Sunday, July 21, 2013

Sunday-2:30pm

Good afternoon!
Between cotton clouds and blue skies there have been some moodier skies, too.


And we had such a sudden and violent downpour early one evening that a couple of swallows used our porch railing for refuge until the deluge passed.
The birds rarely ever try to perch on our railing because of the flapping makeshift screen... 
...so Karma sat glued to the spot watching them until... 
...the last one finally left.  If you click to enlarge you can glimpse the outline of Miss Karma sitting at attention there at the bottom of the porch door.  It got very dark in here, but didn't dare use the flash because I didn't want them to be scared away. 
My art desk was calling to me.  
I played around with a few more backgrounds (in that manila envelope journal I made for a 21 Secrets workshop)
Still using watercolor crayons on gessoed and non-gessoed paper. 
I used the baby wipes, then a wet brush, and then gesso on the different spreads to blend the colors. 
The cheap drawing paper I used for this journal doesn't do well with being wet, but I guess it will do for experimenting. 
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Leah brought by her yeast (still old but a couple years younger than mine--LOL!) and some wheat flour.
I didn't use the wheat flour yet, because yesterday I decided the try the white bread recipe they have in the front of the Oster booklet that tells step by detailed step what to do.  And I made my first loaf of machine made bread!
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It has a hole in the bottom from the paddle blade...   
...and it didn't want to come out of the metal basket very easily.  Had to use a rubber spatula--it said metal is bad for the pan--but it came out.  Tall loaf! 
Bread guts stuck to the paddle.  Soaked it and it came right off. 
I used the medium crust setting and did the full 3 hour setting. 
Such funny shaped loaves! 
That was lunch for me yesterday...a giant slice of fresh piping hot bread.  
The crust was so hard that I sliced this piece not five minutes out of the machine!  The bread is good, but this machine bread has crust all the way around the loaf--LOL!  I think I will try the light crust setting next time and see what happens.  Or maybe...just shape-wise...you could even set it to make the dough for you and then bake it in the oven yourself?  I saw a dough setting?  I'll have to read more.
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Had a slice of toast this morning and it is so big that sideways it still sticks out of the toaster--LOL!  But it made excellent toast. (I do love my toast!)
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Anyways, I am very happy with mechanical bread already.  I shall make more and more, that's for sure.  This is perfect for anybody who, like myself, can't physically knead the dough anymore--or just doesn't have the time to mess with all that but really likes homemade bread.  The apartment smelled wonderful!  And the bread machine doesn't heat up the whole kitchen like the oven does.  Thumbs up!  :)
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My folks are making their annual trip up to visit us next weekend.  They'll get to see Dagan and Leah's new house!  I'll have to ask Dagan and Leah to remind me to take pictures.  (I'm notorious for forgetting about the camera when people are around.)
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I finished another of The Cat Who books and have been watching George Carlin specials on Netflix streaming.  They have around a dozen of them on there.  I get such a kick out of him!  :):)
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Still been mid-80s.  Today is sunny...so far.  They're saying we could have a thunderstorm again tonight.  Who knows?  The storms seem very random and scattered lately.  (Are you  thinking of the Hippy Dippy Weather Man right now?  LOL!)
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This morning I filled out the form for my 45th class reunion (that I can't attend, of course) down in Minneapolis.  Forty-five years!  Wow!  Fridley class of '68.  How time has flown.  And I wouldn't trade away a minute of it--good or bad.
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Well, ladies and gents--have an awesome week!  :):)
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"Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town."
George Carlin

20 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

oh, glad you tried the breadmaker and that you liked it, crust and all. yes, i'd say you probably need to try the light crust setting next. :)

Anonymous said...

We often see a couple of outdoor cats around the house. We used to have a mouse problem. Funny, not any more.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I ABSOLUTELY thought of the Hippy Dippy Weather Man. One of his news items: "A dog exploded on a busy downtown street today..."

Far Side of Fifty said...

Try the light setting. I have a great recipe for Potato Bread I will email it to you. Yes, I use my bread machine to mix and knead for me..for dough for pizza and for my flat bread recipe..I will send you that too..nothing better than warm bread and butter:)

Intense Guy said...

