The Wonders of Yeast Dough

Hi friends,

I'm feeling very stressed at the moment with mom in hospital.  I've talked to her a few times and she insists that I visit her despite the fact my brother and nephew are there with her to take care of her needs. I'm torn because I usually am there for her but I am exhausted and for a variety of reasons including a flu bug, I cannot visit her.

All this has me thinking of days when I was a little girl and mom was there making me feel secure. She used to make yeast bread and when I would come home from school on a snowy, wintery day, my mouth would water to smell the yeast bread wafting through the house.  She would also use part of her yeast dough to make cinnamon buns.    It is funny how we associate scents and aromas with feelings but did you know that cinnamon has a multitude of benefits? Read more about that here.

I don't have the recipe mom used to use when I was a child but I found a good one on line. I doubled this recipe to have enough dough for cinnamon buns and two small loaves of bread.

So the wonder of the yeast bread for me is not just the wonderful taste but the memories and the feelings of home, comfort, security and love. Blessings to you all this weekend.

Yeast Bread Recipe

• 4 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons dry yeast
• 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons honey or 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Dissolve yeast in water, add honey and let stand until it bubbles, approx 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Add salt and oil to yeast mixture, then add flour a little at time until you have a stiff dough.
3.Turn dough out on a floured surface and mold into a ball shape. Place in pan and cover; let rise for about an hour.
4. Punch down the ball of dough and mold it into a loaf shape to fit you bread pan. Cover with a towel and let raise again until it doubled in size.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Bread is done when it is golden brown and sounds hollow when thumped.

This recipe is from http://www.food.com

Two loaves of yeast bread, and....a pan of........

Cinnamon buns with raisins and walnuts fresh out of the oven. They aren't as brown as I would like but the syrup was running over and I didn't want to start a fire.

Cinnamon buns with glaze on them.

The Last Major Hurdles

I do realize that the kind of blog post you are about to read may not be too exciting or thrilling to a lot of people.  But writing about it helps me to stay on track and accountable for the big decluttering project I am working on.  It is a tedious job with few immediate rewards so I need all the help I can get. Thanks for reading and giving me a platform to share my goals, challenges, successes....all of which are leading me to a simpler life and more time and resources for the Missions of Hope.
 
I have had a busy start to the New Year in an effort to get started on the right foot.  This past week I decided to take a little break from the decluttering project and have been busy doing other things like: catching up with friends, going to the movie, exercising, going to Sunday services and making notes of all the upcoming activities there that I would like to participate in during January/February, listening to past sermons on line, reading, organizing my medical appointments and paperwork, scheduling my upcoming commitments (including those that help me reach my goals in 2011) and following up on a number of things I've promised to do.

Then also this past week my mom had a major fall which you can read about here.  Last night she was admitted to hospital due to cellulitis infection.  Cellulitis is the bane of many senior citizens, especially those that are less mobile. She was heavily sedated all day due to pain but her nurse says she is doing much better now. We are not yet sure how long she will be in hospital but my brother and nephew will be attending to visit her and help her with her various needs while I attend to my own medical needs.

Now I'm back to the next big step in the decluttering process, the subject of this blog post which I've called,  "The Last Major Hurdles".  The hurdles are the table top, the dresser top in the bedroom and the big boxes in the bedroom, some of which are pictured below. Once I clean these surfaces and fully unpack the boxes I will have the hardest parts of my decluttering project behind me. I still will have a lot to do but the worst of it will have been done. Yippee!!!

The dining room table in the photo below is covered with clutter and tablecloths so you can't see but it is an antique table from Spain. I love it and it is special because my mom gave me the money to buy it as a birthday present many years ago.  Though my mother paid for it she never liked my choice of table and I am now going to get rid of it.  When I told her that some months ago, she said "Oh good!"  I would probably keep it were it not for the fact that the chairs need reinforcing every year due to their age and often they are not reinforced so they pose a possible danger to someone.  Otherwise, I love the table. Partly because of it's heavy and ornately carved legs.  I also love it because the table top has leaves inserted under it and you can pull them out when you have a sewing project or you have a dinner party.  This adds about 5 more surface feet which really helps when you want to cut fabrics or set out food and dinnerware which I do for buffet style dinners when entertaining.

