Adventures in Breadmaking

A loaf of beer bread. It's one of our favorites. You can use any beer and it always comes out tasty and easy to slice. 

It's been over a year ... 365+ days ... since my breadmaker arrived at my front door. I had considered buying one for a while, but didn't give it serious thought . . . until, while switching the channel on TV, I saw one advertised on a shopping channel. That's all it took and I was on the hunt. With my husband's help, I narrowed down my choices to a few and then we comparison shopped features and price. The Hamilton Beach 2 lb Digital Breadmaker, Model 29881, won out with good reviews and a super price at Walmart.

There's something you probably don't know about me. How could you? Here's my little secret: I am reluctant to use, possibly even fearful of, new appliances. (I'll write about my new mixer another time! 😉) Huh? Yes. You read that correctly. I'm not sure why, but it's the truth. Whenever we've needed to buy a new kitchen appliance, washer, dryer, sewing machine, computer or even a car, I opt for the simplest model that doesn't have lots of fancy features. It's less stressful for me to learn how to use it . . . and I've convinced myself that I really don't need all the bells and whistles anyway! I guess you could say ignorance is bliss . . . and I don't know what I'm missing. 

However, I was determined not to fall prey to my fears with my new breadmaker, and while the machine was on it's way, I spent hours and hours pouring over bread machine blogs and recipes on the internet. I researched cookbooks on Amazon and settled on two that weren't too intimidating.

One of the two cookbooks I ordered from Amazon: The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook

The second of the two cookbooks I ordered from Amazon: The No-Fuss Bread Machine Cookbook

When the machine arrived, I let it sit in it's box for a day. I needed to be in the right mood to open it and unpack it. It was simple and straightforward looking. There was a little booklet enclosed with instructions and quite a few recipes to try. I ordered some baking supplies from the grocery store and picked them up the same day . . . bread flour, eggs, butter and yeast. I had all.the other ingredients on hand. I'm proud to say I jumped into making my first loaf of bread with confidence and it came out perfect. It was even tasty. 🍞 For once, my tendency to over research things paid off. And ever since that day, I've been using my breadmaker two or three times a week. I've tried many recipes and have had only two total failures plus a few loaves that we just didn't care for the taste or texture. I make small loaves because there's just the two of us and I also make dough for sandwich rolls and pizza that I bake in the oven. 

Here she is!
My favorite kitchen appliance. Well, maybe it's a tie with my coffee maker. ♡

Making bread in the breadmaker has been a learning experience for me. Knowing that the breads we eat are fresh and healthy, without preservatives makes me happy and having such a variety of choice is fun and makes mealtimes more interesting. I freeze the ends of the bread and any slices that are a few days old. I use them to make croutons for our soups and salads. 🥗

My breadmaking station. My inner home ecomomist is in her glory. 

These challah sandwich rolls are a staple in our house. I have made them with an egg wash, as seen here, as well as sprinkled with kosher salt and caraway seeds for beef on weck.

So far, I've made calzones just once, but they were a hit with the hubs. ♡

I need more practice, but the calzones turned out okay for my first try. 😋

This is probably our favorite thing to make at home. The dough is a very simple recipe that I found on the internet. It's been fun to experiment with different sauces, cheeses and toppings.

Did I mention that we haven't had a single loaf of store-bought bread since I started using my breadmaker? And the convenience of frozen pizzas is a thing of the past.

So, there you have it, as promised . . . with some photos. You can click on the photos to enlarge them for a closer look. 👁👁

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read this post. As always, your questions and comments are welcome. And, if you have bread machine experiences or recipes to share, please add them in the comments below or on my Facebook page under this post. 

I hope this finds you and those you love happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

Signs of Hope

Pictured are snow drops, daffodil leaves pushing up, our forsythia bush, tulips emerging next to a tree and a close up of the new leaves on the forsythia. 

Spring will officially arrive one month from today, but here in Alexander, New York,  there are some welcome signs that indicate spring is as anxious to get here as I am to welcome it!

It's been a windy winter and some days it's been just too bone-chilling cold and muddy for me to walk about in our yard. But today, the wind was only 11 mph, the ground had dried out a little and the temperature was a mild 39°F.

