[wonky]

Mike, we have been getting days and days of rain also. The farmers will have to wait til the ground is frozen to harvest the rest of the soybeans and high moisture corn. We have been fairly warm tho in the mid 60's. Tomorrow tho we are supposed to be down to the lower 40's but still more rain.

I hate that four letter work "snow" so please don't send any my way. We have not had a killing frost yet, so also of the perennial plants and such are actually still doing well. However because of all the rain, the lawns keep growing and growing. They actually look lush and beautiful, especially for October.

The Farmers Almanac is predicting a very cold winter for us with lots of snow..hopefully they are wrong.

[wonky]

Thank you you for the shout-out BakerAunt. I also miss reading and posting, but life keeps getting in the way.
We have had several open houses at my Dad's farm. We are taking sealed bids, and the bidding will continue until October 15th. We do have a reserve, so are sure all the bids will be serious. We will get together in the evening of the 15th, open the bids, and notify the winner. Then it will be on to the final paper work with the attorney...blah, blsh, blah.

I have been very ill for over two weeks, and like most all of us "medical people", we make the worse patients. It started out with swollen lymph node and painful jaw and shooting pain to my ears. Of course, I took the "it will go away" road. It did get a little better pain wise, but then I got a horrible cough which I attributed to bronchitis, which I have had before. I could't sleep due to the cough, and the horrible head ache and spent most of the night sitting up on the edge of bed hacking up a lung. My ribs hurt so much, I ended using the husband velcro back brace to try to get even a little relief. My two dogs, who were trying to sleep in their beds on the floor next to my side of the bed, were very confused. Oh, yeh, my husband was not overly impressed either. Then a couple of days ago, I started with the chills and 101.5 temp. Okay...time to call the doctor. When he listened to my logs he was aghast, ordered a quick chest xray, and low and behold...some very serious water soaked pneumonia ridden lungs. He wanted me to go the hospital for IV antibiotics but I refused that you know "us medical people know better." He finally relented, and perscribed 2 weeks of Augmentin, an Albuterol inhaler and some nice little steriods. I have follow up xrays in a week, and then in another week. Sooooooooo That is my story, and I am sticking to it.

Needless to say, I have not done any baking, but if I feel even a little bit better tomorrow, I will have to do the WW bread for the day care.

Baker aunt...your pizza sounds wonderful, and I am looking forward to trying that when I am feeling a little better Hmmmmmm....do you think I will have to change anything. Love you girl, we are baking sisters from different mothers.

[wonky]

I have been so busy the past couple of weeks with turning a spare bedroom into a sewing room, so haven't been her for a while. And, no the room is not ready yet, but we are getting close. I am super excited about it. I am in the process of researching new sewing machines also, and think I have finally settled on one.

Hasn't been alot of baking lately because of the sewing room project, but last night about 8:00 the bug hit me. I decided to make apple bread, because I had some apples that needed to be used up. Following is the recipe and my adjustments, which let to a wonderful, moist, flavorful bread. I made 5 loaves, but now am down to one, because of sharing with the neighbors. Hope to make more this week to put in the freezer. The following in a doubled recipe.

Apple Bread

3 C. APF
1 1/2 C.sugar
1 1/2 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 1/3 C. veg. oil
4 eggs lightly beaten
1 t. Vanilla
4 C. chopped apples

Wisk together dry ingredients
combine the oil, eggs, vanilla and add to dry ingredients. Batter will be very thick. Add chopped apples, and stir just until blended.

Put batter into 2 greased 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 pans. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes at 350 until toothpick comes out clean. Let rest in pans for 10 minutes, and remove loaves to cooling rack.

I subed in l/2 cup of WW flour, used 1 C. of apple butter and l/3 C oil. Added 3 T. sour cream, and l/4 C. ground flax. Baked 5 small loaves for 25 minutes. The results were wonderful.Very moist, flavorful, and tender. I was pleased with the results. I also sprinkled the loaves with cinnamon/sugar mixture.

[wonky]

We have been so busy, trying to get through my Father's house since he passed away recently. I have not had time for much else. Thing's are finally coming together, and we should be ready to sell the farm shortly. He was a very, very good farmer, and was so progressive that he had almost every thing new and innovative that you could imagine. We will not have to have a realtor involved, because there are so many buyers interested, that it will just be a matter of setting the price and doing the final sale. When he passed away, the farm automatically was deeded to all 7 of us children individually, there by avoiding probate and inheritance taxes.

Any way, I did find time to make this coconut inspired cake, which is really delicious. My DH loves coconut. I believe I got the recipe of pinterest. I highly recommend it. Of course any thing that calls for sour cream, cream cheese and butter always catches my eye.

I do not normally use cake mixes, but made an exception for this recipe, and I'm glad I did.

Coconut Cake

1 white cake mix with pudding in the mix.
4 T. melted butter
3 lg. eggs
1 Cup sour cream
1 t. coconut extract

Blend above ingredients until smooth and creamy

Fold in 1 Cup coconut

Put in 9X13 prepared pan and bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes.

Allow cake to cool completely and frost with the following

3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 8 oz Cream cheese
1 t. coconut extract
2 - 3 Table spoons milk

Mix above well, frost cake and sprinkle 1 cup of coconut over frosting.

Enjoy!!!

[wonky]

When my husband and I moved to town, I gave all of my canning equipment away. Big mistake...I really missed it, but I have a ceramic top range, and was not going to risk damaging it. I have continued to make jam's, jellies, refrig pickles etc. Last year my sister and I bought a bushel of beautiful pears from the Amish, and got together to can them at her home. I had forgotten how good home canned fruit was. This year we want to do alot more pears, peaches, etc. When we put our new bathroom/laundry room addition on a couple of years ago, we kept the 220 electric in the basement, and the hot and cold water are still there. So, I am going to buy a used electric coil range to put down there, and I have a large kitchen table with about 6 leaves that I brought home from the home I grew up in after Dad passed away. When I told my sister what I planned to do with it, she said "good idea"...we are back in the canning business. Another big plus is that all all the mess will not be in my kitchen.

