Sunday, February 21, 2016

Warmer Week

We are having a pleasant period of warmer than normal weather.  I think we broke a record a couple of days.  We got up to 75° and the norm is 47.

We had a scare  with Max's 97 year old mother last Thursday and Friday and spent most of the day in the ER with her.  They removed a drug (a beta-blocker) and her heart rate came back up to normal and she is back home and doing well.  We will go with her  to the  doctor (8:15AM) Monday just to be sure.  That means leaving here around 7  AM.  Rush, rush!

I was all primed  to do  some outside work yesterday  but ran into some normal first of the season issues......needed new spark plugs for tillers, one needed pull rope replaced (a shop job), trimmer needed a new primer bubble. I needed some WD-40 for my Martin house pole.  So, we loaded up  the tiller, made a list and headed out.  It usually takes us a few days to get all the equipment going.  We left the tiller but found all the other parts.  I will  go out later and try to get the big slasher tine tiller going.  I need to till the west end of the garden and make a pass over the part I tilled earlier in the fall.

I find I am having to build up to do much working outside.  I am still having lots of PMR issues, if  that is what it is. I am not taking  prednisone any longer.  It certainly didn't help me this time like in the past.  I hope warmer weather and some activity  besides cooking and reading will help.

Speaking of cooking, I was out of bread but wanted a coarser, nuttier one for toasting and fell back on King Arthur's easy one bowl Oatmeal Toasting and  Sandwich Bread. I noticed the bread was wetter  than usual and realized I had used a cup too much milk....not quite a recipe double but went back and added almost double other ingredients.  Made a huge loaf in a casserole dish.  I think it was still a little light on flour but it makes wonderful crunchy toast.


I also added 1/2 cup of steel cut oats for a nutty taste.

If you have never made bread, this one is a good first recipe.  You dump every thing in the mixer and go.


Have a wonderful Sunday and a great week.  It will be cooler for us.


10 comments:

  1. Seventy-five degrees, time spent in the ER and the rush of getting all implements ready for spring! A crazy, busy time.

    Even though I always feel I stay "busy" during the winter months, I know I usually feel like I've got molasses in my veins when I first start working outside in the spring. There's just no way (unless one goes to a gym everyday -- boo!) we can use the same muscles in the winter as we do in the spring/summer/fall being active outside so much.

    Your bread looks fantastic! Mmmmm, good!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I go to the workout center every-OTHER day, but a day spent in the garden just wears me right out! I think it's my age.

    Our weather has started to cool off after a warm week. It's been too soon warm, not much can be done in the garden because of high winds, and too early to plant because of freezing nights and probably days, still in the offing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your bread looks delicious!

    Hope your MIL's dr. visit goes well tomorrow morning.

    Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Visit went well for her.

      Working on excess milk this morning.

      Delete
  4. Beautiful bread.

    We are bone dry here. It has been a long time since we've had a good rain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are here too. WE always get nervous about hay when the rains let up. This latest front doesn't look promising either.

      Delete
  5. Up past 60F on Saturday. 99% of all that Tuesday snow is gone! Rain this week, then snow later on. Sure has been a weird winter. Wish you might've posted a pic of that big bread sliced. Is the crust tender or chewy? I'll bet it smelled heavenly. I tried to get all my spring repairs done end of the year. I find I like to hit the ground running instead of all the start up stuff. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Sorry the PMR gets in your way, though. Don't overdo. (Although with such nice weather, who wouldn't? *heh*)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am doing a close-up of the bread just for you Kris! Max can handle the crust easily and that is my best test. I would say tender.

      Our warm weather is gone today.

      Delete
  6. We like it a lot. Makes delicious toast.

    ReplyDelete