a work in progress:) Through this process of learning to swim I've gained a significant appreciation and respect for "good" (not me:) swimmers; it is a very technical sport.

Tried to load one of the videos to this post but timed out; must be too large? Will try again here and on my website.

Regular Exercise

I've settled into an exercise regime of swimming 3 days/week (1 mile each day) alternating with weight lifting 3 day's/week. Some weeks I work out the 7th day; sometimes not. I also interval run/jog 2 days/week for 30 minutes on the tread mill (soft surface); alternating 1 minute rests with 2 minute jogs. I jog at 6mph on a 6% incline.

Nothing too exerting but I hoping the combination of cardio workout and bone strengthening exercises will keep me healthy:) Luckily the gym/pool are only 2 miles from my house!

Sourdough Boule

Made Sourdough Boule last night and set it on a cooling rack before going to bed; had a slice with banana and almond butter this morning - wonderful!

The recipe (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-boule-recipe) calls for European Artisan Bread Flour but since I didn't have enough, I used half European and half all-purpose. Topped it with an artisan bread mix of sesame seed, poppy seed, anise, and flax seed. A nice grainy flavor and surprisingly moist.

I wasn't confident in the baking instructions but it turned out fine. Bread's 2nd rise is in covered dutch oven; recipe says to put the covered dutch oven (with bread dough inside) in a cold oven; then turn on to 450 degrees and bake for 35 minutes; then remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Based on my experience baking Jim Lahey's no-knead bread recipes, it didn't seem like enough time starting with a cold oven; but it worked!

Living in the present

It recently occurred to me that much of my journey (especially the first 9 months) involved thinking about the future; for example, where will I live next? An important question no doubt but thinking (almost daily) about this question while traveling in my Airstream is probably the primary reason I'm giving up that traveling lifestyle. Focusing so much on the future means less time to live in the here and now, and not living in the present means missing out on life.

Catch Up Blog

I've neglected my blog for several days; mostly due to a poor Internet connection but have also been busy with care taking work. The poor Internet connection is something that needs to be addressed if I stay in MD long-term. Not that I spend so much time on the Internet:), but a slow connection easily doubles or triples the amount of online time.

I've taken advantage of our recent cool spell to cook/bake:)

Tuscan-Style Coffeecake is a new recipe (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/tuscan-coffeecake-recipe) I made for the Buddhist temple tea time dharma talk this past Saturday; people seemed to like it. I love any recipe involving dates and nuts:)

Alsodiscovered a wonderful Citrus-Scented Fruit & Wheat Salad recipe (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/citrus-scented-fruit-and-wheat-salad-recipe) that produces a hearty meal; I added spinach and tomato to the recipe for color contrast and to get my veggies:)

Citrus-Scented Wheat Salad

Added spinach and tomato...

...to improve color contrast

Tuscan-Style Coffeecake

Selling Airstream and Truck

As some readers may recall, my 2014 International Onyx Special Edition 25' FB Airstream is for sale for $64,995.00. Once the Airstream is sold, I'll no longer need my 2014 GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab Diesel Pickup Truck so it is also for sale. The discounted price for buying both is $104,995; delivery not included. That's a steep discount as the Kelly Blue Book private party price for my truck is $46,764 without the ARE T-Wedge Topper. See my Airstream ad at:
http://www.airstreamclassifieds.com/ads/2014-airstream-international-25-new-mexico/

Cockpit of my truck showing monitors for Airstream's rear view camera and tire pressure monitoring system.

Airstream with the perfect towing vehicle at dusk in Tucson this past winter.