Boza and I got up early in the morning and found ourselves lost as we tried to get organized to go out and walk. It took me several seconds to understand that I had to find my way around new obstacles and get dressed with clothes that I have not seen or wore for a long time. I found a wardrobe full of things to wear and I found my favorite shoes that slip on and Boza jumped for joy at the sound of me grabbing the leash. We walked over an hour and looked at all the changes and non changes that had happened over the summer and after a few minutes we got our rhythm back and found life okay…

But the world that we entered last night late yesterday, is a huge contrast to the one we left yesterday morning. Boza and I went from the perfect world to an okay good world. For nothing is as perfect as a village, where you step back in time and nothing is comparable to a big city, that just feels safe and good…

I realized that I have the best of both worlds and I have a small quaint Russian village to live in (Called Sunrise to Freedom) and one of the largest cities in the world to traipse in (Called Moscow.) I discovered that I am blessed by all this and Boza and I came home to Sveta, the best girl in the world…

I am not going to write long today and I will get back in the groove over the next few days. Sveta and I have a trip to plan, plus I have to figure out how to work the contrasts that I have discovered and make a better life in the long-term for the whole family. I also am planning on next years time in the village and trying to finish some major projects to allow us to live there if need be…

Therefore I am back in Moscow and it really is a beautiful city…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

Suhari is basically any type of bread dried. I am using this word to describe what I love to buy and travel on the road. It is tough, crunchy and delicious. It can be bought in many different flavors, with raisins and with nuts at about any store in Russia. But we are talking about a from scratch recipe, that is the cats meow after you make it…

This can be made from any bread and I usually slice it and create from white or black bread. Though a real Russian will frown at what I just said, for you must make from scratch to enjoy the real product…

Lets make Suhari…

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of sifted wheat flour
1 cup whole milk
1.5 cups of sugar
5 eggs – separated
¾ tsp salt
Real butter 200 grams
Dry yeast 30 grams
Vanilla extract to taste
Ginger ground sprinkle to taste

Lets Make:

1. In a mixing bowl add the warm milk and dissolve the yeast, add half of the flour and cover. Put the solution in a warm dry corner and when the yeast has grown the solution to twice the volume, put in salt and egg yolks only, while still warm to touch add sugar, stir, add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. Then knead the dough until smooth. Then add melted butter (or margarine if you desire,) knead the dough again, sprinkling flour as needed, so that it quits sticking to the walls of the mixing bowl. After that, lightly sprinkle with flour again and cover and put in a warm place to rise…

2. When it doubled in volume, put it on the board and make two separate loafs, put them on a sheet that is lightly oiled or waxed papered, and let them rise covered, in a warm place…

3. The finished risen dough is laid out onto a floured board, then cut the loaf along the length of it and put it on the sheet pan that is lightly greased. You want wide flat part on bottom and rounded part on top. On top of the loaves with the blunt side of the knife to make a shallow transverse strips (impacts to release excess air bubbles) and put in a warm place to rise, and then brush with the beaten egg whites. Then bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven…

{To be honest at part three as done in part four; I raise the bread dough and then chill it at this point in the fridge: Then I can cut the dough better, to create the four loaves to bake. The dough still rises and still produces the desired effect and my finished product looks a whole bunch better…}

4. Chill the four loaves in a refrigerator and once chilled cut into slices, spread on a sheet, sprinkle with milk, sprinkle with sugar, ginger and vanilla and put to dry in the not, very hot oven. Heat to dry not really bake…

5. Watch closely and when golden brown and hard as a rock they are done…

You are actually making bread and if you desire this bread is so good fresh from the oven and slather some butter on it and enjoy for all your hard work. Then finish the hard, crunchy and easy for a kid to run out the door eating treat…

That is it and you just made a popular treat in Russia called; Suhari – Сухари…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…