I grabbed my leaf blower on the way out the door and used it to move a lot of the leaves away from my path. I left most of them right where they were on the flower beds though, because it's way too early to uncover them . . . especially when there's ice and snow in the forecast. The weather is very changeable in February and March in Western New York. We've already had days in the 50's that were followed by temps a few days later that dipped into the teens.

On my next walkabout, I'll cut some forsythia branches. They'll look pretty as they blossom in a tall vase and they require no special attention, except water. It's a big reward for no effort!

I hope you are enjoying the hope that spring's return offers and that you'll be noticing signs in the coming weeks.

I had written in my last post that I'd write about my adventures with my breadmaker. It's been a year since I started making breads and I will write about it soon. It's been fun and rewarding. 

Thank you for taking a few moments to read this post. Your questions and comments are welcome, either on Facebook or in the comment section here in Blogger. 

It is my sincere hope that you and those you love are happy and healthy and until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

 

70

Birthdays. I usually don't lament them. Instead, I have always looked forward to birthdays. But this year I've been in a bit of a funk as the big day has been approaching. It's not the number that makes me sad. I don't feel old. It's the fact that there's so much I have yet to do while I'm on this earth. And as my mother used to say when she got to be my age, "Ive got more years behind me than I have ahead of me." I've been fortunate to have lived a pretty amazing life ... by my terms ... and I want it to continue for many more years. I have goals and I'm trying to make each day count ... not always in big ways, but in small and significant ways that make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

There's a YouTube channel that I like to watch ...

https://youtube.com/@NikolJohnson

I really enjoyed her message today. It was what I needed to hear as I lived this last day of my 6th decade of life. Granted, Nikol is much younger than me, but she works with many clients who are my age and older. She gets it.

There are lots of thoughts and memories running through my mind tonight as I write this, but I'll let Nikol sum it up for me. Here's a link to the video she published yesterday:

https://youtu.be/EHHrdCZqFVg

Thanks for reading my post. It is my wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy; and until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

Re-entering the Blogosphere . . .

 December 30th, 2022

Re-entering the Blogosphere . . .

It has been over a year and a half since I last made a post to my blog. That was in April of 2021. Each time I thought I’d write something, I felt so scattered, or void of inspiration, I just stopped. I didn’t even tell myself I would come back and try again. I just stopped! I can’t go back and recreate the thoughts or moods I had over the last twenty months, so I will just pick up from here; and if something occurs to me that harkens back to the days we were still deep in the pandemic, I will try to get that thought or emotion onto the page. I came to the realization recently that I was blaming the COVID-19 pandemic for my ambivalence and lack of enthusiasm, but I deluded myself. I used the pandemic as an excuse … a crutch … magical thinking … or whatever other term that allowed me to give up and attribute my stagnation to COVID-19. I wasn't personally afflicted with the virus, but it stole from me as we lost family members and friends. However, my husband and I both are fully vaccinated and boosted. We're going out and about, while exercising caution, and wearing our masks now that influenza, RSV and COVID-19 are currently on the uptick.

Since we are about to close the door on 2022, I’m thinking about how the past year played out and also thinking about what kinds of goals I’d like to set for myself for 2023. Over the past week, I have had a lot of time to think about these things because we were snowed in. The Blizzard of 2022, or Elliott, as it has been named, started a week ago today. As I write this, we are starting to thaw out. We saw the sun yesterday for the first time in almost a week. My little rural village was spared. We had a lot of snow, frigid temperatures, terrific high winds and blinding whiteouts, but it was nothing like Buffalo and other nearby towns experienced. We never lost power and our good neighbors checked on us, plowed our driveway and shoveled our walks. Thankfully, once it started to warm up, our frozen drains thawed yesterday. 😊

On Christmas Eve, all the roads were closed and there was a state of emergency. Local churches canceled their services. We watched the Christmas Eve service from the Vatican. It was comforting to see the beautiful St. Peter’s Basilica and hear the Pope’s meaningful homily. His message struck a chord with us.

So … watch for my posts in 2023 … and here's to closing this year in good health and starting the new year with plans to make it a good one for yourself, your family, your friends and our world.

And, as always, until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

P. S. If you've read this far, and you're looking for the part you must have missed that was about the loaf of freshly baked bread that's pictured above, I'm sorry; but you'll need to wait for the next post when I'll write about my breadmaking adventures over the past year! 😉

Spring Floral Arrangements and A Snowy Spring Day

The view this morning on our spring flowers and flowering bushes. Our andromeda japonica, azalea, and bleeding hearts all are under some heavy wet snow! Thankfully, by the time you read this, the snow will have started to melt!

