A Cup of Tea

A cup of tea, warm fire, good book and a snow storm.  All have made my day quiet, peaceful and yes take a deep breath and relax.  For two days we took advantage of the warm almost 70 degree temperatures.  Haul more wood for another project, clean the scraps of wood off the back deck since that is where the saws were set up to redo the bathroom vanity.  Hall the scraps to the burn barrel and then take more deep breaths of the clean  air at Cook'n by the Creek.  The older I get the more simple my pleasures.  What ever makes me relax seems to be my key to contentment.  Nice to know that one can reach the point of simple pleasures.  No competition on what is needed, wanted or can't have.  Snowflakes, sunshine, a cool breeze, warm breeze, birds singing, flowers blooming, garden growing, chickens clucking, rooster crowing, the first dig of leeks, trout season and any other simple pleasure just lights my candle, floats my boat.................

Once the wood sink is installed with the faucets the projet is done.

Speaking of chickens I have been thrashing around the thought of not getting young bitties this spring.  Hard to believe, we love our hens and their eggs.  Unfortunately this has been the worst year for their survival of the fittest.  Fox, coyotes, skunk, mink and maybe even a fisher has taken their toll on the flock.  Night time is safe since they go to roost in their coop and shut in.  It is the daytime that has proved to be the problem.  I am also the problem of their demise.  Never have we kept them in a pen for daytime.  Free range has always been my choice for them and always will be.  They have been our entertainment for many years scratching around, dusting in the dry summer dirt and of course chasing them out of our freshly planted garden.  Their beautiful dark orange yolks to prove they love being free.  As of this week we are down to 3 hens and 1 guinea hen.  Last spring we had 20 hens and 5 guineas.  We are getting 2-3 eggs a day and we have been buying 3 dozen from a couple in Wellsville.  Their eggs are beautiful and he was getting plenty to sell all winter.  With that thought I have decided (sorta) to buy my eggs from him.  They are farm fresh and delicious, just not my own hen eggs but I can handle that.  Until spring has come and gone will be the test.......can Cheryl give up having chickens?  Dick has trapped raccoons and possums all year and kindly relocated them away from our place.  It is relentless  to how many keep showing up.  They deserve to live so the plan for no more hens.

After an afternoon tea I finished making a baguette bread that was started last night.  Actually the starter was made last night.  It said to make it at least 14 hours prior to making the bread.  It is an easy recipe and yes it tastes like a fresh baguette from a bakery.  First time I have tried it (I have been trying many European bread recipes lately)  We never buy the standard sandwich bread, too soft and a little lesson we learned when buying from the discount store for bread to feed the chickens.  It never gets moldy!  Weeks it has been in the barn tack room without a mold spot.  That tells me the bread is full of preservatives!  The bread we buy is from Wegman's bakery or from Cheryl's oven.  Ah, the chewy crust and tender inside of a good fresh baked bread...........worth the time.  Today's bread turned out just like I had desired.  Since the husband was taking a snooze I had to be the test taster!
Considering the European bread recipes I have been trying are just water, yeast, salt and flour they are delicious.  My farm bread calls for milk and definitely a completely different texture, crust and taste.  With the European bread recipes all using the same 4 ingredients it is all in how the dough is prepared or started.  The Baguette is with a starter of 1 cup of flour, 1/16 tsp of yeast and 1/2 cup of flour.  Let stand covered with saran wrap and a towel over night.  Then the final 3 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp of yeast and 1 cup of water to make the dough.  let is raise 3 hours, make the baguette shaped loaves, cut slits 2 inches apart on top and bake at 450 degrees.  When dark golden brown turn off the oven, crack the door 2 inches and let cool.  Tonight will be rustic supper of beef roast (done in the pressure cooker) green beans(from our garden) and bread. 

My little buttered sample....oh so tempting to eat the loaf!

The beautiful snow as passed and now a few clouds and blue sky have taken place in the view from my windows.  My windows, my friends that just keep giving me the view of peace and comfort.  Time for another cup of tea.