Thwarted Plans

I'm starting to rethink my grand plans for the day. It started last night when I stopped by the grocery store after ballet class to get supplies. They had all their gourmet cheeses on sale, along with Black Forest ham. My plan was to get some French bread to make a sandwich to take on my hike and then to have with my cheeses and maybe a glass of wine for dinner. But they were out of French bread. Because I don't deal well with having my plans thwarted, I came home and decided to make my own. It wouldn't be ready for a lunch sandwich, but I had some sandwich rolls in the freezer, and I'd still be able to have my cheese for dinner. I like to make a rustic bread that uses a starter you have to make the night before, so I mixed up the starter right away. For a moment, I contemplated leaving it at room temperature instead of in the refrigerator and then getting up in the night to make the dough before going back to bed while it rose (you can leave the starter at room temperature for 6 hours or in the refrigerator for 14 hours) so I could have bread for lunch, but I'm glad I decided not to because when I got up in the morning (at a reasonable hour), it turned out that the starter didn't start.

At first, I thought maybe I'd done something wrong, and I was thinking about starting over with a regular French bread, but then I thought before I started that, I ought to test my yeast. It turns out that the yeast I just bought last week was dead. I put it in warm water with sugar, and nothing happened.

I think I've talked myself out of making bread because I also need to make a batch of cookies today. I'm currently wavering on that hike/long walk because the wind was looking pretty gusty, but it seems to have calmed a bit, so maybe I will go. This is one of those things I keep saying I'm going to do but that I never end up doing. Things may get busy for me in the coming weeks if that freelance opportunity comes through, so I may as well take a "vacation" when I can get it. I have good ham and cheese, even if I don't have good bread (this neighborhood really needs a good bakery -- about the only bread I can buy without getting in a car is naan). I can make a small Thermos of tea, I've got some Honeycrisp apples and I've got some slightly imperfect cookies. It's a lovely day, even if there is a strong breeze.

There, I think I've just talked myself into it. Now to make my picnic lunch.