Amish Friendship Bread

I have heard of these breads before, you get a starter and follow directions. There isn't a way to make the bread unless you have the starter...

One of my neighbors offered me a starter and I was happy to take it so I started with this on my way to some delicious Amish Friendhip bread...and 4 starters that I would need to pass on...

Laura was baking her first loaves the same night she gave me the starter...the next day I learned she had soupy glop instead of a loaf of bread. It would take 10 days before I would know if the starter she gave me was doomed or if I would yield the yummy bread she told me she had previously sampled.

So, I mashed the bag for a few days, I added ingredients and then mashed the bag (as it grew into a large overinflated bubble) a few more days and it was time to make the bread. I hadn't read ahead other than to know I was not supposed to use metal so I stopped and got a couple of glass pans to bake it in...after all since it had been gloppy bread for Laura I didn't want to take any chances in breaking the Amish traditions.

Laura called as I was measuring out the starters...3 to pass on and one for me to use in the next round. I was optimistic...then it happened....I had to pick up the phone and call Laura...I was caused to doubt the authenticity of the Amish Friendship bread when it called for instant pudding!?! Really? The Amish used instant pudding?

On that call about the pudding I heard that Laura and her coworkers were calling it, "Amish lose-your-friendships bread"...

Not to worry, mine turned out beautifully and it was DELICIOUS!! Three starters went to pre-school and I have another I am mashing daily in the kitchen...

Photos 62 (oops - been waiting awhile) and 68

Snapshot Sunday

A visit to see the Xian Terra Cotta Warriors (no photos of the real exhibit allowed)...





















On to the art museum (on loan from the Louvre) and an aerial view of arranged trash...coke cans,beach chairs,fans and even a urinal...

Back at home and unearthing their own Warriors...

Photos 65 - 67 Day 81

Shopping for clothes with two girls

What a long day it is when you shop for clothes with two girls who know exactly what they want - and what they don't want. School pictures coming up for J, Easter, summer...We shopped and tried on...there was happiness, there were tears. There was silliness in the dressing room (muscle man TV show rehearsals), ranting in the car (after someone had a meltdown in the shoe department) and dining.

We walked into the first store and I picked a dress for S. She didn't care for it. She picked out several to try on, I picked a couple for her as well (including the first one). In the end she tried 14 dresses and decided the best, most beautiful one was the one I picked to begin with.

We tried on swimwear. J had tried a few three weeks ago and didn't want the one I said was best for her. No hard feelings - not her colors. We looked and looked...finally found another to try on tonight (one that S HAD to have, she LOVED it...more tears). J tried on 4 suits and happily got the one I picked out a few weeks ago that she didn't like the colors of. S tried on the one she HAD to have, and another that I picked out that I thought she would like. S decided on the one I picked out not the one that was so important.

No shoes - but more tears when I insisted pink sparkly wouldn't look best with b&w dress. We have that fun for another weekend. Can't wait.

Photo 64 - Day 80

When Irish eyes are smiling...

Smiling may be a wee bit of an exaggeration...

Happy St. Patty’s Day!

May you drink your fill of ale and find your pot of gold!!

Photo 62 - Day 76

Snapshot Sunday

J had a free donut ticket so we went to get a Krispy Kreme fresh out of the oven.

Difficult to see through the window, but glaze is dumped onto the hot donuts - yum.

S finally finished cleaning her room!!

S at his checkup telling the vet tech how Fella behaves.

Photos 59-61 Day 74

Crock Pot recipes

One dinner that both my kids pretty reliably like is Roast Beef and Mashed Potatoes. I got this recipe from an e-group that I belong to and people were raving so I decided it was time to give it a try.

Coke Roast

Into your crockpot gently throw:

1 3-4 pound beef roast

1 packet of dry onion soup mix

Several generous squirts of ketchup

1 can of Coke (not diet, not Vanilla Coke, the regular kind - not Pepsi)

Cover, turn on high, go away and come back in 6-8 hours.The meat is so tender it will fall off your fork. It is very flavorful. No,it doesn't taste like Coke. No, it doesn't taste like ketchup but there is a nice, light tomato taste. It's very, very tasty.

(For the picture I had poured the coke around the roast to show the ketchup, but I later turned the roast over as the ketchup was going nowhere. Next time I will just pour the coke allover the top of the roast.)

Our conclusion...it turned out very well - We made baked potato instead of mashed. The roast we had was a little too big for us so we will have the excess roast and the saved 'au jus' (which is very tasty) for french dip sandwiches another time. My other conclusion...my kids don't necessarily need to be distracted with building a perfect baked potato at dinnertime...

Photo 58- Day 74

Wii is Fit!

I love my Wii Fit… I love the interaction of the little Mii with the physical challenges. I like trying to get a little better each time. The different groupings of exercises…balance, aerobics, yoga, strength allow variety.

I love using the Free Step in the aerobics section in the morning while I am watching the morning news and then sometimes at night watching TV. The Free step is appealing because I can do it watching TV and it honestly passes with me barely noticing,

But… I have fallen into a rut…I need a Wii fit buddy with whom to have challenges. Are you using your Wii Fit? I could use some challengers to keep me pushing myself more. Perhaps it is just more fun to think there is someone I have to beat – lol. J likes it as well, but somehow trying to compete with a 7 yr old…well, let’s just say, I am competitive but I am not stupid.

I finally have gotten past level 7 on the marble game, but level 8 has a b’jillion marbles rolling around…I think it is called Table Tilt in the balance section. I can also do 1000 steps in 10 minutes on the Free Step.

I don’t know my hula numbers and my guess is any two people will have different things they like or excel at. That’s why I need a challenge buddy…to push me out of my comfort range and doing some new things.

I think I got 100 (that is a percentage score, not a count) on the jackknife strength exercise…I think anyone would, as I certainly know that is not something I excel at…

It would be more fun, though, to have a Wii Fit buddy…someone for exchanging challenges and comparing high scores.

I know I have at least two followers with a Wii…have you a Wii Fit? What is your high hula-hoop score? Table Tilt? I have finally reached the same level on Table Tilt that my 18 year old nephew had in his first attempt at Christmastime…and I had to try several time over a couple of weeks to get there...

Photo 57 - Day 71 Not high quality photography today, to be sure,but it is hard to take pictures while doing the challenges so you don't lose the images!