Almost Ready

We are two days away from our big move to California.  I have said most of my goodbyes and have most everything packed.  I am painting trim little by little every night after the girls sleep, since we are still hoping to sell the house.  It looks better than it did when I started but there is still a lot I would have liked to get done if I had the time. 

Little Rock has been a wonderful place to live these past four years.  The girls and I have spent countless hours at the libraries here and I think I will be sorely disappointed in local libraries back home because CALS has raised my expectations so high.  Also, having everything centralized here in Little Rock is so convenient.  The zoo and children's museum are just a short drive away.  I know I will be racking up the miles in California and the higher gas prices make that even worse.

I have met some truly heartfelt people that I will miss.  Librarians, neighbors, the girls' teachers, and the wonderful ladies in knitting and quilting have made everything so enjoyable here for the girls and me.  I will miss the friendships I have made and am thankful for them.

However, I am looking forward to being close to family again.  The girls will get the chance to grow up with their cousins which is something I missed out on as a kid.  And you can't beat California weather and the beach being so close by. 

Here's to starting out on the next chapter of our lives!

Naan

I have been baking lately to get through my baking supplies so I don't have to throw them away.  Last week the girls and I made graham crackers to use up the graham flour.  They were good to munch on.  They were healthier than store bought but they did not taste anything like the store bought version; less sweet, which I like, but also had a much stronger wheat flavor and a chewier texture. 

 

On Sunday I decided to use up some of my bread flour and make naan.  My husband and I had tried to make naan once a couple years ago and did not fair so well.  I think the yeast was old and we burnt a couple of them.  This recipe though was easy to put together and didn't take to long to make if you don't consider the time it takes for the dough to rise.  

 

The girls helped me add ingredients and mix the dough together.  I like including them in the kitchen and they are much better at following directions than when we first started.  After the first rising, I separated the dough into small balls and let it rise again.

 

It did not take long to roll the dough out after the second rising.  I did a little over half at first and then finished rolling the rest while the first set cooked.  I like recipes where there are stretches of inactivity such as rising or resting because I can time it with Baby M's naps.  I worked on the dough while she was sleeping and let it rise whenever I was too busy to deal with it.  It worked out well.

 

I love my reversible cast-iron grill/griddle.  It was a wedding present and I use it often for pancakes and then I always have a grill handy when I need it. The naan fried up quickly and I didn't burn a single one!

Fresh baked naan is delicious.  It is cheaper than what you get at the grocery store and tastes so much better.  Next time I will knead in chopped garlic like the recipe called for instead of being lazy.  I'm sure that would taste even better.

And here is a picture from our last visit to Little Rock Zoo.  The original plan was to hold Baby M up instead of me looking through but she was comfortably asleep against her daddy's chest and I wasn't going to mess with that.  The girls and I have had such good times there.  I'm going to miss living so close to a zoo that is the perfect size for children.