Spring turned into Summer

Spring was a busy time and it looks like Summer is going to be the same.  Along with the extra work of gardening and taking care of everything outside we're working on a few home projects while also trying to find time for some fun.  It's good to get it all done now though so I can hibernate in peace during the Winter.

We've already been enjoying so much of the seasonal foods this time of year brings.  We've been eating so many BIG salads with fresh salad mixes.  The snow peas, radishes and cucumbers have all been so amazing.  We've had fried green tomatoes, BLT's and zucchini fries. That first BLT of the year is always so delicious. I love winter but Spring and Summer garden veggies have been missed.  

I find that basil does better in pots than out in the herb garden.  I always do two large pots so we have enough to eat fresh, to dehydrate and make pesto for the winter.  I love fresh basil.

I dehydrated my first batch on Sunday and it filled a pint jar.  By next weekend I should have enough for a batch of pesto and a tomato, basil pizza which is my favorite.

A friend of mine gave me a huge pot of hens and chickens to plant in the yard.  This is a new to me variety and I think they're gorgeous.  I also was given a dogwood start for Earth Day.  I have it in a pot for now so that by Fall the roots will be much larger and then I'll plant it in the back yard.

Reading outside on the back patio is one my favorite things about summer.  So far I've enjoyed The Little Giant of Aberdeen County and The Gilly Salt Sisters both by Tiffany Baker along with A Bakery in Paris by Aimie Runyan.  All were very good but the last was a 10 for me.  The story, characters and the writing were captivating. 

Meals have been on the simple side.  We've been mainly cooking on the grill or having Big salads and more veggie focused light meals.  Tonight I'm doing poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, onions and ground lamb over rice because I've been craving them for a few weeks.

I've decided to go back to soy candles and found this one that smells heavenly.  Who doesn't like caramelized praline?  I think the soy candles just burn a lot cleaner.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying Summer (or winter for some of you).  I'll leave you with a cute picture I snapped of Binx, who always brings a smile.  My boy is all grown up.

Things That Make Me Smile

 

Mary's Amish White Bread Recipe

In Sunday's post I mentioned the amazing sandwich I picked up from this cute Farm Market a few weeks ago. I told the owner, that this was the most delicious white sandwich bread I had ever tasted.  So we started talking about breads, dough, etc.  I told her I made all of our breads and I was very happy with them all except the sandwich bread recipes I had tried which were good but not amazing.  We finished our conversation and right before I left she handed me a piece of paper with her recipe for the bread.  How sweet was that? 

It's funny how food can bring people together isn't it?  

I tried her recipe two days later and it tasted exactly like the one she made and TBG loved it.  I've made it twice now and it's safe to say this is our new go to sandwich bread.  

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons or one packet of yeast

3 cups of all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons of oil 

1 1/2 Tablespoon melted butter to brush on as soon as it comes out of the oven

Directions:

Stir together the water, sugar and yeast and set aside for 5-10 minutes until it bubbles

In a large bowl add the flour, salt and oil, then pour in the yeast mixture.  Mix together until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl, about 10 minutes. I used my Kitchen Aide with the dough hook but she said it easily comes together by hand as well.

Roll into a tight ball and place in a greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to double in size.  About 60-90 minutes.

Deflate the dough and shape into a log to fit a 9x5 loaf pan.  Cover with plastic wrap again and set aside for another 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Brush the crust with melted butter and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then remove and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Slice to your desired thickness and enjoy.

 

Happy 3rd Gotcha Day Binx

Three years ago today we brought Binx into our lives.  You can read about that here.

https://culinaryadventureswithlori.blogspot.com/2022/06/things-that-make-me-smile.html

He's all grown up now but still the same strong willed, curious, smart, full of energy creature we have loved since day one.

What happened to May?

It's June 1st!  May was a busy month with projects, my birthday (chapter 58), two graduations, Memorial Day weekend and 9 glorious days off of work. 😉 This post is my brain and camera dump of it all.  

A few weeks ago, we had a bunny have babies in our yard behind the shed.  It was the cutest thing seeing these two tiny little creatures running around our yard.  They have gone off on their own now, I think, but the mom is staying put.  All of the houses around us have dogs so she is a pretty smart bunny. We can be outside, and she isn't afraid of us at all. This is her enjoying free time laying out under the old red bud.  She stays under there for hours.  I think it is a good shelter away from hawks.

This bush is one of my favorites and I don't even know what it is.  It always blooms in the middle of May. The blossoms smell so divine, and the bees just love it.  Bonus points if you know what kind of a bush this is.

The farmers market opened up, so we've been enjoying springs snap peas, radishes and lettuce.  It was so good to see my favorite farmer.  We talked about the cold, wet winter and spring. He was also selling flower baskets, and they were all so gorgeous, so one had to come home with me.

In my last post I told you about the Commons that opened up in our downtown area.  They had a grand opening, and this was a photo taken of the area from a drone.  It's really a great addition to our town.

I've spent quite a bit of time sitting outside reading. I've read Love, Loss and What We Ate by Padma Laksmi.  The Little Giant of Aberdeen County and The Gilly Salt Sisters both by Tiffany Baker. All three were really good books that I enjoyed.  Yesterday I started Keeper and Kid by Edward Hardy and I'm enjoying it too.

When I have to go to our sister hospital which is about 25 minutes away, I've passed this place called Farm Market. It's a building by the roadside of the owner's property.  I decided to stop and see what they had and I'm SO glad I did. It's a cute little building with fresh veggies, baked goods, and tons of other goods. I was starving so I ordered a bite to get me through the rest of the day.  They served me the best turkey sandwich I think I've ever had on the best Amish bread I've ever eaten.  When I told her the bread was amazing, she gave me the recipe and now it is my go-to sandwich bread. (I've already made it twice) TBG loves it as much as I do. The inside is just so soft.

Carrot Cake made by TBG for my Birthday.

A delicious chicken fajita nacho plate at Los Azteca in Louisville Kentucky.  One of my favorite places to go to.  Talk about an amazing downtown area!

I hope everyone is well and has been enjoying Spring.