Old Barn X

This old barn reminds me of a patch-work quilt.

School in Session

Apple Strudel Ladder Loaf

I found this yummy recipe over at Chickens in the Road.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are lots of tastey recipes over there, you should go check them out for yourself!  But first, throw these ingredients into your bread machine!  If you don’t have one, here is the old fashioned way of makin’ it:

Apple Strudel Ladder Loaf

2 1/2 cups very warm water (sometimes I use 3 cups to make larger loaves!)
1 package yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let sit five minutes. Stir in first three cups of flour with a heavy spoon. Add the next cup of flour a little at a time as needed, stirring until dough becomes too stiff to continue stirring easily. Add a little more flour and begin kneading. The 5 1/2 cups flour is approximate–your mileage may vary! Continue adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled. (Usually, about an hour.) Uncover bowl; sprinkle in a little more flour and knead briefly before dividing in half.   I skipped this first paragraph because my bread machine did all of this for me- I just added the ingredients in the order recommended by my bread machine manual, and selected the dough cycle.

Roll each half into an 8-inch square on a floured surface. Brush a few tablespoons of melted butter on each square. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 cups chopped, peeled apples for filling. Spread half of the filling down the middle of each square of dough. At the sides of the filling, cut the dough at 1-inch intervals. Fold dough strips over the filling to wrap. 

Carefully move filled loaves to greased baking sheets. Brush tops with more melted butter; sprinkle with sugar. Let rise till doubled. Bake at 350-degrees for 30 minutes. (Try peaches in this recipe or add nuts–it’s all good!) Serve warm slices with ice cream.

 

Ohh, I added fresh cherries to the second loaf and it was deeelicious!

Simply Delightful

“Simplicity is the glory of expression.”  ~Walt Whitman

“The simplification of anything is always sensational.” ~Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Beautiful Creation

I was inspired upon reading this post over at Mt Hope Chronicles the other day.  After drooling over the beautiful photographs in that post, I immediately contacted my local library and placed a reservation upon this book.  In anticipation of receiving the book, I decided to take my camera along as I set out to water the vegetable garden this morning.  These are the tiny glimpses of beauty which I encountered along the way.

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Emerald Woods and Waters

Tulips

Pictures from our trip to the bulb farm last month.

 

Country Chores

Out here on our little plot of country, a person will find plenty to do on any given day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just the other day there was a field to mow…

a lawn to mow…

a garden to plant and water…

and trees to climb and jump from!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

It’s a good thing we have all these kids, otherwise nothing would get done! 

 

 

Overgrown and Unrestrained

I thought that her wild hair and the wild grass would be an interesting combination.  I think I got a little more wildness than I bargained for!

Family Photo Session- Part II

Remember this couple from yesterday?

Well, they have wonderfully behaved children, and they make a darling family!