Harbor View Bakery Days

A new friend came to bake a couple weeks ago. She came for tea this weekend and we decided to have another baking day this week, with knitting lessons. Here are the first bake day photos which she took and emailed me later. We had such fun and it was sweet to both our souls to have this fellowship. God is good!

First, our wholesome bagels. The key to them is King Arthur Flour's Non-diastatic Malt Powder. The bagels lost their center holes as they rose but they were delicious.

Basic white bread with a little wheat.

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf from my Fleishmann's Yeast Cookbook. I got it years ago with a couple proofs of purchase and a dollar or two shipping. It is one of my best cookbooks. I love the streusel crust on this bread, and it makes wonderful cinnamon sugar toast or french bread.

Glazed Orange Rolls. These are like cinnamon rolls only with orange glaze. Such a fresh change from cinnamon. 

Next time, photos from today's baking- knitting lunch!

Spring Showers

Hello again from Harbor View. Yesterday and the day before were rainy but the sun is back and with it the wind. We've taken a break of sorts here, as family came in town and then I threw a spring tea this weekend. Now it's back to school for me and Fidget, and though we like the routine I also want to be spontaneous. Yesterday we took a mid-morning walk to a nearby bridge to feed fish some of our vanilla madeleines that were tea party leftovers. 

I was trying a new recipe. It made so many, we had plenty to share with ladies at tea, then fish, seagulls, and finally we squashed a bunch of the little sponge cakes in our birds' suet feeder in the yard. I wasn't sure how they'd go over, but they're gone today. Since I still hadn't shopped for suet (and my attempts at home made suet were disastrous) I put the last quarter of a loaf of white whole wheat loaf in- and so far no complaints.The recipe is for white bread but I like to add a cup of whole wheat and some wheat germ or flax seed meal.

I've also been knitting in between other activities. Here is the scarf for our WWII Navy submariner vet friend Joe. Not that he'll want it in spring...but I need to send it before we move because who knows if it will get lost. I'd rather it get lost at his house. Yarn page here.

And my second pair of Hedgerow socks with a wool/nylon blend. 

Meanwhile I'm once again behind on baby presents. A friend's baby has come before I expected (probably not before she expected) so I will post a picture of their little gift soon. For now, it's time for a blustery day bike ride.

A Young Dreamer

Family is coming in town tomorrow so I have been mowing, raking, grocerying, baking and cleaning. It has been a great few days, including an entire day of baking with my new friend Stacey yesterday. Fidget is beside herself with excitement about the cousins coming.

I have a couple of new knitting projects finished but instead of showing them this evening I wanted to share this video of a little boy's story. With cardboard boxes from his dad's auto parts shop in East L.A., this 9-year old, Caine, created arcade games complete with tickets and prizes. His first customer was so enthused about this young man's creativity and inspiring motivation, he made this little film about Caine and his shop. It is a blessing to see someone so young following his dreams. Enjoy.


Caines Arcade