Holding Pattern

I did figure out how to redefine the width of the actual blog.  So the pictures will not not hang out over the edge. Next how to resize the picture and text in the blog header.

We are in a bit of a holding pattern.  Still no mudder to do the upstairs as I write.  I think we have been waiting about six weeks and it feels even longer. I believe I am suffering from "no sewing" withdrawal and have started to consider where I might set up.  I am also tired of thinking," I know I have that, but it is in a box somewhere."  We hung all the drywall in the kitchen and Pat and I have decided he will start taping this afternoon.  I cannot be in a holding pattern in the kitchen. Crankiness will rear it's ugly head.

I have been bread making again, trying a smaller baking pot. I also added raisins, I love raisin bread toast.  It was mostly successful, I put the raisins in at the end, next time I will put them in at the beginning to see what including them in the 12 hour ferment does.

I went to a u-pick near Yorkton with three other women and picked 4 pails of strawberries. Some for the freezer and some to gorge on. They were delicious.           The u-pick, Prairie Dome is beautifully maintained, a parklike setting.  They are very organized, requiring you to book a picking time and number of pails, Pat and I have booked picking times this Saturday for Saskatoons and Raspberries.  

Last week was flax, this week canola and Pat was the photographer in this case.  He was out very early on his bike on the weekend and captured these.

 

I am off to Esterhazy to look at more laminate samples for a bathroom vanity top.  I started this process about three weeks ago and nothing is even ordered.  Discontinued samples and distance creating the delay.  There is supposed to be a whole sample book for me to look at so I have decided that the bright side of this will be lots of samples to choose from and hopefully there will be something that will work for the kitchen counters as well as the bathroom.

Enough of the somewhat boring details, a glorious day here today. With all the rain the hillside below us is lush and full of wildflowers. 

Enjoy your week and we will all hope for sunshine.

Bread

I spent part of yesterday afternoon in the veranda, hand quilting and listening to a book tape. The very best part was when it started to rain. Rain on a metal roof, thunder, the smell of rain through open windows and a latte with a little chocolate.  Could it get any better?  You will note I started the sentence with I.  Where was Pat?  He was sanding the pantry. An unpleasant job, I didn't get a picture but he went straight from the pantry to the shower when he was finished.  He did make it into the veranda for the rain.  Today we will prime.  Tomorrow, install the red marmoleum floor?

 The rain we had yesterday afternoon and evening will be great for the garden.  A shadow of green in the lettuce bathtub.  The tomatoes, parsley and basil all seemed to have survived being whipped around in the wind.  A different gardening environment here.  We have never seen deer in the yard, rarely in our quarter so we are hopeful they won't be a problem.  I am a little concerned about the egg eating squirrel that we frequently see.  We are hoping row cover material will keep him out. 

I love Robins.  This fellow sat high in this oak tree one evening and sang his heart out for the longest time.  Long enough for me to enjoy him, figure out where he was, (he was at  the very top of a forty foot oak swinging in the breeze.) Then I went to get the camera and took many pictures. Necessary because he was at the end of the telephoto range and swinging.  I was pleased to get a picture that was not blurry and his beak open for singing.  He was still singing when I left.

I have gotten used to bread from Earthbound or Il Secundo for my breakfast toast.  My frozen supply is about gone.  We have purchased and tried bread from local sources and Superstore.  They are not what I am used to for a number of reasons.  On a Yorkton Superstore stop we bought some rye and sourdough from their bakery. The rye tasted tangy/salty. But my great thirst after eating their products had me checking the sodium content. Wow! A 50 gram serving had three times more sodium than the equivalent size serving of nachos. And honestly if I am looking for salt I would rather eat nachos.  Interestingly enough I came across an article about 10 foods with the highest salt content.  Bread and rolls were there.  I don't know the sodium content in the breads from the local bakeries but the taste is certainly different, the tang in the Superstore rye was from salt. It would be interesting for everyone to check the sodium in their bread.
The great long paragraph is leading up to this.

   
In the past I have ventured down the bread making path with varying degrees of success. Generally falling back on the expertise of the local bakeries.  With that option gone it was time to try again.  I found this no knead recipe that is very simple and I must say successful.  I forgot to slash the top before baking,and did it after consequently the odd looking slash. I am quite excited to try different flours and additives.  If anyone is interested I searched no knead bread and found a few options. I also found a site called The Fresh Loaf.  They describe themselves as a news and information site for amateur bakers and artisan bread enthusiasts. They have a lot of interesting sounding recipes and an online handbook which looks very useful.  I will keep you posted.

Friday was another important day!  I was invited to the first meeting of a quilt group.  Similar to my Saskatoon groups.  Seven women who will get together for sharing, visiting and a little nibble.  I didn't get a chance to find out if any of them knit.  A group of quilters with some who also knit, perfect.

We have taken walks in the ravine it hasn't been all work.

I still haven't had a latte at the beaver dam.  We now have very small black flies that are present in swarms. They don't bite they just hover around your head and crawl on your face. I was in the veranda yesterday for more than one reason. The locals tell me they only last a few days. 
The ravine is lush and green and the oaks finally have their leaves.