So it’s back into lockdown, so let’s start cooking, more tai chi and hopefully if it stays dry, the odd walk up into the hills
The clear skies over the Clyde are gorgeous at the moment.
If you are into what’s happening in the skies this year, why not Sync your calendar with the solar system. The NY Times have kindly put together a list of all significant happenings this year
Never miss an eclipse, a meteor shower, a rocket launch or any other astronomical and space event that's out of this world.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/science/space-astronomy-launches.html
Just found a new bread recipe. It’s called a Japanese Milk Loaf, and tastes like a French Brioche.
Japanese Milk Bread
Yield: 1 x loaf or 9 x dinner rolls
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese
The softest, milkiest Japanese milk bread, that makes the best sandwiches and dinner rolls! This is a step by step guide to help you make the perfect milk bread loaf.
Alternative method can be found here : https://fb.watch/2RDDebOo0U/
EASY - This is an easy bread recipe that yields spectacular results. There is an extra step to make the tangzhong, but this is also easy.
Ingredients:
Tangzhong
60 mL water ¼ cup
60 mL milk ¼ cup
23 g bread flour
Japanese Milk Bread
Tangzhong room temperature
120 mL milk ½ cup, lukewarm
7 g active dry yeast 2 - 2 ¼ tsp
50 g sugar ¼ cup
15 g dry milk powder 2 tbsp
1 egg
350 g bread flour about 2 ⅔ cups, spoon and leveled
1 tsp sea salt
58 g unsalted butter softened, 4 tbsp / ½ stick
Instructions:
Tangzhong
- Place the water in a small saucepan. Add the bread flour and whisk until you have a smooth mix with no lumps. Add the rest of the milk and whisk to combine.
- Heat over medium heat while whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. The resulting mixture should have a thick, pudding-like consistency.
- Scrape the mixture into a bowl and then cover with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is touching the surface of the tangzhong to prevent a skin from forming on top.
- Allow the tangzhong to cool to room temperature.
Japanese milk bread dough
- In your mixing bowl, place the lukewarm milk and dissolve about 1 tsp of the sugar in the liquid. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and stir gently to mix. Allow the milk + yeast mixture to stand for about 10 - 20 minutes until the yeast is activated. The mixture should become bubbly and frothy on the surface.
- Once the yeast is activated, add the milk powder (if using), the rest of the sugar, tangzhong, the egg, flour, and finally the salt.
- Using a spatula, mix the dough to combine the ingredients and to help form a scraggly dough.
- With the dough hook attached to your mixer, knead the dough for about 5 minutes on a low speed (speed 2 or 3). The dough will be very sticky and stick to the sides, but continue mixing and the dough will start to come together.
- After 5 minutes of kneading, add the butter in 3 - 4 additions, mixing for about 20 seconds in between. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure the dough mixes well.
- Once all the butter is incorporated into the dough, turn up the speed to 4 - 5 (medium speed) and knead for a further 5 - 7 minutes. Scrape the bowl once or twice while kneading.
- The dough should become smooth, satiny and pull off cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a ball. Then place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Keep the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to double in size (about 1 - 2 hours, depending on the weather/ambient room temperature).
- When the dough has proofed in a warm place, you can transfer it to the fridge for a couple of hours just to make it a little easier to handle. THIS IS AN OPTIONAL STEP. Realistically l didn’t find this necessary.
- Alternatively, place the bowl in the fridge and let it slow proof for about 12 hours. The dough will also be easy to handle when chilled.
- Once the dough is proofed and you’re ready to shape the dough, prepare the loaf pan. Butter 1 - 4.5 x 9 inch loaf pan and dust the pan with flour. If making dinner rolls, butter a 9 or 8 inch square cake pan, and dust the sides with flour. Set aside until needed.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press all the excess air out of the dough.
Japanese milk bread loaf
- Weigh the dough, and divide it into 4 equal portions.
- Roll out each dough portion into a six inch (approximately) square.
