August Sewcial Sisters...

I spent most of the day at the clinic yesterday. I had tests in the morning and a CT scan in the afternoon, trying to figure out just why I'm still having back issues. Perhaps I'll have some answers in the next couple days. While I wait...

The Sewcial Sisters meet today at Primitive Gatherings. It's early for our monthly get-together, but that's alright with me. I'm looking forward to some uninterrupted stitching time. I'm down to making bees for my Everlasting quilt, so that's what I'll be doing today. Stitching wee bees for the border.

I'll try to remember to take pictures today so I can show you what the other ladies are working on. It seems I have so much fun visiting, that I forget. I'll do my best to do better today. I need to get on the road so I'm not late. See you tomorrow. 

Tuesdays With Tag - Movin' Me Down The Highway...

Hi, Everybody!

Things are gettin' back to normal around here (finally), and my life is as it should be. I'm King of the Road! (Do you like how I did that? By now you should be hummin' two different songs!)

Mom ran errands with me yesterday and said she needed a co-pilot...not an entourage...so that means it was just the two of us. She drove, of course. My feet don't reach the pedals, in case you were wonderin' why I was the co-pilot.

It was an awesome day for a drive. Mom put on my very butch harness, boosted me up onto the passenger seat and buckled me in for safety. For a while she had the window open, so I could see and smell our trip. Honestly, I could have spent the whole day like this.

In fact, Mom was goin' to her new friend, Cindy's house to pick up farm fresh eggs. They're so much better than store-bought. Even The Girls and I can tell the difference (when Mom shares them with us).

By the time Mom had stopped at the store for milk and butter, and then picked up the eggs at Miss Cindy's farmette, I was ready for my afternoon nap. Safe and secure in the Explorer (or Corgimobile as I like to call it), I couldn't fight the urge anymore. I decided to doze in the sunshine.

It was nice to get out an smell some other scents that just those from the farm. It's a real sensory treat for a dog to go for a ride, you know. All those random smells along the way. Then there was the added bonus of no girls to lick my face. Bliss!!!

Today is Election Day in Wisconsin. Mom isn't workin' at the polls this time, so we'll be hangin' out at the farmhouse. Mom and Dad will go and vote, and we'll hold down the fort here. I'll gonna close for now, but don't worry, I'll be back next week to give you the latest gossip news from Hickory Hill Farm.

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then... 

"Been There, Chewed That!"

Anyone Can Bake - Recipe 1...

I'm so excited to start a new feature...Anyone Can Bake Cookbook Recipes. I pulled all the ingredients together for the first recipe, so here goes!

I said I had to try this recipe first...Luncheon Rolls. I followed the recipe to the letter, and by checking through other recipes in the book, I found that Royal's "very hot oven" designation is 425º F.

I did (of course) use Royal Baking Powder for the recipe. I chose Mortons™ Coarse Sea Salt and I use King Arthur Special Patent™ bread flour in this instance. In this photograph, I've mixed all the ingredients and formed into a ball to prepare to shape rolls.

I didn't make them very large. I decided to use the "1920s" food portion (based on the difference from my mother-in-law's cookie cutters and my more modern versions). A lunch roll would definitely be smaller than something you might get today from Subway. These are about 5" long.

I sprayed Pam™ spray on the sheet pan and placed the rolls. I covered them with a cotton flour sack towel (my favorite to use in the kitchen!) and let them rest for 20 minutes. I brushed them with milk, per the recipe, but also added my "Everything Topping" mix from King Arthur over the top of each roll. Then, into the oven.

I gave them about twenty minutes before taking them out to brush with butter. Then back in the oven for ten more. My handsome taste tester said they were still a bit doughy, so back in they went for three more minutes. Here they are, fresh from the oven.

So, Handsome and I discussed this recipe after dinner. We decided to use a rating system of 0-10, with ten being the best. He scored these a 7. I scored them a 6.

Here's my our assessment: They tasted like buttermilk biscuits, but more dense and with a crispy outer crust. Perhaps they'd be more like today's lunch rolls if they were a bit larger, but at this size, I'd be more likely to use them as a side, rather than as support for sandwich (lunch meat, etc.), and I would make them again.

If you decide to save the recipe and make some for yourself, please let me know what you think. I'm also going to re-upload the Index page, as I think it turned out blurry in my first post. I'll be making a new page up in the menu bar today so you'll be able to find all the future recipes in one place. I'll let you know ahead of time when I'm planning my next cookbook post. Hope you enjoy!