Clutter on the tabletop. empty coin wrappers in the bag and important papers in a  wooden box on the floor. The table area is nice and clean from time to time but I'm afraid it acts as an expensive catch all most of the time.  Once I clean the the table I will find a new home for it. In fact, I've already ordered a new, small round table for the dining table.  I think it will work much better in this space.

Don't you agree that these are beautiful and solid looking table legs?

Two big unpacked boxes remain from the move in we did just over a year ago post-fire. I've had a quick peek inside and put a lot of the items to sort on the top of the dresser which is adjacent to the boxes. Things look rather messy in the master bedroom at the moment but it is surface mess until everything is dealt with.

Update:  I stayed up late and cleared the table.  A small bag of garbage was thrown out and bills and paperwork added to other like documents which are to be sorted and dealt with later. First pass through the paper is getting rid of anything no longer needed.  It feels good to see the table again.  Next it will need to be polished before I see who might want to give it a good home.

Clutter free once again!

Mom Had a Fall

My mom had a fall yesterday and was unable to get help for about 4 hours. Her head somehow got wedged in the basket of her walker and somehow she ended up with her blankets over her head as well. She tried to call for help in the hopes that passersby might hear her from the hallway but alas no one came to help.

I do pay for a necklace for mom to wear in case she ever has such a problem. The necklace has a button which is to be depressed if you get into a "situation" but mom didn't have it on. She always takes it off when she is getting her bath and then she often neglects to put it back on due to forgetfulness or distractedness.

It was many hours later when the wound nurse visited to change her dressings that she was discovered and the ambulance personnel prompted were called to come and check her over. Mom didn't go to the hospital as she said she didn't feel she had any broken bones but she is battered, bruised and very sore.

We are on an urgent waiting list to get mom into a nursing home. In fact I just spoke to the nursing home the day before this falling incident and they are working as fast as they can to prepare things equipment wise. The issue really is when the room will be available as it is currently occupied. They may move the gentleman to another room but I know this is asking a lot. I just leave it in the Lord's hands and pray for mom and her new home to come available as soon as it possibly can.


Update:  A few days after the fall mom ended up being admitted to hospital. She has a cellulitis infection in the legs. This is her fourth trip to hospital for a similar reason which is why she is now on a waiting list to go into a nursing home.  My brother and nephew are with her and looking after things. I imagine she will stay in the hospital until her infection gets better. In a way, it is a bit of a relief to me that she been admitted so that the doctors can treat the infection which was also setting into her bladder; another recurring health issue.

Cleaning and Decluttering Continues

Well this is about day 5, though not consecutive days, of my major decluttering and cleaning project. Today I didn't feel much like decluttering in my bedroom or living area so I tackled some much needed cleaning in the kitchen.

I gave everything on the counters a good wipe down. I also hopped on my mini-ladder and wiped down the upper kitchen cabinets which always seem to collect a lot of grease and grime despite being wiped down almost every other day. I find this aspect of kitchen cleaning quite frustrating and would love to know what others do to keep their kitchen cabinets, stove tops and appliances grime free. Normally I use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to clean the grime but today I used Orange Lysol.

My galley kitchen is very small. Combined with very narrow kitchen cabinets, I have little room for all the basic things one needs in a kitchen. A lot of things need to be stored on the countertops and it is a constant challenge to keep it clean as well as have enough room for food preparation.

I added the multi-coloured batik cloth to the tray under my coffee pot. It was a gift from a cousin but I had no where to use it until the thought struck me today to put it under the coffee tray.  My calendar looks empty but that is because I haven't added my appointments - yet! LOL

I can now look at fresh fruit, napkins and a pitcher instead of a hodge podge of non kitchen items sitting on the pass through to the dining room.

Believe it or not, wiping down the kitchen took me 5 and half steady hours and it really wasn't that dirty. I did a little re-organizing, collected some kitchen containers for recycling and vacuumed and washed the kitchen floor. Though there is still a bit more cleaning to be done in the kitchen, such as cleaning out the main food cabinet and washing on top of and behind the refrigerator, I am satisfied with the day's work.

