Making Homemade Bread

How many of you remember the aroma of homemade bread wafting through the house as it bakes when you were little?

Grandma's butter churn

My memories of homemade bread began with my paternal Grandma who lived a quarter of a mile from my family while we were growing up. She would use potato water for the liquid to get the bread started. My siblings and I would eat it with home-made butter...the cream coming from Grandpa's milk cow.

One of the most outstanding memories of the whole experience was in the Spring when the flavor of the first milk and cream took on a disgusting flavor other than the sweet milk we were accustomed to from the store.. It only lasted a couple of weeks until the forces of nature got things back on track. We would buy milk for our family when the milk cow wasn't producing. Soon we preferred the store bought, which we now know isn't as nutritious as its raw counterpart.

I keep telling my grandkids that we are going to use the churn to make butter, but so far the words haven't  created a concrete plan to get it done.

The churn became one of my family relics many years ago when we divided Grandpa and Grandma's possessions . One of those things you pull out once in a while to shake the dust off the past.

My choice to make homemade bread products came after Hubby and I moved into our first home. My thoughts on the subject were based on what you read on the ingredient panels of store bought. I wanted to eliminate the stuff I couldn't pronounce.

I found Organic becoming apart of my vocabulary, and investments in books from a leading organization called the Rodale Institute apart of my library. Today, I still try to do things as close as I can to a limited use of detrimental chemicals to beneficial insects and soil microbes.

This past week I pulled my recipe for Honey Wheat Bread out of my memory file. I am not sure I got all the ingredients just right but the end product was very tasty.

Dough punched down ready to divide

I quit making bread on a regular basis when the kids moved away from home. You know,the empty nest psychology, where the need to do things changes. Our son mentions often the time when I used to do this or that.

Another reason came into play when a different dietary philosophy took over for a time where carbohydrates from grains etc...weren't allowed. So, to bake bread would certainly put too much stress on staying on the straight and narrow.

Ready to bake

When the dough was divided I decided to separate it into approximately one pound sections. Since it doesn't contain preservatives the extra loaves were put into the freezer.

The good thing about making bread is that you can choose what shape it will take. In my past I have made dinner rolls, clover leaf rolls and even have made long braided loaves for variety.

Alrighty, time to put the bread into the oven  until it is browned and sounds hollow when you tap the top. There is another way to tell when it is done too. After years of making yeasty treats you can tell by the smell when it is ready to pluck from the oven.

Ready for butter and jelly

Looks like I will be making bread again soon. Here's trying to send the fresh bread aroma out your way... : )

Overcoming Disabilities

We are seeing many inspirational videos coming from all different corners of the world.

Individuals determined not to let circumstances deter them from being apart of their community, their world. They have skillfully learned to adapt to what has been dealt them.





While visiting John's blog at Musing's of Murphyfish, attention was brought to Diane-Sage White Owl's post on her blog Blackbird. You might stop by to view the inspirational YouTube presentation of a courageous young man given what we think as great obstacles in the journey of human existence.

Sometimes we who have two eyes,two ears, two hands and two feet, need to get a reality check. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We, for one reason, or another feel we have the right to complain about our lives.

I guess if we don't like where we are, or what we are doing, change it. Like these two very talented, physically challenged, individuals that are the the focus of the videos. ;)

Iowa National Guard Deployment

The largest deployment of the Iowa National Guard since World War II has escalated in the last week.

Following is the schedule of past and future send - offs , there are seven more ceremonies before the largest departure is concluded on August 9th.

Friday, July 30

Algona
Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approximately 45 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Iowa National Guard armory, 1511 N. POW Camp Road, Algona

Boone
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team (approximately 110 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Des Moines Area Community College (Boone campus), 1125 Hancock Dr., Boone

Eagle Grove
Detachment 1, Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approximately 40 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Iowa National Guard armory, 216 S. Park Ave, Eagle Grove

Mt. Pleasant
832nd Engineer Company (approximately 50 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Mount Pleasant High School, 2104 S. Grand Avenue, Mount Pleasant

Keokuk
Detachment 1, 832nd Engineer Company (approximately 55 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Keokuk High School, 2285 Middle Road, Keokuk

Storm Lake
Company G, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approximately 80 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Storm Lake High School, 621 Tornado Drive, Storm Lake

Sunday, August 1

Carroll
Company A, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approximately 100 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Carroll High School, 2809 N. Grant Road, Carroll

