Yuck :-P

I'm really not a picky eater - I eat anything that is served, BUT I don't always like it. Here are my main dislikes:

• Swiss chard
• Zuccini
• Raw broccoli
• Kale (sometimes)

 I'm going to come up with some recipes with these in them and learn to like them. I will start with Swiss chard quiche.

Kittens

 This is Tabby and her kittens, Socks and Fox. I have no idea why B and L named one Fox! Socks is  tame and Fox is getting there. Both are identicle except Fox is a bit darker. Tabby had them in Dad's shop wall.

 Fox

 Socks

 Socks

Socks

Socks is my favorite because she is tame. Fox hisses and spits. He doesn't as much anymore, though. He used to lay there and hiss if I got close and then just stare at me with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open.

How to make whole wheat bread

This is what I did after the dentist today. I've been making bread for my family for several weeks now and thought I'd share some pictures and a recipe.

Combine in large bowl:
8 c. warm water
1 c. honey
Sprinkle over the top:
2 Tbsp. yeast
Let sit for several minutes until yeast dissolves and becomes frothy, like so.

Add:
1 c. oil
2 Tbsp. salt
2 eggs
10 c. WW flour
Mix well then add:
8 to ten cups flour

    Knead by hand or with a mixer until smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn it upside down and cover with sheets of wax paper or a kitchen towel and let it rise. Warm temperatures will make it rise faster, and in cool areas it will take longer.

When the dough has doubled in size (this took a couple of hours today), punch it down kneading the outer edges into the middle, turn it upside down again (so the top is smooth) and let it rise again (1 hour or so).

Shape the loaves next. It just takes practice to get it right. This is the best I've done so far in shaping loaves. Mom thinks I did a good job. Now I let it rise again until it's rounded over the top of the pans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 45 minutes.

Our family of six usually eats about a loaf a day in sandwiches for lunch. We freeze the extra loaves and thaw them as we need them. I enjoy making this every week, especially when I get out of hauling manure for the garden =)

Flowers

I love this time of year when the flowers are just starting to bloom. Here's what it looks like around here.

Marigold

Pots along the sidewalk - the cat's tail, too :-)

Dahlia

Delphinium

Day lilies

Zinnias with galardia in the background

Strawflower

Creeping thyme

Four o'clocks - these should have pink, yellow and white blossoms. They open at four o'clock P.M.

This is in front of the kitchen window. There is lobelia directly in front and celosia on the sides.

Celosia

Nesturtiams with vines on siding

Coleus

Hostas/coleus/I have no idea

Zinnia

I love this kind of flower because of its bright color and also its nectar. If you look closely (in a not blurred picture) you can see there are little flowers for its nectar, and those have nectar.

I have been having problems thinking of things to post. Do you have any ideas? What would be interesting to know about my life?

Goslings

We bought twelve Embden goslings. Our mature geese (two male, one female) have all three adopted them! They are very protective.

 They are starting to eat some greens.



Kittens

Our two female cats - Duchess and Tabby -  had kittens. Tabby is very protective of hers and won't let us near them. Duchess isn't so protective, so I got some pictures.

She had the first one on the driveway. Bennet moved her and the baby into a box with a towel in it. She now has five - three orange, two gray/black. Some have open eyes.

Calf

We recently got a new animal - a bull calf. We are raising it for meat. We haven't named it. I just call it Calfie, or Calf for short ;-) Naming gets me attached to animals, and if it's going to be history next fall, I might as well spare myself.

 He drinks 1.5 gallons of goat milk a day, not to mention more than that of water!