meat n nuts + giveaway!

i have all of these really hilarious college memories of strolling through the hallways on the way to class or rehearsal when suddenly i'd find myself face to face with my friend john who would be carrying news like,

molly! i know what juilliard needs and it's a rooftop garden. we should probably definitely build one, right?

or

molly! did you know that a guy in i.t. makes his own beef jerky? here, i got you some.

or 

molly! let's make a concert series!!!!!

always a ray of sunshine, always a good idea, and to hear it all spoken in his big baritone voice was the cherry on top. i'm pretty sure i remember the exact moment when he came to me with the idea for meat n nuts. trail mix with jerky. i was so caught off guard by how simple it was, but then intrigued because i never done heard of a thing like that existing before?!

and so began months and months (years, now) of planning and testing. he'd deliver me nuts, he'd have samplings at my salons, i saw him in california where he told tales of the cow farm he had just visited. i've tried prototype after prototype and eggboy has devoured prototype after prototype, because while i love snacking on and savoring the honey sriracha and black pepper flavors, eggboy sees all of the flavors as delicious and easy manly calories that will make him all big and beefy. (idk, is that how boys think?)

needless to say, i am proud of john and his partners, tyler and michael, and it has been really fascinating to see the development of this yumminess. i also had a ton of fun with eggboy and egg sister doing some publicity shots for them!

today they are launching their kickstarter to raise funds so that they can really take this thing to the next level. to celebrate, they're giving away a sampler pack to one of you people!!! to enter, please leave a comment with the snack mix of your wildest dreams (it can even be like... cupcakes and pork buns...) and then if you'd like to get another entry to the giveaway, share a link to their kickstarter on any of your social media accounts! (this giveaway open to u.s. residents only.) i'll pick a winner at random next week!

-yeh!!!!

this morning

we woke up this morning to our new neighbor, mister woodpecker. i think his jump-off is the electrical pole across the gravel road. i can deal with that, especially when his peck peck pecking has such a nice earthy tone that's so in tune with his birdie friends.

it feels like we're on vacation was the first real thing eggboy said when he woke up.

i think this is why people like farms, was my thought as i headed to the kitchen to capture the delicious light that pours in on a cloudy day like today. it's supposed to snow later.

-yeh!

rye challah

we've been carefully noting our "firsts" in our new home. 

first movie watched: star wars

first supper: frozen pizza

first freak-out: where the f*** are my boyfriend jeans?

this morning we went on our first run, down a gravel road where farm land on either side of us stretched as far as the eye could see. topped with some perfectly crisp weather and a sunny as can be sunrise, it felt surreal. 

today is eggboy's first day back to farm work and his commute time of approximately eight seconds has so far allowed him to stop in for a wrench, a smooch (!!!!), and another reason, I can't remember. I'm expecting him back soon because it's been like an entire hour since he ate last and that is very long for him to go. maybe i should start some quinoa.

i know we didn't live in our temporary home in town for too long, but it was still weird and nostalgic to clear everything out and have a bunch of lasts. last episode of game of thrones, last chance to order pizza delivery*, last photo taken at my photo station. a lot happened in that little home and i am forever grateful for it.

*have i mentioned that we now live so much in the middle of nowhere that no restaurants will deliver? i'm trying to deal with it by not thinking about it. but... ohmygod. i literally cannot.

one of the last things i baked in town was challah. a nice little loaf, all bursting with glee and caraway seeds. it's a rye challah and i used rye flour from the little organic market in town. i really love rye flour for its yummy and healthy qualities, and i mean the color! it's just begging for some home-cured pastrami, which by the way tops my list of things to do once i've finally unpacked.

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rye challah

makes one loaf

ingredients

2 1/4 tsp (or 1 packet) dry active yeast

3/4 c warm water

2 tb + 1 tsp sugar

2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 c rye flour

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tb caraway seeds

3 large eggs

1/3 c canola or vegetable oil

3 tb honey

clues

Pour warm water into a bowl with 1 teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it sit and proof for 5 minutes, until it becomes foamy. (If it doesn’t foam, start again)

While the yeast mixture is proofing, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, both flours, the salt, and the caraway seeds in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 2 of the eggs, the oil, and 2 tablespoons of honey.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients and the yeast mixture. Stir with a spoon or paddle attachment until just combined and then let the mixture sit for 20 minutes uncovered.

If kneading by hand, transfer to a floured work surface and knead. If using a stand mixer, switch to a dough hook and knead. Knead for 7-10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary, until you have a smooth dough.

Transfer to a large oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for 2-3 hours, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide into 3 equal logs, and braid them, tucking the ends under. Place the loaf on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 more minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and tablespoon of honey. Brush it evenly over the loaf and bake for 25-35 minutes, until browned and cooked through. You can test if it’s done by thumping the bottom of the loaf and listening for a hollow sound. Let cool slightly and serve.

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-yeh!

our town bakery

down a straight and dusty road, not more than 20 farmsteads south of ours, is a grain elevator and its town, hillsboro, north dakota. it occupies one square mile that's home to a large city hall with a stately bust of abraham lincoln out front, a very cute vintage shop where blue stickers denote the registered items for whatever town wedding is approaching, and a magical little bakery.

this bakery, our town bakery, is the definition of a gem.

one apple muffin and one bite out of the golden section of eggboy's cinnamon roll is worth every second of the 40 minutes it takes to drive there. and all i want in this moment is one of their sprinkley donuts.

sometimes when we're there we pretend that we're in the bushwick-circa-2009 of the world. if that even makes sense. it's just so much goodness in the middle of so much nowhere. and no you can't ride your bike from manhattan.

so if you're wondering a) what you should do if you ever find yourself in hillsboro without me or, b) what eggboy and i did this weekend when we should have been unpacking/painting/putting up wallpaper/ordering our floors, the answer is our town.

how were all of your weekends?? did you eat anything yummy?

-yeh!