Knitting

Yum

May 23, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

IN THE OVEN

I’ve gotten a little bit out of the habit of blogging my baking adventures, but rest assured, they continue. I’m trying to keep my cooking/baking obsession somewhat under control but so far, I’ve not been very successful. I made a new cinnamon raisin swirl bread the end of last week which I had every intention of taking to Stuttgart and sharing but, naturally, it got left on the counter in the kitchen. So, we’ve been enjoying it ourselves. The only real rub is that Mr. Iknead and I just can’t eat the baked goodies fast enough and sometimes they go stale or even moldy. I think I might start sharing with the neighbors, would that be too weird nowadays? Growing up, we always shared back and forth with neighbors, but that was then and we knew our neighbors well. Now, though, we don’t, really, just mostly to wave when we see them outside. Could this be a sign to break out of my cocoon and reach out? I think it might be just that. I’m thinking of banana bread today, that would be a good start.

Anyway, I wanted to share this recipe I tried last night that was so good – it was comfort food and crazy easy – Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak. Here’s the link. I fixed mashed potatoes to go with it and it was divine! Real potatoes, too. I know what my lunch is going to be!

THE GRANDS

Can you stand a few more pics of the smartest, most beautiful grandbabies in the universe? I thought you could!

The Sprout and Me

That’s the Karma sweater I’m wearing. Turned out well, don’t you think?

The Papoose and a Cupcake

Babydiva in her Tutu – How Cute Is That?

Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind. Samuel Johnson

Knitting

Think Out of the Breadbox

April 13, 2013April 13, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

THE TOMATO BASIL EXPERIMENT

Babymama and I went to lunch earlier this week and I had my first taste of tomato basil bread and now I’m hooked. I’ve baked bread off and on for years – mostly traditionals- whole wheat, rye, white, etc. so today, I’m stepping out of the breadbox (a little baking humor) and trying my hand at a Sundried Tomato Basil Bread recipe that I found on the Tablespoon website.

Success! Simple recipe, great flavor. This one’s going in the recipe box to be baked again and again. With cheese, fancy mustard and smoked turkey – two words – different and delicious! Such a pretty loaf!

Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace. Buddha

Knitting

Blackberries

June 4, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

IN THE OVEN

Well, another weekend without baking the cute apple cakes but I have a good excuse, really, I do. A friend called me out of the blue yesterday morning and asked me if I liked blackberries and did I know how to make a blackberry pie. Of course, the answer to both those questions was an emphatic yes. He had been looking around some property he had out in the country and had come across a patch of wild blackberry bushes. He brought me a sack full of some the sweetest berries I’d had in a long, long time. Here’s what I did with them:

Picking blackberries is a pain, they grow on a kind of bushy, kind of viney thing that has wicked sharp thorns, and there are always wasps and bees flying around them, they like the sweet sticky juice. To get these great berries with no fuss, no muss and no thorns, well, it was almost too good to be true. Thanks, D. I used the simplest recipe ever for the pie, it let the berries shine. I’ll share it here.

Simple Blackberry Pie

5 c. ripe blackberries

3/4 to 1 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour (as a thickener)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

crust for double crust pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the first four ingredients together. Lay one crust in the bottom of a pie dish, pour berry mix in, lay other crust on top and crimp edges. Brush top with milk, sprinkle with sugar, make slits in top crust. Bake for 40-45 minutes, remove from 0ven and cool on rack.

Enjoy!

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. Henry David Thoreau