vote

Have you voted yet? We stood in line this morning - only took about 30 minutes. I actually sort of loved the wait. It's a perfect opportunity to look around and see the faces in your community. Everyone standing with incredibly purposeful, proud, focused expressions. Despite the walkable, friendly neighborhood that we love - the crowd surprised me, in a really good way.

I also want to point out the fact that I am 28 years old and this will be the first election I've voted in where my choice for President will likely win. Realizing this unfortunate tidbit, I began to wonder just how many people are in these shoes. Is my math right? Not a single (devoted) donkey out there who is less than 29 has voted a President into office?

At the risk of nurturing the notion of division in our country - I'm really glad it looks like there will be change.

Parsley Buns

I think I was just not able to post my baking result on time recently. It's too much to do for the baking, cleaning, photo shooting and so on. Well, this parsley buns was made on last week for my friends. I've tasted one and it's absolutely delicious!

Recipe from 孟老师的100道面包

(A) 150g bread flour/50g plain flour/15g caster sugar/1/4 tsp salt/1/2 tsp yeast/130g fresh milk

(B) 15g unsalted butter

(C) 30g unsalted butter(soften at room temperature)/10g sugar powder/1/2 tsp salt/1 tsp fresh milk/1tsp dried parsley

How I made it:

1. Mix ingredients (A) at low speed using a dough hook mixer, then turn to medium speed until it become a smooth dough.
2. Add in the unsalted butter and knead with low speed until the butter combine with the dough. Turn to medium speed for the kneading process until it become a smooth and elastic dough.
3. Place the dough into a lightly grease bowl and cover with cling wrap to proof for 80 minutes.
4. While waiting for the dough, mix the ingredients (C) until it become a smooth paste. Put the parsley paste into a piping bag.
5. Divide the dough into 6 portions and round them into small balls. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
6. Roll each dough into a sausage shape and proof for 30 minutes.
7. Cut a line on the middle of each dough and continue proofing for another 10 minutes.
8. Egg wash the doughs and squeeze some parsley paste at the center. Bake at 180'C preheated oven for 18 minutes until golden brown.

ceiling fan... in the living area?

Do you all have thoughts on this?  I understand the utility.  Completely.  Although, Craig and I differ in opinion and I figured a pulse of the web might help.  Firstly, Craig gets pretty hot... literally (let alone, metaphorically - heyyy); secondly, a fan can move lethal dog-fart quickly out of the room; and lastly, I have a deep hatred for fans that are loud enough to warrant a volume increase to the current entertainment device (i.e. every fan not attached to the ceiling).  I need some affirmation that it's not a terrible idea.  The 'future' living room is the middle of the three rooms on the first floor (rowhouses are not only a row of houses side-by-side; typically the interior rooms are also row-like).  A fan will most certainly be a fantastic way to keep air moving in the window'less middle, but I wonder what interior design-lovin', like-minded folks might think?

Does a ceiling fan really kill a room?

Is placing a ceiling fan anywhere other than the porch of a Georgian plantation sinful?  

I feel like the first thing "designers" do upon a home makeover of extreme proportion is rip out the ceiling fans.  Our plans are not really contingent upon the opinion of [insert ear plugs now] Ty Pennington, but I do wonder what your thoughts might be?