This has been the warmest winter in my lifetime. It's 54f today and the forecast is for the 40's tomorrow. But after that they are projecting 20's and snow. I inspected my snowthrower and gassed it up. It started up right away. I don't want to say, bring the snow on, but I'm as ready as I can be.

Merry Christmas to all you sexy NNers! I hope your Christmas is everything you hoped it would be.

I'm upset with myself for doing this. I wanted to make some nut balls (cookies). They are simple to make but I wanted to make a double batch. I doubled everything but messed up in calculating the amount of flour. To wit, I forgot to double the flour. The nut balls looked good going into the oven but came out as nut crepes. Wasted a pound of butter a package of pecans and my time.

Christmas is almost here. I finally got my cards out today. I usually get them out a week or two sooner, with a promise to myself that next year I will get them out earlier. Well, next year is always a year away, lol. The first card I received this year was from a NN person, I think that is so cool.

Now I have to plan my Christmas baking. I should start on it tomorrow. It seems to me that I was getting more done before the NN cams went live, but that just might be my imagination.

Hope the holiday is progressing well for all you gentle NNers.

This is a fine bread for breakfast or a late night snack. It's good toasted with a little honey or cream cheese or all by itself.

10 ounces milk, 90-100 f
3 cups flour
3/4 cup rolled oats (not the instant kind)
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter (or veg oil)
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons of dry active)
1/2 to 1 cup raisins

Mix ingredients except raisins until a ball forms. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Knead for 8 minutes if using a stand mixer or about 10 minutes by hand, then add raisins and knead until raisins are incorporated. Form into a ball, cover and let rise until about doubled. Then form into loaf and put into lightly greased pan (non-stick spray works well). Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake in pre heated 350 f oven for about 40 minutes (ovens and pans vary). Check doneness by either the thump test (thump the bottom with your fingers, it should sound hollow) or with an instant read thermometer, internal temp should register 190 min - 210 max f.

You can also make this in a bread machine, in fact I adopted this recipe from a bread machine recipe booklet.



I braided and used an egg wash on the top and then lightly sprinkled it with course sugar.

I just realized, today is my 7 years anniversary on NN!

There's a fox hanging around my back yard. She's a little shy. But she keeps coming back to the same spot. I guess it's too bad for the rodents and rabbits. I'm not sure if I should be concerned about it though. I'm a little worried for one of my neighbor's dog. He's a little guy and old and worn out now. He doesn't have many teeth and has even lost his bark.



It's not the best pic I've ever taken but wild life doesn't take directions well.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best in 2011!

I posted a vid and photo for said contest.
I had envisioned a more clever vid but it's hard to do when you are your own cameraman.
Here is the recipe. I posted metric conversions after the recipe.


Blueberry cake. Simple and delicious.
You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.

Ingredients
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, unsalted at room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease and flour a 9 inch spring form pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup flour with baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl beat the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy (medium speed).

Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time and beat until blended.

Reduce mixer to low and slowly add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

In a medium bowl toss the blueberries with the lemon juice and the remaining sugar and flour.

Spoon blueberries evenly over the batter (do not press down).

Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven until a tester inseted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Cool on a wire rack, use a knife to loosen cake from sides of pan if necessary.

Transfer to cake plate.

Serve warm or cold, if desired sprinkle with confectioners sugar

Conversions
1 cups = 237 milliliters
0.5 cups = 118 milliliters
1 teaspoons = 5 milliliters
1 Tablespoons = 15 milliliters
2.5 cups = 590 milliliters
350 Fahrenheit = 177 Celsius
1/8 teaspoon = a pinch