homemade

We're inching toward ski season - although not very quickly, since there are no snowstorms in the five day forecast right now -and both Brighton and Solitude have opened already.  It looks okay but I'm still not willing to pay $39 to battle for territory on four bunny slopes.  I'll wait, thanks.

While we're waiting, we're not doing that much, given that the hiking trails are all snowed over and it's pretty cold for mountain biking (because I'm a wuss).  Instead, this weekend we did a bunch of errands, including picking up H's boots which had been in the shop for a fit adjustment, buying skis and ski socks and boot covers and trying to find a beer fridge.  I went for a run to practice my hills (I will walk up hills and ski down hills all day but I really don't like running them), ending up overdressed for the uphill portion but comfortable for the downhills.

Monkey bread - right before we tore into it

I also did some baking because I love to bake, although I'm not particularly accomplished at it, and it's now cool enough that turning the oven on doesn't make the house uncomfortably hot.  At H's request, I made monkey bread - which is so yummy but also the very definition of "empty calories" and then tried my hand at challah, a braided egg bread.  I think the challah was my first attempt at an active yeast bread and I think it came out okay: it baked maybe a little too long, although it wasn't burned, and I clearly need practice at braiding.  Still, it's kind of fun to have home-baked bread with your dinner.

A moist, dense crumb, if a little dark on the crust