Warning: Females ONLY Post

My finger is healing nicely and is back to typing! It healed quicker than I had expected, which, of course, was a nice surprise.

This morning I woke up with a breast infection. I hate those! Once you get one you're more prone to get them. I had several of them after Madeleine was born. So, whenever my immune system is lacking I seem to come down with an infection. The symptoms of these infections include: fever, feeling sick to the belly sometimes, achy-ness, very sore breast, and usually red or purple in the infected area. Having had these as much as I have, I did a lot of research and experimenting on what to do when I get hit with one. Usually, now, I can nip the problem in the bud, but this time I had no warning since I was sleeping when it came on! Here's what helps: fresh garlic (helps kill infections), clean cabbage leaves placed on breast (I just shove mine in my bra - funny, but it helps!), drinking more water than usual, a hot shower, and I know there are other helpful tips, but I've forgotten what they were. Maybe they weren't the most helpful. However, if any of you out there end up with this problem, give me a call or send an email my way and I'll be sure to go find all the info I have on it to pass on to you!

Where I've Been

I haven't been writing for a few days, because I hurt my little finger on my left hand while cutting bread in the kitchen and it's really uncomfortable to type. I still can't use it for typing, because the bandage on it makes me type two letters at once. Also, it's still sore. Anyway, I just thought I'd let you all know where I've been. I'll be back to writing here once the soreness goes away.

Have a wonderful week!

Inperfection

Today has been a day full of mistakes - more than usual. I planned today full of treats - a baking day. My plan was to make two blueberry pies, two batches of pecan puff cookies, cinnamon rolls, and baklava. I started off by putting a batch of cinnamon roll dough in my bread machine. An hour later I smelled something burning and found that I had set my bread machine on the wrong setting and it was cooking my dough! Oh bother. So I started another batch and realized after it was too late that the recipe I had used so many other times said "milk" not "water". Where was my head?! I decided it would probably be okay with water and left it. When the bread machine finished with the dough setting I took it out and followed the recipe closely. After it was done baking and being frosted it was test taste time. That's when it was discovered that they were doughy in the middle. My oven knob numbers had been slowly wearing off, so I've been doing a lot of guess work with oven temperatures lately. It finally took it's toll and my luck caught up to me. LOL. What a bummer! Still, the ones on the outside taste good. I'm baking a batch of baklava now and don't think I'll get to all the other wonderful goodies I had planned for today! I'm feeling tired and need to think of what to make for dinner. Maybe I'll heat up leftover sweet and sour chicken that I made yesterday and start a fresh batch of rice in my rice maker. Anyway, I'm hoping there is no adventure involved with the making of the baklava. It was the first time I've made it and I was doing most of it one handed since little Robby didn't want to sit in his highchair anymore. Here's a picture of Robby helping me type:


I hope all is well with all of you! :o)

New Life and Spring

Although spring is not quite here yet, a little piece of it has been shared with us early. Yesterday the first lambs of the season were born. They're the first lambs to be born on our little farm and are the cutest little things. They were born to our Jacob ewe. She is obviously a good mother, protecting her little lambs from everyone and everything. She gets nervous when we go out and visit her - especially since our dog, Lady follows us out there. Here are the pictures of the new little guys or girls (I haven't got close enough to find out what gender they are). Does anyone have any good name ideas?

Cinnamon Rolls

I have discovered a most delicious recipes for cinnamon rolls and thought I would share it.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
2 eggs, room temperatures
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order I have them listed. Select dough cycle: press start.

2. After the dough cycle has finished place your dough on a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter (I just do this with my bare hand, which I find easier than using any kitchen utensil) and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly buttered 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Note: Don't make these too often, or you'll end up with a whole different kind of rolls! LOL.

Creation vs. the Theory of Evolution

It's funny, the subject I find most difficult to write about is the one I want most to write about: creation vs. evolution. I love the subject and feel I know a lot concerning the subject. However, I find it difficult deciding where to start when writing. Also, I have such a high respect of the subject that it makes me feel as if I could never do it justice. Does anyone have a question to inspire me with? Is there anything about the theory of evolution that makes it seem believable to you? If so, please send a question my way and I will try to answer it the best I can!

Doughnuts

I'm really out of the habit of writing. There was a time when I used to write in a journal at least twice a day. Now, I don't even keep a journal. So much for the idea of filling out fifty of them by the time I die! I wonder how many other goals I'll miss in life. The good news is, I've already achieved things that never made it to my list of goals. For example: doughnut making. I learned how to make glazed doughnuts yesterday and it was only in the past couple of weeks I even knew I wanted to learn how to make them. It all started with reading "Farmer Boy" out loud by Laura Ingalls. In this book you see a farmer's wife back then spent a good portion of her time in the kitchen. I think the health of this country would change drastically (in a good direction), by the way, if every wife/mother spent even half that much time in the kitchen. Almanzo's mother kept the pantry full of things like pies and doughnuts! Reading this story out loud to my children gives me a sweet tooth about half the time. She made all sorts of healthy things to eat, too, but the pies and doughnuts are what stand out to me. It was the inspiration to my own personal doughnut making experience. The one thing I learned that you should know about doughnut making is that the temperature of the oil is the most important part. If you don't have it just right your doughnuts will either absorb a lot of oil (if the temp is too low) or they will cook the outside and leave a very doughy middle. 350 degrees was the best temperature for my doughnuts. I made the mistake of letting the oil get too hot at first and not knowing the importance of the temperature I cooked about 10 with it too high. I figured out my grave mistake when I ate one. It was one of those ewww gooey experiences. I just threw them back in the hot oil (after bringing it back down 50 degrees) glaze and all and cooked them thoroughly. I ruined my oil for future uses, though.