Morning Serenade

foggy morning
amplifies song
spring peeper
red-winged blackbird
sandhill crane
rooster bob

wake up to spring

Good Reads

What we're reading:

As you can see, we've been learning about the Titanic, Inventions, Genetics, Electricity and all things French.

And for myself:

I am weary.

I am weary of a world in which politicians jockey for votes. Or create mind-numbingly wasteful bills. Or create divisiveness in all of the work they do.

Why is there

so.

much.

hate?

Why do we tolerate it?

Is it okay to tell anyone else how to live their lives?
Even if we think we are doing them a favor?

Where is logic and middle-ground?

One of our esteemed senators has proposed a "wonderful" bill in Wisconsin. One that states single-parent homes are contributing factors in child abuse.

I am trying to figure this out.

For what reason would a person create this bill?

I am assuming that he created this bill out of a "concern" for the welfare of children.

But, what I'm really trying to figure out is how does this bill solve the problem about which he is supposedly so concerned?

Should all single parents now get married? Does that suddenly prevent any child abuse? And what if my spouse dies? Will I become an abusive parent? What about all of the abuse that occurs inside of two-parent households? Maybe we need a new bill for that?

Meanwhile, Wisconsin is the only state in the nation that hasn't had private-sector job growth.

But we're coming down hard on those single parents.

Real work is being done in Wisconsin, people.

Thinking about Gardening

This is a solar-lunar calendar. 

Apart from being quite beautiful to look at ~ a work of art, really ~ it also provides gardening advice.

Various dates are marked with symbols explaining when is the best time, or a good time, or a favorable time for certain gardening activities.

This particular calendar is made by these folks. They've been doing it for many a year and the calendars are always beautiful and creative. 

I have never followed a solar/lunar calendar for gardening ~ usually I'm just trying to get everything in before the end of June (grin).

But it is intriguing and I hope to follow it somewhat this year and see what magic happens in my garden!

Anyone out there ever follow a calendar like this for gardening? I'd love to hear how it seemed to affect your plantings.

Sunday Afternoon

For my birthday I received a sweet, yummy tea:

It is a wonderful tea--fruity with a hint of cinnamon and I find it perfect for an afternoon tea break. It has no caffeine, so it won't keep me up at night. And it's light, bright taste gives me a pick-me-up when I need it most.

Look at the color--it's just gorgeous.

And what would an afternoon cup of tea be without a delicious piece of locally hand-crafted chocolate?

Yes, her name really is Gail Ambrosius and she makes the most divine truffles and chocolate treats. She loves what she does and her passion shines through her products.

Hope your Sunday is relaxing and peaceful.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

If only scent could be transmitted over the internet like photos.

My kitchen is heavenly right now. 

There is nothing like the smell of freshly baking bread.

Honey Oatmeal Bread
taken from Kitchen Aid instruction manual

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup butter
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
2 tsps salt
2 packages active dry yeast
2 eggs
1 egg white
1 TBSP water
oatmeal

Place water, honey and butter in samll saucepan. Heat over low heat until mixture is very warm (120 to 130 degrees).

First place oats, then 5 cups flour, salt and yeast in mixer bowl. Attach bowl  and PowerKneed Spiral Dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 15 seconds. Continuing on speed 2, gradually add warm mixture to flour mixture and mix about one minute. Add eggs and mix about a minute longer.

Coninuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix about 2 minutes or until dough starts to clean side of the bowl. Knead on speed 2 for about 2 minutes longer.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf. Place in greased 8 1/4x4 1/2x 2 1/2 baking pans. Cover. Let rise in a warm place free from draft for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.

Beat egg white and water together with a fork. Brush tops of loaves with mixture. Sprinkle with oatmeal. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

I love this bread as toast and for sandwiches. If you don't have a KitchenAid you just have to mix this by hand, which can be very meditative and peaceful.

Sweet

When I was a girl, my grandma used to make zucchini bread. She never called it that, but instead called it sweet bread.

Then after we had eaten it and declared that we liked it and wanted another piece, she would inform us gleefully that it was zucchini bread.

I assume we didn't like zucchini.

But I'm not positive. Because I also remember my mom making slices of fried zucchini that had been dipped in an egg wash and bread crumbs and I'm pretty sure we went gaga over that.

But perhaps the idea of zucchini in a sweet bread would have had us turning up our noses at grandma's labors.

Anyhoo--it was good. And I have always loved sweet breads and cannot make them without thinking of my grandmother.

Sweet breads are a wonderful invention for those of us who choose to plant zucchini.

Or those of us who purchase bananas the very week that our kids decide to take a firm hiatus from them.

I found this recipe for banana bread in one of my Cooks Country magazines and decided to give it a try. The interesting twist to this recipe is that it includes Grape Nuts cereal. I made two loaves. In one of the loaves I used a half of a cup of honey in place of the sugar. I also added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to both loaves.

Aidan did the blind taste test. It transpired that he liked the loaf made with honey "a bit better, but they are both really good."

I like the little crunchy bits that the Grape Nuts provide. The creator of this recipe suggests toasting slices in the toaster oven and spreading with butter.

Sounds like breakfast.

Gather your ingredients:

Grape Nuts Banana Bread
Judy Kuretsky

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup honey)
3/4 cup Grape Nuts cereal
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed bananas (about two over-ripe)
1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 large egg

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan. Combine flour, sugar, Grape-Nuts, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Whisk bananas, milk, oil and egg in medium bowl until smooth. Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture until combined.

Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and toothpick in center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool bread in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The bread will keep at room temperature up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Enjoy!