Let me be honest. When my children all leave on the bus for school around seven each morning, I often crawl back into bed with the t.v. remote in hand, flip through some morning news channels and, inevitably, doze back off to sleep for a couple of hours. It is the most marvelous thing in the world. As a self-proclaimed and self-diagnosed "night owl," my mind and body never seem to quite settle down at night until well past one or two. And, a morning person I am not, although I do have to rise around 5:30 a.m. to get my children ready for school.
So, that bit of extra snoozing after my kiddos leave is pure bliss!
This week, however, I have been up and at 'em (and raring to go) all morning long and have not went back to sleep! It's amazing how productive I have been - with my cup of coffee in tow - in these quiet, early morning hours this week. Laundry is getting done well before lunch. My housework is done and out of the way early-on. And, I have been able to spend more time working on my blog and all that having a blog entails.
And, the biggest plus - I have been spending more time in the kitchen. Quiet, peaceful, therapeutic, uninterrupted cooking and baking while Christmas songs play in the background.
As I begin typing up this post, a lovely roast with potatoes and carrots is cooking away in the slow cooker, scones are cooling on the counter and the dough for this focaccia bread is proofing by the oven. And, it's not even ten o'clock.
In regards to this recipe, if you've never made focaccia, let me encourage you to try it! I have made this many times and I think I love it more and more each time! Focaccia is a flat Italian bread that is usually seasoned with olive oil and herbs. Because the dough bakes atop an olive oil base and is rubbed on top with olive oil, the outside of the bread becomes a bit fried. My version has the addition of sun-dried tomatoes, slivered onions and some shaved Parmesan. Any herbs, toppings or cheeses can be used. You can keep it super simple ... just a little olive oil and fresh, chopped rosemary. Or, you can spruce it up a bit with whatever your sweet, little heart desires.
