Sep 22, 2010
265- In Silhouette
I love it when the light looks like this. I've heard it referred to as *God's Light*. I just think that is so fitting. Clean, sharp beams of light coming down from our loving Heavenly Father.
Sep 21, 2010
264- Smoky Sunset
I want to call this a smoky sunset but is it really? Look how high in the sky the sun still is. Sadly this is the time of year for wildfires.
This particular fire is up by Herriman. It was caused by machine gun fire at Camp Williams. The media refers to it as the Machine Gun Fire; how original.
This particular fire is up by Herriman. It was caused by machine gun fire at Camp Williams. The media refers to it as the Machine Gun Fire; how original.
Sep 20, 2010
263- Homemade Sourdough Bread
Last Thursday was a Relief Society activity at friend-Vicki's house. She demonstrated how to home bottle meat and then friend-Kelli, her daughter (yeah, and why do I cry every time I talk to Kelli? That's what I'd like to know!), demonstrated how to make sourdough bread! Yum! Sourdough bread has got to be Gordon's most favorite bread in the whole world!
Can't you just smell it? It just came out of the oven. Don't you wish you were here?
I've played around with sourdough starters and recipes before, but there is something special about this one! I got my starter from friend-Karen (if you live locally and would like a starter just shout it out!) but you can also make your own (directions at the end).
The first step is to make a *sponge* (batter) with your starter. You always want to use pottery, glass or plastic with your start, NEVER METAL! I just happened to have this darling old bean pot that belonged to my Mom. It made me happy to pull it out and give it a job... I think it made my mom happy too.
So I mixed up 2 1/2 cups flour and 2 cups hot water and then stirred in the starter, put on the lid and let it do its thing over night. Then this morning I had a crock of bubbling sour goodness! (my photo was too blurry to post) Can you guess what decade my canisters were purchased? Yup, 1970... gotta love that burnt orange and avocado green!
Always measure out 1 cup of starter and store in the refrigerator for next time.
Now mix up the bread dough. Watch out... this is the hard part! Add 1 cup of warm water to the remaining sponge. Add 1 teaspoon salt and then stir in 4-5 cups of flour until it is a soft dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 2-3 hours. This is what it looks like after the rising. Turn it onto a heavily floured board or counter top.
Sprinkle the top with flour, flatten out dough and fold over in half. Repeat 3 more times. Shape into a round loaf and place it on parchment paper.
I am a little bit controlling with my dough and didn't want it to spread all across the counter top so I put mine in a pie dish. Sprinkle the top with flour and cover with a tea towel and allow to rise until nearly double about 1-2 hours. (Or, if you are like me... forget about it, come back in 3 hours, reshape it into a round loaf and start the rising time over again... just sayin'.)
Ah, look at that fluffiness. Doesn't it make you want to poke your finger into it?
Now, enter the hero! This is where the magic happens. This little beauty... a Dutch oven. Put it into the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Yep, the empty Dutch oven. (I got mine at Sam's Club it is a Member's Mark 6.5 quart Dutch Oven. I couldn't find a link online so if you want one you'll have to go to Sam's)
When the oven has reached 450 degrees remove the Dutch oven and carefully transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Just grab two opposing corners of the parchment paper and lift. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and return to the hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the oven temperature to 400 and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
Behold the beauty! Remove bread from Dutch oven, remove parchment paper and cool on rack... or be like me and cool it on the cutting board because I NEED to have a slice of hot sourdough bread with butter... right now!
TO MAKE SOURDOUGH STARTER
For best results, use glass or pottery containers. Never use a metal container or leave a metal spoon in the starter. A good starter contains only flour, water and yeast. It has a clean sour mild order. The liquid will separate from the batter when it stand several days, but this does not matter. If replenished every few days with flour and more water, the starter keeps fresh. If the starter is not to be used for several weeks, freeze or dry it to keep it from spoiling. To carry it to camp, add enough flour to shape it into a ball and place it in a sack of flour. In the dried form, the yeast goes into the spore stage which will keep inert for a long time. Water and warmth bring the yeast back to the active state.
