Nature and Life Notes

Frosty Morn

With temperatures hovering around freezing, it was a frosty morning for the horse pulling the Old Order Mennonite buggy. (The Mennonite buggies are black while Amish buggies in this part of Pennsylvania are gray.)

Tractor Square Dancing

Tractor Square Dancing at the 2013 Pennsylvania Farm Show

Whole Wheat Multi-Grain No Knead Bread

This variation of the no-knead bread baked in cast iron is one of our favorites. It is denser than the traditional no-knead. It uses one cup of whole wheat flour in addition to the unbleached flour. You also add 1 cup of 10 grain cereal (uncooked). The cereal can be found in health food stores…

A Bit of Butter

The 2013 Pennsylvania Farm Show just completed a week-long celebration of agriculture in Pennsylvania with exhibits, lots of food, animal exhibits and judging (over 6,000 animals), special events and then there is always the butter sculpture. This year’s butter sculpture focused on Pennsylvania’s products. The PA Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural event in…

Filled with Joy and Peace

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Jalapeno and Cheddar No Knead Bread

My fascination with baking bread in cast-iron using the no-knead method continues. Using a covered cast iron pot to bake the moist dough at a high temperature yields the type of bread you purchase in a bakery with a crusty, chewing crust and soft interior texture. This is a variation that adds one cup of…

Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work

I am joining over 10,000 women in the Living Proof Ministries (Beth Moore) scripture memory challenge for 2013. On the first and fifteenth of each month, you post a verse on the LPM blog that particularly applies to your life at that moment. The goal is to end the year with 24 new verses added…

Cranberry – Pecan No-Knead Bread

Having recently discovered the wonders of baking no-knead bread in cast iron, I am eager to try the many variations. This cranberry-pecan bread uses the basic no-knead recipe and you add dried cranberries, the zest of one orange and chopped nuts. It makes a wonderful loaf, crusty on the outside and soft on the inside….

Yearly Bloom

This is the flower of an amaryllis from my grandmother. She passed away over 30 years ago so I am not sure how old the plant is but each winter, it sends up the orange/pink blossoms and reminds me of my grandmother’s love of flowers and gardening.

A German and Southern Happy New Year! (A Little Late)

I just realized yesterday that I never clicked on “Publish” for the New Years’ post. So, even though it is now January 7, Happy New Year! Original post below. Our New Years Day meal combines my husband’s German heritage and the Pennsylvania German area where we live with my southern roots. The tradition for the…

Baking No-Knead Bread in Cast Iron

One of my sons is a fan of cast iron cooking when he is camping. As he was looking online at various recipes using cast iron pots, he ran across the technique of baking bread, using a no-knead recipe, in a cast iron Dutch oven. We decided to give it a try and the results…

Snow Topper

The pumpkins on the patio received caps of snow during the first snowfall of the season this past week.

Accomplishing Words

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty, but…

Ranger Cookies

Ranger Cookies 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 cup flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup oatmeal 1 cup cornflakes 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1/2 cup coconut (optional) 1. Cream shortening, sugars, and egg. Add flour, salt,…

Knobby Apple Cake

Nothing says fall like the smell of an apple cake baking in the oven. I have posted several variations of apple cake but here is one more recipe that uses fresh apples coarsely chopped along with some nuts and a touch of cinnamon. Knobby Apple Cake 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg, beaten…

The View from My Window

If you spend much time with four or five-year-old little girls, you are certain to hear the phrase, “That is my favorite.” It may refer to food, colors, clothes, toys, animals or anything. As I was buying groceries last week, a dad asked his young daughter what type of peppers did she want. The little…

The Drive Home

During the summer, my drive home from work looks like this. The green leaves meet over the road to provide a feeling of driving through a green tunnel. This time of the year, the green has changed to yellow, red, orange and all shades between. It is a delightful time to be out of doors…

Well, Hello There…

As I was cutting flowers, I ran across this big fellow. A quick internet search revealed it is a common garden spider called the Black and Yellow Argiope ( Argiope aurantia). They catch large insects such as grasshoppers and butterflies in their web. I decided I could pass on this flower and leave Mr. Spider…

Hummingbird Moths this Summer

The hummingbird moths were plentiful this summer, although they are disappearing now that the cooler weather is approaching. Here is one visiting a day lily that was actually still for a few moments.