The best of intentions.....

 

I made a pact with myself to write more often, but ahhhh.  I just didn't.  I don't spend much time in my office anymore.  It's unorganized, and I just can't find the umph to go do it.  I'll go in and straighten 4 or 5 things (often paperwork) and then give up.  

Today I need to bake a pie for the potluck we're having tomorrow (at church).  I've finally found a pie crust recipe that is mostly easy.  I've always been a big fan of Pillsbury crusts, since all you have to do is drop it in and go.  

If there's one thing I've noticed about myself, it's my propensity for making things complicated or difficult.  It's a gift 😉

My tomato plants look awful, but I'm waiting for a lot of tomatoes to ripen.  We had a deluge last week ~ soaked my brand new patio furniture cushions, which took 3 days to dry out.  And that's here in the land of no humidity and a lot of sunshine!  It was great to get the rain, but that was enough for 3 or 4 days worth.  It's the wind during and after the rain that did a number on my tomatoes.  One branch broke off with three ripening tomatoes on it, so I'm considering making fried green tomatoes.  And I've come to the conclusion that unless you have a 6 foot tall tomato cage, there's no point in getting a indeterminate plant.  It's a good 1 1/2 foot taller than the cage, so the wind did a number on that plant too.  Live and learn I guess!  Of course, I go out and pick off the tomato horn worms and throw them out onto the busy road we have behind us, hoping they'll be pancakes before they make an escape.

Even with all this fussing, I am enjoying having a garden again.  

My friend that I spoke about having the spinal stroke has returned to church ~ I was so surprised to see him, and happy too.  I have heard that he will chant on Sunday, probably to help the choir to get through Sunday without our main chanter.  They took out the regular pew and replaced it with a much smaller one so that we can accomodate people in wheelchairs ~ which I thought was about time.  

Well, better get started on that pie, so that if I screw it up I can make another one.😙

Enjoy your weekend, and I hope your weather is good!

Love, 365

It's a beautiful morning....

 

I'm not sure where this is, I only know it's in New Mexico.  Probably near the 4 corners area (NM, AZ, UT, CO).  When I see a stunning photo I add it to my photos, just to share.  Sadly I didn't write down the name of the person who took it ~ but enjoy!

Out of bed this morning at 5:30 am to bake the two loaves I fashioned yesterday.  And I do know which is the band aide loaf 😇

Romeo and Demitri (who had a quick trip outside) are still sleeping.  I am listening to the tick tick tick of the oven.  1:42 minutes left until I can remove the lids from the dutch ovens to see how the bread looks.  Will it rise spectacularly?  Or not?  It's always like Christmas when you remove the lid.....and here we go.

Both look great, but the "A" loaf looks wonderful.  That's good for giving away.  And the smell of sourdough bread baking ~ even despite the heat the oven puts off ~ is worth it.  At least I won't have to subsist on pita bread (Greek pita, which is a flatbread).  My baking friend gave away bags and bags of frozen Greek pita to make room for the baklava, so I still have two in the garage freezer.

We will have to consume the sourdough quickly ~ it's been so warm that mold grows on it after a week.  I may slice and freeze some if we don't gobble it down.  

I have enjoyed my garden this year, lots of summer tomatoes ripening.  I have plenty of basil to go along with it and smoked balsamic.  If you've never tried smoked balsamic, do.  It is wonderful over salads, and over tomatoes with basil and feta, it's just divine.  Hey, Peg, the balsamic is gluten free!

This is Camel Rock, just outside of Santa Fe.  Sadly it is eroding away, and in another 10 years (maybe less, maybe more!) it won't look like a camel anymore.  

Enjoy your Saturday!

Love, 365
 

Not certain where to begin............

 

Demitri does not like the heat.  After a morning walk he craps out for a few hours.  Haha, no intended pun to the next part of the story.

How did my colonoscopy go, you might ask.  Well.  It was all the fun you might guess it to be during the prep.  I followed all the instructions.  Thankful that I had thought ahead to buy depends so I didn't have to do a lot of laundry.  On Tuesday I had a rotten headache.  No ibuprofen allowed, so I just tried to take a nap to remedy it.  On the morning of the procedure I got up at 5 am to begin drinking the rest of the prep.  Making it beforehand and putting it in the fridge was a great suggestion ~ it really wasn't bad tasting.  Right around 9am I started getting a headache again.  Only this one was taking a bad turn, and by 9:30 I knew I was getting a migraine.  At 10:30 I was in so much pain, I took the ibuprofen anyway.  Called the Dr's office and told them what was going on.  They were ok with me coming in even though I took the pain meds, but I told the nurse that called that I am not getting into a car and being driven to an appointment, when all I want to do is lay down in a dark room and try to sleep it off.  

So I went through all that for nothing.  I was upset and crying on the phone ~ the thought of having to go through all this again was awful .  If (and I do mean if) I reschedule, it's not going to be for awhile.

Now, let me gross  you out.  Nah, I know you want to read it, haha

It's been a month since I've made bread, so yesterday and this morning I put the dough together for two loaves.  One sourdough recipe has an overnight proof (meaning you're waiting for the yeast do it's thing) and the other one you do what they call coil folds to develop the dough ~ which involves wetting your hands and lifting the dough in the center and let it fold over on itself.  You do this every 30 minutes for 4 or 5 times, or more until the dough is ready for the next step.  

Yesterday Demitri and I were playing ~ he likes me to throw his toys so he can bring it back, wrestle with it a bit and throw again.  He jumped to get the toy and my finger ended up being cut from those sharp teeth, so I put a band aide on it.  

You guessed, didn't you?  I was doing the coil fold, probably the 3rd time, and when I washed my hands I realized the dratted thing wasn't there anymore.  Aaaaaah!  It was not in the sink ~ it was in the dough.  It took me a few minutes to find it.  How very disgusting.  Guess we'll keep that loaf :-) and give away the other.  It's true what they say, you learn something new every day.  Not all of those things elicit the "cool!" response. 

Have an enjoyable weekend!

Love, 365