Closing the Garden

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens... It is time to close the garden. Some things are still beautiful, like this impatient, but other things are spent. 
 

I am going to try to save that fern. I should have put it in the ground, but I will put it in a small greenhouse with the potted roses and see if they make it. 

I have left the zinnias till the very last. The butterflies were all over them as I went outside today. My husband ran the mower, and it scared them away. The butterflies are just so beautiful I hate to pull the flowers until the very end.

Possibly a freeze here this week. If not this week, it will be soon. Then winter is coming, where everything will go to sleep till it awakens again with the promise of a new beginning in spring.

In Victory,

Sherry

My Favorite White Sandwich Bread

I have been in search of a stable white sandwich bread that wasn't sourdough. The family tired of sourdough, and I fell away from making it. Although I still like that recipe, there were complaints of it being drier than what they were used to, etc. Sourdough does tend to be chewy, and the typical loaf is tougher than standard white sandwich bread. This search led me to this recipe.

This bread is Joshua Weissman's Grocery Store White Bread. Now I want it easy, so I adapted it for a bread machine, and it turns out perfect every time!

This is as close as I can get to the grocery store white bread my family is used to, and it is really easy to make. You got to love that! 

My Favorite White Sandwich Bread

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of water

1/2 cup of whole milk

2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast

3 1/4 cup of bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 tablespoons butter, softened

Place all ingredients into the bread maker as directed by manufacturer's instructions. I have a Hamilton Beach bread maker, and it recommends the wet, the dry, and the yeast last. Pick your settings. For this loaf you will pick the basic white bread setting,  the desired crust color (I always pick light) and the size of the loaf. This loaf is 1 1/2 pounds. Turn it on. That is it. I check the machine maybe twice to make sure the flour is fully incorporated and that it is rising as it should and just wait for it to bake. When baked, I remove the loaf pan and wait 5 minutes, and then shake the loaf out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. I will wait for the loaf to be completely cool before cutting. I often put it in a zip-loc bag and cut it the next day. If it isn't going to be eaten right away, I put it in the freezer. If it stays on the counter, it will last about 5 days. 

This bread toasts perfectly! It is a treat to eat! 

Recipe adapted from: Joshua Weissman

In Victory,

Sherry

Autumn Bouquet

 

Today I share an unusual autumn bouquet, not with the autumn colors that are on fire and brilliant. I love autumn colors, and I love the season; it is my favorite. I discovered something new to me this year. If you cut back flowers in July when they look really scruffy, they bloom beautifully in late September and October. 

So I give you an autumn bouquet in purple. A calm bouquet for a season of change. Today I thought it was best to just share a pretty picture. My heart is hurting for the southeast and Florida today. Bless all of those affected. 

In Victory,
Sherry

Comfort Food Sides

I can't believe I haven't posted some of the most basic food on this blog in the 15 years I have been blogging, but I have missed a few essentials and I have have been looking at what we eat lately and asking myself, have I ever posted this? I have not posted these three sides ever. We eat the mashed potatoes and green beans with every Sunday dinner type meal I serve. The corn is more of a summery side, best with fresh corn from a local farm.

Basic Mashed Potatoes (Instant Pot)

1 1/2 -2 pounds of potatoes of choice (usually for us it is russet)

1/2 cup -3/4 cup whole milk 

(sometimes, like on special meals I have been know to use heavy whipping cream instead.)

3-4 tablespoons of real butter

salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

Peel and cut in half your potatoes, placing them directly in the instant pot. When they are ready pour in 1 1/2-2 cups of water. Lock the Instant Pot and cook on Manual for 6 minutes. When finished you can quick release or wait till they have depressurized and pour the water off into a colander. Place the potatoes back in the pot and pour in your milk, add butter, and seasonings. Whip with a hand held mixer till creamy. If more milk is needed add it slowly not to make them soupy. I always add an extra tablespoon of butter on top of finished potatoes to melt. It is not called comfort food for nothing! 

Green Beans

1 pound of fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

enough water to cover the beans 

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Place your green beans into a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer to cook. How long? Now this is where it gets controversial. I like to cook my beans where they are still crisp, but a lot of people want them cooked a lot more than that. So you can cook them as little as 6 minutes or up to 30 minutes. At 30 minutes they will be falling apart but still look like a green bean. Ha! Drain off the water and season with salt pepper, and the butter.

These can also be made in the Instant Pot. Place beans in the IP and cover with water. I set the Instant Pot on Manual for 6 minutes and again some people will want them cooked longer. Drain off water when done and season with salt, pepper, and butter. Serve hot.

Southern Fried Corn

Now if you thought my green beans were controversial, you haven't seen anything yet. My grandmother made this corn and I make it like she made it. I grew up in a southern state of mind. We had southern meals all the way. The food was always fresh from the garden even in the winter because "she put food up." This would have been corn stripped off the cob and flash frozen for the freezer.  I don't grow corn but, I will start with frozen corn. It is the freshest way to get it. 

12 ounces of frozen corn

2 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup sugar (A lot of recipes say 1 tablespoon of sugar, but I put 4 tablespoons; which equals 1/4 cup)

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the butter in a 9-inch hot skillet and let it melt. Place the corn in the melted butter and stir till coated. Add salt, pepper, and sugar as desired and cook 15 minutes on simmer. Serve hot.

Comfort food should comfort you and be the foods you love most, and probably grew up eating. I am saddened to see that many people have gotten away from the hot home-cooked meal. A hot meal is comforting. You need a hot meal. 

What is your favorite comfort food?

*Disclaimer: If you have been on a certain diet. Please feel free to substitute; for example: stevia for sugar.  I would never cook this way for a person with a medical condition. I would use appropriate substitutes for the medical condition. I have cooked that way also and will continue to do so.

In Victory,

Sherry

Fresh Herb Basket

It is time again this month to do an herb project from The Herbal Yearbook. For September, I choose to make a fresh herb basket. It is for giving or for using in your own kitchen. 

Pick your herbs and gather your supplies. 

supplies:

basket

3-5 herbs of your choice

damp paper towels

parchment paper

string

recipe card (if giving)

any other items that will go with to give as gift (ex. herb stripper)

I have gathered my herbs: rosemary, marjoram, oregano, thyme, and sage. I am taking the cuttings of my herbs and wrapping the lower stem with the damp paper towel. 

After securely wrapping the stems, I place a square of parchment paper around the end of the herb. I have it folded here down in triangles on each top corner. Just like your making a paper airplane. 

I wrap the parchment paper completely around the damp paper towel and twist the bottom.

Then I flip the twisted part up and behind and then tie with twine.

When finished, it looked like this. My grandmother showed me how to do this when I was small so I could take the flowers I picked home.

The book I am using for the craft idea suggests giving this as a gift. If you have friends that are foodies and like to cook with fresh herbs, this is a great idea. 

This is how my basket looked when finished. I added a card with an idea of making herbs de Provence, herb scissors, and an herb stripper. I am saving my herbs for a project for next month. 

I have really enjoyed making projects from this book to gain more knowledge and practice using my herbs. Do you have herbs you use from your garden?

In Victory,

Sherry

Drying Roses for Display

I added more roses to the garden this year, and I decided to try drying a tiny bouquet for winter photos. 

It is really easy to dry roses. I have found the best way to get a nice look is to hang them upside down.

I have used a rubber band to hold the flowers together, and it works well. I have used this method before.

This is the same flower about two months later. They are now all dry and ready to style for any photos.

They make a nice addition to my tea tray. I think I need a bigger bouquet. I might still have time to harvest some before winter. 

In Victory,
Sherry