Needed Something to Post

I just realized that if I do not get something posted right away, I will not until SkyWatch tomorrow. I really, really try to post at least once in between the two memes I do.

And although I never wanted this blog to be a diary of my life, many of your comments from the last non-meme post were so kind and full of concern for various things that I thought an update and a few pictures might be fun.

First, here is the breadstick recipe. It is SO easy, but we really love them.  (I think I am making more this afternoon because today did not get on our menu planner so we are having spaghetti with frozen homemade marinara sauce–a standby in emergencies. The breadsticks are quick and simple.) They are of course best fresh from the oven, but after freezing, they are not bad fresh from the oven, either.

Chewy Breadsticks (from Sunset Breads, 1991)

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1-1/2 c. warm water (I always use 115 degrees F for this in my freezing cold house)

1 Tbls. honey

4-1/2 – 5-1/2 c. flour

melted butter

onion salt, garlic salt or seasoned salt.

In large, warmed bowl of electric mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat in  honey with mixer, then gradually add 3 c. of flour. (I use 1 c. of whole wheat, the rest white), beating well until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl.

Gradually beat in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. (At my humidity level (almost 0) and altitude (5000ish feet), I use 1-1/2 more cups of flour.) Knead until smooth and satiny (10 minutes by hand, 3-4 minutes in mixer), adding flour as necessary to prevent sticking.

Make into 32 ten-inch breadsticks by cutting dough into quarters and each quarter into eighths, then rolling into breadsticks between your hands. Place on greased baking sheets and let rest in warm place for 15 minutes or until slightly puffy.

Brush each breadstick with melted butter, then sprinkle with seasoned salt. (I have used garlic salt, seasoned salt and Fleur de Sel sea salt. I love all of these.) Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Allow to slightly cool before serving, or cool completely and freeze in airtight containers. To reheat, place thawed breadsticks on baking sheets for 5 minutes in a 300 degree F oven.

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Next, thank you so much to everyone concerned about my health. My current ailment is bronchitis and a sinus infection (which is improving the past couple of days). This is common for me in the winter; I would even say chronic. The other issue was an endoscopy which was precautionary after my esophagitis problems. Because it was determined that I have likely had reflux all/most of my life, the doctors were a bit concerned about the state of my esophagus. (It seems that reflux causes cancer–not a matter of if, but when. But damage is reversible (?), so they just need to check it out.) Anyway, all is well. My esophagus and stomach are pink and as pretty as those things can be!

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And last, here are some wedding photos. The bride and groom have not seen any photos yet (except what were taken on the groom’s REALLY. NICE. camera.), and they do not even know about this blog, so I am just posting some shots that do not identify them.

The one at the top, however, is me, is all my shining glory near the very end of the day’s festivities! (I wish I had Photoshop to unshine me a bit.)  It was a picture with the bride’s sister who I instantly loved as much as the bride, but I did not want to post her picture on here, either.  (The only full-length photos of me in the dress were not on my camera. I hope to get a copy in a couple of weeks. I will have to crop out other people, but if they are at all decent, I will post one to satisfy your burning curiosity. But rest assured I was slightly more frumpy than the model in the older post about the dress.)

The first is the bride and groom walking in the park looking for a place with decent lighting for shooting.  None of us had ever been to the park before, but it was highly recommended to the couple by someone. It was not great for photos, but there were a few good ones.

The next is the bride’s tiara and hair. She and it were gorgeous. I had to get a picture with the sun on her head.

The last are the extremely-cute-but-not-meant-for-women-my-age shoes I got for the occasion. Really, who am I to complain about the dress when I got shoes that nearly cut off my toes?!

As for Size 0, I’m not sure what she did about her dress, but it didn’t seem like she was poured in it. She caught the bouquet. Her boyfriend caught the garter (he was the only one who tried), so it looks like she’ll be off looking for a size 0-6 wedding dress soon!

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