- Fold the opposite corners of the square in towards the middle.
- Roll up this piece of dough, starting from the pointed end. Make sure you roll up the dough firmly, and a little tightly. If it’s too loose, you may end up with large holes in the baked bread.
- Once you’ve rolled up the dough to the top, fold the pointed edge in and pinch the seam to seal.
- Place the rolled up dough in the dough pan, seam side down. There will be 4 rolls per loaf pan.
- Repeat with all the dough portions and place them in the loaf pan.
- Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and let the dough proof in a warm place, until doubled in size. This can take about 1 - 2 hours depending on the ambient room temperature. The dough should rise to just below the top of the loaf pan.
Japanese milk bread rolls
- Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into smooth, round dough balls and place them in the square baking pan, with about ¼ - ½ inch of space between each ball. Each square baking pan should have 9 rolls each.
- Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and let the dough proof in a warm place, until doubled in size. This can take about 1 - 2 hours, depending on the ambient room temperature.
Baking the bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Once preheated, AND the bread is proofed, brush the top of the bread dough with a milk wash (for a more matte crust), or an egg wash (for a glossy crust). Bake in the preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes (for the loaf), or 20 - 30 minutes (for the bread rolls). If the bread starts to caramelize too much in the oven, place a piece of foil over the surface of the bread to prevent it from burning.
- If you have a thermometer, bake until the internal temperature is about 190 - 205°F (88 - 96°C).
- Remove the loaf pan / baking pan from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a wire rack and let it cool down further.
- This bread is easier to slice when at room temperature, but can be enjoyed warm too.
Well it finally happened, we are out of Europe with a deal. The divorce settlement is concluded and hopefully we can get on with our life. Just a good job that everyone eventually saw sense.
She said she gets frustrated when she hears about young people flouting social distancing rules. “I think, ‘Because of you guys, I’m stuck in my room. I would like to put you in my room for a week and see how you like it.’
Then you read other articles were people have been irresponsible.
Two walkers who sparked a rescue operation near Glencoe have been fined for breaching travel restrictions.
A member of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team was injured during the effort to get the pair, who travelled from Oban, down Buachaille Etive Mor.
The two men, aged 21 and 27, raised the alarm at about 3.30pm on Hogmanay.
One of them suffered a leg injury as he descended the 3,640ft Munro, and 25 members of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team were called out.
The team reached the pair on foot to assist them down the hill.
The injured man was taken by ambulance to hospital for assessment, while a member of the rescue team was also treated for an injury after damaging ligaments in his ankle.
They have now been fined for breaching the Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Inspector Kevin Macleod said: “The men had travelled from Oban to hike this route, and found themselves in difficulty as the light was fading at 3.25pm when police and mountain rescue team were called.
“The rescue took a total of 108 man-hours and the team stood down at 7.30pm.
“Both men, aged 21 and 27, were issued with fixed penalty notices for breaching travel regulations.
“We continue to ask people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing and remember the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to protect the NHS and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading.”
We are fortunate to be able to keep ourselves occupied, but there are many who are suffering in many ways.
The following cartoon highlighted the need to try and understand other peoples problems, they aren’t always clear to see on the outside.
Hunker Down for a Little Bit Longer
The pandemic is surging, but as bad as things are, the end is in sight. Well we hope.
By doubling down on precautions, we can slow the virus and save lives.
But if we can safely soldier through these next few months, then normal life — or at least a new version of normal — will be within reach. New vaccines that are highly protective against coronavirus are being rolled out right now, first to health care workers and the most vulnerable groups, and then to the general population this spring. So let’s hope we receive them soon.
Realistically it’s a daunting task, England needs at least 2million doses administered each week if all the over 65s are to be inoculated by Easter.
Hopefully Scotland will be easier, although the rollout of the Oxford vaccine will not commence until next week.
On a lighter note :
Lockdown fever
Connie was at her local Supermarket picking up house supplies when her mind turned to toilet paper. She already had four rolls, and because she lives alone and was working overtime shifts as a nurse, that was more than enough.