Mix well in a large bowl:
2 cups flour
1 package of yeast (1 Tablespoon)
2 cups warm water
Place in warm place or closed cupboard overnight. In the morning, put 1 cup of the starter in a pint jar with a tight cover and store in the refrigerator or a cool place for future use. This is the sourdough starter. The remaining batter can be used to start a sponge.
BASIC SOURDOUGH SPONGE (batter)
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups hot water
1 cup sourdough starter
Use a wooden spoon or plastic whisk to mix flour and water until smooth. Add starter. Mix well and cover. Set in a warm place overnight or 10-13 hours. before using.
Always remember to take out 1 cup from the sponge to use for your next starter. Keep in covered jar or crock in the refrigerator until needed for next basic sourdough sponge.
SOURDOUGH BREAD
1 recipe of basic sourdough sponge minus 1 cup
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
4-5 cups flour (maybe a smidge more)
Can't you just smell it? It just came out of the oven. Don't you wish you were here?
I've played around with sourdough starters and recipes before, but there is something special about this one! I got my starter from friend-Karen (if you live locally and would like a starter just shout it out!) but you can also make your own (directions at the end).
The first step is to make a *sponge* (batter) with your starter. You always want to use pottery, glass or plastic with your start, NEVER METAL! I just happened to have this darling old bean pot that belonged to my Mom. It made me happy to pull it out and give it a job... I think it made my mom happy too.
So I mixed up 2 1/2 cups flour and 2 cups hot water and then stirred in the starter, put on the lid and let it do its thing over night. Then this morning I had a crock of bubbling sour goodness! (my photo was too blurry to post) Can you guess what decade my canisters were purchased? Yup, 1970... gotta love that burnt orange and avocado green!
Always measure out 1 cup of starter and store in the refrigerator for next time.
Now mix up the bread dough. Watch out... this is the hard part! Add 1 cup of warm water to the remaining sponge. Add 1 teaspoon salt and then stir in 4-5 cups of flour until it is a soft dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 2-3 hours. This is what it looks like after the rising. Turn it onto a heavily floured board or counter top.
Sprinkle the top with flour, flatten out dough and fold over in half. Repeat 3 more times. Shape into a round loaf and place it on parchment paper.
I am a little bit controlling with my dough and didn't want it to spread all across the counter top so I put mine in a pie dish. Sprinkle the top with flour and cover with a tea towel and allow to rise until nearly double about 1-2 hours. (Or, if you are like me... forget about it, come back in 3 hours, reshape it into a round loaf and start the rising time over again... just sayin'.)
Ah, look at that fluffiness. Doesn't it make you want to poke your finger into it?
Now, enter the hero! This is where the magic happens. This little beauty... a Dutch oven. Put it into the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Yep, the empty Dutch oven. (I got mine at Sam's Club it is a Member's Mark 6.5 quart Dutch Oven. I couldn't find a link online so if you want one you'll have to go to Sam's)
When the oven has reached 450 degrees remove the Dutch oven and carefully transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Just grab two opposing corners of the parchment paper and lift. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and return to the hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the oven temperature to 400 and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
Behold the beauty! Remove bread from Dutch oven, remove parchment paper and cool on rack... or be like me and cool it on the cutting board because I NEED to have a slice of hot sourdough bread with butter... right now!
TO MAKE SOURDOUGH STARTER
For best results, use glass or pottery containers. Never use a metal container or leave a metal spoon in the starter. A good starter contains only flour, water and yeast. It has a clean sour mild order. The liquid will separate from the batter when it stand several days, but this does not matter. If replenished every few days with flour and more water, the starter keeps fresh. If the starter is not to be used for several weeks, freeze or dry it to keep it from spoiling. To carry it to camp, add enough flour to shape it into a ball and place it in a sack of flour. In the dried form, the yeast goes into the spore stage which will keep inert for a long time. Water and warmth bring the yeast back to the active state.