Council Bluffs
-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Spencer unit)
-Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 1, Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 215 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Mid-American Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs

Davenport
Company A, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approximately 75 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Modern Woodmen Park (River Bandits), 209 S. Gaines Street, Davenport

Denison
Company D, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approximately 50 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Denison High School, Fine Arts Center, 819 N. 16th Street, Denison

Estherville
Battery A, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approximately 80 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Estherville Armory, 1704 3rd Avenue South, Estherville

Johnston
-Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Newton unit)
(approximately 100 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Camp Dodge Freedom Center, 7105 NW 70th Avenue, Johnston

Red Oak
Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approximately 110 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Red Oak High School, 2011 N. 8th Street, Red Oak

Shenandoah
-Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 2, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Corning unit)
(approximately 100 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Shenandoah High School, 1000 Mustang Drive, Shenandoah

Monday, August 2

Charles City
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 35 Soldiers)
8 a.m., Iowa National Guard armory, 2003 Clark Street, Charles City

Clinton
Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 35 Soldiers)
2 p.m., Iowa National Guard Armory, 1200 13th Avenue North, Clinton

Tuesday, August 3

Cedar Falls
-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
-Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
-Detachment 2, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Iowa Falls unit)
(approximately 230 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., UNI Dome, 2501 Hudson Road, Cedar Falls

Dubuque
-Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
-Company D, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
-Detachment 1, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 130 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Peosta Community Center, 7896 Burds Road, Peosta

Iowa City
Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 100 soldiers)
10 a.m., City High School, 1900 Morningside Drive, Iowa City

Iowa Falls
Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 75 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Iowa Falls High School, 1903 Taylor Avenue, Iowa Falls

Oelwein
Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 40 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Oelwein Middle School, 300 12th Avenue SE, Oelwein

Thursday, August 5

Johnston
-Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
-Troop B, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
(approximately 130 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Ankeny High School, 1302 North Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny

LeMars
Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry (approximately 80 Soldiers)
9 a.m., Le Mars High School, 921 3rd Avenue SW, Le Mars

Sioux City
-Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
-Company D, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 170 Soldiers total)
10:30 a.m., Sioux City East High School, 5011 Mayhew Drive, Sioux City

Friday, August 6

Marshalltown
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approximately 50 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Marshalltown Community College, 3700 S. Center St, Marshalltown
Saturday, August 7

Cedar Rapids
-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
-Company B, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
-Company C, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
(approximately 340 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Sunday, August 8

Cedar Rapids
-Detachment 1, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
-Detachment 2, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Oelwein unit)
-Company B, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 160 Soldiers total)
2 p.m., US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Monday, August 9

Des Moines
-334th Brigade Support Battalion
-Detachment 1, Company C, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Corning unit)
(approximately 340 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, 703 3rd Street, Des Moines


Tuesday, August 3rd, brought our family to Iowa City to share in the deployment ceremony for our soldier and  others who would be leaving for a year or more in Afghanistan.

There was a small window of opportunity before and after the ceremony for the families to connect  before the troops boarded the buses for Camp Shelby, Mississippi.

During the ceremony we were educated in  many outstanding  periods in the history of Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry,34th Division. As citizen volunteers, supporting the" Regulars", they have provided
impressive defence capabilities. A particular era in their history,World War II in Italy, gave them a distinction they still carry today.

Caught a picture of the travel coaches before the ceremony...While all the supporters and soldiers were inside, the cities  of Coralville and Iowa City provided  fire fighting trucks eqipped with 100' aerial platforms to suspend a huge American flag over the exit  the buses would be using to start the next leg of the journey.

After the men and women boarded the buses, Iowa City Police officers started the procession with the motorcycle Patriot Guard falling into line.

Time to wave good-bye, put our hands together in a clap or send a message of support by raising our American flag.

I want to extend my best wishes for their continued safety through  each day...God speed until they are finally able to retrace their steps back to the beginning, where they started ,back into the arms of waiting family and friends...

Crop Dusters Aloft

We are all seeing these planes in one form or another darting  through spaces that you wouldn't think a pilot with his right mind would want to try.


















Hubby and I were outside on this hot,humid, afternoon working on the house we are building.The above pictured  plane kept flying over to the fields just past the north pasture. We got strong whiffs of the chemical being used as he flew over. The heavy air held the residue and allowed  it to fall as he passed overhead.

I don't envy these guys their jobs because of the long , hot hours they fly, or the volatile chemicals they carry onboard .

