A Senior Moment

Good Saturday morning!   Did my usual sleep pattern of a few hours in the bed and the rest in my kitchen recliner.  No matter, I got enough sleep.

Today is another hot one and I see they are already raising the heat level for next week.....also the Sunday rain seems to be fading.  I need to quit watching the weathermen altogether.

Cooking

I want to share this bit of a senior moment so you of my age group won't feel alone when you do something similar.

I froze 5 of the oatmeal scones before baking yesterday.  This morning I asked Max if he would like to have them  for breakfast.  He agreed.  When I bake frozen biscuits or, in this case,  scones, I just place them in the oven without preheating.  Turn on to desired temperature and add to the cooking time to allow for thawing.

Did this and sat back in my easy chair, sipping coffee, to wait.  A few minutes later I glanced  in the over and saw the biscuits melting down through the rack!  I had forgotten to place them on a baking sheet....not a good idea.

I quickly pulled them out but they were much to fragile to pick up so I turned the rack carefully over the pan and they fell gently to it.  I put them back in and they finished cooking.  Here is what they looked like:

They were fine; actually we like the crunchy tops.

My other baking trial was using extra gluten on whole wheat and whole grain breads to see if they were lighter enough to bother.  The first recipe I tried was my go to recipe of Annie's Honey and Wheat bread and make additions of rolled oats.  This time I doubled the recipe (12 cups dry ingredients) but just used 3 cups of white whole wheat flour and 3 cups of oatmeal to 6 cups of white bread flour.  I added 1/4 cup of wheat gluten.

The results were fine but I couldn't see too much difference.  That is bread pudding on the left made like Mom did with day-old biscuits.  I like it  much better than using light bread.

Next I want to try the recipe for Oatmeal bread that you dump all in mixer and mix and knead.  It always seems heavy to me but is our daughter and granddaughter's favorite.

Yard

Here   is an update on the Pumpkin landscaping feature (what my daughter calls it), actually the self -seeded Long Island Cheese Squash from previous Halloween decoration.

I know there will be a least two nice-sized squashes and who knows if more are hiding in there.  Makes me think of Lorraine's jungle growth in her garden in Florida.

and  only one more photo,

 Have a super weekend.

Back in the Saddle Again (for a while anyway)

I have taken a long hiatus from blogging......again.  Maybe with cooler weather and less mowing, I can get back in the groove.

We have had some nice rains, but not as heavy as others in the near area.  We are still nice and green and ponds are full and pastures are green.

I recently bought a bushel of Jonathon apples from a local orchard.  They were beauties.  I finished the last of them this morning. I saved all the peels and cores and added just enough water to the pan to get them started.  I cooked them until soft and then strained  the juice for jelly.  I ran the pulp through the Victoria Food Strainer and made applesauce.  I did the jelly this morning the old-fashioned way with no pectin.

It was a small batch so just got a quart of pink sauce and the little jars of apple jelly.  I tested a half slice with butter on some 8-grain whole wheat bread.  It was very tasty.  I got a good jelly consistency using the sheet of the spoon test.  It took about 20 minutes.

It seems I took another little break.....

New Start:  September 23, 10:50 AM

The news is I am another year older.

I won't try to back track because it was just mundane daily things...which is what my life is, but I love it that way.

We are still mowing.  Trying to beat the predicted heavy rain of Sunday.  Not too much left to do.  We are really looking forward to the 60° next week.  Enough of this 90° + stuff!

The chickens have let up laying by about half.  Max did find a 4-foot long blacksnake in the hen house and  few days  ago and released it in the nearby barn lot!  He knew better.  I suspect the snake is back snacking on eggs.

I have plans to attack the cellar wild zone and the garden with DH's help next week and clear-cut and mow!  It will be a first if we get it done in the fall.

Cooking

I made a new recipe  this morning.  Once again  from Thibault's Table blog.

Oatmeal Scones with Maple Syrup Glaze

 

Scones

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tbsp. cold butter
1 cup heavy cream  (Option: Substitute Buttermilk and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda)
3/4 cup frozen raspberries (blueberries, blackberries, red currants, etc..)
extra cream and sugar

Glaze (Optional)

2 teaspoons softened or melted butter

1/2 cup of powdered sugar

few tablespoons cream or milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together.  Thin with additional cream or milk if necessary.


Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal.  Stir cream in to flour mixture. Mix quickly with fork just until dough starts to come together. 