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...I see the steeple of the Catholic Church against a backdrop of a very gray sky. The rain is coming down heavily and the leaves on my green bush are blowing in the wind.

I am thinking...nothing in particular. I just have a sense of contentedness that mostly everything is okay.

I am thankful for ...a phone call from the nursing home where mom will soon reside.

From the kitchen...there is banana-pear bread in the oven and dough for buns rising in the bowl.

The finished buns. I used mostly whole wheat flour.

I am wearing... my nightgown. I haven't had a shower yet but will soon do so.

I am creating...nothing yet. I will figure out whether to make something knitted or crochet but there is no rush.

I am going...to run some small errands in the neighbourhood.

I am reading...a novel by Vikram Seth entitled A Suitable Boy.  I started it some time ago and put it aside due to busyness and other priorities. I've decided to begin again as I hardly remember what I read.
I am hoping.. I will have enough energy to continue work around the house over the next few days.

I am hearing...the vacuum cleaner outside my condo. The custodian is hard at work. He does a great job of vacuuming daily.
Around the house...I see evidence of my decluttering project. Some things are organized and some are not but I am making progress.

One of my favorite things...is having something in the oven made from scratch. Later I will make some salmon chowder.
A few plans for the rest of the week:  I will continue to make progress on my decluttering project and try to take in a water aerobics class or a swimming lesson Friday.

For Inger - My banana-pear bread. I used mostly whole wheat flour as that is the only flour I have on hand.

Nola, a new reader of my blog has asked for the recipe for the banana-pear bread so here it is.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1 chopped and mashed bartlett pear  (I only used 3 bananas so I added a pear but at other times I have used an apple)
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (I reduced mine to 1/2 cup and it was still a bit too sweet)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup of whole wheat and 1/2 of white flour)

Method

Mash the bananas and shred the pear in a food processor (or you can cut it into smaller chunks).  Then in a large bowl add the melted butter into the mashed bananas and pear. Next add the sugar, egg, and vanilla into the bowl and mix. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last and mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour in a 350 F oven or until done. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

This is my first time joining this meme. Please check it out.

Getting Started on the Right Foot

Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

I've been silent for awhile. That isn't like  me. But everything is okay. I have just been very busy trying to get organized for the new year so I can get started on the right foot. Also, to be honest, I haven't felt up to blogging. I feel I have too much to say and I have no idea where to begin. So I simply stayed quiet for a few days so I could focus on some other tasks.

Some of you know that last year I began to work on a number of projects after being sick for several years and not being able to do too much. I haven't much experience with written goals but in the last two years or so I've found it is one way to help me keep on track and try to focus on those things that are most important to me on those days when I actually feel up to doing things.

I shared my goals for the first time here on the blog in  2010 and I'm happy to report that I was able to accomplish almost everything on my list over the course of the year. At the same time, I stated in early 2010 that due to my illness,  I was not going to pressure myself with deadlines for accomplishing my goals in 2010.  Whatever didn't get done in 2010 would simply be carried over to the next year.  I have now identified my goals for 2011 and posted them.  But again, I am not putting pressure on myself to reach all of my goals. I will do what I can and carry over anything left undone to the next year and so on.

I have a huge decluttering project that has been underway for some time. I do make progress on it from time to time but there is still much more to be done. This is really a project in learning to live more simply and scaling back on the material things so that I can focus my time and energy on things that are more important to me. Unfortunately, this isn't as easily achievable for me as it is for some people because I am a pack rat at heart.

I do tend to accumulate things and I have this idea when I come across something that I can always read it later, use it later or even give it to someone who needs it.   Often however these things end up collecting dust and becoming clutter. I know it will take time to achieve my goal of decluttering and simplifying but I am sure it will happen if I continue to plug away at it. One thing that motivates me in this area is the fact that my mom is also a clutter bug but unlike me she has never really organized her clutter. Now that she is too sick and disabled to do anything for herself, I find myself having to attend to it for her and this has been a huge burden on me. Doing so however has forced me to be ruthless in getting rid of things and has also helped me to think about being ruthless in streamlining my own possessions.

