A Few of My Favorite (Kitchen) Things: the French Rolling Pin

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Guess what? In the middle of one series (Lenten de-cluttering challenges), I’m starting another one. I’m a bit crazy like that. Besides, I’ve got to take breaks from the de-cluttering, man. It’s wrenching. It’s satisfying, but it takes lots of heart-energy and thought and some quick talking to keep the kids in there helping me. And a bit of ice cream, from time to time. Phew. But it has been so, so worth it. 20 minutes a day. It’s do-able! Maybe you ought to jump in and join me?

What do you suppose I do when I take a break from de-cluttering? Well, you know me, I do like to tinker around in my kitchen and make something toothsome to share. I have a very small kitchen (with one neat cabinet) and very few expensive tools. I’ve been thinking about writing about some of my very favorite kitchen things. I want to point out that it is possible to make great bread and excellent meals without fancy kitchen gadgets to do the work. This is not one of those websites, you know, that will enthusiastically tell you about this expensive doo-dad that you simply must have, or that amazing stainless steel whatnot that must be in your kitchen arsenal.

Not that I wouldn’t mind possessing some of those cool things (ahem, are you listening, potential provider-of-awesome-stainless-steel-whatnots-for-giveaways?) but I don’t believe you need anything that grand to make something this grand:

Mocha-Honey Rye bread: I’ll share the recipe with you sometime soon: it’s so gooooood!

And what  more do you need, than a crusty, chewy, loaf of good bread and a chunk of cheese to eat with it? Shoot. Here’s one of my favorite breads to make: mocha-honey rye bread, made with the simple bucket bread method that I’ve written about before, and the only tools you need are very, very simple and cheap things: an ice cream bucket with a lid. A whisk. Some parchment paper, and a pizza stone. And sometimes a good French rolling pin.

My daughter Amalia, my mom and I were asked to serve samples at a local foods event this weekend. “Taste the Bounty of Seward County!” It was a fun event, and we got to catch up with a lot of old friends, and make some new ones, too. Mom passed out samples of her amazing angel food cake (with the strawberry and white chocolate icing that we are all addicted to); Amalia passed out samples of several kinds of mile-high muffins that she is so famous for, and I passed out thick slices of bread and butter.

I was a bit relieved that so many people wanted to try slices of bread. There were so many vendors–30, I think–every one with several generous samples of everything from main dish meals to desserts to homemade ice cream to–well, just about everything you can imagine. Fish bites. Homemade sausages. Runzas. Scones and clotted cream. Chicken-fried steak. Chicken and veg stir-fry. Gourmet coffees. Pies, cakes, fruit kabobs, meat sticks. Wow. I’m still full from sampling a few, myself, and I stayed behind my bread table most of the time.

I don’t know what was going on with my hair here (sigh). I had been baking all day, not wrestling, for pete’s sake. Honestly.

Back to my favorite (kitchen) things: I have a plan. I’ll write about my favorite (kitchen) things, one thing at a time, say, one thing per week, and then when I feel like it 😉 I’ll have a giveaway with some of those things. I’ve already started collecting some of them together for you, Gentle Reader, and I’m imagining how much fun it will be to package them all up and send them to a lucky winner. Maybe–you!

I’m also thinking an incentive to spread the word might be a good thing, and I’d really like to increase my Facebook fan page numbers, so here’s my double-pronged carrot on the stick, er, or . . . whatever: when my Facebook fans reach a cool exciting new number–let’s say an even 1,000–I’ll have that giveaway. Sound good? So if you’re not on my Facebook page yet, then you can help me toward this goal. Or if you already are a Facebook friend, you could hit that button that invites your friends to like vomitingchicken.com on Facebook. It’s fun, it’s sooo easy, and you’d be doing me a good turn. Just click on the link and get started!

You know that I don’t feel particularly comfortable asking for favors, but I’m hoping that you get enough good recipes, maybe a laugh or two, and/or helpful information from this humble spot, to do a favor for me now and then. And I hope you know that I’m grateful for you. So grateful for your clicking in here, and checking in and sharing and commenting–when there are so many things you could be doing, and reading, and learning, and commenting on. I love you all, I really do. 🙂

So back to my favorite kitchen things.

I have a few tools that I use in my kitchen nearly every day. You probably do, too. I’m referring to the workhorse items in my kitchen which help me accomplish what I need to accomplish every day, in feeding my family and doing it as quickly and as well as I can.

It’s particularly satisfying when one of the things that I grab nearly every day–if there is biscuit dough to roll out, say, or cinnamon roll dough, or cookie dough, or noodle dough–is such a beautiful work of art. My dad made me this French rolling pin, and it is just perfect for these jobs. It has a nice tapering shape, and a smooth finish, and is made out of beautiful white maple. My dad is an artist with wood, and it shows on this rolling pin, don’tcha agree?

So I’m starting out My Favorite (Kitchen) Things series with this lovely thing that feels so good in my hands. If you only have room for one rolling pin, Gentle Reader, this is the one to have. Would you like to have a chance to win this beautiful thing? Keep posted, because I’ll be including this in My Favorite (Kitchen) Things Giveaway! Sound like fun?

Hey, Gentle Reader, also: one of these days very soon, I’ll have a little online store on this site, and my Dad has agreed to make a few of these rolling pins for it! Aren’t I lucky? And you’re lucky, too, because you could add one of these to your lineup of favorite (kitchen) things, very soon! Neat, huh?

Dad signs all his work in this way, and since it is all handmade, every pin is unique.

So that’s my first favorite kitchen thing. Check in again next week for my next one! And don’t forget the Facebook incentive/giveaway to come!

Here are a couple more pictures from our event this weekend:

Amalia shows that she can have fun with a plastic fork. Mom watches in amusement. Amalia is going to be so peeved  pleased that I shared this with you. (hehee)

We passed out quite a few business cards at our event. Here are my new cards, designed by my son Andrew–aren’t they great?

Thank you again for popping in, Gentle Reader! See you next time!

I’m linking this post up with the great folks over at The Prairie Homestead’s weekly Blog Hop. Hop on over and join me!

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