We've had a delightful early spring with azalea and forsythia bushes in bloom and tulips and daffodils opening up and bringing cheer to the little garden spots tucked around our yard. When heavy wet snow was predicted this week, I got quite sad. So, I put my TO DO list aside yesterday and went outdoors to pick flowers and spend some creative time making floral arrangements.

But first, let me back up just a little bit. Over the past few months, I had watched some videos that demonstrated how to make fresh floral arrangements. Here is one I watched: https://youtu.be/wltUDiFQNFI  and here's another that I watched: https://youtu.be/sEIQsbqnwJU  I didn't have the kind of vessel I wanted to use, so I searched on Facebook Marketplace and found a glass one I liked. That was a few weeks ago. I ordered the supplies I needed, including a bouquet of flowers, in my curbside grocery order. I used the new vessel and the bouquet and was satisfied with my first attempt. It didnt seem a whole lot different to me than using silk flowers and greens for making wreaths or table-top arrangements. I used the floral preservative that came with the bouquet to extend the life of the arrangement and it lasted over two weeks. I learned that fresh arrangements are pretty big drinkers, so I watered it daily. Below are photos with captions from my first arrangement. You can click on the photos for a closer look. 

Flowers from the grocery store and the glass vessel I picked up on Facebook Marketplace . . .  ready to start arranging,

My first attempt at arranging.
I added some euonymus from our front yard as filler. 

To beat the weather forecast, I gathered several daffodils, tulips and forsythia branches yesterday to use in arrangements. I used a dish I had on hand for the first arrangement and used that same glass vessel for the second one. Below are photos with captions of both. You can click on the photos for a closer look.

My first trip outdoors to pick some flowers and branches yielded these. I placed them in water as I picked them and trimmed them before placing them into the arrangement.

In one of the videos that I watched, they used a screwdriver to make holes in the waterlogged oasis for the flower stems. This was very helpful because the stems can be a bit fragile.

Here is the first of two arrangements I made yesterday. I used a little ceramic pot that I had on hand.

On my second trip to the garden, I picked these. I used the same glass vessel that I got on Facebook Marketplace. I used the screwdriver to make holes.

I made this three-sided arrangement for our hall table.
The tulips closed overnight. It's nice to think that they sleep when I'm sleeping!

Now that I have had some practice, I hope to make more fresh flower arrangements, using flowers from our gardens and branches from our bushes . . . an occasionally flowers from the grocery store. I tend to be task oriented and it is sometimes a push for me to give myself some grace and walk away from the perceived "must do's" on my list. But it was well worth the time I spent yesterday. I enjoyed myself, learned some new things and picked up some skills, and have pretty flowers to enjoy inside . . . while those that are still outside are bending under the weight of the heavy wet snow. By tomorrow the snow should be gone and I can pick any that are not standing back up and put them in vases of water. 

If there is anything I learned from my experience yesterday, it was more about enjoying myself than about floral arrangements. I encourage you, dear reader, to give yourself the gift of time to enjoy a pursuit that is either one that is new to you, or one you would like to pick back up. It may sound a bit cliché, but the truth is that we are not guaranteed a tomorrow, so take advantage of the gift of today.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. As always, your comments are welcome. I will read them and respond here on my blog or on Facebook. It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are well and happy, and until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

The Year I Didn't . . .

The past year was one that I never would never have guessed I would experience in my lifetime. I did less of what was familiar and routine and more of what was different and uncomfortable. Reflecting back on these last 12 months, I realize I've grown in ways I never would have had I not been challenged by isolation, fear and need. In talking with my friends, I've discovered one thing we all had in common. Each of us thought that we would use the time in March last year, when the reality of COVID-19 really hit home here in the United States, to get our houses in order. Be it cleaning, purging, working on hobbies, or redecorating, most of my friends, and myself, naively believed we would just stay home, putter about, catch up on lots of things, and in a month or so, start living our old familiar lifestyles. Having a clean and organized domicile would be a perk of our month of self-quarantine and the time spent would feel less like sacrifice and more like a gift. We thought to ourselves . . . "I've got this". Soon, though, as the hours, and days and weeks went by, and the daily news reports were filled with stories and images of worldwide suffering and death, it became apparent that our first impressions were way off base.

