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When we lived in Turkey we used to buy Simits from street vendors that would carry a huge stack of them on a pole.  They are kind of a mix between a sesame bagel and soft pretzel only better.

I've been talking about making them for years and finally, today, I did.

They are kind of labor intensive and, to be honest, I don't think I'll try them again.  My version didn't taste as good as I remember them tasting. 

 

It's a basic bread recipe.  I used a recipe from here (scroll down to see the recipe) after doing some research (i.e. Googling) and seeing that most recipes were very similar. 

You knead the dough and then let it rise for a couple of hours.  Then knead it again and divide it into eight equal pieces.  Let them rise.  Then roll it into long logs, twist and form into circles.  Let them rise.  Then you dip them in a water/molassas mixture and then dredge them in sesame seeds.   Let them rise again.

It's all day process.

Personally I think I'd rather just get on a plane and go to Turkey and buy an authentic one from an authentic street vendor. 

There is a Turkish patisserie nearby.  That might be a better/closer option.

 

 

It is January.  January always just d r a a a a a a g s on forever, doesn't it?  It's dreary and cold and there aren't any fairy lights to add a little sparkle (Okay confession – my lights are still up on the deck and I'm still turning them on.  I can't decide if it is charming or tacky).

To top things off I have a cold and general feeling of malaise.  Like I have no energy and  my limbs are all noodly.

It's not helping that when I look out the window everything is grey.  This is what it looks like out my office window right now. 

 

Admittedly there is a bit of green but still.  Grey grey grey. 

What do you do to get out of the January doldrums?  Head to some tropical paradise?  Peruse gardening catalogs and dream of Spring?  Or look blearily out the window and think that it will never warm up and be sunny?

Edited to add:

 

 

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to work I go….

Back to the mundane.  It was hard to get back into the spirit of things, workwise, yesterday.  I've really enjoyed having almost three weeks off where I could sleep in, stay in my jammies all day (well technically I can still do that…), spend every minute exactly how I wanted.

I like to start the year with a new notebook.  Nothing ever earthshattering or profound ever gets written in it, unless you find grocery lists and meeting doodles profound.  I just like to have a fresh notebook every year.  As much as I love my electronic conveniences (hello?  I live in MS Outlook) I'm still someone that likes to jot things down. 

It is a journal of sorts since I can go back and remember exactly what project I was working on, what issues I was struggling with, what I wanted to make for dinner back in March of 2008. 

In entirely unrelated news I've decided to do a photograph a day collection.  I made this decision on New Year's Day so I didn't quite have a plan or a theme in mind.  After taking the first picture (which I found entirely too staged) I decided my theme would be the mundane.  Everyday snippets of my life.  Another journal of sorts.  I have a set on Flickr.  I think it will get more interesting as the days go by.  It will be fun to see, for me anyway, if there is a rhythm to my days. 

 

 

I thought I would do a pictorial year in review type of post today.  As I was going through my pictures it made me realize that the year was actually made up of a lot of fun things.  Every year I resolve to take time to be more creative, go more places, read more books and when I look back I actually did a pretty good job doing that.

In January we started of by taking a weekend trip to Mendocino.  I was a lovely way to start of the year.  I loved that shop sign above.  It was like I found my people.

February I accomplished another perennial resolution; get more organized:

 

March I took a homely little bird vase and slapped some paint on it.  It was also a banner month for our daffodils.  Always a welcome harbinger of Spring.

 

April we took the long wished for plunge into chicken husbandry.  I forgot how sweet and fluffy they were back then. 

 

May called for another trip.  This time to Michigan to celebrate a beloved Aunt's birthday.  We stayed at an amazing B&B in Marine City, right on the river.

 

In June Rick built me a palace.  Which caused quite a ruckus on the Backyard Chicken forum where people accused me of having purple poodles and swanning about on my acreage.  If they only knew.

 

July I joined metal stamping masses and made a few plant markers.  I envisioned making a fortune selling them on Etsy and in little garden boutiques.  So far I have made three.

 

August started and ended very hot.  Not much happened during that month other than the elusive search for a cool place to nap.

 

September – now that was an excellent month.  It's always nice to add new family members to our numbers.  It was also a lovely weekend get away with the entire family at one of our very favorite vacation spots.

 

October called for another little weekend get away (see I get out more than I thought I did) to visit Sara and Ryan and have the first of our Gourmet weekends.  Hmm.  We should get back into them. 

 

November was a difficult month.  But our family knows how to pull together and support each other.  I made a lucky charm bracelet for my niece.  It was a small gesture but a heartfelt sentiment to help her in her fight in any way.

 

December I ended the year how I started.  With a little road trip.  Here's hoping the road in 2011 is as open and smooth.