Domesti-Kate

For the past three days I've been embracing my inner domestic diva. Still, Martha has nothing to worry about. I may have played the happy housewife frugally making her own ricotta but I'm done now. I scanned the movie listings today wondering if Brian or the kids would notice if I was gone for a couple of hours. I love the sense of accomplishment but enough is enough.

It all started on Thursday when I scrubbed the kitchen, even cleaning out the fridge. Friday, I decided to bake. I've been baking instead of buying bread lately and I've found a couple of great, easy and quick (in the bread making sense of the word). No, I don't use a bread machine but I do knead in my KitchenAid. I'd also been eyeing this recipe in Bon Appetit which called for homemade ricotta (really it couldn't be easier) as well as ciabatta bread. Not wanting to break my streak, I made the ciabatta bread. It proved a bit tricky as I needed to start with a sponge. I've had bad luck with sponge breads but this one turned out just fine.

Here's a photo of the ciabatta bread and the rustic potato bread that I made. As well as a photo of the wine we had with our feast! Along with the bruschetta, I put out carrots (for the kids) cheeses, and shrimp. We tend to like appetizers in our house.

Since I'm tooting my own horn, I'll add that not only did I make the breads, I also made some vegetable broth. This is all a part of eating less processed food. Mark Bittman doesn't believe in canned broth or bouillon so I figured, I was in the kitchen, why not? If you're going to be domestic, go big, I always say. Okay, I don't really say that. Don't worry, I don't have a picture of the broth, I'm sure you can imagine it yourself.

But that's not all folks! I also finished the curtains for my daughter's room and here they are:Now, I know for the sewing gurus out there these curtains don't look all that difficult. But hey, for me, sewing a straight line is quite an accomplishment.

But I'm done for now. Three days of domesticity is enough. Now it's on to bigger things....so, when is the next showing of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?