Bread for Lughnasa

 Yesterday was Lughnasa, the mid-way point between the summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox.  I think in the Celtic Calendar it marks the beginning of harvest time.  

I, however, continue to tuck in small pots here and there, because.......

I had some milk go sour so I decided to use it in one of my off the cuff bread making stints.  And after all bread making is a fine way to celebrate any season.  As per my usual enthusiasm I made a lot of dough, so decided to make half into a flat bread.  NO it is not foccasia, ciabetta or anything of that ilk....it's just a bunch of soft dough dumped onto a sheet pan, allowed to rise, topped with olive oil, salt and rosemary with lots of dimples because I like dimples.   It's very tasty, if I do say so myself.  The sour milk adds a nice background note.

I will probably cut most of it up into sandwich size pieces and freeze them.  I also made a regular round loaf for daily use.  I usually bake smaller batches in summer as our humid summer climate leads to quickly forming mold.  Moldy bread gets cut up into cubes and is frozen for stuffing, bread pudding etc.  Some year we have a lot of frozen cubes.

I bought another pot of sunflowers two days ago and SOMETHING is already eating them.  The culprit completely demolished a pot last year. I think I am going to repot and make some sort of cage for them.  I love feeding all the critters who come to eat, but enough is enough!

We are in for more clouds and rain this week.  Considering what many parts of the country are going through with wild fires I am not going to complain.  We live on the edge of state forest, so are always cautious about any potential for fire.

My hearts goes out to all those across the world who have had to evacuate and worse.

We'll see, grasshopper.............we'll see............

As always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

Brownies?

 I was reading Steph Blackwell's Comfort Chronicles (It's on Substack) where she is offering anew brownie recipe, which reminded me of the time my younger brother was doing some sort of cooking thing for scouts.  

This was back in the dark ages of childhood so my memory may be a bit faulty, but he decided on brownies as the dessert he would make.  My mother had an incredible brownie recipe so she oversaw the project.  Brownies went in the oven, mother had to go do errands but told him the amount of time they needed to bake plus or minus a few minutes until 'firm' on top. I guess my brother and mother had different definitions of 'firm' as he baked them for almost an hour until I happening into the kitchen told him I was pretty sure he should take them out.  They were not burnt but cooled to a rock-like consistency.  Needless to say none of us were interested in eating them.  But my father who believed that any cookie was improved for the better by being dunked in his coffee, dunked the brownie rocks until they softened a bit and declared the combo of coffee and brownie a hit.  I think my mother made some sort of sauce for them.  Not being coffee drinker I did not eat them, but others seemed to like them.

I always love it when others' stories remind me of amusing, happy times.  My brother did not live down his baking abilities for many years.

As always, thanks for stopping by...........*s*

Speaking of Catnip

  

I was getting ready to harvest this crop when the hummingbirds arrived.  Evidently they enjoy catnip flowers.....who knew?

Meanwhile they are enjoying the petunias and other flowers.   No I don't do feeders as I have never found a way to get past the ant problem.  We'll see. grasshopper.............we'll see..........

As always, thanks for stopping by.............*s*

Catnip

 

Catnip grows and grows and................

I have a field of it growing under the deck.  This is from a small plant I stuck in this planter a few years ago, because it's in my DNA to never discard a potentially viable plant.  It has come back for at least three years, maybe more.  When I had seven cats some with digestive problems I used to sprinkle finely ground catnip on their food and even in their kibble.  Not sure why but it stopped all the vomit-comet problems.

Now that I am down to two kittehs I just harvest what is in the planter and leave the rest.  If I ever get the energy to do a large garden again I will do some sort of border with it.  Rabbits, chipmonks  and all avoid it like crazy.

Interesting thing about the planter.  Catnip is the only thing that has ever survived in it.  A planter that kills plants...........NICE!

More warm days ahead.  The humidity has dropped a bit so very nice for sitting outside. 

As always, thanks for stopping by..........*s*

JULY!

 HARES & RABITS!

Still wondering where June went.

Here in southern Rhode Island we are having heat wave.   Don't tell anyone but I love summer weather.  Yes, it's a time to be careful.......drink plenty of liquids, stay out of the direct sun (Mad Dogs and Englishmen!) and all that jazz.

The pool has some major problems but is still a nice place to sit under an umbrella  and  enjoy Mother Nature.

As always, thanks for stopping by.........*s*

Summer is Here

 Litha blessings on this Summer Solstice

May the sun shine on your life

May the breezes cool your blow

 May the rains water your garden

May the earth let you bloom

As always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

June.....Where'd Ya Go?

  

It's finally feeling a bit more like summer.  I have even switched back to cotton sheets.  I had my doubts that it would ever be warm enough for that.  We would have days of warm weather then a streak of days in the sixties and lower.  Doesn't seem right that we are past the middle of June with the solstice upon us.

Above is my deck umbrella with a new patch.  It got torn  with a good size three corner tear when it was being removed from storage.  I spent days considering how best to fix it, then remembered that many years ago I bought a roll of fusible webbing.  I think I was going to save some old T-shirts.  I dug it out and decided that a cloud patch would look okay.  I put on the patch and went to work with some permanent markers.  I also patched the underside.  I normally would't bother but since this is outside braving the elements, I decided to be cautious. Well. see, grasshopper........Well see.........

With the warmer weather I am finally getting the deck in order.  It's time to buy morning glory seedlings and perhaps fuchsias, if I can find some small ones.

Flag Day was. largely ignored by the world, yet is is good to remember that June fourteenth,  1777 is the day the Continental Congress made Old Glory the official emblem of the USA.  It was also my sister-in-law's birthday.  She died in 1996 at far too young an age. 

I am going to watch the opening of the Obama Center tomorrow.  A fine way to celebrate Juneteenth.  There are many small things to give us hope in these troubled times. This is a joyful big one.

As always,  thanks for stopping by.........*s*