Happy Mother's Day

Gladys (Glady) C Kelly
JULY 7 1922 - SEPTEMBER 1 2006

Mum, thank you for all you taught me. Thank you for letting me play in the garden with you, for I now have a love of gardening as you and your mother before you did. Thank you for my two wonderful brothers.
We miss you.

Sunday photo

Meerkerk Gardens Whidbey Island

Wonderful Whidbey

Whidbey Island is a very special place to live. There are many photo opportunities, so I usually take my camera along wherever I am going. I find old buildings to be rather interesting, always wondering what they were used for. If I find an old rundown house, I wonder, who lived in it, did they raise a family there etc.

Dutch Oven Crusty Bread

I have been playing around with the " Dutch oven crusty" bread recipe to see what other combinations work well.

Original recipe:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1tsp yeast
1tsp salt
1-1/2 cups warm water

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast. Add water and stir until a shaggy mixture forms.
(mixture will be loose and sticky: this is what you want) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours (up to 24) overnight works well.
2. Preheat oven to 450 Place a cast iron Dutch oven with a lid in oven and heat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the risen dough onto a heavily floured surface (dough will be sticky) and lightly shape into a round loaf.
3. Remove hot Dutch oven, from oven and carefully place dough inside. Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes. Then remove lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Carefully remove bread from oven, and from Dutch oven and place on a cooling rack.

My adapted recipe:
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
3 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 warm water, plus a little more to make the dough more 'sticky' Careful not to add too much water.
Bake as above.
I used more yeast as I thought the original bread recipe baked up a little on the heavy side