What do I do when I’m staying at home to avoid the coronavirus? The same things I normally do!
We walked dogs of course. That goes without saying.
But I also baked bread. This was a Pinterest recipe for Italian bread. I wanted something a little heartier, so I replaced one of the cups of flour with whole wheat flour.
It was quite delicious, especially warm from the oven with butter and strawberry-rhubarb jelly.
The year 2020 got off to a good culinary start. With our traditional pork and sauerkraut that I made for everyone else, we had raisin walnut cinnamon bread that I made this morning. It was delicious with some butter but I couldn’t help but think what amazing French toast it would make. I love making bread. The dough is so soft and smooth when I knead it. It is therapeutic.
My mother in law spent the afternoon with us and joined us for the New Year’s meal. She brought an amazing coconut cream pie that she made this morning. It was also delicious!
We are fortunate to have a family of good cooks who appreciate cooking and baking for the art they can be!
One of the many benefits of being retired is that I have time to really prepare for and enjoy the holidays. Not since I was in college have I had the time to enjoy baking and decorating the way that I am this season. And for me, a large part of that means baking!
The Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies are a family favorite. I have never had them actually last until Christmas. And this year promises to be no exception. But I did buy enough ingredients that I will be able to bake a second batch in time for the actual holiday.
I came across a recipe for the Russian Tea Cakes when I was in late high school or maybe when I started college. These were a personal favorite of my mother’s and she always looked forward to me making them. I have also heard them called Snowballs. By either name, they are delicious.
I love these Coconut Cookies at any time of year. They have a nice melt in your mouth, caramel taste because they contain both white and brown sugar. They are not necessarily a holiday cookie but I was on a reminiscent binge as I was baking.
I did throw something new into the mix this year because I have been given Muddy Buddies as a gift and they are tasty. The recipe is not much of a secret as it is brought to us by the folks that make Chex cereal. Just check the box for the recipe. Does this mean that Muddy Buddies are a breakfast food? I vote yes!
At the rate we are going through these cookies, I anticipate baking some other kinds too. Maybe Aunt Clara’s Molasses Crinkles or Aunt Jane’s Candy Cane shaped cookies. When I was a kid we had two people who often gave us trays of assorted types of cookies as a Christmas gift. They were always much appreciated. Even then I knew what a special gift they were because of how much work it was to make this many kinds of cookies and because they were a labor of love. They are more than just cookies. To me, they represent thoughtfulness, caring, and wanting to share with those you care about.
That is why I am such a Christmas girl. Each year, I remember the traditions and kindnesses shared by so many people in my life. I want to relive them as well as share them others. Merry Christmas One and All!
This is one of those weekends where I have no plans. Ha! Then why am I so tired?
After the obligatory bathroom cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, and dish washing, I decided to try making my garlic breadstick recipe into dinner rolls in preparation for the upcoming holidays. The rolls came out quite well. They will make a fine addition to this evening’s dinner of cavatelli. At this point, I did stop and read for a while. A girl has to have her priorities.
A bout of insanity struck and I decided to clean some more. I washed the dogs’ bedding from their crates. Then I thought what am I going to do, put Nikki’s freshly laundered bed back in her smelly Vari-kennel? So I hauled it into the bathroom, disassembled, scrubbed, and hosed it down.
Time to sit down now, right? My brain was too busy for this. It thought, you are out of granola, you should make a batch. Homemade granola for breakfast is a delicious thing. But…
since the oven is already heated up, and we are out of dessert, I should make that pumpkin gingerbread coffee cake I have been thinking about. And so I did.
As soon as I finish that load towels and make the pasta for dinner, I am sitting down! Boy, I hope I don’t have another weekend with no plans for a while. They are exhausting.
Sanctuary Acres 