Hollah! Or Challah. Hell, I hollah for Challah!

Was that blasphemy? Hmm.

So I've loved this bread, well, forever. And I love making it. So if you want some of the tenderest, moistest, goldenest, yummiest, prettiest bread ever, go for it.

Challah

• 2 1/4 c. very warm water
• 2 pkg. dry yeast
• 7 1/2 to 8 c. all purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 T. salt
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. sugar

Dough-ing

1. Combine water, yeast and 1 T. sugar in a large mixing bowl; let stand 2 minutes.
2. Stir in 2 c. flour; let stand uncovered 30 minutes.
3. Stir in 2 eggs, salt butter, 1/2 c. sugar and 2 c. more flour. Beat smooth and then stir in enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough.
4. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface (use some of remaining flour) and knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and satiny, adding only as much of the remaining flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking.
5. Place dough in a greased bowl; turn once to bring greased side up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Butter 2 large baking sheets.
7. Punch down dough, turn out onto a floured surface and cut in half.

Braiding

Form a braid with each half of the dough:
1. Cut in two pieces, one twice as large as the other. Cut the large piece into 3 equal pieces roll each into a 14-inch long sausage, and braid the 3 together.
2. Pinch ends to seal, and place on the baking sheet.
3. Cut the smaller piece likewise and braid likewise, starting with sausage shapes about 12 inches long. Place atop the larger braid.
4. Cover gently and let rise until almost double in bulk, about 45 minutes.
5. Beat remaining egg with remaining 1 T. sugar, and brush over top of loaves. (Avoid gluing the dough to the baking sheet with a drip of egg.)

Baking

1. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Cool on a wire rack.

Eating

• I think y'all got this part... Ohhh, yeah... :)

Moroccan Shrimp w/ Pomegranate Sauce

So, apparently this is really a politics and recipe blog... Not really a normal combination!

Moroccan Shrimp w/ Pomegranate Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 qt pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (orange juice works well too!)
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups (4 oz) baby arugula (any tender or baby green is nice)

Directions

1. In a pot over high heat, stir together pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Boil until liquid thickens and is reduced to 1 cup, about 45 min.
2. Meanwhile, toss shrimp with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt and olive oil and stir to coat.
3. In a bowl, toss arugula with extra lemon juice and olive oil if desired. Place on a platter.
4. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook 2 min per side until pink and opaque (I choose to grill mine rather than do them in a pan. I use a grill cage and cook them for about 4-6 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill.); place on top of arugula. Pour sauce in a small dish for dipping. Makes 10 servings, or 4 servings for main course.

Nutrition Facts Calories 45, Total Fat (g) 1, Saturated Fat (g) 0, Cholesterol (mg) 11, Sodium (mg) 86, Carbohydrate (g) 7, Fiber (g) 0, Protein (g) 2, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Source: Ladies Home Journal, Apr 09