Saturday, September 25, 2010

Weird happenings...

DH went to work today and after his shift was over (he works at a grocery store) he stopped to talk to one of the girls who bags groceries and gets the carts out front.  They were talking and she said I guess you arent wearing your vest...puzzled DH and he said no I wear an apron.  Then she opened her orange safety vest and there she had on a bullet proof vest.  DH said he had to keep a straight face but cracked up later in the car.  He said she was a little strange anyway.  I guess her brother actually let her wear his vest to work.  Makes you wonder exactly how that conversation started...and she's 18 years old...makes me glad I work from home it really does.

Talk to ya later!

Denise

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Nothin better...

Than taking a bath, going to bed with line dried sheets on the bed...aaahhh!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Kefir

I almost forgot to tell you about the kefir I started.  It worked!!! So happy it did.  I strained it yesterday and added some vanilla.  When DH came home from work we both tried a little bit.  It was good!  You have to start with a small amount.  It will clean all the toxins out of your body and you know what that means...lol.  I started another batch but will probably do a second fermentation on it to give us enough time to drink the gallon I just did.  With only two of us here it will take us a while to drink a whole gallon. 

I got my mixer today!  It's lovely.  Cant wait to use it.  DH is going to grind some wheat for me today and we are going to have a pizza with dough made with the mixer.  DH is off today and trying to paint the fence...notice I said trying.  He got a little sprayer and it was supposed to work but it doesnt seem to want to lay down the paint right (DH is not a very patient person and wants it to work right now) so of course he had to go to the store and get some rollers and a paint pan since the sprayer wasnt working for him.  This fence is costing us more and more...

On a more positive note, the weather is beautiful out and starting tomorrow I'm taking off a few days myself.  We are planning on going to the Lincoln County Fair in Tennessee.  Cant wait until tomorrow.  Well I better get back to work so I can get all this typing finished before midnight...just needed a break from it so what do I do but type on my blog...I'm a strange person...bruhahhaha.

Talk to ya later!

Denise

Monday, September 13, 2010

And It's a Home Run for the Sourdough!

The zucchini bread was wonderful!  It rose enough to make two really nice loaves.  DH liked it and so did I.  I modified the recipe.  Here it is:

Zucchini Bread

Preheat oven to 350.

3 eggs     2 cups sugar     2 teaspoons vanilla    2 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups flour        1 cup sourdough      1/2 teaspoon salt      2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup chopped nuts     1 cup raisins    8 oz crushed pineapple drained    1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix it all together and put into 2 4x8" greased loaf pans.  Bake for one hour.


And here's the lemon blueberry square recipe that I modified:

Lemon Blueberry Squares

Preheat oven to 350.

2 eggs     1 cup sugar     1 teaspoon lemon juice    1 cup sourdough    1 tablespoon lemon zest
3/4 cup blueberries     1/4 teaspoon salt    1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Grease 8x8" pan.  Mix ingredients together.  Pour into pan and bake 25 minutes if using fresh blueberries or 35-40 minutes if using frozen blueberries.  Cool completely and dust with convectioner's sugar or just serve warm with milk on top.

*Tossing blueberries and raisins with a teaspoon of flour will lessen them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.

The crushed pineapple was a weird ingredient and I wasnt sure I would like it.  I'm not too crazy about pineapple but it tasted really good.  The pineapple makes it more moist and if you noticed there is no oil/butter in either recipe.

I won't be experimenting for a couple of days so everyone will have to wait for my next cooking excursion...I know you are sitting on the edge of your seat. lol.

Talk to ya later!

Denise

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Sourdough experiments

Well I ordered my kombucha culture a while ago and when it didnt do anything I wrote to the company and told them what I did and how it didnt do anything.  They nicely emailed me back and said that they would be sending out a new kombucha that day and gave me some more suggestions on how to make it work.  When I opened the package not only was there the kombucha culture in there but they had also included a sourdough starter as well.  Score!  Just was looking into starting my own and there it was for FREE!  So I started the kombucha - it's still in my closet the warmest spot in my airconditioned house and still not doing anything but I have hope...  I started the sourdough and it's working!!!!! So cool to not to have to use yeast.  So I made two loaves of sourdough bread.  They rose nicely and looked good but when I opened the oven they were pretty flat.  Kinda disappointing but they tasted really good.  Froze one loaf and kept the other one out for eating with our eggs.  DH only had one complaint though...said it was a little sour...hmmm.  Told him to put some apple butter on it.  Sad face turned into a happy face!  Ohh it tastes good with this on it.  Of course the wife is always right about sweet things... lol.  So I told him if he ground some more wheat for me I would make some more bread and pour off the hooch...strange name for the watery stuff that rises to the top of the starter.

Friday I was in the mood to experiment a little bit more with my sourdough so I made lemon blueberry squares.   Kinda flat again but tasted really good like a blueberry buckle sorta.  DH liked those.  And yes I poured off the hooch before making them.

Today I decided to try to make zucchini bread with the sourdough.  It's in the oven right now.  Smells really good.  Afraid to look though....it's probably flat.  Anyone know how to get it to raise more?  My sourdough has lots and lots of bubbles...Any help would be appreciated!

Talk to ya later!

Denise

Friday, September 10, 2010

Weirdness

Yep got some Chinese food tonight and opened my fortune cookie...one side was in English and the other...was in SPANISH!  Please explain this to me.  You would have thought it would have been in Chinese.  Your local Chinese restaurant is now politically correct...I guess.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Update on Speghetti sauce

Well I put water on the stain immediately and it all washed out except for one little pencil eraser sized spot right in front.  Think I'll sew a button on it...lol.

Pretty proud about my chicks laying over 200 eggs last month.  We average about 7 eggs a day.  Dont know whether that means someone is not holding up their end of the bargain or not.  It doesnt matter though cause we are going to keep them until they die of old age anyway. 

It warmed up yesterday and hit 90 again and it is shaping up to be even warmer today.  Wash is hanging on the line and the dishwasher is running.  Clean sheets are on the bed.  Good day today!  Going to make a chicken casserole tonight for supper.  I took some pics today of the things I have finished knitting and will be posting them later. 

Hope everyone has a very nice day today!

I hepped up on vitamin D from being out in the sun and all the fresh air, can you tell?

Talk to ya later!

Denise