Routine - who would say? - is something likeable. A post about formulas and savory (or not) energy bars.

(Em português)

I don't know about you, but I am a person who likes food. Really.
It gives me severe bad mood if I get hungry/ crave for food, and have nothing to nibble.
And the plot thickens, as I've been in this healthy-eating-well wave.
Because sometimes I could give it a way having snacks at any bakery down the street, but I haven't been feeling like it lately (besides, each little bite you buy around São Paulo represents a significant percentage of one's monthly budget).
So, in May 2012, gathering information here and there and testing a little, I found myself happy about a recipe/ formula that I came up with for oatmeal granola bars.
You see: they are just the way I like it. Crunchy, and accepting a wide variation of ingredients.
The point is: if I'm hungry, I urge for something savory. And that is just not possible with the recipe mentioned.
There are some options of savory bars being sold out there. But I heard that mostly they taste weird.
Anyway, there are possible.
So, there goes Flora looking in the internet for savory energy bars recipes. But they are not easy to find, not at all.
I had found a website which I really enjoyed, I read it on my mobile in the subway, then never found that link again.
I remember the person who wrote that post worked at a hospital, and s/he commented how clumsy it was to eat trail mixes for a snack.
The idea is good, allright. However, it is not functional:
Picture yourself in the bus/ your car/ in the middle of a film set/ at the office, wherever, holding a bag or a cup of nuts in one hand while feeding yourself with the other one.
So, it seemed like a good idea to merge all of the ingredients into one bar.
This person had some vague ideas of ways to put it together, nothing very concrete.
Going on with my research, I found a post at No meat athlete. Then I figured:
I did not need a recipe, I needed a formula. What a smart guy!
It so happens that his formula wasn't exactly what I was looking for, despite of it filling all nutritional needs etc etc etc.
Next step? Make mess in my kitchen until I found a formula I liked.

Quickbreads from the book Gabriel gave me - made with fine cornmeal and poppy seeds.

(Em português)

Quickbreads, this wonder of humanity!

In fact, I would call these tiny guys cakes, because they are made with baking powder, not yeast.

And this is the reason why you can whip up a batch so fast.

They are great as last-minute snacks, for those times when someone comes over and you're not ready for it, to serve as an excuse to turn on the oven on chilly days, this kind of thing...

The recipe comes from a book a friend gave me last year, it's called "Marvellous mini cakes" by Ilona Chavancova.

Dona Lisete's soft white bread.

 

(em português)

Last Winter I made a tour walking by the borders of the canyons between Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, do you remember? I'm sure I have talked about it in some post.
In the daytime we walked and saw pretty things, and each night we slept in one different farm-hostel.
It was pretty cold, something around 6oC, and very humid. But with the constant movement of walking  we didn't even get to feel cold. And the air was delicious, so fresh and clean.
The last place we slept at before going back home was Pousada do Morro da Cruizinha.
Like the other hostels, this one was very simple, and the people who received us were very welcoming.
In the morning, before leaving, we had a breakfast all based in wheat flour:
there were several kinds of cookies, cake, cuca (or kuchen, if you will. A kind of sweet bread, heritage from the German immigrants in Southern Brazil), and a bread you can only eat in Rio Grande do Sul.
At first sight, there's nothing extraordinary about it - it's just a white sandwich bread.
But it is so homey! It's a very soft white sandwich bread, with this nice brown top, delicate flavor, and a delicious texture.
It would win anybody's heart. Then I, a sucker for breads, was definitely in love.

There was no way out: I asked for the recipe.
People told me that this bread is prepared by Lisete who, by the way, prepares other titbits that were around, all of them baked in the wood oven.
I felt shy, so I didn't take pictures of her nor of the bread. I was sure they would think it was some sort of weirdness that attacks girls living in big cities.

But if any of you feel like taking a look in person, at the end of the post I will leave the link to the website of the company which guided us in the tour.

Soup for sad stomachs.

Traditional baguette.

(Em português)

Well, who doesn't like a challenge sometimes, huh?

I saw this recipe from Annie and got excited.

It takes three days for the bread to get done, but - oh boy! - it's so worth it.

Homemade natural yogurt.

(Em português)

Well, people told me that the probability of things going wrong are relatively high, but I wanted to try even so, because I consume a lot of yogurt and granola, and if I prepare it at home it's cheaper, wastes less packages, wonderful.

I've been doing this for weeks, and I'm loving it.

Flaxseed bread.

(In Portuguese)

This bread came out really really soft and tasty, good to serve as a snack.

I think it would work perfectly for sandwiches as well, if baked in a loaf pan.

Adapted from here.

Oatmeal.

(In Portuguese)

This is a classic among the breakfasts in my mom's house, specially in the winter.

It is real simple, heartwarming, and works wonders when one needs to eat and has a stomachache.

Carrot bread, and the week after the holidays.

(In Portuguese)


Well, we all know what happens in a week with the family during holidays.

We have fun, forget about our lives, and enjoy good food.

So I stole from my uncle and aunt a nice idea, which is to spend the following week "detoxifying" the body with more fresh vegetables and less carbs.

Back to São Paulo, I went to the supermarket to get several vegetables and fruits, had soup for lunch. And at night I decided to make a carrot bread.

When I cook breakfast, I cook breakfast!

(In Portuguese)


Cooking for some people is more fun than cooking for few people, even more if it is family's breakfast in a holiday. :)
Today we had pumpkin pancakes, quick and easy.

Cornmeal rolls.

(In Portuguese)


With a cold weather, there's nothing more comfortable than a fresh bread out of the oven.

This one is very soft and yummy, adapted from wild yeast.

Sandwich oatmeal bread.

(In Portuguese)

From tuesday to wednesday last week, I tryed to bake a no-knead bread,
but unfortunately I ended up burning the poor thing.
I've tryed other breads too, and some did come out good.
But not like this one.
I fell hopelessly in love with this recipe. It came from here, and I've changed some things.
It is a common kneaded bread, perfect for sandwiches, and just a little bit salty.

Slow and uncomplicated.

(In Portuguese)


I know it makes anyone proud to serve a delicious kneaded bread,
but this one promises to be delicious with no knead.
And, from me to you, let's admit it's a great joy to be able to make
delicious foods between a tuesday and a wednesday night.

Summer tea.

(In Portuguese)


I tried to imitate at home an iced tea I had at a cafeteria some days ago.

It's so simple and refreshing, I didn't have time to take a picture.

Buttery bread.

(In Portuguese)


I am insisting in the bread making trials until I get the hang of it. And I consider this one to be an advance. :)

Super quick bread.

(In Portuguese)


Sunday is the day I'll organize my life for the coming week.

I started today laundering some clothes and making bread.

It's really similar to the one I made last sunday, but I've changed some things.