Mix well in a large bowl:
2 cups flour
1 package of yeast (1 Tablespoon)
2 cups warm water
Place in warm place or closed cupboard overnight. In the morning, put 1 cup of the starter in a pint jar with a tight cover and store in the refrigerator or a cool place for future use. This is the sourdough starter. The remaining batter can be used to start a sponge.
BASIC SOURDOUGH SPONGE (batter)
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups hot water
1 cup sourdough starter
Use a wooden spoon or plastic whisk to mix flour and water until smooth. Add starter. Mix well and cover. Set in a warm place overnight or 10-13 hours. before using.
Always remember to take out 1 cup from the sponge to use for your next starter. Keep in covered jar or crock in the refrigerator until needed for next basic sourdough sponge.
SOURDOUGH BREAD
1 recipe of basic sourdough sponge minus 1 cup
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
4-5 cups flour (maybe a smidge more)
- Stir warm water and salt into basic sourdough sponge. Using a wooden spoon mix in enough flour to make a soft dough.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 2-3 hours.
- Sprinkle the top with flour, flatten out dough and fold over in half. Repeat 3 more times. Shape into a round loaf and place it on parchment paper. Allow to rise in warm place until almost double.
- Preheat oven and empty Dutch oven to 450 degrees.
- When the oven reaches 450 degrees remove the Dutch oven and carefully transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and return to the hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes then remove the lid, lower the oven temperature to 400 and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
Sep 19, 2010
262- Diapers IN Haiti
Meet Gary! He is one of the first diaper recipients in Haiti. Look at that bright and happy face. I just want to just pick him up and love him!
Doug and family came over for dinner tonight, the first time since he returned from Haiti. He brought his photos. The minute I saw this one of Gary I knew he was going to be the *poster boy for our diapers*.
Doug delivered the first dozen diapers in Haiti when he was there last month. Even though he broke his right arm, both bones right at the wrist, the day he got there he served the Haitian people with his sweet smile. Here he is giving diapers to some of the ladies at the tent orphanage, yes, tent orphanage! Notice that the ladies are holding some diapers. He is holding little Gary.
FONT- Albemarle Swash, ACTION- DPMoms Perfect Workflow, BRUSH- RhonnaFarrer_2ps_SnapShot_Horizontal6, FRAME- (made from brushes) Dezignus-Floral-Brushes, 17-Grunge-Border-Bars, recifedirty1, OVERLAY- SA_muse0709_aclegg-photo-crinkled1-4-black, SA_muse0709_aclegg-photo-crinkled1-4-black
Another 56 diapers went with the first group of Healing Hands for Haiti last week and more are headed with the next *wave* going this week.
We have our last diaper sewing night this coming Thursday. Marie will depart the following week.
Remember that challenge I gave the ladies? Let's just say we made it and then some! At last count we have 339 AIO diapers plus another 11 dozen regular cloth diapers. What a blessing... for us and for the Haitian orphans!
EDIT from Doug-
Doug and family came over for dinner tonight, the first time since he returned from Haiti. He brought his photos. The minute I saw this one of Gary I knew he was going to be the *poster boy for our diapers*.
Doug delivered the first dozen diapers in Haiti when he was there last month. Even though he broke his right arm, both bones right at the wrist, the day he got there he served the Haitian people with his sweet smile. Here he is giving diapers to some of the ladies at the tent orphanage, yes, tent orphanage! Notice that the ladies are holding some diapers. He is holding little Gary.
FONT- Albemarle Swash, ACTION- DPMoms Perfect Workflow, BRUSH- RhonnaFarrer_2ps_SnapShot_Horizontal6, FRAME- (made from brushes) Dezignus-Floral-Brushes, 17-Grunge-Border-Bars, recifedirty1, OVERLAY- SA_muse0709_aclegg-photo-crinkled1-4-black, SA_muse0709_aclegg-photo-crinkled1-4-black
Another 56 diapers went with the first group of Healing Hands for Haiti last week and more are headed with the next *wave* going this week.
