The Ties That Bind

Recycling, up cycling or re purposing stuff is not a new concept.  My aunt Julia Ann would call it using and reusing what you have.  Whatever you call it, it makes good sense.  Having said that, I found a relatively simple way to re purpose a man's "out of style tie" into a bow tie.  I thought about posting the how to and all the pictures today, but with Christmas and New Years upon us, I felt compelled to write this instead.The sole reason for all of this is my four and a half year old grandson Mason.  He knows what he likes when it comes to food, toys, TV shows, books and yes, even fashion.  He likes his cowboy boots to have "pointy toes" and he loves bow ties. His paternal great grandfather, a surgeon, wore them as an alternative to a tie that would hang down and get in the way of a patient examination.   Daddy, Mason's maternal great grandfather, a traditional tie man, offered some of his ties to be re purposed. If Mama could have, she probably would have "donated" more.  Dad also made the special gift of one of his (Mason's great great grandfather) father's ties to be remade.


When I give these bow ties to Mason, I will tell him about the men who wore those ties before him.  I will show him the pictures of the ones no longer with us.  He sure does love Papa (Daddy).  I know he will think about each one of these very special men each time he wears one of his bow ties.

Bread, The Staff of Life...

I am re posting my bread recipe since it makes a great gift and welcome addition to any meal or snack!   Simple (white) bread is very easy to make and so much tastier than what you buy in the store.  You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry!  This particular recipe makes two loaves, which is good, because this bread does not last long around here!  It freezes very well.  Freshly baked bread, with a jar of homemade jam, jelly, or herb butter makes a great holiday, hostess or housewarming gift.

Ingredients you will need:

1 Cup of milk (can be whole, skim, nonfat)
2 T. butter
1/2 Cup warm water
2 Pkgs. active dry yeast
2 T. Sugar
1 T. Salt
1 Cup warm water
6 to 7 Cups of unbleached bread flour

Preparing the Bread

Heat 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Remove this mixture as soon as the butter has melted.  Set it aside to cool.

Pour 1/2 cup of warm water into a small bowl and slowly stir in both of the yeast packages.  Stirring the yeast helps prevent clumps.  Set this aside once it is thoroughly mixed.

Mix together sugar, salt, and 1 cup of warm water in a large bowl.

If the melted butter and milk mixture is warm to the touch, but not hot, pour it into the large bowl and mix.  Otherwise, give it a few more minutes to cool down, then go ahead and mix.

Make sure the mixture is warm, not hot, before pouring in the yeast water, so it doesn't kill the yeast, thereby   keeping your dough from rising! Mix well.

Mix in the flour, 1 cup at a time.  I use my stand mixer with a dough hook.  You can use a handheld mixer with a dough attachment if you like, to save your arms.  Your arms work fine too, but they will get a workout later, when you have to knead the dough, so it's up to you!

Towards the 5th or 6th cup of flour, the dough will begin to get more stiff.  Turn it onto a floured surface and begin to knead it, adding flour until the dough becomes smooth.

Grease a large bowl with butter or olive oil.  Place the dough in the bowl and turn it over so it is covered in the butter or oil.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it's doubled in size or about an hour.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down.  Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead out all the "bubbles". Divide the dough in half and make each half a loaf, placing each in a greased loaf pan.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until double in size, about 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Once the dough has risen, place loaves in the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until you knock on the top of the loaf and have a nice golden crust.  Take the bread out of the oven and place on a cooling rack and cool for a few minutes before cutting.

I store this bread in the fridge (in a sealed zip top bag), because, unlike "store bought" bread, it has no preservatives.  This bread will mold and get stale and hard!   This bread also makes awesome croutons and bread pudding.

The Weather Makes Me Do It!....Cook, That Is....

Here in central Virginia, we have had some strange weather over the past few months.  I think that is pretty true for most of the country.  If you are anything like me, the weather affects your appetite and what you want or do not want to cook!  This has been the case with me over the past few days.  I have wanted foods my mother and grandmother made during cold, yucky weather.  Preparing and eating foods such as vegetable soup, chili and cornbread and baked chicken and rice, remind me of good people, places and events.  Food nourishes our souls and warms our heart as well as filling our stomachs.  As we near the holidays, many of us will be cooking meals and/or baking treats to give as gifts or share with special people.  Our family will remember those in need of food by donating to our local food bank.
I have an interesting recipe, Almond Biscotti, to add to my "comfort food list".  Don't let the Italian name scare you.  It just means "biscuit" or "cookie". Originally biscotti were not meant to be a treat, but a staple food, because of their longer shelf life than soft biscuits or cookies.  The recipe below makes a crunchy, delicious cookie that can be dunked in coffee, tea or milk.  They make a wonderful gift as well.

INGREDIENTS
2~3/4 cups all purpose flour
1~1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup toasted almonds, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, beat together sugar, butter, extracts and eggs until smooth and creamy.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.  Fold in almonds.  At this point the dough will be thick and sticky.  THIS IS FINE-DON'T FREAK OUT! OR ADD MORE FLOUR!  Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
3.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
4.  Remove the dough from the fridge and with moistened hands, divide the dough into two long flat loaves; about 10 inches long and 5 inches wide.
5.  Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Using a serrated knife, cut into 3/4 inch slices.
6.  Lay the slices cut side down on  the baking sheet and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown.
7.  Cool on a wire rack before storing.

Sorry there are no pictures!  There are none left!

A Necklace and a New Friend........

Since we moved a little over two years ago, we have been visiting different churches, hoping to find one that would welcome us and make us feel like old friends.  For almost a year now, we have been attending services at a wonderful church not far from where we live.  We have enjoyed becoming a part of the church family.  An example of this is the Ladies' Christmas Dinner.  The women of the church are served a delicious dinner and have a chance to visit with friends and meet new people.  There is singing and there are door prizes!  Best of all, we are served by the men!  The men cook, serve and yes, clean up!  Can I get an Amen?!  One friend of mine, Tina, who is a member of the praise team and a fellow doting grandmother, donated some of her handiwork for prizes.  She makes jewelry.  Beautiful jewelry!  I was lucky enough to win one of her creations, a beautiful necklace with a pendant that contained a tree, worked in glass.  I was thrilled!  For several years now, I have been looking for a "tree of life" pendant.  It is a symbol of the connection I feel with my whole family, not just my immediate family.  Since we moved, and as we are growing older, that feeling has grown stronger.  It is important to me that my children and grandchildren know who their family is.  Until now, I had not found a pendant that I really liked.  I told Tina I wanted a tree of life necklace and her eyes got so big!  "That's what I had in mind when I made this piece

" she said!  We both agree that God brings people together as part of His plan for us.  She bought that pendant for that necklace when she was in Tennessee.  However, she had no idea when she made that piece, who would end up with it or when.
Tina and I have a lot in common, but now we have a special connection and I believe her friendship and her necklace are two early Christmas gifts from God.