Pecan & Red Onion Bread

I am such a scatterbrain. I promised to post this recipe quite a while back, and I'm not sure even to whom I promised it to, 'though I think it was Janice of Meatless Mamma.

This bread is a delicious dunker for homemade soup and salad for a simple supper. My youngest son likes it toasted for breakfast. Me? I'll eat it either way!

The directions are for dumping in the ingredients in the listed order for my bread machine... sorry! But I think it's a pretty adaptable recipe whether or not you use a bread machine... along the same lines as making white bread from scratch. And don't be afraid to play around with it a bit, such as adding a cup of Whole Wheat Flour instead of all Unbleached White Flour, or honey instead of sugar. I hope you like it!

Pecan and Red Onion Bread

1 Tablespoon dry Yeast

3 cups Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon warm Milk

1/4 cup Butter

1/2 cup chopped Red Onion

1 or 2 cloves minced Garlic

3/4 cup chopped Pecans

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup grated Cheddar Cheese

Add all ingredients in the order listed to your Bread Machine, adding a little extra flour as needed to make a dough that holds together in a soft ball. I like to put mine on the manuel setting, and when it's cycle has completed, I place the dough in a greased Bread Pan, let it rise for about 45 minutes, then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes.

Pictures to Share

Winter is a time to gather golden moments and enjoy every idle hour.

~John Boswell

Before you get started, I must first apologize to all true photographers out there, and I clarify that I am NOT making claims at being an exceptional picture-taker! Here are a few pictures of things that caught my eye on a recent snowshoe out back. It was a cold late afternoon, about 8 degrees, and the sun would set in a little over an hour.  Thus, if a picture is worth a thousand words, mine may be worth a few dozen! Therefore, I will let my pictures do the talking today! Come along....

Happy New Year Greetings

Of course, I'm a day late to wish you all a peaceful, healthy New Year! But the greeting still means as much to you and yours!

It has been snowing little whisps and tufts since yesterday... with only a few inches of accumulation, but it's snow none-the-less! We are predicted to get perhaps 4 to 6 inches by tomorrow, with the wind kicking up this afternoon and lasting through the night. I just came in from feeding and watering the chickens, geese, ducks and guineas, and it is rather blustery... the wind is just strong enough to drive the tiny pellets of snow into your cheeks and down your neck! I tucked in extra straw and shavings for the biddies, and a week or two ago I stacked bales of hay in front of either side of the barn door to block the north wind from blowing straight into it's small opening. I have not let the birds out into the bigger barnyard for a few weeks, but they are content in their covered run, and have plenty of indoor and outdoor space for exercise and fresh air. It is just as well, as yesterday I took a walk around the fence lines and discovered three places where the fence was torn down. One spot was a curiousity... it looked like deer had tried to jump the 6-foot fencing, but one heavy steel fence post was completely knocked out of the ground. The other spots were the work of a coyote, fox or perhaps a neighbor's dog. I mended it all as best I could temporarily, but it will require far greater repair come springtime.

Yesterday was a day spent with family, as everyone came up for supper. I really need to think about a larger kitchen table, as when my children come with their families and everyone is together, there are 10 adults and 4 children around the not-long-enough farmtable, which comfortably seats only 8! And when extra friends or family come, I have to add an extra table. I suppose I could just attach longer and  wider pine boards to the table base though. Something to think about, as Sunday suppers can be a bit cramped!

Today was spent getting new tires for my poor Jeep. The man at the garage declared the old tires "baloney skins". Then I had to get a washing machine, as the old one died about a month ago, and we've been washing our clothes in the clawfoot bathtub! I did use an old wringer-washer for a few days til the motor burned out; then it was back to the tub. My youngest son has a new appreciation for how laundry was done long ago, as he spent quite a bit of energy agitating his laundry with an old wood and metal plunger!

Well, the wind is picking up and the cold is settling in, so I'm off to put on a pot of soup and stoke the wood furnace. I just wanted to stop in and wish everyone a Happy New Year! Til next time!