Memorial Day

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. 

~Joseph Campbell

We are off to visit family over the long holiday weekend.  Back on Tuesday!

Easy Homemade Bread

Homemade bread - second rising

Because there is little that I adore more than fresh, warm from the oven homemade bread slathered with real butter, I make bread on a daily basis.  And while the "5 minute a day"  bread has its place, I find it just as easy to use my grandma's recipe.  This is the recipe she taught me (and my momma) to make bread with many years ago and it is still, hands down, my favorite recipe.  It is a simple and basic, but most delicious bread.

Grandma Lucy's Bread

Makes one loaf, can be doubled

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups flour (approximate)

In large bowl combine yeast, sugar, salt and water, let sit for 5 minutes.  Stir in flour, a little at a time until it becomes too difficult to stir.  Add a little more of the flour and begin kneading. Add more flour as necessary and continue kneading until smooth and elastic. Place in a large well greased bowl and let rise until doubled - approximately 1 hour.  Sprinkle with a little more flour, punch down and knead again just a little bit. 

Shape and place in a greased loaf pan. Let rise for another hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. When done, the bread will be a lovely golden color and sound hollow when tapped on the top.  Turn bread out onto a cooling rack.  If you are like me - force yourself to wait 10 minutes, then cut off a rather large chunk of warm bread and smear with 6 tablespoons of real butter (I exaggerate - but not by much, lol).  If you are not like me, leave the kitchen and let the bread cool completely before slicing.

As a side note, if you position the bread sideways on your cooling rack, and lay the bread on its side to cool, the rack will leave perfectly spaced indentions in the bread - which help you to cut uniform slices of bread.

Once you are confident in making this bread - go ahead and experiment.  I have used this recipe to make cinnamon rolls, pepperoni rolls, pizza crust, herb rolls, etc.

Homemade Fabric Softener

While doing some online "research", I came across this "recipe" for homemade fabric softener.  Curious, I decided to give it a go and see what happened.

I must admit I am very pleasantly surprised at how well this works.  No static cling to speak of and no chemically sweet floral scent - which tends to give me a headache and sometimes seems to give my clothes a "coated", non clean feel.

Homemade Fabric Softener

1 cup baking soda

6 cups distilled white vinegar

8 cups water

10 -15 drops essential oils (optional)

You will need a one gallon container - I used an empty distilled water gallon bottle.

In a large bucket, place the baking soda.

Next add 1 cup of water to start with and stir.

Slowly add the vinegar  - as the vinegar and baking soda will start to fizz.

Then add the rest of the water stirring it around a few times.

Last add the essential oil, if using, and stir again.

Transfer the fabric softener to your 1 gallon container.  It is now ready to use.  Add 1/2 to 1 cup to your final rinse cycle for each load but give the bottle a good shake to stir up the essential oil if using.

A Growing Jedi

Relaxing on the patio wall

We took Yoda to the vet last Friday for a checkup.  She weighed in at 14 ounces - large enough to be wormed but not quite big enough for any shots yet.  This is not my usual vet.  My "normal" vet is much closer to my home but he was the doctor that the family who owned the momma cat goes to and he ended up with the kittens.  Which were being fostered when we got Yoda.

The vet and staff absolutely adore Yoda - kisses and whispered sweet nothings were in abundance.  And the doctor refuses to accept any payment whatsoever for the medical care.  He says that most people wouldn't have taken on such a small and needy kitten.  He stated that she is lucky to be alive and to have us caring for her.  Of course, we feel we are the blessed ones and I told him I was more than willing to pay for her care. He flatly refused.

As you can imagine, I will be taking all my pets to him from this day forward as well as referring all my friends and family who have pets to him from now on.

A Cake for My Boys

I don't dislike eating cake, mind you, but given the choice I would much rather have pie.  Cherry, please.  Serve it up with some homemade vanilla ice cream and I promise to be your slave.  But my boys (I count the photographer here, tee hee) prefer cake to pie. And when one sweetly requests (okay, begs) that I make a cake, how can I refuse?

The proper title of this cake is "Heath Bar Cake".  However, my guys don't really care for Heath bars (this I cannot fathom!) so I left them out.

This is so simple that I don't really consider it to be "cooking".  Prepare a boxed german chocolate cake mix as directed and bake in a 13x9 pan.  When cake tests done, remove it from the oven and immediately use a wooden toothpick or skewer to poke holes all over the cake.  Pour one jar of caramel ice cream topping all over the cake and then pour one can of sweetened condensed milk all over the cake.  (Both of these will be absorbed into the holes you just poked).

Refrigerate until well chilled.  "Frost" with cool whip and garnish with a few chopped up Heath bars.  I skipped the Heath bars and grated some bittersweet chocolate on top instead.

A very simple, gooey, sweet that delights my boys (and their friends).

Pillowcase Apron

I found this pillowcase at the thrift store for 10 cents and figured I may as well purchase it.  I thought I could use it as a "muslin" if for nothing else. 

While pulling it out of the dryer to fold, I realized it was the perfect size for a half apron and placed it with my sewing stash.  Although, I am not thrilled with the pattern I do love the weight and feel of the material and am very happy with the way my ten cent apron turned out.

As I prefer my aprons to hit just above the knee, I simply cut off the top (where the seam is) of the pillowcase by eyeballing and guestimating. I cut the top piece in half, then cut the side seams open.  This gave me two long pieces of fabric to make the apron strings.  I cut one piece in half and stitched to each end of the larger piece.  Next, I turned a 1/4 inch under on both sides and folded the entire piece in half and ironed.  The last step was to pin the top of the apron into the tie pieces and sew it all together.

Simple and quick to make, useful and frugal as well. 

Being Thankful

I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.... I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby. 

~Nancie J. Carmody

Learning Something New

I have wanted to try my hand at making soap for a while now.  The photographer shakes his head in disbelief.  Why would anyone want to make soap when it is so easy to just buy it, he asks.  I don't truly know the answer - other than most soap isn't very moisturizing to the skin.  Mostly though, the reason is just because I want to.  And that's all the reason I need as far as I am concerned, tee hee!

I purchased two books a while back and have been gathering my supplies a bit at a time.  I was amazed to discover that it takes an act of congress (almost) to purchase lye.  Apparently, lye is used in the manufacturing of many of the more dangerous illegal drugs in our area.  Therefore, one is required to show ID and sign a form stating that one does not intend to make drugs with it before being allowed to bring it home!

My books promise that soapmaking is no big deal, very easy in fact.  They go on to inform me that working with lye is really no big deal as long as I am very careful and pay attention to what I am doing.

Soapmaking is on the calendar for this weekend.  Wish me luck!

My Blue Jean Quilt

After all the cutting of squares was completed, I realized that I had enough of them to make 2 full size quilts!  One I intend to back with a somewhat psychodelic peace print for Pierce to carry off to university this fall.  The other, I backed with a more sedate brown and blue floral print.  Which is much closer to my aesthetic.

Rather than actually quilting it, I simply tacked with matching embroidery thread.

Boy, this sucker is heavy!  Approximately 10 pounds!  But it is perfect for what it is intended for.  Picnics, outdoor concerts, etc.  I hope to have Pierce's quilt completed sometime next week.  An adorable baby kitty named Yoda is taking up all my free time these days!

A New Clothespin Bag

I purchased a new rotating, umbrella type clothesline two weeks ago and the photographer installed it for me last week.  Then the rains began and we haven't had a dry day in the last week!  I was able to hang the bed linens out but that is the extent of the clothesline use so far.

April was the second wettest month on record in our area.  Almost a foot of rain fell over 30 days!  Thankfully, the weatherman promises that this week will be much nicer.  Scattered showers but not all day rains like we have been having. 

While admiring my new clothesline and dreaming of being able to hang the laundry, I realized that I didn't have any clothespins!  A trip to my local hardware store remedied the situation but I couldn't locate a clothespin bag that I really liked. 

I was cruising through the thrift store a few days ago, just to see what they had in stock and happened to glance over to the one area I never venture into.  The children's clothing section.  The lightbulb turned on and I had a eureka moment!  A quick flip through the toddler sizes and I came home with 3 new (to me) shirts.  A little creative sewing on the machine turned them into darling clothespin bags.

I am keeping the orange one for myself but the red flannel one is listed in my shop!

This Evening's Dessert

Spring Cleaning

I tend to put off my spring cleaning until Pierce is finished with his school year.  I have always done it this way and Pierce knows that he is expected to be "on call" that week.  My reasoning behind this is that I have an extra pair of hands should I need help (and I always do).

Pierce wasn't always so willing to offer assistance - until I pointed out that if I am cleaning the house that he lives in from top to bottom, from the inside out in an effort to make it a clean and comfortable place for him and his friends -then the very least he can do is carry the boxes for Goodwill to the car and help me move the dressers so I can clean behind them.

I tackle one room a day (if possible).  I always enter the room with 2 large trash bags - one for actual trash and the other for things to go to charity. I start upstairs and work my way down.  Closets are emptied first, and clothing scrutinized.  Anything that hasn't been worn in a year is removed. 

I then begin at the doorway and work my way around the room, left to right and top to bottom.  The order goes something like this: Walls are washed, bed linens (including pillows) are laundered, mattresses flipped, furniture dusted and polished, glassware/trinkets carried downstairs and washed, dried and replaced, baseboards wiped down with a wet cloth, mirrors cleaned, and floors are cleaned (shampooed or mopped).

I like to make my own cleaning products using essential oils for their aromatic and antiseptic qualities.  It is much cheaper (and healthier) to make my own and I don't get headaches from all the competing chemical scents.  In the spring and summer, I prefer to use a lavender and rosemary blend. 

Scrubbing commences tomorrow!

Meet Yoda

My telephone rang yesterday while we were getting ready to go to my momma's for a Mother's Day cookout.  It was my sister calling to inform me that her neighbor, Diane, was in possession of a few kittens.  Apparently, the momma cat was killed by a car and had given birth to a litter of 5 just two weeks earlier.  Diane works for a veterinarian and often fosters animals.  She has been providing loving care to these babies for a few weeks now - bottle feeding them until they were old enough for solid food.

Knowing how devastated Pierce is over the loss of Shea, my sister thought we may want one of the kittens.  Pierce and I drove to Diane's and agreed immediately that this teeny, tiny ball of furry love was coming home with us.  Pierce took one look at him and said "He looks like Yoda - that's what we'll name him". 

Isn't he adorable?  He is the runt of the litter.  At 4 weeks old, he weighs only 8 ounces and is no bigger than Pierce's hand!

No animal could ever replace Shea in Pierce's heart - but Yoda has helped to ease the pain quite a bit.  Our home is once again filled with the sound of Pierce's laughter as he watches Yoda explore the house. It touches me deeply to see how tenderly he is caring for our newest family member.

Copper Pots

The photographer almost had a heart attack when I purchased these copper pots and pans a while back.  They are professional grade Cuisinart and I freely admit that I paid a small fortune for them. In my defense, I spend lots of time in the kitchen and these are heirloom quality - I will never, ever need to purchase another set.  Cooking is one of my passions and I take the art of food preparation very seriously - be it a simple soup and salad or a complicated four course dinner that takes all day to prepare.

Plus I got them on sale for almost half price!  The photographer was not impressed with the "sale" price.  I gently pointed out that as the chief cook and bottle washer in this establishment I feel that I am entitled to quality cookware.  I also reminded him that I consider "homemaking" to be my profession.  And I never so much as bat an eyelash when he purchases new camera equipment for his profession.  Thankfully, he understands and it has become a running joke that any food I set before him tastes sooo much better simply because it was prepared in professional cookware.

I can't say that these pots and pans have made me a "better" cook, but they have made me a "happier" cook.  And I think, in the end, that's all that matters.

Smoked Turkey

Most people I know bake a ham for Easter.  My boys can't seem to agree on a ham they both like.  The Photographer prefers a "country" ham while Pierce would rather have a "city" ham.  The difference being a country ham is salt cured and needs to be soaked for up to 48 hours in water before cooking and a city ham is sugar cured and requires no special handling other than being baked. 

I do cook both types of ham throughout the year but baking 2 different hams for each holiday was becoming a little tedious and so they agreed a long time ago to compromise and decided that smoked turkey was their holiday meal of choice.

It's a fairly simple but long process - definitely worth the end result.  We have a smoker but it takes FOREVER to cook that way and I finally decided that I could do just as well with our charcoal grill.

Smoked Turkey

1 large whole turkey or turkey breast

3 tablespoons Worchestershire Sauce

3 tablespoons canola or corn oil

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon black pepper
1/4 ro 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Wood chips (can be purchased at the grocery store)

Loosen the skin on the turkey by running your hand between the skin and flesh.  Mix together the Worchestershire sauce and oil and brush over the skin and meat.  Mix together the spices (I do this in a plastic baggie to ensure that the brown sugar gets evenly distributed).  Rub the spice mixture over the entire turkey - under the skin, on the skin and inside the cavity if cooking a whole turkey.  (This step can be done the night before and the turkey refrigerated.  Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let sit for an hour before cooking.)

Soak the wood chips in water (at least 30 minutes).

Start charcoal in the grill.  Once ready, evenly divide coals on both sides and place a large metal bowl or cast iron dutch oven in the center of the coals.  Fill the bowl with water. You can also place the turkey in a large disposable aluminum  baking dish and forgo the water, just be sure to divide the charcoal so that the turkey is cooking via indirect heat.

Place the turkey on the center of the grill rack.  Scatter a few wood chips on top of the hot coals.  Lower the lid and open the grill vents approximately half way to allow the chips to begin smoking. 

Check the turkey hourly, adding more chips as necessary.   The turkey is done when the juices run clear.  Cooking time depends on how much charcoal you use and how hot they get.  I use about a half a bag of charcoal and it takes 3-4 hours to cook a large turkey breast (6 hours for a whole turkey).  When done, remove from grill and let sit for 30 minutes for the juices to redistribute.  Carve and serve.

May The 4th Be With You

Soon the rebellion will be crushed and young Skywalker will be one of us
~ The Emperor, Star Wars

 

Pierce is a die hard Star Wars fan and informed me last night that today is "May The 4th Be With You" day.  A rather cute variation of May The Force Be With You.

For the past several years, he and his friends have dressed for the day as a Star Wars character.  Lots of planning go into their costumes and lots of giggles ensue afterwards.

This photo was taken last Halloween, when, of course, he dressed up as a Star Wars character.  He has university finals scheduled for today so, after much debate, he decided against wearing the cloak to class.  Instead he will be donning a t-shirt featuring Darth Vader and the caption "Who's Your Daddy?"