I love homemade bread!

I really do love to make homemade bread. I love to cook, in general, but there's something so very calming and therapeutic about bread. So, on a whim, I made some last night. Here's my recipe.

2 cups flour
1 tbs salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry milk (do not reconstitute)
2 tbs yeast
1/4 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups very hot tap water
4-5 cups flour

Grease a large mixing bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, salt, sugar, dry milk and yeast. Add shortening, water and 1 cup flour. Mix well. Add 3-4 cups flour and knead well. Place dough in greased bowl. Roll around in bowl to keep dough from drying out while raising. Let rise in bowl for 1 hour. Divide into bread pans. Let rise in pans for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour. Butter the top of the bread when it comes out of the oven.

I know everyone likes hot bread and butter, but I'd wait for about 30 minutes before cutting into it. Otherwise you just squish the loaf and it falls apart.

The Garden Begins

Here's some requested pics of my yard and garden. Its just starting. Let's see if we get anything alien this summer! The zuchhini died so I replaced it with a straight neck yellow squash.
Cucumbers :)

Straight neck yellow squash

Celebrity tomatoes, then flowers, then Roma tomatoes :)

One of the flower baskets!

Where I sit and relax :)

Another of the flower baskets :)

Homemade Ice Cream is back!

My grandmother used to make homemade ice cream. Tutti Fruitti, to be exact. It was so creamy and yummy, with big raspberries and strawberries and all kinds of berries. Delightful! My mom used to make it occasionally- but not very often. I wonder where her ice cream machine is. Anyone?
Last summer my sister was making homemade ice cream all the time! All sorts of flavors. I was jealous. Here I was working with fresh berries on a daily basis and NOT making ice cream? Sad. So I borrowed her recipe and got to work making my own Tutti Fruitti ice cream. Nummo! Then fall came and winter came and no one really makes ice cream in those seasons.
But its spring/summer. And I lost a bet to my 4th period. (plus I'm having a bbq tonight) so I made the first batch of ice cream for the season! Oreo! Its the best batch ever- I think! I've put the recipe below (hopefully my sis won't mind) so you can all enjoy it at your own convenience.

Vanilla Ice Cream
2 1/2 cups Half and Half
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups whipping cream (my sister uses her dry milk from food storage here- great idea!)
4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Directions: Heat half and half in large saucepan to just below boiling. Remove from heat and set aside. In large mixing bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Gradually add half and half- don't cook the eggs as you're doing this! Pour mixture back into sauce pan and heat to just below boiling. Put mixture back into clean mixing bowl and add whipping cream, vanilla and salt. Cover and refridgerate overnight. The next day, put into ice cream maker and finish.

For Tutti Fruitti- add berries when you put it into the ice cream maker. Same with Oreos- crush and add.

What to do at the family reunion :)

Its like ridin' a bike- you never forget.

Since baseball season ended abruptly last night, I was home this afternoon by 4:00. That's quite an accomplishment for me these days. I have a list a mile long of things I've been wanting to do but by the time I get home at night, its all I can do to close up the house and get myself in bed. So as I was driving home, I was revelling in all the time I had this afternoon! And I have to say, I'm proud of myself for getting home and doing about 1/2 a mile of my long list! I got my yard done (although my zucchini plant has died- a phenomenon I've never witnessed). Then I washed and gased my car. Lexi loves me again. Furthermore, I made a rag denim quilt for my principal who is retiring this year. After that, I mustered up just a little more strength for my favorite thing I've done all day. I got my madwagon out and washed her down- pumped up her tires and went on a bike ride! I forget how charming that can be! My little royal blue wonder even has a bell! So I rang it as I went around corners just because I could! I've GOT to do that more often. It was so lovely to cruise and feel the breeze and remember how to ride a bike.

This is my madwagon wonder. I hope to get her a basket some day soon. My two Kris' that live down the street each have their own and we WILL be cycling the neighborhoods soon. Maybe we could hook up a little radio that plays the Wicked Witch of the West song as we go by lol!

Its a must read!

I went to Enrichment last week at the Church History Museum. They took us on a tour of some artifacts, but the tour was centered around the Sunday school readings for the month. Totally cool. Anyway, I was looking through the gift shop afterwards and came across this little treasure. I'm sure both my sisters have read it, as they read everything that comes out of church publication, I think (except maybe Anita Stansfield... don't get Meg started). But I bought it on a whim, needing something of quality to read. This did not disappoint. I read it last night in less than an hour. There's three talks included in it from Elder Ballard about the purpose of women in the Church. Outstanding. Just what I needed. The third talk was my favorite. Go pick it up! :)