Some of the giveaway bags.

Just before the world rang in the New Year I began working in earnest on my big decluttering project. I cleaned out my dresser drawers and my closets and threw away a garbage bag of tattered clothes/  I also put together 4 large shopping bags of clothes for give away and  went through several boxes and bags that hadn't been unpacked since the fire we had over a year ago.  I was able to shred and discard so much of it. I also made some progress in cleaning the master bathroom and finding some spaces for the overflow of bags/suitcases I have in my bedroom.

One of my cleaned out drawers. This one houses summer shirts & t-shirts.

In the main living area, the slipcovers for the sofa and arm chair were washed and mended.  They look much better now. I moved my armchair from the window wall so I could put my stationary bike in its place. I also moved my weights closer to my bike and found a space for my Swiss ball and yoga mat in the corner of the living room.  This means I will use my living room for a work out room.  Hopefully this will help me be more consistent about working out, getting healthy and losing weight as I spend much of my time in this room. So far I have managed to do my cardio exercise every day of the new year. I am keeping things simple and starting off with 20-30 minutes daily on the bike and hope to do resistance training every other day or so. The idea is that once I feel a bit stronger and have more endurance I can increase my exercise time. I also hope to get back to my swimming lessons which were at a bit of a standstill due to family responsibilities, Christmas and travel.

I can watch TV from this perch. Hopefully that will help keep me consistent with the bike.

I am also determined to make more time this year for bible study and have been researching new study aids and bibles. If any of you have recommendations (along with reasons for your recommendations) please send them my way.

My bible is King James Version.

In terms of my hobbies, I haven't had so much time for them. I am just trying to get my books out of nooks and crannies and place them in readily accessible places. I am talking here of books that don't fit onto my crowded bookshelves. These days I mostly buy second hand books and I borrow books whenever I can. That way when I have finished reading them I can pass them along without feeling any reluctance. Of course I return borrowed books to my friends.

Recently, I finished reading Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky and am currently reading a number of other books at the same time, including Véra by Stacy Schiff and A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.   A Suitable Boy is a book I started a long time ago but put aside because it was packed away after the fire. I am happy to begin reading it again but have decided to start once more from the beginning to enjoy it more fully.  Véra .is about Véra Nabokov; the wife, muse and translator of Vladimir Nabokov who translated Dostoevsky into English.  Vladimir Nabokov is also the author of the controversial book and movie of the same name, Lolita. I am finding that I am learning a lot about both Nabokovs through the book about Véra.

Right now I have two 6 foot high bookshelves which are full of books and there is an overflow of books in the living room and bedroom. When I buy books at full price, I tend to want to keep them for later reading and that is why I have altogether too many books. My goal is to scale back my books as I read them and give them away so that I never have more books than will fit on my two bookshelves.  Perhaps when I get to that point I can make a new goal to scale back even more.  That would be ideal.

As far as other hobbies go I intend to continue to make doilies, experiment with embroidery, make a garment or two for my mom and continue to knit.  Hopefully I can perfect my slipper making ability as well as learn how to make basic sweaters.

Early knitting projects.

Rounding out my goals for the year are plans to save for emergencies and wants, pay down debt and get control of my spending. This is no small task as most of you can imagine. I did make significant progress on similar goals over the past year or two and I'm sure I will continue to do so in 2011. I also have plans for being a good sponsor mom to my two boys in Kenya. I will be writing them letters and sending little things to them in the mail. In addition,  I have some small projects I am involved in in Kenya as my desire is to help widows and orphans in a few villages.  Of course I also have family here at home that I need to engage with and help in various ways. One of those ways is helping my mom to get settled in the nursing home when her room becomes available. In talking to the home today it sounds like they are taking all the right steps in readiness for mom's arrival. It is difficult to say exactly when the move will happen but my hunch is that it could be very soon.

As you can see things have been busy for  me as I gear up to make the most of 2011 and get things started on the right foot.  I must say I am looking forward to 2011 and I pray that you and your household are also looking forward to 2011 and making new goals and plans.

Blessings to you and your household as you embark on 2011. 

May it hold everything you seek.

Happy New Year 2011