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| Rosemary Bread |
It was cloudy on Sunday and a little cooler. I decided that it was cool enough to do some baking. I wanted to make a batch of blueberry muffins before the blueberries I had picked spoiled. I was also out of bread and thought I should make some bread, using a no-knead bread recipe that I've made before. The recipe for the bread said to proof the yeast first, and I'm glad I did, because the first packet of yeast I used (given to me by my friend R at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, when the stores were all out of yeast ) didn't become very foamy; it was probably expired. I used a second packet (which was also expired), but, it proofed well. The bread dough rose well enough during the first rising, but, it took longer than I had anticipated. I need to remember that when it is cool enough to turn on the oven, it's not warm enough for bread dough to rise! I did the second rise in a slightly warmed oven. I sprinkled a few rosemary leaves on the top of this particular loaf of bread - next time, I will add the rosemary to the dough, as well. The bread was crusty and tasty, if a little dense. Fresher yeast might have helped! And bread flour instead of all purpose flour.
Meanwhile, out in the garden, I picked more tomatoes, a few serrano chilies, and three potatoes! I had five regular, grocery store potatoes, that had sprouted before I could use up the entire bag of potatoes I had bought and I planted them in three containers, two potatoes each in the two larger containers and one potato in a smaller container. That potato gave me three potatoes! I have not checked the other containers, yet (waiting for M to do the honors). I am obviously a long way from being self sufficient when it comes to growing my own food, but, I'm very pleased with my three home grown potatoes!
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| Garden Harvest |
Monday was warm, again. I did laundry, minimal cleaning, took the trash cans to the curb, and watered the back garden. Neighbor T called and we chatted for a bit and later, I chatted with friend R.
Today, our high temperature reached 99F (37C). The forecast calls for upper 90s for the rest of the week. I'm taking it easy and drinking plenty of water. I brought in the trash cans after they were emptied, called and spoke with neighbor T's daughter, and spoke with my daughter before she boarded her plane. Her flight was delayed by an hour or so, but, hopefully, the flight, itself, will be uneventful.
Brunch was some of my homemade bread and cheese. Snacks included grapes, cashews, and blueberry muffins. I haven't decided on dinner, yet, but, I might have chicken curry and rice with a cucumber salad (need to cook the rice and make the salad).
Today, I am grateful for:
- Ceiling fans and electricity to run them
- Clean water to drink
- Weekly trash collection services
- The garden harvest
- The pharmacy mailing my medications to me
Today's joyful activity was relaxing with my feet soaking in a basin of cool water! LOL.
Plans for tomorrow include tending to the garden with M.
How was your Tuesday? What are your plans for Wednesday? Is it very hot where you are? Are you able to keep cool?
I would like to try growing potatoes. Maybe next spring! I had spinach potato curry for dinner today. This was leftovers from some I'd made months ago, and frozen. Good, but was better when first made. It's hot here, 90s for highs also. I stay in the air conditioning. I hope your daughter has a good trip home.
ReplyDeleteI think you'll have great success growing potatoes. So far, I've only planted the ones at the end of a bag of potatoes. Spinach and potato curry is tasty, but, I think freezing changes the texture of potatoes. I'm glad you have air conditioning. I am thinking of having M put up my window a/c in the bedroom - I might not turn it on, yet, but, it's good to have the option of being in a cooled room in the afternoon if I find it too hot in the family room. My daughter's plane touched down around 10:30 p.m. and she is on her way to her apartment as I type (it's 11:30 p.m., now). I think she'll get to her apartment around midnight and she has to get up early to go into the office, tomorrow!
DeleteI am so excited to be harvesting my home grown potatoes. My tomatoes are still very green. The rosemary bread looks lovely. My big rosemary bush started off as a little plant in a pot nearly 40years ago, and I planted cuttings each time we moved house. I think this is garden #7! It is not so hot here now
ReplyDeleteI've seen the pictures you've posted of some of your potatoes and they looked good! My rosemary bush, too, started off as a little cutting from a friend's garden, over 30 years ago! I have a second plant (purchased as a small plant from the dollar store) growing in the front, too. I haven't had much luck rooting cuttings, though (but, I have one sprig in a jar of water, just to see if anything happens). I don't use that much rosemary in my cooking, but, it is drought tolerant and there is a prostrate variety that is grown as a ground cover, here.
DeleteI'm glad it's not quite so hot over there, now. Enjoy the cooler weather. :)
Your rosemary bread looks very tasty, I like the sound of that. I forgot to ask if you saved a blueberry muffin for M as I thought he was dropping a hint one time :) I hope your daughter has a safe journey home and her conference went well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen. Yes! I did save a couple of blueberry muffins for M! :D My daughter's flight was delayed, but, she did have a safe journey home and she said her presentation went well. She didn't get back to her apartment until after 11:30 p.m. and she has to go to the office, tomorrow, so, we didn't chat for a long time; just long enough to say hi, play Wordle, and say goodnight! :D
DeleteHappily, it's been cooler & wetter these past couple of days, so I have felt more comfortable. The garden is happier too. Love FD xx
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it is cooler for you and wetter to keep the garden happy. Our really hot days are still in the future - August and September are usually the hottest months and we usually don't get any rain during the summer, so it's very dry, too. I'd love a nice summer rain, though!
DeleteI am growing potatoes in bags this year, like last. However, the potatoes were eaten by grubs, so I didn't get any. Hoping for better results this year, but to early to tell at this point.
ReplyDeleteI hope the grubs leave your potatoes alone and you get a nice harvest, this year. :)
DeleteThat is certainly hot weather! Your bread doesn't look too dense and I'm sure it was delicious with cheese. I miss my rosemary plant that I used to have. It got too hot and dry in the house in the winter. I think I needed to shut off the hot air register near where it was. Maybe I'll try one again and be more careful.
ReplyDeleteIt's starting to warm up, Bushlady. I guess the bread was fine - I'm comparing it to the very fluffy bread I usually buy! This bread had what might be called a fine crumb and it was substantial. It has developed a slight sour dough bread taste (I'm storing it in the fridge) which I like. I do like it with cheese and I might toast it to see how that turns out. I'm sure you'll have better luck with another rosemary plant - maybe set it in a dish with some pebbles and water to give it a bit of humidity. I'm trying to grow an end of celery and the air is so dry and hot, that the little leaves coming up are withering! :D
DeleteThe bread looks lovely. I hate turning on the oven in the summer. It isn't as warm here as it gets there, but it makes things a lot hotter. Ugh. Must say I'm not a fan of the hot weather. I am looking forward to Autumn when things start to get a little cooler.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. I, too, don't like to turn on the oven in the summer, but, every now and then, I like to bake something. Often, I'll wait until evening, when it has cooled down a bit to bake. I do like the warm weather, but, every so often, it gets a bit too warm, even for me! :D
DeleteYour bread looks very good. I'm glad you had yeast that was still active.
ReplyDeleteAnd that potato harvest is quite nice from grocery store potatoes that had sprouted. Your back garden produces more and more food every year.
I'm glad your daughter arrived home safely.
Thank you, Debra. One of these days, I'll buy a new batch of yeast! I'm thrilled to bits with my potato harvest! The garden is producing more food, but, I have to take the cost of watering into consideration, too. These are some expensive vegetables and fruits that I am growing! :D
DeleteThank you; yes, she arrived home safely. :)
Your bread looks delicious. I'm going shopping for yeast myself later, as the bakery where we usually buy Lily's favourite bread buns from, no longer produces them. I'm not sure mine will taste as good, but I'll give it a try :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. I'm sure your bread buns will turn out just fine and will become Lily's new favorite bread buns! :)
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