We have our last diaper sewing night this coming Thursday. Marie will depart the following week.
Remember that challenge I gave the ladies? Let's just say we made it and then some! At last count we have 339 AIO diapers plus another 11 dozen regular cloth diapers. What a blessing... for us and for the Haitian orphans!
EDIT from Doug-
Mom-I just read your blog about the diapers. Thanks again for sending them with me. At the risk of sounding picky, most of the orphanages I went to were in tents since the buildings had either been severely damaged or leveled by the earthquake. What really set that particular orphanage apart for me was the fact that they were literally in the middle of a field, they never had a building. Do what you will with that information :-)
I love you- Doug
Sep 18, 2010
261- It's a Sickness!
From the time I was a tiny girl I've been a barefoot gal! I'm sure that having Fred Flintstone feet has something to do with that!
Now that I'm older I do wear shoes more often, but the minute I sit down off they come. When I want to find my shoes I just have to remember, "Where was I sitting last?"
But, come on! This is ridiculous! So now I feel guilty and will put them where they belong.
This reminds me of Auntie P. When she was working *down-below* all those years she wore heels but she didn't like to drive in heels. She'd put them behind her seat in the car... by the end of the week she's have more shoes behind the seat than she did in her closet!
Guess we've just funny girls with a bad sickness!
Now that I'm older I do wear shoes more often, but the minute I sit down off they come. When I want to find my shoes I just have to remember, "Where was I sitting last?"
But, come on! This is ridiculous! So now I feel guilty and will put them where they belong.
This reminds me of Auntie P. When she was working *down-below* all those years she wore heels but she didn't like to drive in heels. She'd put them behind her seat in the car... by the end of the week she's have more shoes behind the seat than she did in her closet!
Guess we've just funny girls with a bad sickness!
Sep 17, 2010
260- "Scout, it ain't time to worry yet."
There aren't many books that I will read more than once (except the scripture, which is my daily sustenance!). But this is one of them...
To Kill a Mockingbird
Not only did I read it twice; I read it back-to-back. I love the characters. They were so alive and real to me. I love Atticus' statement, "It's not time to worry yet."
I've pondered how fitting that is in my life. Too often I will get worried about something and chew it over like Harley chews his rubber-squeakie-toys! But you know what? Most of the time... it ain't time to worry yet!
To Kill a Mockingbird
Not only did I read it twice; I read it back-to-back. I love the characters. They were so alive and real to me. I love Atticus' statement, "It's not time to worry yet."
I've pondered how fitting that is in my life. Too often I will get worried about something and chew it over like Harley chews his rubber-squeakie-toys! But you know what? Most of the time... it ain't time to worry yet!
Sep 16, 2010
259- Peach Salsa
My tomato crop has been so sad and small this year. If I could put all of the tomatoes I've picked this season into one 5 quart ice cream bucket I still wouldn't fill it up! Usually by now I've bottled anywhere from 14-21 quarts of tomatoes or made a googalin of salsa or stewed tomatoes. But not this year. Actually most of my crops have been small this year. I guess that's what happens when you have a silly cool spring (but I'm not complaining!!)
I decided that since I didn't have many tomatoes or peaches that I would try making some peach salsa. I took my regular salsa recipe and modified it a little. Chunky!
Here are my cast of characters (as Pioneer Woman says... but trust me, I am no Pioneer Woman). Tomatoes, red pepper, Ancho chile, Jalapeno peppers, some funky green chile which name I don't remember, onions, peaches, cilantro, and (not shown) vinegar, salt, pepper & garlic.
Do you all know about slipping the skins on tomatoes and peaches? You put them in boiling water for a minute then into cold water and then the skins just slip right off. It's almost like magic.
