Fluffy 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Remember that time I said I would only be making my own bread from now on?  That lead to some pretty tasty breads, one I didn't end up writing down (although I did take pictures - go figure).  One I couldn't quite get right, though, was a totally whole wheat bread, with no white flour at all.  I have one posted on the blog, but it didn't rise nearly as much as I would prefer, although it was still tasty.  I finally found a reliable recipe with the right ratios, but it was a bit too crumbly once it was made totally whole wheat.  So I tried again.. and I think I've finally nailed it.

Cinnamon Apple Bars (Gluten Free)

Alex starts his first "real life" job tomorrow, so we spent the weekend rearranging all of the furniture in our apartment so that we now have a real office space for the two of us, instead of a desk in each bedroom.  There's still a ways to go until I'll be totally content with it, but it's different enough for now; since Alex got a job in Buffalo with a company he's been collaborating with at UB, he wanted to make sure that things felt new and different, rather than pretty much all of the same things, minus classes (and a new office location).  This morning, before I got back into the organizing (and I'll be honest, I still haven't really gotten back into it today), I had to do some baking.  With how much we've been moving around, something energy packed sounded good, so I made these apple bars that I had been eying up for a long time.

These apple bars have the flavors of apple crisp or apple cake without any of the guilt.  Sweetened only with dates and the apples themselves, you don't have to worry about a major sugar high and crash later in the day.  Walnuts and coconut contribute healthy fats and fiber.  The bit of oats add in some of the apple crisp flavor, and a hefty dose of cinnamon rounds it all out.

A Glimpse of Ontario Wine Country - Niagara Escarpment & Twenty Valley

This week, we took a quick hop over the border into Canada for an overnight stay in Ontario's wine country.  This is our second year going to this area, and I've fallen in love with the area more with each visit.  The Niagara Escarpment - or the bench - is a beautiful area right near Lake Ontario, full of fantastic views of the lake, farm country, and of course, over 40 wineries.

Both times we've gone to the Beamsville/Vineland/Jordan area of Ontario, we've gone on a wine tour with Crush on Niagara and stayed in their Bed & Breakfast, the Harvest Guest Cottage.  Their tour package consists of a visit to 4 area wineries with tastings, as well as a stop at a local cheese factory along the way (to give you a little something to absorb all that wine).

The bed & breakfast is definitely one of my favorite parts.  It sits right on a small vineyard, so you have beautiful views of wine country, and it's extremely private.  The owners live next door, so you only see them once or twice through your stay.  You're given your own lock code to the house and a key to your room & bathroom and left mostly to your own devices.  Both times we went, there was one or two other couples staying at the house as well, with us in one of the rooms downstairs, and them upstairs.  They have a full kitchen if you want to cook dinner, or you can go out to one of the many area restaurants.  We got a loaf of bread and cheese each time to enjoy some of our wine later in the evening after going out for dinner.  There was a bottle of wine (a white blend - good for the white lovers we are) waiting for us in our room when we got there, complete with wine glasses, so we immediately took it to the fridge to chill for later in the evening.  You wake up the next morning to a delicious breakfast basket left for you in the kitchen to eat at your leisure - farm fresh eggs, fruit, and the most delicious muffins.  We always plan to have lunch out afterward, but haven't yet done it after such a filling breakfast.  This year, we wanted to get back to the kitties, since they were alone for the night, and they've been especially rambunctious lately