Ahhhh nothing beats the scent of freshly made homemade bread!! I saw a show on PBS where they made the dough in the machine but baked it in bread pans in the oven... I bet your machine can be used the same way (in the cooler months!)

Those poor birdies - they really get blasted when the storms roll in and all heck breaks loose! I was watching a swallow trying desperately to hang on to his perch while being pummeled by huge rain drops (they must have seemed "bucket sized" to him!)

Time flies... 45 years since school and the folks are returning for the annual visit - seems like they were there just a month or so ago... Hope you all have a wonderful reunion!!

Don't forget the camera!

Furry Bottoms said...

I have definitely thought about making the dough in there and then putting it in a pan in the oven to bake that way. Even if the book doesnt say anything about it, I still think you can.

You can make cheesecake in there, you know. But I think you probably aren't wild about cheesecake?

Happy bread-making! :)

Carol said...

All this talk of bred has me wanting to dash to the kitchen and make some :) Just may have to do that later today after the chores ore finished. Nothing like a warm piece of butterd bread >>>YUM ♥

DJan said...

George Carlin is as relevant today as he was long ago! I miss him. I did see Karma sitting there at attention in those two pictures, and your bread might be a funny shape, but I'll bet it's delicious! :-)

Anonymous said...

Those are some spectacular skies! The bread looks good too.

Darla said...

Looks like your loaf was a success. DH makes a loaf a week in the bread machine. I like it but find it too hard to slice thin enough for a sandwich. Definitely makes good toast though.

Those birds look cute perched there out of the worst of the storm.

Darla

Janie Junebug said...

I always use light crust on my bread machine, and the crust is still a little too thick. Of course, Mother isn't here anymore to tell me I have to eat the crust because it will make my hair curl. I ate crust after crust as a child; my hair never curled. It remained limp and sad.

Love,
Janie

AliceKay said...

Loved the sky pics. That third one (of the big pink colored clouds) was awesome.

The bread looks great. I can almost smell it. :)

My 40th-year class reunion is in September. I haven't sent in the reservation yet, but we plan on going. I haven't missed any of mine yet. They're doing it a bit different this year. Probably partly because the classmate who was always our emcee (and a good friend of mine) died suddenly from a heart attack while attending his father's viewing. :(

Hope you're having a great week!

Deb J. in Utah said...

I have a bread machine also - I think it is the same kind you have. I actually have two bread machines since hubby came home from a yard sale with a second one a while back - I'm not sure why. I love fresh baked break and know you will enjoy your bread machine. Enjoy the visit with your parents. When we had cats they would guard outside birds just like Karma. Enjoy your week!

Queenie Jeannie said...

You are going to love playing with your bread machine!!! For the wheat breads, it's best to mix the flours 50/50. Do you have a recipe book?? I bake mine on the medium settings too. The dough cycle is wonderful for mixing the dough and the first round of rising, then you can bake it in the oven after the second rising. Enjoy!

Sherry Ellis said...

The bread looks great! I bet your apartment smelled wonderful!

Zue said...

That loaf is enormous
I am envious.
Toast! Ahhh my mouth is watering.
Stay safe
Sue xxxxxx

Jenny Woolf said...

I'm in love with home made bread, even if it is machine bread. Because it's so easy I can make it all the time instead of only when I have time. We have a toaster with long slots which takes the weird shaped slices. Why don't they make it a regular shape, I wonder!

After reading one of your posts I got a Cat Who book and I'm liking it. It took me a while to get into it, since I'm not American so some of the assumptions and ideas seemed unfamiliar to me, but now I've got the hang of it, I think I will get another. they're very readable. :)

Cindy Lane said...

Birds, bread, backgrounds and beautiful clouds - what a lovely post. And there's Karma of course!
I hope that art desk keeps hollering!

Ramblingon said...

You are a delight. Glad to meet you. I noticed when you came to read about Beth's progress. xo

VonnyK said...

Your bread looks so yummy. I had a bread making machine and used it heaps but now I don't have the time to play with it. Doesn't time fly, I graduated high school in '78 and I can't believe it's been 35 years. No wonder I have trouble helping my little miss with maths homework, it's been 35 years since I did any of it!!. Have a great week and enjoy your yummy toast.
Von.