Bread experiment

I am working on a bread recipe using a combination of half all-purpose flour/half whole wheat flour. So this is my latest attempt, which turned out the best so far. Each time, I have been making adjustments to the recipe. With this attempt, I used 3 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten and a pinch of ginger. Also, I have read soy lecithin can be added to soften up the texture of bread. If I can find it in the store, I may try that next. The flavor is excellent, but it still has a somewhat dense texture. My goal is to come up with a bread recipe to use for sandwiches, something lighter in texture. Perhaps I am just so accustomed to eating store bought bread so this may take some getting used to. And of course, without all the preservatives, the bread gets stale after only a couple of days.

Three small garden beds

Here is the latest project. We used patio bricks leftover from another project to make a few garden beds. I wanted something to plant in (on the other side of the yard) that looked nice, since it is close to the front of the house. For only three small beds, this was a great deal of work. Those patio bricks weigh about twenty or more pounds so they are very heavy, and trying to get them level with each other is not exactly easy. Also, I think I may have ruined my knees in the process. Definitely, I need to start wearing knee pads. I planted a red pepper plant yesterday in one of the beds. This morning, I noticed my dog had scratched the plant up entirely. Apparently, he was smelling the bone meal. Then my chickens were digging in these beds as well. Thankfully, our main garden is enclosed by a fence. So now, I have to come up with an idea to keep the animals out. Needless to say, this has not been my most productive project. Oh, I forgot to mention getting attacked by fire ants.

Portable Greenhouse

This is my portable greenhouse that I mentioned in another post, not really much to it. The yard cart is practical for carrying heavy things around the yard. The sides also fold down. I had the idea to build a frame that fits inside the cart. Then we added clear plastic and a little duct tape and some staples. At the present, I keep my seedlings in there in the day time. In the evening, I pull the cart under the carport. Tonight, I brought the seedlings inside because the temperature is supposed to drop.

Pie crust without shortening

How to make a pie crust without shortening-YouTube


I have been making quiche to use up some of the eggs from the chickens, and I got tired of paying so much for store bought pie crusts. In addition, I do not cook with shortening and also try to stay away from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils as much as possible. Therefore, this recipe has been helpful, considering many pie crust recipes call for shortening. I found it on a YouTube video. This recipe is easy and cheap to make, which uses a little bit of butter and vegetable oil, instead of lard and makes a pretty good pie crust as well.

1 cup of unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter (cut into pieces)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cold water

Mix flour, salt, and sugar together. Add butter and cut into small pieces. Sprinkle in vegetable oil. Cut butter and oil into flour mixture with a pastry blender. Sprinkle cold water evenly in. Cut dough with fork to mix in water. Spread a sheet of plastic wrap on counter. Put dough in middle of plastic wrap. Wrap dough into tidy ball. Chill for 30 minutes. Place a piece of plastic wrap two inches bigger than a pie pan on counter. Lightly sprinkle with flour. Place dough ball into center. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Tap dough down into even circle with rolling pin. Roll into 1/8 inch thickness and one inch bigger than pie pan. Remove top plastic wrap. Place pie pan upside down on dough. Place one hand under the wrap and hold center of pan with other hand. Quickly flip over. Position the dough on pan. Remove plastic wrap. Tuck in extended edges. Handling the dough less will make a more flaky crust. Make edges evenly thick. If the crust is to be baked without filling, prick bottom or make a few cuts. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1-12 hours before baking.

New chicken coop

Well, this coop is not really new. I cleaned this one up and applied a couple coats of fresh paint so it looks like new again. We were using it inside a 10 ft by 10 ft dog pen, and it worked really well for that purpose. Also, we added the awning on the front. I still have to apply some caulking to make it more waterproof. The original plan was to fix it up then sell it, but I changed my mind and decided to keep it. I am thinking about getting some more chickens this spring or just keep this as a back-up coop.

Getting rid of old leaf lettuce

This planter of lettuce I had been growing all winter. The planter was sitting in a small makeshift greenhouse built in a wagon so it was portable. When the weather got cold, I would pull it in under the carport. During the sunny part of the day, I had it sitting in the sunshine. It worked really well for that purpose. However, the lettuce was starting to taste bitter so I finally let the chickens have it. They absolutely love any kind of lettuce or greens. I guess the bitter taste does not bother them.

Neglected my blog

Hi,

Just got back to the blog. I almost forget about it, but I plan to post more and keep it updated. Thanks for the comments.