How is it that we didn't understand what a pandemic really was? How could we be so naive? Had we been fooled by living in a bubble for years where a DPT shot in the arm as a child, or a flu shot as an adult kept us heathy? Did we even understand the alternative? For me, not having known anyone who suffered from diptheria or tetanus, it never registered with me that it could be so serious. Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, made its way into the local school in the late 50's/early 60's, but I only knew one person who had it and they were quarantined. I had influenza many times and was very sick, but nothing like what I was seeing on the nightly news . . . a deadly flu.

The isolation I originally embraced as an opportunity to get my life and home in order lead to fear. I feared the loss of friends and family due to the virus, the loss of the life of freedom and convenience that I'd grown so accustomed to, along with the inability to make plans for the future. Instead of the invigoration I had embraced in early March, by April my thoughts and my spirit were dampened. 

I didn't clean, purge, or organize. I didn't sew, draw, paint, knit or redecorate. I didn't garden. I didn't write and I didn't dream. I didn't do any of the things I imagined I would do during the shutdown. I worried about everybody and everything.

Slowly I learned how to function in new ways. Disbelief was replaced by a acceptance. I shopped for groceries online and had them delivered to our door. I made masks and gave them to friends, family, neighbors and the people who delivered groceries and packages to our door. I learned how to cope.

When elastic wasn't available, because all the home sewists exhausted the supply in stores and online by making masks, I dug out my grosgrain ribbons and used them to make ties. Sometimes having a stash of supplies pays off!

I made lists and made plans. My thoughts got clearer and I remembered pleasant things in my past and dreamed about the future. I wore my favorite perfume every day. I fussed with my hair as it grew longer and I put on my makeup. I stopped saving my favorite sweaters for good and wore them for every day. These habits gave me a sense of normalcy in an abnormal world.

While writing this post, I thought about my journey over the past year or so. Going through these changes reminded me of the stages of grief that psycholgist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote about in her book, "On Death & Dying", which was required reading for a course I took in college. Before her death in 2004, Ross collaborated with David Kessler to write the manuscript for her final book, "On Grief and Grieving". It sounds interesting and I plan to read soon.

My stages seemed to follow this path:

Denial ... I was shocked and was in disbelief.  What I had only seen in science fiction movies was becoming a reality.

Anger ... As more news came out about how the virus spread around the globe, I became angry. I couldn't believe that this was "allowed" to happen and not stopped before it spread.

Bargaining ... I decided, if we needed to live with this threat, I could do so. I hoped it would burn itself out when summer weather arrived and we started to live outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air, like the influenza does that spreads across the US every winter. 

Depression ... Friends and relatives contracted the virus. The virus was continuing to spread. My depression was mixed with fear. Visions from the stories on the nightly news were burned into my brain and were hard to shake. 

Acceptance ... Hearing that vaccines were being developed and tested and would be available gave me hope. I have learned and practice safe ways to shop and socalize with others. I have only seen my friends and family on Zoom. I have a better understanding of what our future may hold and how I will need to function in our changed world.

There is a plethora of information on the subject of grief on the internet. A link to one source about grief follows:

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/grief/understanding-the-stages-of-grief/

This is a heavy topic, but one each of us has dealt with over the past 12 months; so I hope you, my dear reader, don't feel this post is preachy. Since some of my relatives and friends were diagnosed with Covid-19, I take it very seriously. We are not out of the woods, but there is light ahead as we make our way. Becoming knowlegeable about how a pandemic affects us and the world we live in is our responsibility. If we need more medical information, we can either read about it online from reputable sources, such as the NIH or the CDC, or consult with our own doctors. Information is key. 

Please continue to stay informed and please continue to wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth, keep the recommended distance away from others, and wash your hands! Some gatherings may need to be postponed, and others may need to be held in spacious settings to keep all participants safe. Zoom calls and Facebook messenger video chats have become commonplace and if you haven't tried either, I urge you to do so. With just a little practice, you can learn to use them and enjoy chatting and seeing unmasked faces! 

Some of the masks I made with grosgrain ribblon ties, before elastic became available. 
Another lesson learned during this pandemic was making do with things I had on hand.

As I alluded to in this post's title, this was "the year I didn't", which I described a bit herein. But it was also "the year I did" new things and learned new things. I learned a few of life's lessons along the way, too; but  that is a topic for a future post. 