In the time I have been working on this post two  Crop Dusting mishaps were reported on the Eastern side of our state. The good news being neither pilot suffered serious injury even though their machines were lost in the accidents.

Our airspace often hosts the Crop Dusters as they pass on the way to their next job because of  Hubby's windsock at our home grass strip, they check for wind speed and direction. Yes, and because we live in the middle of farm country...; )

Martin Jaguar Takedown Bow

The last few years I have been reading about some exciting  experiences of those using Bows to hunt.

It  sure does spark a desire to  give another weapon other than my Remington 870 Youth Express 20 gauge shotgun a try.

I have been previewing different types of bows, compound, recurve and longbows. My choice was to go with the Martin Jaguar Takedown Recurve, after spending over a year in contemplation. The plan is to work on moving to a compound bow in the future; having experiences with all types of weaponry is the ultimate goal.


                                               Reasons I decided on the Martin Jaguar Takedown  -

1. Portabilty with easy disassembly
2. Brand name recognition

Kit contents and description :

• Laminated wood and glass limbs for a smooth draw
• Limbs remove from riser for easy transport
• Durable riser
• 7" brace height
• 60" AMO length
• Includes Armguard, tab, stringer, 3 carbon arrows, arrow rest and carry case.
• Right hand only. Weighs 2 lbs., 11 ozs.

I decided to try the Amazon Link...Little did I know until clicking on it that the supplier fulfilling the request would end up being The Sportsman's Guide. Which was quite alright with me since it had been one of the places I had been shopping in my online searches.

Placing my order on a Sunday, they fulfilled it on Tuesday, and I had it by Wednesday. The bow kit was sent from a distribution location in St. Paul,MN. and I live in central Iowa. I am pleased with the swift service.

I have yet to get it out to give it a try,however, it is together and I do have some practice arrows that were included in the kit.

The only problem I found when the kit arrived was that the riser was not secured in the case, moving around loose, scuffing the limbs, but not hurting them significantly.

In my quest to have a few more arrows to try out, I headed over to E-bay and won 6 Used - Easton  Super Slam!, XX78 SupeLite  USA 2413 from a Michigan seller. The arrows are in very good used condition and the shipping once again was very timely.

My broadhead collection is starting with the Muzzy three blade. I have heard good things about several brands and will be investing in some others to find the right one(s) for my set-up
.
Until I can get a target, I will use some big round hay bales, that is until they get moved for storage elsewhere.





Off to try something new...;)

Disclaimer- I am an Amazon Affiliate. Should you decide  to purchase items from the links it would benefit me. A note to mention , affiliates are able to purchase from their own links, and receive a percentage of sales in return. Thanks!

Yellowstone Bison Attacks

The news is buzzing about the Bison attack at Yellowstone National Park.

Reviewing the video caught by one of the individuals targeted by the Bison shows they weren't using good judgement in their proximity to the wild beast.

Someone else definitely made a poor choice when they pelted the animal, endangering others with that decision. It is my opinion that the animal would not have been disturbed by its observers if it hadn't been enraged by the assault. Purely conjecture on my part...

Time and time again we find how short sighted people become when they get too close to wild animals who's behaviors are totally unpredictable.

I am very glad that all the individuals survived the attack - they have a story to share...

The Groundhog Rises Again

WHewie! Today is one of those days you stop and reflect on flash backs from the past. 

Good old days when The Ground Hog Hilton was busy that one summer. Guess it was back in September of '07 if memory serves me right. Yep.... '07.

It started like this...My side kick Sadie and I were off to the land of Garden Delights - had some weed wrasseling to do. While I was hard at work yanking, and pulling around the cantaloupe, Sadie was off  putting her sniff on the territory.

MY WORD! Some critter just past my feet without as much as a howdy do, landing smack dab, flat against the fence. Hmmmm, a familiar shape only smaller. I followed suit to see about scaring it out of the garden the same way it had entered, through the open gate.

Couldn't get Sadie's attention for a bit, thought if she got on the same side of the critter I was it would head out. The poor thing was pinned, its back to the fence taking a defensive posture while clicking its teeth. Sadie darting in and back, eventually out the gate herself, opening up the opportunity to give that little plant eater a heave with my trusty three tined garden tool. (Where's the camera when you need it?!?)

As I lifted that miniature clover muncher, giving it a toss, it laid on its back looking around until Sadie came to investigate. 

