It was a good week for Spring signs: Turkey Vultures returned on Monday; Great Horned Owls hooted “whooooooo’s awake” and, far in the distance, Barred Owls asked “who cooks for yoooooooooou” on Tuesday; a bat flew across the road on my way to work Wednesday; a Woodcock PEENT'd in the field behind the house on Thursday; and Red-winged Blackbirds con-quer-EEEE’d and American Robins cheer-i-LEE’d on Friday.
Walking around the yard, I kicked wet, matted leaves looking for the first Bloodroot, Mayapple sprout, Wild Ginger leaf, but they’re still sleeping. I was surprised to see Wild Columbine leaflets, though,
and fresh, green moss was a welcome sight.
The cold gloom kept me trapped indoors this weekend so I tried a new (to me) method of bread baking. This is from Peter Reinhart’s whole grains bread book and it’s 100% whole wheat and vegan. It takes two days to make so there was a lot of faith involved. The results were . . . well, read on.
12 comments:
Your bread looks delicious. I have Peter Reinhardt's Artisan Bread every day. I have been making the English Muffins. I always have a hard time getting things to rise unless I stoke the wood stove and heat the whole house to 90 degrees. Your bread seems to have no problem!
I can't believe your snow is all gone and green things are growing. Our winter is just starting, as soon as it starts to warm up it starts snowing like crazy. Most of the winter it is just too cold to snow.
Hi Jain...
I also found new spring moss on a rock, saw my first Bluebird of the season and made dill rye bread. But I don't have a beautiful river to watch rise or wait for it to run clear.
Enjoy waiting for Spring!
Jain, your post makes me want to simultaneously go kick around outside in the yard and stay inside and bake bread!
I can just hear the sounds of the returning birds to your yard.
And your photos are lovely as always!
--Kay
I love it! The green mosses and the bread - but spring springs!
The first hints of green: always a welcome sight. Spring seems to be moving slower this year--for everyone--but it's finally making an appearance, and a welcome one at that.
And my mouth is watering! The bread looks delicious. I believe the technical response is "Yummy!"
Nicole, I don't have much bread baking experience but my first PR loaf came out nearly perfect so I'll keep experimenting. Heat's no problem in this house - I'm usually roasting myself. It sounds like Alaskan winters are NOTHING like UP winters, eh?
Wanda, dill rye is O's very favorite and it's on my list of things to bake.
If we were just a few (hundred) miles closer, I'd invite you all over for a slice!
Looks great, Jain! I used to bake bread every week (whole wheat-oatmeal) when I was in college, but haven't made any in a long while. I just don't have the time any more. I DO make my own home made pizza dough, though,every other Friday evening.
Thanks, Scott! I'm experimenting with different methods now, but I hope to hone in on the ones that don't require a lot of hands-on time. It won't be long at all till I get uppity about that store-bought stuff. Homemade pizza... woof!
Jain - I love freshly baked bread and the smell that lingers through the rest of the house reminds me of childhood days when my mum and granny baked.
I am trying to comment on your snow trillium post but the comments section isn't working just now. You must have felt like an explorer going out over a couple of days looking for those precious little flowers. I hope noone did take the rest of them.
How incredible to find a beaver in your backyard - and its only from viewing your video you see the size of it too. You live in such a beautiful area.e
Rosie, I'm afraid you caught me in mid-editing, so comments should work now (and the entry might even make sense).
I did, indeed, feel like an explorer!
I wondered if folks would poo-poo my beaver, since one man's wild thing is another man's varmint. Thank you for sharing my excitement!
Homemade bread. Nothing like it. My mom and I used to make it all the time. I miss those days. :(
iheartfilm, I remember making it with my mom, too. I thought about making it for decades before I tried. I'm only sorry I didn't try sooner, it's oh so satisfying.
The only problem is that I can't really go back to storebought bread now. :o/
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