SEASON'S GREETINGS, Part 1: to RELATIVES on Facebook . . . and ITALIAN BREAD

Thank you for sharing these pictures on Facebook:

My niece, Naomi

my grandniece, DJ, and her fiancé, Chris

my nephew Nick and his fiancée, Kacy

my grandniece, Madison

Lisa, my niece, and her husband, Josef

Stuart, my nephew, and his children, Taia and Chase, at Disneyland

my grandnephew, Chase

my grandniece,Taia

Doug, my nephew, Sherri, his wife, and their children; Faith, Mathew, and Tommy

my cousin Marilyn and her husband, Bill

cousins Jimmy, Vern, aunt Nellie, Pat

 cousin Oksana

cousin Serge

Serg's wife, Daniela

Serg and Daniela's son, Andrew, and Aunt Marion

my nephew, Lorne, and his bride, Shannon

Nathan, Donald's older grandson

Justin, Donald's younger grandson  

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE from ELEANOR and BRYAN!

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ITALIAN BREAD:  Perfect for serving with mussels!

            From SOUTHERN LIVING: 1982 annual recipes, p.297

7/8 cup boiling water

1 ½ tsp butter

1 ½ tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 pkg yeast

2 cups flour (approx.)

1 tbsp cornmeal

Vegetable oil

1 egg white

1 tbsp water

·        Add butter to boiling water.  Let cool.

·        Combine sugar, salt, yeast, and 1 cup flour in a large mixing bowl. 

·        Beat in butter and water at low speed with electric mixer or whisk for 3 minutes.

·        Mix in one-half cup flour.  Turn out on floured counter. 

·        Knead in enough more flour to make a soft, elastic dough.

·        Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. 

·        Grease a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.

·        Roll dough out into a 15x10 inch rectangle. 

·        Roll up like a jellyroll, starting at wide edge and pinch edges.

·        Place dough seam side down on cookie sheet.  Turn under ends and pinch.

·        Brush with oil.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.  (Yes, I was surprised by this too.  It’s convenient, though.  You can leave it and not worry about it until you’re ready to bake just before dinner.)

·        Remove bread from fridge, uncover, and let stand 10 minutes.

·        Preheat oven to 400.

·        Cut several diagonal slashes, about ¾ inch deep, in top of loaf.

·        Bake for 20 minutes.

·        Whisk together egg white and water.

·        Bake 5 more minutes.