Versatile Blogger Award {Sally Lunn Bread}

I got my first blogger award!! I’m absolutely honored and I was very excited when I got the email from beautiful Alaina.  She’s a wonderful blogger that I just found recently and have been loving her blog ever since.  She occasionally posts recipes, but mostly writes her thoughts on living.  Go check her out and be sure to read her “About Me”.  She’s very inspirational!!
Thanks, Alaina! Xoxo

Here are The Versatile Blogger rules:

1. Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post.
2. Tell 7 random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to 15 new found bloggers. 
4. Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you’ve done so, and let the giver of the award know you accept it…or not!

7 Random Facts about me:

1.  I’m a huge book nerd!!  My only problem is that I have two main loves:  Harry Potter and Jodi Picoult.  The problem?  There are no more Harry Potter’s and I’ve already read all of Jodi’s books!  I, of course, read books other than those, but they never compare.  For some reason, I really like reading about controversial, devastating things.  Weird, huh?

2.  I get really embarrassed when people compliment me.  I don’t take them well at all.  I always feel awkward and I blush a lot and never know what to say.  I think the problem is that I appreciate them so much, but I don’t know how to show my appreciation accurately.  I feel like no matter what I say, it won’t be as sincere as I really mean it.

3.  My favorite number is 12.  I’m not sure why, but I’ve always chosen the number 12 for everything.  It’s also the day of my birthday, so maybe that’s where it started.

4.  I keep a journal that I write in occasionally. In a jumbled mess, I just jot down everything I’m feeling, everything I’ve been doing, and everything else I have to say.  I should really do it more often because once I’m finished, I feel refreshed.

5.  I can’t think of anything I’m afraid of except for ceiling fans on high speeds.  I was always scared of them and then Final Destination came out with a movie and a girl suffered a death by a ceiling fan… I’m scarred for life.

6.  I’m a planner.  I plan my days out to a T and I can’t stand being late.  The only days I don’t plan things are when I don’t have to work, be anywhere, or go to classes.  So…basically never. 

7.  My only “requirement” from people is kindness.   I really believe that “kindness is a language the the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” –{Mark Twain}  I also like to describe things in quotes. 😉

I’m supposed to pass it on to 15 newly found bloggers, but I’m going to add some that I’ve religiously followed for a while, too. 🙂

1. Karly @ Buns in My Oven

2. Gracie @ Girl Meets Life

3. Rachel @ This Italian Family

4. Alyssa @ Life of bLyss

5. Cindy @ Hungry Girl por vida

6. Emily @ Cupcakes and Cashmere

7. Sarah @ Peas and Thank You

8. Dawn @ James Favorite Recipes

9. Molly @ Midwestern Touch

10. Estela @ Weekly Bite

11. Amber @ Almost Vegan

12. Nicole @ Heat Oven to 350

13. Jenny @ Fit Girl Foodie

14. Rachel @ Dressed 2 Dish

15.  Sheila @ Elements

All of these bloggers are awesome! 

I can’t even tell you how many blogs I read a day, so don’t feel left if I didn’t tag you!  I guarantee I read yours. :o)

Sally Lunn Bread + Honey Infused Brown Butter

Smitten Kitchen

Bread is still intimidating to me, so I followed this exactly.  It turned out wonderfully.  I brought it to a church dinner and it was the first thing gone! :o)

This recipe makes 1 9×5×3-inch loaf of bread. For a more traditional shape, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9-inch (10 cup) tube pan. My changes to Heatter’s recipe were halve the recipe, further reduce the sugar, halve again the yeast (yes, halve, there was a lot!), swap out some water for additional milk and to streamline the directions to hopefully keep them as simple as possible.
2 cups (250 grams or 8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (25 grams or 7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt
1 1/8 teaspoon (1/2 packet or 1/8 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4 cup (177 ml) milk
4 tablespoons (57 grams or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
In a large bowl, mix 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt and dry yeast by hand or with an electric mixer.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter together until the mixture is warm (105 to 110 degrees); don’t worry if this butter isn’t completely melted. Gradually pour the warm ingredients into the dry mixture and mix with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or stir vigorously by hand with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk and another 1/2 cup flour and beat again for 2 minutes by machine or 3 by hand. Add the last of the flour and beat or stir until smooth.
Scrape down bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour or until doubled. Meanwhile, butter and flour a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan. Once the dough has doubled, scrape it into the prepared pan. Cover with buttered plastic wrap and let rise for a total of 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, however, remove the plastic and preheat your oven to 375°F.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Heatter says the bread should make a hollow sound if tapped with your fingertips but I haven’t weathered mine enough yet that I didn’t find it unpleasant.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out to a rack to cool.
Just to note, Heatter suggests that the bread be cooled out of the loaf pan but upside down on the rack, I presume to square off the loaf, so this is an option for more perfectly square bread.
Salted and Honeyed Brown Butter Spread
1 stick (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (use less for lightly sweet, more for a more traditional honey butter)
Few pinches flaky sea salt
In a small saucepan, melt half your butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. While it is cooling, leave the other half of the butter out to soften slightly (semi-firm is fine).
Whip softened butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the room temperature browned butter, honey and salt continue whipping until combined. Chill butter in fridge until a nice spreadable consistency, or until needed.

P.s. Go here to watch my sister, Angela Lewis, on Good Morning America!!! 
P.p.s Check out Lindsey’s awesome giveaway!!

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