Cookbook Wednesday: Summer Desserts

OK, I know it's Thursday.  But Wednesday was busy, and it's better that I've made an effort, right?

This cookbook is in honor of Memorial Day, which is the start of summer in the minds of most Americans, including me.  Ryan and Dan found it at the supermarket a couple of years back, and brought it home, respectfully requesting that I use it.  A lot.

 Some of the recipes involve baking.

 Some just require mixing.  I've actually made this, with pineapple and oranges, and, of course, with real whipped cream, not cool whip.  It's pretty good; the boys love it.

 I'm sure everyone would like this.  I'm not sure I have the patience to be this cute.

 Did I mention that every recipe involves Jello, instant pudding, cool whip or a combination thereof?  It's OK, summer is meant to be easy.  And Peanut Butter Cup Pie sounds great.

 Lemon Mousse?  Love it.  Diet recipe? Even better.  I'll have to look into this one (but with real whipped cream, of course.  Not so diet.  Oh, well.)

 And this one does sound delightful.

 Now I've given you plenty of summer desserts to drool over.  Here's hoping you enjoy summer confections this weekend and beyond.

This is Cookbook Wednesday on Thursday, hosted by Louise!  Hop on over and see what she and others are offering!

Cookbook Wednesday: Bread

I found this cookbook on my shelf while digging for the recipe for what Mark calls "The Traditional Horse Race Day Coffee Cake."  Yes, I always make a yeast-raised coffee cake for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.  I did it once, and have been suckered into it every race since.  So, this pretty little cookbook was tucked neatly in beside the cookbook that contains Mark's favorite coffee cake.

 It really does have information and recipes for bread from around the world, from America to India.

 The book starts out with a history of bread, much of it surmised from the archaeological record.  It's great reading, but the real problem is that the typeface is much too small.  The book is maybe 8" or so high, and as you can see by the comparison to my thumb, the print is smaller than that in the newspaper.  I can't really read it well without a magnifying glass.

 A discussion of wheat and other ingredients follows,

 along with a listing of the most commonly used bread making tools.

 What really puzzles me is that the second section is a discussion of what kinds of breads are commonly made and eaten in various nations and regions.

 No recipes, just what they are.

 This book finally gets to the recipes in the third section, but I think it would have been much more useful had the discussion about the breads and the recipes been side by side.

 Again, this is a cookbook with beautiful pictures which I can never hope to replicate.  Oh, well, it's fun to gaze upon them and dream of the day when I have hours to spend making pretty bread.

 The pages are heavy, glossy stock, and that makes it all the more fun to read.  Heck, you could (theoretically) even use it without too much fear of permanently grubbing up the pages, because they could (again, theoretically) be wiped off!

 This is Cookbook Wednesday, hosted by the gracious Louise!  Pop over to see what she and others are offering today!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Garden Tuesday: The Open Air Attic

So, after the fire last fall, we had the roof torn off and replaced at the front of the house.  That's where the holes were, after all, and that was the most critical need.  But there were still charred timbers and sheathing in the back of the house, and my brilliant dearly beloved found a terrific carpentry crew to deal with that.

They replaced all the rafters from inside, one at a time, leaving the singed sheathing (and slate roof) in place.  Then, in one day, they took the slate off; the next day, they opened the back of the attic and replaced all the sheathing in one day.  Thus, the Open Air Attic Look:

While it's an interesting decorating idea, I don't recommend it if rain is forecast.  I do have to say, it gives a very nice look at the back yard!  Again, going to the edge to take a look out isn't recommended if you have a fear of heights; this is from about 30 feet up.

Happy Garden Tuesday, everyone!

An Itty Bitty Visitor

So, midweek, my oldest son phoned to see if we would be home last weekend (as if we ever aren't home) and if any of the sibs with dogs would be here.  When he received answers of yes and no, he announced that he and Ashleigh would be coming up with the baby.  They are going on a working vacation in late May, and he wanted to "test drive" the baby for 3 hours to see how she'd react.

OK, I don't need any excuses; just bring her to visit.  We'll be happy to see you, too.

She spent lots of time with Grandpa, AKA The Great Red Protector.  Everyone knows he's a friend to children and dogs. And look at the ears on that hood.

 She's controlling her head fairly well now.

 Again, we are good at pretending we can sit up with our Daddy.

 Her Mommy wanted this picture.  It was the only time on Sunday when I held the baby; her Grandpa got lots of quality time with her.  That's OK; he makes me smile.

 You can't really see it, but in this picture, he is sitting in a chair which belonged to his grandmother, her great-great-grandmother.

And, peering over her Daddy's shoulder, as he carried her to her car seat to leave.  It looks like she's waving bye-bye!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!