Thank you for taking time from your day to read this post. Your comments are welcome here on my blog or on Facebook. It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And, until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand. 

Emmy

The Not-So-Pretty Side of Amaryllis

In a recent post, I showed photos of beautiful amaryllis blooms that we were enjoying this winter and wrote about why I decided to cut them and put the flowers in vases. You can read that post here:

https://studioemmy.blogspot.com/2021/02/thankful-morning.html?m=1

Now that all the plants in my little collection have had their flower stalks cut, the not-so-pretty side of growing amaryllis comes into play. Compared to other bulbs you may be familiar with, such as daffodils, tulips and hyacynths, amaryllis bulbs are huge. Here is some info about their sizes and what you can expect from an amaryllis bulb:

https://blog.longfield-gardens.com/amaryllis-bulb-size-what-the-measurements-mean-and-why-they-matter/

In my experience, an amaryllis bulb will have two stalks and some very large leaves that get heavy and floppy. They are a delight in the throes of a cold and snowy winter and I think it will be worth the effort to try to keep them over to get them to bloom next winter. For now, they will stay put in their pots so the roots won't be disturbed and I will try to give them just enough water to keep the bulbs healthy . . . not too much and not too little! When the weather is warm enough for them to venture outdoors, I will put the pots in a protected area where I can keep my eye on them. If things go well, I will bring them back inside and force them into dormancy.

For some, this might be too much bother. In fact, it might just be too much bother for me! But, it's worth a try. For all the beauty these magnificent floral blooms provide in the dead of winter, I will give it my best shot. And, should I fail, I know I can buy them on sale before Christmas at the local Tractor Supply store. When I found them there online this past December, I ordered three and picked them up curbside at the local store. It couldn't have been easier, and the price was very resonable at under $6 each. The ones at the local stores may be smaller bulbs and not as mature as some of the fancier ones at growers' websites, but these were worthy performers. I was given a fancy basket of three for Christmas that were bigger and sent up very healthy stalks and put out a colorful variety of magnificent huge blooms. If you look online when it is time to order them again in late fall/early winter, you will find all kinds and even some that are just the bulb, coated with wax, that will blossom in a vessel devoid of water or soil. They can even be suspended upside down for dramatic effect. 

I hadn't thought of preserving any of these giant flowers in my floral press until my husband suggested it. I certainly had enough blooms to spare a couple for preserving. They were such large flowers and after I dissected them, they required several pages in my press. They are safely tucked inside and battened down to dry and flatten. Time will tell, if they will look good enough to use in a collage or if they will be suitable for framing.

To view a close-up of any of the photos herein, click on the image.

An amaryllis bloom sacrificed for the flower press.

The flower press that my husband gave to me last year for my birthday. Not only is it functional, but is pretty with its wooden covers and the lever that keeps everything inside secure.

Petals of one of the giant red blooms and stamens takes up an entire page in my flower press.

Hopefully, these dissected blooms and stigma will provide some interesting results.

These delicate pink and white petals are a bit curly. I didn't want to slice them, so I'm not sure what I'll find when I open the press several weeks from now. At the bottom of the photo are the stamens and the stigma from the center of the bloom.

While I am on the subject of preserving flowers, I'm planning to open the box of last summer's pressed blooms that I saved. This is all new to me; but by watching YouTube videos, I feel confident that I can learn how to use them to make things. If I have any success, I will share it in a post.

The not-so-pretty amaryllis farm takes up a lot of real estate in our dining room window. When it gets warm enough this spring or summer, the pots will be moved outdoors where they will stay until I bring them back in the fall for their forced dormancy. Hopefully, I will have success with them and we will enjoy blooms next winter! Perhaps I should sacrifice a few leaves to press. Hmmmmm . . .

As I write this post, March is continuing to give us more wintry weather. If the old saw is true about the lion and the lamb in March, we should enter springtime with less snow and more patches of green grass. It takes a long time for what truly feels like spring to arrive here in WNY . . . when the buds on trees open, spring bulbs bloom and the songbirds return. However, this year, I have read on friends' Facebook posts that they have already seen robins. I have yet to see one, but I keep looking every day! After the unusual year we have all experienced, spring will seem all the more special to us . . . whenever it really gets here.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this post. Your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on Facebook. I will read them and respond.  It is my hope that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And, until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy