Prayers

One of my nieces, her husband, and their little girl welcomed a little boy into their family. He was born June 17 but was not due until August 1. He has done very well. They thought they would be bringing him home pretty soon. Unfortunately, I just found out that recent tests revealed some health issues. I know no more than that.

Will you please be praying for this baby and his family...

Sewing

I'm not doing much sewing, but I did get these made for Isabel and Colt.

I also cut out three tail-less do-rags for Jonathan. (He received permission to wear them at work...as long as they didn't have a tail.) Then I got to thinking about them being tail-less and when they were tied what happens to the part where the tail was. So I only made one. I've got to get it in the mail if not tomorrow, on Monday.


I made a Peach-Cherry Slab Pie to take to work tomorrow for our July birthdays. Da Judge asked one of the birthday folks what her favorite cake is. She answered that she preferred pies, but that ------ . I remembered this pie and told Da Judge that I would make it. It's really easy and really good for a crowd. LOL You can also snitch a piece of this in the middle of the night and leave no clues because you don't need a fork and saucer. ;-)
















Apricot Cherry Slab Pie

3 1/4 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Shortening
1 Egg Yolk
Milk
1/2 cup Sugar
3 tablespoons Cornstarch
3 (15 1/4 oz) cans apricot halves, drained and cut into quarters
1 (16-oz) can pitted tart red cherries, drained

1. For pastry, in a large mixing bowl stir together the flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly beat egg yolk in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to egg yolk to make 3/4 cup total liquid; mix well. Stir egg yolk mixture into flour mixture; mix well. Set aside one-third of the dough.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll remaining two-thirds of dough into an 18x12-inch rectangle. To transfer pastry, carefully wrap it around the rolling pin; unroll into a 14x10x1-inch baking pan (pastry will hang over edges of pan). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large bowl combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in apricots and cherries. Spoon into the prepared crust.
4. Roll the remaining dough into a 16x11-inch rectangle; place over fruit. Bring bottom pastry up and over top pastry. Seal edges with the tines of a fork. Prick top pastry over entire surface with the tines of a fork.
5. Bake about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool. Drizzle with Vanilla Glaze. Cut into 2x3-inch bars.

Vanilla Glaze: In a small bowl combine 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and enough water (5-6 teaspoons) to make drizzling consistency.

Note: I used two large cans of sliced peaches instead of apricots...couldn't find any apricots in the store.

Grand Things in My Life

Well, this is actually one of Sam's grand things! LOL

Apricot Fried Pies

Here are two really GRAND elements in my life...

Colt and Isabel... I don't know what the deal is about posing the babies in or on cooking surfaces.

Pensive...

Tuckered out...

Sunset

Last night's sunset.

Remember the photo of the fledgling my son took with his camera phone? They have younger siblings taking up all of mom and dad's time. LOL Look at the size of that mouth!

O' Say Can You See...

O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
’Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation.
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust;”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Any Rain in Them Thar Clouds?

Sure...just not over my house! However we did not get the bad weather! In Gilmer, a building on the courthouse square lost its roof...it landed on the courthouse lawn! Trees down on the ground and through roofs of houses. As much as we need the rain, we do not need loss of property and possibly lives...

My very FIRST lightning strike photo. I am so excited! I know that it's not very showy. But hey! It's my first!

The hole in the clouds over my house. Yes that is a bit of an exaggeration, but there is a hole in the clouds...and I am standing in my front yard.

Moving the camera just a bit...no rain in these clouds! Every so often, afterwards, not while I am taking the photos mind you...afterwards I see an antennae or "guy" wire in my photo. Sam's Ham radio antennae is such a part of my sky view that I do not notice it!

Summer Time....

...and the living is easy. Fish are jumping, and the cotton is high...

And the pear tree is loaded!

I should be ashamed of myself. I should've gotten out after the fruit set and thinned. Alas. I didn't. I noticed a broken branch, so started thinning.
This was a cluster of SEVEN!
As I thinned, I could visibly see the limbs perking up a bit. They should've...look at the ground! Hopefully the squirrels will eat these and stay out of the tree. Hmmm...ever seen a smart squirrel? They play kamakazi in the roads around here.

Sure wish there was some rain in these clouds! My crepe myrtles are a-bloom. Here's the newest addition to the neighborhood.We finally got some rain last night...but not enough to lift the county-wide burn ban. This was sunset just after the rain. The worst of the storm was to our southwest, and the clouds are still very heavy. The lightning just lit up the clouds...no jagged bolts.

Sunset

See the bird? Just to the left of center above the clouds. Sigh...you can probably also see the guy wire that runs from Sam's Ham radio tower. It's a part of the view that I don't "see" any more. With a little work in Paint, I have made it disappear from some photos. :D

More of the Visit

I really miss Jonathan! We had such a good time. Although it was too short for me what with my working and all. Wish I could talk him into moving...

Sam and I knew we had a mockingbird nest somewhere. He spied it in one of the live oaks we planted last year and mentioned "a" bird. Jonathan and I found two in the live oak. He took these birdie photos with his cellphone.This baby was hiding from us.Jonathan then spotted this pretty in my camellia...and here's #4. Oh...I thought he took four photos but I can't find the photo of the fourth baby birdie.

But I did find this. LOL My 27 year old son travels with a SpongeBob Square Pants toothbrush. LOL He said he bought it for the small size...since he is traveling on a motorcycle with limited luggage space. Anyway...that's his story. Mine is...MY 27-YEAR OLD SON BRUSHES HIS TEETH WITH A SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS TOOTHBRUSH! hahahahahahaha

The evening sky today. We've all got our fingers and toes crossed for rain. Our county as well as most around us are in a burn ban. We are desperate for rain...and all along the Mississippi and Missouri, they've had flooding...

Baking Again

How about some pretzel bread?! Jonathan made the dough. I helped him roll it into balls. After it boiled very very briefly in water that has had baking soda added...he dipped them out onto a baking sheet and with a knife I scored an X in each. Then he sprinkled them liberally with kosher salt.Then they were baked until pretty and brown. Jonathan said you have to have a German beer to drink while eating pretzel rolls. I had unsweet iced tea.

The recipe...
Pretzel Bread

2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 cup water (110-120 degrees)
2 tablespoons room temperature milk
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour

4 quarts water
1/2 cup baking soda

Kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons melted butter

Add yeast, water, milk, brown sugar, and butter into a large bowl, whisking until all ingredients are combined. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes for yeast to activate. Mix in kosher salt. Start by adding two cups of flour to the bowl, combining it with other ingredients. Add more flour as it is needed, reserving just a bit for kneading later.

The dough should form a slightly tacky, but firm ball. Oil the bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, knead the dough by hand or machine for at least 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic and satiny. Place dough back in the bowl and cover for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and gently de-gas it. Form two separate balls of dough, forming them into the shape you want. Drop one of the balls into the baking soda bath for no longer than 30 seconds, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water from the dough and place it on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with second ball of dough.

Sprinkle the kosher salt over the bread to your specific tastes and make sure to use a knife to cut a small incision on the top of the bread so the dough has somewhere to expand.

Cook the bread for 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once.

Once removed from the oven, immediately brush with melted butter if you want a soft crust.

***What Jonathan did...he combined all dough ingredients in my stand mixer with a dough hook.

As you can see, he used a pastry knife and cut the dough into 16 wedges then rolled them into balls.

He did not brush butter on the rolls to soften the crust.

He DID drink his German beer with supper!