I chopped up everything by hand, I don't have a food processor... maybe some day... maybe not. Then stirred it all together... looks so yummy! I always want to stop right here, but of course then I wouldn't be able to preserve the salsa, which is kind of the point.
When I make this again I will not use two jalapeno peppers. It's a little hot for me... but Camille will like it!
Peach Salsa
8 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
8 cups roughly chopped peaches
1-5 chiles, diced (use a mixture of Ancho, Jalapeno, red bell, whatever)
2 bunches fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 c vinegar
2 T ClearJel (this is a thickening agent made from tapioca that can be used in canning), optional
Bring all ingredients except ClearJel to a boil. Lower temp and cook 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently. If desired, remove some of the liquid to a small bowl and mix in ClearJel. Stir back into salsa and continue cooking until thickened, about 5 min.
Ladle salsa into clean hot pint jars. Wipe rim of jars clean and adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath 15 minutes.
Makes a little over 8 pints (so you have enough to taste!)
I decided that since I didn't have many tomatoes or peaches that I would try making some peach salsa. I took my regular salsa recipe and modified it a little. Chunky!
Here are my cast of characters (as Pioneer Woman says... but trust me, I am no Pioneer Woman). Tomatoes, red pepper, Ancho chile, Jalapeno peppers, some funky green chile which name I don't remember, onions, peaches, cilantro, and (not shown) vinegar, salt, pepper & garlic.
Do you all know about slipping the skins on tomatoes and peaches? You put them in boiling water for a minute then into cold water and then the skins just slip right off. It's almost like magic.
I chopped up everything by hand, I don't have a food processor... maybe some day... maybe not. Then stirred it all together... looks so yummy! I always want to stop right here, but of course then I wouldn't be able to preserve the salsa, which is kind of the point.
When I make this again I will not use two jalapeno peppers. It's a little hot for me... but Camille will like it!
Peach Salsa
8 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
8 cups roughly chopped peaches
1-5 chiles, diced (use a mixture of Ancho, Jalapeno, red bell, whatever)
2 bunches fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 c vinegar
2 T ClearJel (this is a thickening agent made from tapioca that can be used in canning), optional
Bring all ingredients except ClearJel to a boil. Lower temp and cook 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently. If desired, remove some of the liquid to a small bowl and mix in ClearJel. Stir back into salsa and continue cooking until thickened, about 5 min.
Ladle salsa into clean hot pint jars. Wipe rim of jars clean and adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath 15 minutes.
Makes a little over 8 pints (so you have enough to taste!)
Sep 15, 2010
258- A Gaggle of Dragonflies
About dinner time Gordon went out to get the mail, when he came back in he told me to get my best camera and go fast out to the driveway... there was a whole gaggle of dragonflies out there buzzing around like crazy.
It was very difficult to get a photo of them they were moving so fast. There had to be a couple o'dozen of them!
I've been wondering why they were here and what they were doing. Then a thought just popped into my head!!! fruit flies! Yes, dragonflies are great bug catchers... I sure hope that is what they are doing!
It was very difficult to get a photo of them they were moving so fast. There had to be a couple o'dozen of them!
I've been wondering why they were here and what they were doing. Then a thought just popped into my head!!! fruit flies! Yes, dragonflies are great bug catchers... I sure hope that is what they are doing!
Sep 14, 2010
257- Raisin Making 101
Each year I've tried to figure out what to do with the plethora of grapes my vines produce. I've tried-
I love raisins! I love them in cinnamon rolls, but mostly I love them in my morning oatmeal! Sad... I ran out of home-made raisins about 6 months ago.
So this year I was all ready to really go to town and put in my year's supply of raisins! I started by picking a googlin of grapes (to be more specific 9 buckets full, of which I've given 2 buckets full away, bucket and all.)
