God doesn't require us to succeed; He only requires that you try.
- Mother Teresa

Bagel Baking Day

It never dawned on me that I could make our own Bagels. But a dear little dutch lady down the road told me she always made her own when her kids were growing up and that it is simple to do. I don't like the smell of the preservatives in the bought ones, it always puts me off, but the man in our house likes something more substantial than sliced bread for his lunches, and he does enjoy bagels, so I tried it. They really are easy to do and they taste much better!

Bagels have risen and are ready to be boiled.

It just takes a couple of minutes - 1 or 2 on each side.

Once boiled they are brushed with an egg wash and topped with sesame seeds or whatever happenns to be the fancy of the day. Then into the oven they go.

All done and ready to eat!

Bagels

4 1/2 tsp. yeast

2 cups warm water

2 Tbsp. brown sugar (or honey)

5 -5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

seeds, etc. for topping

Water for boiling

Prepare dough the usual way depending on what type of yeast you are using. After it is kneaded put into oiled bowl, turn to grease top, cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled.

Punch down, divide into 12 pieces and make each piece into a ball. Poke a finger through the centre of each ball and give it a spin to make the hole about 1 to 1 1/2 inches across. Place bagels onto greased baking sheet and let rise about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted (1 tsp.) water to a boil. Reduce the heat a bit and carefully lift bagels from cookie sheet with a pancake flipper and place into boiling water. You can do about 3 or 4 at a time depending on the size of your pot. Boil about half a minute on each side, then lift bagels out of the water with slotted spoon and place on a well greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal (optional). Brush each bagel with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, oats, onion or garlic, or whatever else suits you.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from sheet and cool on rack.

Variation:

for cinnamon raisin bagels - replace 1 cup ww flour with 1 cup white, increase sugar to 1/4 cup and stir in 2 or 3 tsp. cinnamon and 1 cup raisins. Top with oats.

Sunflower seeds are nice in whole wheat bagels.

I find homemade bagels spoil quite quickly so I freeze what we won't use in a couple of days.

It's our grandson's 9th birthday today and another reminder of how the time flies. He had a hockey game early this morning and they won! Their team is doing great, this is the first year Manny has played and he's a terrific little skater. His team will be going on an overnight trip next month for a season wrap up game.

Having raised five daughters we've never been into hockey but the sight of a grandchild beaming with pride out on the ice has a way of changing that. It's exciting being there in the stand cheering him on. It's also very entertaining watching his parents and I'm not sure who really gets the most excited and exerts more energy - the players or the parents! Our daughter would probably skin me if I said that we spotted tears in her eyes as she cheered her son on so I won't say it. But we really are looking forward to the next game ;-)

our daughter Stacey

flying through the air

with some little friends.

I wonder who was having the most fun!

My dear husband

hard at work on a

warm summer day.

Mmmm...a nice drink

You might want to try this, especially if you like the new 'Arizona' type green tea beverages. I love them but find they are quite sweet.

Try brewing a pot of green tea, any flavour (honey-lemon ginseng is good), and let it chill in the fridge. When it's ready pour half a glass and top it off with your favourite pure fruit juice. The one I like best is the new blueberry.

It's very refreshing, not too sweet (okay, you can add honey or sugar if you must), and costs way less!

Mother in Law

My mother-in-law amazes me. She is nearly 82 and can run circles around us.

Just yesterday my hubby took her a load of firewood (yes, she heats her house with wood) and returned with a bag full of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, yum! She still bakes her own bread, grows her own vegetables and flowers, and just finished painting and installing a new shelf in her kitchen. You would never know she fell and broke her shoulder in late November.

She's an incredible woman and truly we are blessed.

Mink

It's easy to understand why mink have been killed for their fur. They eat chickens.

Actually, they don't even eat the whole chicken. They drag the poor things off their perches then chew their heads off leaving a disgusting headless heap of fresh chicken on the floor of the hen house.

In the summer we had 8 hens all producing beautiful brown eggs. We lost one in the early fall, and just weeks later were devastated to find one morning that 5 of the remaining 7 had met their fate the same horrible way. After setting out the live trap hubby did indeed catch 2 angry, nasty little mink. Horrid things, I'm thinking they actually deserve to be made into coats.

I love the country because the country is serene (if you don't mind the sound of cows mooing and sheep baaing) and it gives us a freedom which we don't have in the city.

We keep chickens which provide us with a constant source of fresh eggs, we have room for a garden as big as we want, we get lamb and wool from the neighbours, and at night it is dark. Truly dark.

One particular evening just after we moved here stands out in my mind - the evening we learned about the darkness of the country.

We had been visiting with our neighbours and when it was time for us to head home they graciously offered us a ride since we had walked over. We quickly declined the offer thinking it would be a pleasant stroll because we only lived up the street. However, they argued that since it was dark and we didn't have a flashlight, we really should let them drive us. We assured them we'd be fine and left.

They were right. It was dark, and when we got to the end of their driveway and away from the yard light we couldn't see more than a couple feet ahead of us. We felt completely disoriented, and it would have been impossible to find our way home without risking a few unpleasant side trips (yes, there are open ditches). Needless to say, we sheepishly turned back, had our share of humble pie, and got a ride home.

Sunny Days

when the neighbour's miniature donkeys came for a visit

It's a beautiful, sunny day and spring is on the way! A stroll through the garden is evidence with the ever faithful daffodils poking their heads up through the soil and tiny buds forming on the lilacs. And, music to our ears, the familiar chorus of resident frogs was detected a couple of nights ago.
Spring is wonderful - everything being so fresh and new. It's fun getting out the garden books, looking at all the different flowers and veggies, and planning what to plant and where. It's a season of endless possibilities, a time of planning and preparation - a time of renewal.