[wonky]

The Methodist Church here in town, always has little messages posted on their out door glass showcase, and I always look forward to reading them as I pass by. This weeks message...'God created rain, so gardener's have to clean their house's".

[wonky]

BakerAunt...I swear some day I will show up at your door, KitchenAid in hand and ready to go. Your baking amazes me. I have never made crackers, and don't even know how to begin. Lemon Biscotti....YUM, it is on my "things to bake" list...which is getting longer and longer all the time.

[wonky]

WHEW...trying to catch up with my bread orders today, as the past 2 weeks were totally taken up with my father's illness and passing.

Made 6 loaves of WW bread for my neighbor/friend's day care. I needed to catch her up, as she was so sweet in being so patient with me during my busy past two weeks. I made 8 loaves of white bread with various add in's etc. Made 18 of my braided rolls for the fire department meeting this Friday night. My best friend is the Captain of the department, and always asks me for various rolls. This meeting will include all the fixings for make-your-own subs with my rolls. My sis has put in her order for 25 various breads for the mom's and dad's in her Birth Center. She has 19 babies due in July, and I will have to repeat the order for that also. Also have several smaller orders to complete within the next few weeks.

I LOVE IT!!!! The extra money is nice also. I am trying to put half of what I make away for my Grand Daughter's first year of College. I plan to give this money to her at her high school graduation. She will be a senior this coming fall and I am struggling with her leaving for College. I will miss her terribly, but I am so proud of the beautiful young woman she has become. We talk every day, and I know that when she is in College that will probably change. She is going into nursing, with a goal of eventually becoming a Physician Assistant. Bless you Olivia.

[wonky]

Sadly my father passed away yesterday, May 29th at the ripe old age of 91. His death was expected, so we were all prepared as much as possible. He had always said "I am not leaving this farm until they carry me out", and that is exactly what happened. He was only bedridden for 3 days, and his passing was peaceful. The hospice organization that we had chosen a few months earlier was absolutely amazing, and we are forever grateful for their wonderful care.

We will hold graveside services this Saturday, which was his wish, with a reception at the local golf course, which was also his wish. His favorite nephew will play and sing all of dad's Polka favorites on his accordion, and we are all looking forward to that. My Dad also played the accordion, mouth organ, and concertina, and entertained all of us siblings (7) grandchildren (27) and great grandchildren (54) for many many years.

Dad will have full military services, and my brother, and BIL will participate (both are Vietnam veterans) in the three gun salute. My dad started going to Memorial Day services at the Cemetery where he is being buried when was discharged from the Army, and has never, ever missed a Memorial day Service, and we as siblings have also never missed a service, although some were at different cemeteries according to where we lived.

We will miss Dad, but we are grateful for having him as our father for so many years.

Rest easy Dad and thank you for being the father you were.

[wonky]

I baked 3 loaves of WW bread for the day care, 2 loaves of my special white bread, and 14 braided dinner rolls.

[wonky]

BakerAunt...I love your sub's for the coffee cake. Looked at the recipe, and anything
with sour cream, or of course cream cheese catches's my eye. I have taken to adding flax meal to so many things I make, that it is almost automatic. I add it to bars, cakes, bread of course, oatmeal, meat loaf and so on. It is considered a a super food, and is so easy to incorporate into other foods. I don't make any other changes to the recipe when adding it, like increasing the liquids etc. I also love anything "almond", so this is one I will have to try.

Tomorrow, will make the WW bread for the day care, and I am not sure what else. I never make just one batch of bread. I always think if I'm making a mess in my kitchen, I might as well make several different kinds, and make even a bigger mess.

Kudos to you for making a bread that turned out so well using spelt flour. As was discussed on the BC, I did not have good luck with it.

[wonky]

I baked 8 loaves of raisin/cinnamon swirl to donate to a bake sale. A local nurse has a six month old daughter that has some sort of genetic disease. The little girl is only able to eat corn starch, and of course is getting other IV nutrients of some sort. The mom had to quit her job to take care of the little one, and is making multiple trips to Milwaukee Children's Hospital.

Also baked 3 loaves of WW bread for my neighbor who runs the day care.

Plan to make molasses/oatmeal, and blueberry infused cranberry bread tomorrow.

[wonky]

BakerAunt.. a new kitchen should be properly baptized with flour...I googled the distance from Loyal, Wi to South Bend...about 400 miles...YIKES...but it would be totally worth it.

[wonky]

BakerAunt...I always have to chuckle when I read your posts...You and I are much alike...we just can't leave a recipe well enough alone...we sub. and add and delete certain ingredients, just like we know what we are doing.

BTW..where do you live dear lady, some day I might show up on your door step, flour, honey, yeast and alot of other things in hand. Wouldn't we have a blast. Oh...for sure I'd have to bring my Kitchen Aid.

[wonky]

I made 2 loaves of King Arthurs WW sandwich bread. (see PJ"S blog on this bread) My neighbor runs a day care, and now the state of Wisconsin is requiring all day care providers who are in the food program to serve only WW bread and WW noodles. She asked to make her two loaves to try with the children in her care. This recipe is amazing...I ended up with two of the most beautiful loaves of WW bread ever. The children loved it, and gobbled up their PB&J sandwiches. If you have not tried this recipe, I highly recommend it. I did however add 2 TBS of gluten.

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