I do my very scientific wash consisting of: filling my big kitchen sink full of water, dump in one bucket of grapes, agitate gently, carefully remove to extra large colander while sorting out leaves and stowaway insects.
Of course then all those happy little *bobbers* have to be removed from the stems. Yes, it is mindless work, but that's ok... I can be mindless especially if Gordon helps or I have something to listen to on my MP3 player. Then you put them on the dehydrator racks.
But here is what I wish I'd known before I bought my second dehydrator... dehydrators are not all created equal! This is the Nesco FD60 and the air circulates down the sides and it is 500 watts. I have even drying and a batch takes a little less than 24 hours.
This one is the Nesco FD35 and it blows the air down the middle. It tends to dry unevenly getting the ones in the middle crispy and the ones on the outside still not totally raisin-ified.
After about 24 hours this is what you will have... yummy raisins! I spread them on my large cookie sheet to cool and let them air dry for an unspecified amount of time.
Then I package them in 1-gallon Ziploc bags for storage. I stored them in the freezer last year until I needed to refill my raisin canister just to make sure that all my hard work stayed good. I think I'm about half way through my plan... bet you know what I'll be doing every day this week!
- Raisins the hard way (blanch them first) then use a dehydrator (borrowed). They were tart and not so tasty.
- Grape juice (it looks like green pea soup... I'm not joking! Come look in my fruit dungeon!)
- Sun-dried raisins (yeah that lasted 24 hours and they got rained on!)
- Raisins done in the dehydrator, sweet product, yummy results! Eureka!
I love raisins! I love them in cinnamon rolls, but mostly I love them in my morning oatmeal! Sad... I ran out of home-made raisins about 6 months ago.
So this year I was all ready to really go to town and put in my year's supply of raisins! I started by picking a googlin of grapes (to be more specific 9 buckets full, of which I've given 2 buckets full away, bucket and all.)
I do my very scientific wash consisting of: filling my big kitchen sink full of water, dump in one bucket of grapes, agitate gently, carefully remove to extra large colander while sorting out leaves and stowaway insects.
Of course then all those happy little *bobbers* have to be removed from the stems. Yes, it is mindless work, but that's ok... I can be mindless especially if Gordon helps or I have something to listen to on my MP3 player. Then you put them on the dehydrator racks.
But here is what I wish I'd known before I bought my second dehydrator... dehydrators are not all created equal! This is the Nesco FD60 and the air circulates down the sides and it is 500 watts. I have even drying and a batch takes a little less than 24 hours.
This one is the Nesco FD35 and it blows the air down the middle. It tends to dry unevenly getting the ones in the middle crispy and the ones on the outside still not totally raisin-ified.
After about 24 hours this is what you will have... yummy raisins! I spread them on my large cookie sheet to cool and let them air dry for an unspecified amount of time.
Then I package them in 1-gallon Ziploc bags for storage. I stored them in the freezer last year until I needed to refill my raisin canister just to make sure that all my hard work stayed good. I think I'm about half way through my plan... bet you know what I'll be doing every day this week!
Sep 13, 2010
256- Grape Tendril
I started my grape harvest on Saturday. It took me a minute to remember that, this time of year the days start to run together. We picked 5 3-gallon buckets of grapes; all of which have been given away, devoured or turned into raisins. And that 5 buckets barely scratched the surface.
So today found me out there again in need of a machete! Those vines are crazy! I trimmed some of them so I could get to the grapes from the sidewalk side of the fence. I will wait until early spring to trim the inside. Can you believe that this little stretch of grape vines is so prolific?
What a blessing to have fresh garden produce to share! Can't you just taste the sweetness of these lovelies?
So today found me out there again in need of a machete! Those vines are crazy! I trimmed some of them so I could get to the grapes from the sidewalk side of the fence. I will wait until early spring to trim the inside. Can you believe that this little stretch of grape vines is so prolific?
What a blessing to have fresh garden produce to share! Can't you just taste the sweetness of these lovelies?
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