Well our big storm prediction turned out to be just 3/4 inches of rain. But we are delighted. My sis in Iowa was getting some snow and she was happy about that too.
In fact she called this morning and we got wound up.....I forgot I was supposed to milk until she ended the call and it was 9AM! No problem.....DH had Willow up and I just milked a little late. She gave her normal amount. I won't have to milk again for three days.
I don't know why....maybe the cool, cloudy day but I have been thinking about raisin bread and baking. I used to buy it often before I started making our bread but I don't think I have made it in many years. During our conversation (Sis in Iowa) I asked her what she thought about using our favorite sweet roll recipe only making in a loaf rolled up with the filling inside. She thought it would be great and suggested I mix the raisins directly in the dough instead of on top of the rectangle with the filling. Since I introduced this recipe to her, it has become her favorite sweet roll recipe too. I got it from the internet (Thibault's Table) but it was originally from Joy of Cooking.
I think I have already posted it. Trust me on this one....it is a fantastic recipe.
The bread made such a large loaf I decided to do it sort of free form with no pan. It held its shape very well. I think I could have made two small loaves and used the bread pans. We have had a sample slice. It makes such a tender moist bread...now I am thinking about making just a loaf of bread using the recipe sans filling and fruit.
I also added the zest of an orange and diced very fine some of my candied orange peel. I love to nibble on the orange peel. It has been made since fall is is very tender and chewy. It gave the bread just a hint of orange flavor. I mixed the peel in the dough too.
Usually the icing for breads calls for just milk and powdered sugar, but I add vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt to mine.
Chickens
The girls set a record last evening. We got 15 eggs! That means some of my 'senior' hens are laying again. It is really fun to gather eggs now.
Tomorrow is DH's birthday. His Mom is taking us out to eat. We are going to a popular place in Bolivar, not fancy but just good country cooking.
Farm
We are running low on hay so now the current project is trying to find hay......I may have to order a semi-load in from up northwest....that will be some serious money. Beef hay now costs what dairy hay cost us back before 2004. Inflation has hit everything except peoples income!
In fact she called this morning and we got wound up.....I forgot I was supposed to milk until she ended the call and it was 9AM! No problem.....DH had Willow up and I just milked a little late. She gave her normal amount. I won't have to milk again for three days.
I don't know why....maybe the cool, cloudy day but I have been thinking about raisin bread and baking. I used to buy it often before I started making our bread but I don't think I have made it in many years. During our conversation (Sis in Iowa) I asked her what she thought about using our favorite sweet roll recipe only making in a loaf rolled up with the filling inside. She thought it would be great and suggested I mix the raisins directly in the dough instead of on top of the rectangle with the filling. Since I introduced this recipe to her, it has become her favorite sweet roll recipe too. I got it from the internet (Thibault's Table) but it was originally from Joy of Cooking.
I think I have already posted it. Trust me on this one....it is a fantastic recipe.
The bread made such a large loaf I decided to do it sort of free form with no pan. It held its shape very well. I think I could have made two small loaves and used the bread pans. We have had a sample slice. It makes such a tender moist bread...now I am thinking about making just a loaf of bread using the recipe sans filling and fruit.
I also added the zest of an orange and diced very fine some of my candied orange peel. I love to nibble on the orange peel. It has been made since fall is is very tender and chewy. It gave the bread just a hint of orange flavor. I mixed the peel in the dough too.
Usually the icing for breads calls for just milk and powdered sugar, but I add vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt to mine.
Chickens
The girls set a record last evening. We got 15 eggs! That means some of my 'senior' hens are laying again. It is really fun to gather eggs now.
Tomorrow is DH's birthday. His Mom is taking us out to eat. We are going to a popular place in Bolivar, not fancy but just good country cooking.
Farm
We are running low on hay so now the current project is trying to find hay......I may have to order a semi-load in from up northwest....that will be some serious money. Beef hay now costs what dairy hay cost us back before 2004. Inflation has hit everything except peoples income!
That bread looks so good,I am going to search your blog for the recipe,thanks for sharing the pics. Your chickens are troopers. Blessings Jane
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you can't find it. I suspect you could Google sweet rolls Joy of Cooking and that would be it. It has 3 eggs.
DeleteThat bread looks wonderful, Glenda. I don't really care for glazed pastry because it makes a mess when I go to toast it. *heh* Your bread looks totally professional. And, it sounds like your chickens are real pros too. You'll be filling pint jars with lemon curd at that rate. ;-D
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me; I don't usually glaze the whole loaf either because it makes freezing and thawing very messy!
DeleteWow, I can almost smell that bread from here.
ReplyDeleteOh, that bread looks Soooooooo good!
ReplyDeleteThe semi's loaded with hay that drive by my house are really loaded down and they are headed south and in your direction. And yes, it is so up in price its not funny. I see now why beef is so expensive in the grocery.
I will have to try the sweet bread.
Have a great birthday dinner tomorrow, Happy Birthday, DH.
Hugs
That is part of farming. You pay what you have to. At least beef prices are still up a lot over last year.
DeleteDid you get the big snow blizzard?
Tell your DH Happy Birthday, tomorrow is mine as well.
ReplyDeleteThat bread looks delicious. We got a nice rain-don't have our gauge out so don't know how much but probably close to an inch-noticed the creek below our house was running fuller.
We have holstein heifers right now and keep hay out about year round for them-greedy little things!
Glad you got rain only! The bread looks and sounds great, Glenda...as always, you are so good at everything you do! Give Willow a pat on the rump for me!...:)JP
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your DH! I hope you three all have a good birthday dinner in Bolivar.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWe received about an inch of rain here. Happy Birthday to my peanut butter buddy! Enjoy your evening out.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, you gave me a good idea. I think I will make him a batch of PB cookies!
DeleteYou and I must be on the same wave-length! I've made three batches of it within the last two weeks!
ReplyDeleteThis time we got a little more rain than you. Still drab and gray here. Hugs
I wondered if you got any rain. Good! We were in pretty good shape so far.....
DeleteHappy Birthday to DH. So sorry to hear about having to call out for hay. Prices are just so darn high right now. Here's to better weather this year in hopes of local hay (feed) growing and prices to go down. P.S. the bread is calling my name, lol.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about the hay prices for simple 'grass' hay. Between the long dry spells and diesel prices I am beginning to wonder if there's a reason to keep producing cattle. The calf sale price is not paying for the hay here.
ReplyDeleteI am dealing with a local man now who buys hay....$50 a bale for 5x6's. He's going to call me back and see what he can find....I am trying not to loose my cool here...finally got the herd up to the size we want and I hope we can hold on and pray for a good grazing season!
DeleteOh Lord, are you in that bad drought part of Texas? We aren't too bad off here for moisture.
DeleteMmm, that looks good. I haven't had raisin bread in so long.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm up northwest, and we have friends who sell hay, so if you find you can't find anything around your area, give me a holler (comment!) on my blog and I'll put you in touch with them. Don't know how far northwest you are looking,though!
ReplyDelete