Whoops! Sadie couldn't let this chance go by without chasing it off into the Timber full tilt until it wasn't seen any longer.

It looks like an exciting season ahead! ; )

Garden Delights

This Spring I decided to resurrect my gardening abilities after spending the last couple of years working on expanding my knowledge base in a totally unrelated field.

The drive to get the garden producing again was due to my need to fulfill the want for vegetables I only look at in the store. Hubby doesn't really enjoy eating some of the morsels I have known since childhood, so I make concessions. However, now I have the opportunity, I am going to take advantage. Seeds are relatively inexpensive compared to what they charge in the retail setting for the end product.

My flannel wearing tomato has gained in size appreciably and there are good sized tomatoes getting the red hue as of July 14th.

As you can see my early set tomato has gained company. In the row next to it I planted white potatoes that my sister had given me from  her kitchen cupboard. It is said they don't make good specimens for replanting but the only thing left to see  is how big they will be when they are ready to be dug.

When my focus was on picking berries the rains decided to come, and the weeds flourished since they were the ones inhabiting this space for quite sometime. One good thing was that the vegetables had an established start so they could withstand some competition until I got back to defending their position. The battle of the weeds will probably never totally end; over time there might be less.

Yes, solutions such as mulches etc...do exist, but I like bare ground best, with wide row plantings for vegetables suited to that method.

I like space saving measures with viney plants to try to keep them from swallowing up too much area. It also helps to keep the fruits, or veggies from getting so dirty, or wet that disease rots them before they are ready to harvest.

I am all for recycling materials for structures in the garden if I find them. Presently, I am removing a makeshift fence made by the previous owners of our property. They included some fence panels which I intend to place on the wooden fence posts in my garden to promote plant alternating rows from season to season.

I really like making/having the concrete reinforcing wire cages for use with both tomatoes and cucumbers.

Time to get to other things...So, I will leave you all for now.

Stay cool and safe !!! ;)

Time to Hay and See

The weather turned off dry for about 4 days last week. It gave my hunting mentor and neighbor time to do some grass cutting in my north pasture.

After raking and letting it dry down a bit he enlisted the help of one of his friends to stack those bales for him.They brought out four full racks and a half of another. Today, they are working on getting another racks worth out...

I like when he cuts the grass, because it opens up the vista for me to see what wildlife is passing through the field.

The past two years there had been a a turkey nest filled with eggs when the pasture was trimmed. No mention has been made of a nest this year, but I have seen a hen making use of the timber in the vicinity of the house.

This good sized Doe has a fawn in the area. She is constantly moving around in the fields close to the house.  A beautiful animal with very statuesque features when she strikes an observant pose. Her attention always drifts towards the homestead, because she knows she is being watched.

I enjoy watching  the family use the little deer plots I planted last summer for their own cafeteria. It isn't often in the daylight that deer are found eating there right now.

On the day they visited, the fawn was darting here, and there, excercising its young legs, putting on a show for whoever might be in attendance... ;)

Iowa Black Bear Sighting 2010

Post Update : This little Black Bear has been given some aide by the Iowa DNR to get him closer to Wisconsin. The DNR tranquilized him after his visit to Postville and moved him to a remote part of  Allamakee County in an attempt to encourage his departure. They aren't sure if he is the same one sighted earlier in the video below...




Iowa has been host to yet another Black Bear.

How long until we will list them as a native animal? Only time will establish that fact.

Des Moines Register Columnist, Kyle Munson, blogged  about the recent sightings in our northern tier counties.

The  young male has found himself the main character in a  short video,when he decided to raid a backyard bird feeder.  ;)

Sadie Says - Oh YUM!

Hey there gentlemen, ladies and kind fellow four legged people lovers. 

Stopping by the blog world to let you know that I'm still around keeping Mom in line.

The berry season is coming to a close for the second time in my short life, but not without getting my share of the "Goods".

Mom seems to think she is going to try to get a couple more pounds  of raspberries and maybe, some of the gooseberries.

My Mom doesn't have to worry about me eating to much. After I get enough, I just quit and go find a place to lay down...Whether it be where Mom is picking berries, or under a close shade tree.

My nose knows which berry is the  best of the

best. 

Seems I have reawakened my wild side...(wink, wink)  

Time to totter off and dream about MORE berries.... ;)

Happy 4th of July

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I would like to thank our founding fathers for Declaring our Independence and creating a place where we can be free to express our political views...

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July! ;)