A LITTLE EASTER MORNING PORN

I have come to expect some things to be a certain way. Like Easter for example, it should be a day of peace, relaxation and joy. A day of contemplation, a day for family. A day for...



homemade, all the way from scratch, with love in your heart and a song in your soul, cinnamon rolls! I have really been craving a good cinnamon roll, hot out of the oven, but getting up three hours before breakfast, on a holiday? Not happening!! The answer Overnight cinnamon rolls! I'm so happy I found this one! A little crunchy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside, just right, and the smell. On an Easter morning, the smell of bread, sugar and cinnamon. What could be better?

A man who does the dishes! Man am I lucky! He doesn't even mind the pink curtains! Since we've moved things have changed, Nick is still stressed, but not like he was in Portland, he's not nearly as angry. I'm not as stressed either. We get to spend more time together doing "normal" couple things, like the dishes or puttering in the yard. We talk more, about the future, the past, mistakes and blessings.

We laugh more. We decided to spend our lives together because we enjoy each others company, in Portland we didn't really have much time to enjoy, we were both so exhausted from just trying to get by. Here, well, I can only speak for myself but I've fallen in love with this big silly goof ball all over again. Nick and I don't really argue, we don't always agree but, life is too short to worry about little stuff like the toilet seat or the cap on the toothpaste or dirty clothes on the bathroom floor or clutter on the table. Maybe it's because we have both been in "bad" relationships or maybe, because we found each other later in life, I'm not sure, I do know that, all my life I have wanted a relationship like my Mom and Dad's and now that I've found it I'm going to hold on to it, and appreciate it.

It's a beautiful day in Ontario and I think I might just go plant some seeds. Maybe I'll just go sit in the yard with Bru and enjoy another cinnamon roll, oh and work on wedding plans.

Happy Easter-
xo

IT'S A PRETTY GOOD LIFE...

My life is pretty alright right now. I have my little house, my big dog and my wonderful guy. All in all, it's good. I sat down yesterday to tell you all about how great it was to see some rain when my phone rang...yep...it was work...could I come in...so I changed gears and got dressed and walked to work. It's such a nice walk.



I was just getting my two loaves of bread ready for the oven when my phone went off too. Well, I was able to get my bread done and out of the oven before I left.

Man...this bread is great! Nick was the one who suggested we start taking one of my days off and bake bread so we don't have to spend $4.98 a loaf. Translation...you should take one of your days off and bake bread. It's o.k. though, I love to bake, and handmade bread is sooooo good!



When I got home from work last night there was another box of goodies from Ms. Jane. Loads of fabrics and table cloths and even a sewing machine cover! I can't wait for my next day off so I can get at it all. Start creating again. The problem with a new job is that, it's sort of like being the guest of honor at a party where no one knows you, you have to be ON, the whole time. It's stressful and exhausting!



We keep finding weird heart garbage in the yard...a good omen? Well, I'm supposed to have today off, I need to give Nick a haircut so he can look good for job hunting, color my hair, put the goodies from the Mother in Love away and generally get caught up. It's nice that it's overcast I don't feel like I have to be working outside today.

Have a  beautiful day-

xo

THE EASIEST BREAD RECIPE EVER

There is something about baking bread. The smell of the yeast, getting your hands in the dough, kneading the dough. It's relaxing, it makes a house feel like home, and it makes Thursday night dinner special. The snow storm dumped about 3 inches of the white stuff in the yard, and was gone by about 2 in the afternoon, but that's when the temperature dropped, so of course Nick had to go out and play in his hole. I wanted to make sure he had a really good hot meal when he came back in. Spaghetti sauce, ground chicken, spices, pasta, o.k., we have a main course. For some reason we have no salad fixin's...what to put with it? Garlic bread! But it's late and bread takes three to four hours...alittle time on the internet and, viola, a quick, single loaf recipe on http://chickensintheroad.com/cookin/crusty-french-bread-and-more/ I changed it a bit, so here is the recipe.

Easy French/Italian Bread

1 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

salt to taste

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour



a pinch of salt



Combine water, yeast and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer (Kitchen Aid! Love) and let stand for 5 minutes to proof. This is where I went a little nuts! I added two heaping Tablespoons of pesto!

mmmm, pesto



The recipe says that if you want a softer loaf, more like Italian bread, add some oil, well pesto is mostly oil, right?

the magic of yeast

Add your flour, slowly and let the mixer do the kneading for you, I only needed about 2 1/4 cups of flour. Knead by hand about 5-8 minutes or in the mixer 3-5, until the dough is soft and elastic. Place in a bowl with a little oil, cover with a dish towel and let rise (this needs to be in a warm draft free place, hard to find in my house!) until doubled in size about 30-40 minutes.


 


before the rise



almost there!



Place on a baking sheet and form into a loaf. This is the tricky part, once you have your loaf all ready for the second rise...don't! Stick it in the oven and turn it on to 375 degrees! No second rise the oven does it for you! Don't preheat! Bake the bread for 30-40 minutes, bread is done when it sounds hollow when you thunk it, mine went about 45 minutes. How simple is that, fresh homemade bread in about an hour and a half! I hope you try this amazing bread, and check out the fun at Chickens in the Road!

I think maybe today I'll finish the window treatments in the bedroom, paint some rocks and maybe bake an oatmeal cake!

Hope you're having a beautiful day!







WEDNESDAY'S CHILD IS FULL OF WOE

My poor Nick! The main from the street is leaking into the basement. Yes that's him, begging me to take the shovel and put the dirt back in the hole. He stupidly keeps asking "What's next?", well...

That's right, It's snowing! This picture was taken at 8:00am,
                                    

This one was taken at 8:22! It's showing no signs of letting up! He really needs a day off to heal up, his hands are in bad shape and his knee is all swollen up.



hard working hands

In other news...because it's snowing, I think I might do a little baking after my interview, the interview that I'm hoping will be cancelled because of the snow. I'm thinking some oatmeal cookies! 

March is National Craft Month and I'm getting ready to think about working on posts for that. The kitchen knob project is on hold, Nick's luck has rubbed off on me, the screws that came with the knobs are to big for the knobs! Two people born on Wednesday's should not live under the same roof!

After a lot of looking I found the poem: Monday's Child...

Monday's child is fair of face

Tuesday's child is full of grace

Wednesday's child is full of woe

Thursday's child has far to go

Friday's child is loving and giving

Saturday's child works hard for his living

And the child that is born on the Sabbath day

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay

Hope you have a beautiful day, me I'm going to find something to bring me joy. Maybe a snowball fight with Bruno!