But the impulse to stockpile proved unavoidable “I saw an employee wheel out a whole stack of toilet paper from the back and head toward the toilet paper section,” she said. “I followed him there and took 20 packs right from the shelf!”
When she got home to her one-bedroom flat Connie realised she had nowhere to store that number of toilet rolls.
Then she realised something else, “It felt a little rough,” she said. “I checked the packaging, and it was single ply!”
She tried to offload some rolls off to family and friends, but no one wanted them.
“The biggest life lesson I learned during this experience is that toilet rolls will come back in stock,” .
The shape of water
An other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment.
https://www.imdb.com/video/vi4105025561?playlistId=tt5580390&ref_=tt_ov_vi
Sit less and move more
Burning more calories than you take in is critical to losing excess body fat. That’s why being more active throughout the day is important when trying to lose weight.
For example, sitting at your job for long periods of time might impede your weight loss efforts. To counteract this, you can become more active at work by simply getting up from your desk and taking a five-minute walk every hour. If retired, like most of our friends, you can up from in front of the tv and head out into the cold and climb up the hills.
Research shows that tracking your steps using a pedometer or Fitbit can boost weight loss by increasing your activity levels and calorie expenditure
When using a pedometer or Fitbit, start with a realistic step goal based on your current activity levels. Then gradually work your way up to 7,000–10,000 steps per day or more, depending on your overall health
We have just downloaded a calorie counting app called “loose it”
Very easy to use.
If you prefer to walk in the hills try this free app “view ranger”
Covers the whole of of the U.K. it’s amazing to see the walks where you live. https://www.viewranger.com/en-gb
But do walk responsibly, if it’s busy don’t walk. You need to keep 2m apart
Cook more at home
Numerous studies have demonstrated that people who prepare and eat more meals at home tend to follow a healthier diet and weigh less than those who don’t
Cooking meals at home allows you to control what goes in — and what stays out — of your recipes. It also lets you experiment with unique, healthy ingredients that pique your interest.
Jacques Pepin - Judith’s favourite
Jamie Oliver
Emmitt Made - this girl is amazing, but some of her dishes are unreal
Nadiya Hussain
You can also lookup recipes on Pinterest - Nigella, Gourmet Traveller, Twisted Food, Better Homes & Gardens
On a different tack, have you been comfort buying recently. Lockdown effects people in different ways. For some the postman arriving with an armful of parcels from Amazon is a spirit lifter, albeit only short lived. Check this article from the NY Times - It’s Not That Hard to Buy Nothing
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/style/self-care/how-to-buy-less.html?referringSource=articleShare
Elizabeth Chai decided she would not buy anything in 2020, with the exception of food, coffee, toiletries (if she ran out of something essential) and the occasional service like a haircut. She would resist the urge to add to her wardrobe or to buy anything material for her home. She would fix things or borrow them instead of purchasing new ones, and she would get rid of stuff she already had; 2,020 items sold, donated or tossed was her goal.
Take a moment to look back on the past 365 days of your life. Years from now, when you talk about 2020, what stories will you tell?
Will it be clapping the NHS workers at 7pm, or watching all manner of people on tik tok miming and dancing to the latest hip hop - BENEE - Supalonely ft. Gus Dapperton - https://youtu.be/Rb6Scz-5YOs
Or it could be the months spent with your spouse
or the pandemic “bubbles” you formed that helped friendships grow stronger.
Or like me, ranting on a blog whilst recording the happenings around you as a pictorial diary.
But for a Healthier 2021, let’s try and Keep the Best Habits of a Very Bad Year
Everyone is tired of living like this. We miss our families and our friends. We miss having fun. We miss travel and bars and office gossip and movie theatres and sporting events.
We miss normal life.
It has been a long, difficult year, and there are many tough weeks still ahead. Stay safe, laugh, try to have fun. It will get better.
To finish- couple of funnies
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| Tried yoga for the first time yesterday |
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