Better off Bread

This week, for the sake of trying to lose weight, I have tried to cut out bread. I LOVE bread. A crusty warm bread is one of my favorite things on the planet. Slather it with butter and jam and I am in heaven.  SO unfair that the things that are the yummiest are the things that one must "sacrifice" for the joy of a smaller waistline.
I am SUCH a good dieter.  Everyone should aspire to be as disciplined as me.  With all the bread I am not eating I should lose LOTS of weight.

My "menu" from today.
Breakfast: egg whites and pea shoots with sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, Green tea.
Snack: a handful of pecans, apple, ice tea- no sugar.
Lunch: Lentils and rice
Snack: 1/3 box of cookies.
Cocktail: Fresh lemonade with cucumber and mint.....with a splash of vodka
Snack: handful of pretzels and some chocolate (dark- healthy right?)
Dinner: Turkey Tacos, black beans, salad
After dinner: going out with "the girls"- more cocktails.  

Luckily, I am going out so the ice cream won't be able to beckon me. Evil, evil ice cream. 

See...no bread....damn, I am so good.
I have NO ability what-so-ever to say no to sugar.  I can try to subtract that from my life next week....I am already depressed....

For those of you STILL enjoying bread-  My favorite recipe comes from Jim Lahey's "My Bread".  This requires a heavy La Crueset type of pot to bake the bread in. Take the plastic knob off the top so it doesn't melt.
3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups water
Mix 1st 3 ingredients. Add water and mix until wet and sticky- about 30 seconds to a minute. If it isn't super sticky add a little more water- I usually do.
Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let it sit for up to 24 hours/ until it is twice the size. The key to the flavor is the slow ferment...
When first ferment is done, dust work surface with flour and scrape dough out in one piece. With floury hands fold edges to center, so that you have folded it in 4 places. Tuck edges to make it round and place on generously floured tea towel. (I like to use wheat germ)- Fold the towel loosely over the dough.
Let rise for 1-2 hours. It is ready when it has doubled in size.
Half an hour before the second rise is done preheat the oven to 475 with the rack on the lower third of the oven. Put in your heavy pot
Using pot holders (duh) take out the preheated pot and remove cover.  Unfold the tea towel, pick up the dough and gently invert it into the pot. I almost always miss slightly and gently shape it with a chopstick. 
Cover the pot, put bake in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for about 20 minutes or more depending on how dark you like it to be.
Remove bread from pot and p[lace on a rack to cool completely.  The bread will still cook and will crack and snap at you. Lahey calls it singing.
And there you have it.  The best friggin bread in the states.  Don't bother using whole wheat flour- it changes the texture and makes it less chewy and perfect.

Yeeeeeeee-yah...no bread for me. sniff sniff