My sister and me

Here we are, circa 1964-ish.

I think I still have that cardigan that Anne is wearing, only it is navy blue, which tells you what has happened to the colours in the photo over the years.

My darling sister modified a bread recipe and sent it to me. 

What can I say? It is a genetic thing. She calls it "Annifying". I just call it messing around.

Anyway, the recipe is the direct antithesis of my slow-rise bread. 

Which, if you haven't tried yet, you should. 

This recipe is the quickest gun in the West, about an hour and fifteen minutes from finding the mixing bowl to taking out of the oven. I still prefer my original recipe, but this is the one I use if I forget to plan ahead.

Thank you, sister dear.

Oh, and did I mention that I modified it some more?

Quick Wheat Bread

Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray.

Dissolve 1 tbs honey in 3/4c boiling water. 

Add 1 c cold water and a scant 2 tsp yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes, till yeast is foamy.

Add 1 c white flour, 1 1/2 c wheat flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp chia seed, and about 1/2 to 3/4 c of various things like flax seed, 10-grain cereal, etc.

Mixture will be fairly sloppy. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with seeds or nuts if you want. 

Place in a cold oven and turn oven to 180 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes and turn oven up to 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Bread will be quite brown (as pictured) and sound hollow when tapped. Put on rack to cool immediately.

This is a heavy and moist loaf, just like I love. The middle will sink a little, in fact I'm working on the texture to see if I can get it to hold the raised middle, but it may be a lost cause. It makes great toast, if it lasts that long. Also, if you have it for more than a couple of days in warm weather, better put it in the fridge or it will mould.

There, easy as pie! 

Anne and I are not ones to pose for photos, apparently, because this is the only recent one I can find of us. 

Just for fun, here is a picture of one of the hummingbirds that flits around in my flowerbeds. He was taking a little break on a gladiolus stem the other day. We get more hummingbird visits every year, and one day I saw two at the same time, a first! I still get excited every time I hear the clicking sound that means they are on the property.

I had a few friends over for lunch a couple of weeks ago. I wanted them to meet two very interesting sisters that I got to know through my senior choir. 

I have a few small vases and I love to fill them with a bloom or two and display them together. These are the flowers I picked for the lunch. I think they're unbearably adorable.

Hot Cocoa rose, Shasta daisy and crocosmia.

Peace rose (always reminds me of my Dad) and hydrangea.

The one in the middle is Double Delight rose, another of our favourites. It smells like a rose should smell.

Do you have fun things planned for August? I was feeling deprived because we did our traveling in June, but we still have one weekend getaway planned for the middle of the month, as well as the free concert every Tuesday and a few other random outings. I suppose I shall survive, but if you have any suggestions, I'm up for almost anything!