rhubarb bread

This flower, the name of which escapes me, has nothing to do with the subject of today's blog.  But it sure is pretty!

We either have a highly sophiscated batch of deer who frequent our yard(with a more cosmopolitan palate) or an illiterate bunch.
ALL the books say that deer do not like/eat: daffodils, crocuses, lilies of the valley, bleeding heart and rhubarb to name a few.

Our deer have eaten each and every one of those down to nothing.  So much for the books

 I had to resort to some unique techniques of my own to score some rhubarb.  I call it 'putting the word out'.  So thanks to my brother-in-law, an area business, and some sweet friends, I was able to  slice up three gallons of rhubarb for the freezer.

Our oldest son and his son are here for a few days.  Nate loves rhubarb pie.  There is one in the oven right now.  I mentioned this to my sister, who has also come into possession of rhubarb from a friend.  She asked me for favorite recipes.  Other than pie and sauce (which I put into a standard muffin mix), I often bake rhubarb bread.

This recipe comes from a sweet friend, Dee Dee, who just turned 75 last Saturday.  Here's to many more DeeDee!

RHUBARB BREAD

1.5 C brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup liquid shortening (I use oil)
1 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2.5 C. flour
1.5 C diced rhubarb
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix and pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.
Topping:
1/2 C. white sugar
1 TBS. butter
Mix and sprinkle on top of batter.
Bake at 350* for 1 hour.
Of course, you could leave the topping off...

family Christmas

Happy New Year!

I did not intend for such a long time to pass before I posted here.  The month of December was busy with sewing, wrapping, baking and fudge making.  It was great fun preparing for Christmas - we were heading to northern Illinois to meet all the kids and grands.  The only missing person was Daniel's fiance, Laura.

We went to a wonderful Christmas Eve service at Harvest Bible Chapel in Elgin, IL.  I cried.  They had a beautiful song - complete with singers from all over the world on the video screen.  The message was moving; but what really did me in was having Pat singing next to me, Jon singing behind me and Nathan singing on the other side.  Surround sound from my guys (Daniel had responsibilities at his church and couldn't join us until Christmas night).

Here are a few snapshots of our time together:



Nate cuddling with 3 month old Lainey -click on the picture to see the look in her eyes. "Who is that man?"





Lainey sleeping in Grandpa's arms.







                                                    

Josh and Sadie sitting on a couch I made for the girls (I made Josh's pj pants too - they are very wide - wish he lived close enough for frequent fittings!)









A thoughtful Sadie (sorry Sades - didn't mean to cut off the top of your head!) modeling the blouse I made for her.



Kudo, Nate and Michelle's long suffering dog. She is not a fan of little kids, but quietly and peacefully moped in various corners of the house until we left.









The uncles with the nieces. From left to right: Sadie, Nathan, Lainey, and Daniel.



Sitting on the little couch I made watching Larry Boy. This reminded me of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Anybody ever see that?

Three on a couch watching Veggie Tales. Mesmerized.



Jon, Kristi and the kids.



I failed to get any pictures of Nate and Michelle together.  Also none of the whole family (somebody was always napping, crying, or running to the store it seemed).  The ten of us were only together for 36 hours once Daniel arrived, but it was a very blessed 36  hours.

So very thankful for our family!

Hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and that 2012 will be a year filled with blessings!

pressing on

Pat spotted this buck in our woods on opening day of hunting season. You can see the back end of a doe in the foreground. There were 9 other deer in the yard around the same time. They must feel safe here!

In the comment section of Saturday's blog, Cheri asked how to make homemade tortillas.
First of all, it really helps to have one of these:
This is a cast iron tortilla press (thanks DOD and Mom!) and it weighs a ton. This is probably the secret to success more than anything else. There are directions for making homemade presses, but this one was a gift for Christmas a few years ago.

One other appliance that will make your job a bit easier is a bread maker (another gift from Mom and Dad several years ago - still going strong -although I have had to replace the bread pan once).

Here is the recipe which I originally got from Laine:

Flour Tortillas
2 C. Flour
1/4 C. oil
1/2 C. water
1 tsp. salt

Mix really well together and knead for a few minutes (I put in the bread machine on the dough cycle for 10 or so minutes; both mixes and kneads ). Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and roll out to about and 8 inch size circle (this is where the tortilla press comes in - it is very difficult to roll thin enough with a rolling pin). Fry on an ungreased, medium low skillet (I like a cast iron skillet for this) on both sides until lightly brown. Keep in a warm cloth until ready to use. I also use this recipe to add a little whole wheat flour if I want whole wheat tortillas.

There you have it, Cheri. These taste so much better than store bought. No comparison in my opinion.

Jon and Kristi arrive tonight. Nate tomorrow, Daniel and Suzi and gang Wednesday. If you need me, you can find me in the kitchen!