Tip out on to lightly floured surface. (Will look shaggy)   Using hands gently pat mixture to flatten. Now fold dough like an envelop. Turn and fold again.  Do this at least three to four times. Before the last turn, push frozen fruit (Raspberries, Blueberries, Red Currants, etc.. ) into dough. 

Finish with final fold and turn and roll or pat dough into round.  Cut into six or eight triangles. Dough can also be cut in half and rolled into two smaller rounds.  Cut each round into 6 to 8 smaller scones. Or use a biscuit cutter to cut round scones.  This whole step should only take 30 to 45 seconds.   

Do not over-handle.  (Tip:  I  may have over handled a tad so go gently here)

(Folding forms layers which makes for a very flaky scone).

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

Option:  Drizzle with glaze.

I made a glaze with some powdered sugar, some Maple Syrup (real), and a bit of milk.  worked beautifully.

 We decided this was a keeper and a nice change from biscuits for a late breakfast.

Next project was making oatmeal bread using extra gluten since oatmeal doesn't have any.  I thought it might make a lighter bread.  I will save that for another day.
It was interesting but I have another recipe I want to try first before deciding to add or not to add.  All this keeps me out of the hot sun but in a hot kitchen!


Yard 

Salvia farinacea always gets a more vibrant blue in the fall

I have been away so long, I am having to relearn lots of blogger things....how to add picture for one!  So, enough for now.

New Bread Technique and Daily Routine

We  are in a slight warm-up period but are getting a  mix of rain and sleet.  That means roads will be treachorous.  We had planned a WM run but will probably cancel.

 I did chores again yesterday morning and it was more uncomfortable at a windy 24° than it was the day before at no wind 10°.  I just did the puppies who are little wild things.  I stayed in the pen with them and petted them until they finally got over the thrill and settled down to eat.  Tito, the large male has very unusual colored eyes.  I tried to get a picture but wasn't very successful.  The are amber colored.  I hope they stay that color as he ages.

From puppies January 8 2015

As  you can see, Daisy decided to eat while Bella (black)  is attacking my glove.

DH decided he would do the grain feeding.....I let him.

Cooking

My new bread making technique was using a biga as a preferment or starter and reducing the yeast. May I say after one experiment that I am not impressed and once I use the other half of the biga, will probably not do it again. The biga is supposed to be improve keeping quality, taste and texture. Well, DH and I couldn't ascertain an improvement in the taste or the texture. It also seemed I did not get the volume I usually get. It may be that I am not really a bread connoisseur just like I am not a wine connoisseur. I strive for a light, tender bread more like store bread but better tasting. When I started making bread it was during the Artisan, no-knead craze and I had tried that but it wasn't what we wanted. This bread was similar in my opinion.   My Sis got me started again (she is going through my early  experimental- bread- making phase now). I will stand firm...no more ventures into bread that takes between two and 5 days to make while waiting for a perferment to ripen.........so you true bread making bakers can just shake your heads.  I am hopeless.

2/19/15

It wasn't quite as cold last night, 17°. I love it when it isn't 'leave the water dripping' cold which for us is l0°. We are in line for some freezing rain later today and tomorrow.

I fixed something different for breakfast. I made scones with our scrambled eggs. I have just made them once before. They are simply a sweetened biscuit with eggs and cream. I like using the leftovers for shortbread. I will do that for lunch using our frozen peaches.

Farm

Our farm hand (doesn't that sound inflated) he is just a 16-year old neighbor. Came and Max showed him how to use our tractor for feeding the round bales. If the weather is too severe he can use his truck that is equipped with a bale spike on the back. He turned his ankle getting off the tractor. I hope it isn't too bad. I will call and check on him this morning.

I am going out around 9 to do chores near the house. It was 24° but with wind.

 It was more uncomfortable than the day before at l0°.  My hands got numb before I was finished. 

DH did the grain feeding.  

Dragging through the frozen snow requires a rest period when I come in.......

Cooking 2

I decided to make our old-fashioned white bread  (no preferment or  starter!).  I did have to use Hogsdon  Mills flour since our local store wanted $6 a bag for King Arthur and I refused to pay that.  I may be slightly  prejudiced but I don't think I get as much  lift with other flours.  I added two eggs instead of the called  for one.  Just did it without thinking because I had two eggs sitting on the counter top from collecting that morning.  I like the color and texture and may keep adding two eggs.  You know now we don't have to worry about cholesterol in our food ! (did you hear the latest nutritional recommendations?)  My Sis and I got a good laugh.....she and I didn't believe that link between foods a cholesterol when they began pushing it.

I had thawed a surprise package from the freezer when it turned out to be strawberries that were past their prime, I decided to make jam.  I added l cup of the aforementioned  peaches to make the 5  cups.  It turned  out nicely.  The fruit was frozen with l cup of sugar so I reduce the jam recipe by that cup and proceed as usual.  I used pectin with this batch.

Note: no lids...yet.  In a cleaning frenzy I carried all canning supplies out to the milk parlor (jack of all trades work room).  I will retrieve them this morning.

Cleaning the Milk Parlor - More greenery outside - Scones and Lemon Curd

We are still having warm weather here.  Yesterday it was cloudy most of the day but nice and warm.
I milked and then decided to stay in the barn and begin the organizing of the Milk parlor.  I worked just an hour and got a lot done but suffered the rest of the day for being on the concrete too long.

I put up the new shelf so now I have everything up off the floors and pretty well sorted.  I still need to sweep and clean some things.   This is the room in the barn with the ss sinks and the old frig where I process my milk.  It is just in front of where I milk Willow.  The old bulk tank still sits in the middle of the room and I wish it were gone!  Then I would have a roomy 12x12 area.  I need to check into that this spring.  Surely there is a market somewhere for this equipment that DH should have sold years ago!

I couldn't resist the urge to try scones with the rest of the lemon curd.  I made them for breakfast yesterday morning and we finished up the lemon curd.  We both like it very much.....I did add a little bacon on the side.

I saw lemon curd advertised somewhere, a very small jar, for $15.95....wow!  That would make a lemon pie worth a lot of money.


The other day Kris showed her sprouted potatoes she is saving for planting....here is a bag of mine I had on the back porch and I found a lot more in the milk parlor during my cleaning process.

These will have to be cut first but I have a lot in the barn that are sprouted tiny potatoes and will be planted whole.
I may I will buy some red potatoes and some Yukon Golds to let sprout too.

Gardening

Here are some more greenery pictures I took the other day.  Note the 'ground cover' around the base of the rose of sharon....if you can't beat em, join 'em!  Henbit has been the bane of my gardening existence since moving here.  I have sprayed it, pulled it, cut it down and tilled it in.....and it is more lush than ever.  It occurred to me walking around and seeing it on every bare piece of ground that it grew similar to my purchased lamiums......I think I will just throw in the towel and let it be and consider it as native ground cover.  I do plan to weed whack it into semi submission before it blooms.....

The roses have never lost all their leaves.

and many have 1 inch long new growth on them.

I love self-seeding anything.  When you have a lot of space to cover, these are wonderful plants.  One that takes this a little too far is malva sylvestris and it has a long taproot like its cousin, hollyhock.  This makes it very difficult to eradicate so mostly, I just let it grow where it will.
I have these vibrant green clumps everywhere, even in the vegetable garden (those will have to go!)

I always leave Annabelle's bloom heads on so I can enjoy them in the winter.


(note: more native ground cover here)
Speaking of self-seeders.......... this is nigella damascena.  She has covered more territory than ever before.
and I have several patches of her in other places.  This is just the white variety.  I wish I had the blue one too.
The catalogs always say that foxgloves will self seed if they find a happy place....after years of growing these biennials, I think mine finally have.  It could be a neighboring salvia but I think it is foxglove.  Time will tell.


The shastas have stayed green all year too.

I found one lonely gaillardia,

and here is my favorite 'real' ground cover.  This is one of the lamiums.

another bed of nigella,

For me, snaps are practically perennial.  There are three or four snaps in this group.  They started life as the heirloom blood red one, but have morphed into various colors....maybe self seeded from the mother plant.


This next is lychnis coronaria,rose campion (fuchsia one).  I am amazed how it self seeded on this stump and  grows and blooms.

It is another rampant self-seeder.

The nepeta Walker's Low is greening up.  I need to divide it this spring!  I think I said that last year too.




and another plant that self seeded all summer and stayed green all winter (so far).  I wish this was the purple one, but it is the white.  Hesperis matronalis or Dame's Rocket


I have very few tulips because of the varmints eating the bulbs.  I thought it was moles but a very knowledgeable gardening friend said  they don't....that it is most likely gophers or voles.
These are safe because they grow in a raised narrow planter right on the patio by the back door. I keep tossing leaves over them and need to do it again.


Chickens

I am happy to report they are keeping  us well-supplied in eggs.  We got 10 yesterday.  I am getting a rainbow mix of eggs.
 

This picture is for Ilene.  This shows a pullet egg next to a normal sized one.  They will be smaller for a short time but soon catch up.