TGIF everybody! Hope you’ve had a great week and can find time for a break this weekend. I found some great stuff this week:
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I haven’t published a book review in a while, but I’ve read a bunch. I read this last month when I was on vacation. Angela Hunt is one of my favorite authors, and this one didn’t disappoint:
Five Miles South of Peculiar
Gravels crunch under your tires as you pull up the driveway to Sycamores, the stately home of the Caldwell sisters. Nolie’s simplistic approach to life belies her profound musings about it. Unresolved hurts braid with time and miles to tangle the twins, Darlene and Carlene, who seem to share nothing except DNA.
As each sister faces her past and the issues that mire her in the present, she finds herself forced to make hard choices about her future. Those decisions will also shape her relationships with her sisters.
Angela Hunt’s combination of heart and sass make Five Miles South of Peculiar an enjoyable read. She creates honest characters with relatable issues, which makes this a great selection for a book club. (She is also available for conference calls! Check out “Ask Angie” at www.angelahuntbooks.com)
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Now is the perfect time of year to plant bulbs!
Easy and very forgiving, bulbs are some of my favorite flowers. It’s really hard to mess these up.
Sunset.com shares their Five Best Bulbs To Plant In The Fall. Some are fancy schmancy ones that you have to special-order, but most big box stores have a great selection. Great weekend project!
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Here’s my choice from Clayzmama, which is actually an older post but it’s great info and something we should know.
There are some graphic images in this post, but Sandi also shares some great links so you can do your own research on GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
My bottom line – I’m buying organic whenever possible.
And praying for Jesus to hurry on back.
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Speaking of food, I am on a bread-making binge. Yeah yeah, I know about the carbs and all, but I LOVE BREAD, especially homemade bread.
One of my girlfriends loaned me her bread machine a few years ago and now I rarely buy bread from the store. I don’t like how the machine bakes the bread, so I just use it to make the dough. I take it out, let it rise and then bake it a regular oven.
I’ve found it DOES MATTER if you don’t buy flour milled for machine use, so I’m just putting that out there. Bread is a finicky beast, but oh-so-friendly and nice when you figure it out.
Most stores carry King Arthur Flour, and they’ve got some good recipes that you can modify to give you some variety. I like their recipe 100% Whole Wheat Bread.
This bread keeps well, and can last up to a week in the fridge. It’s easier to slice when it’s cool, then you can wrap it in foil and warm it in the oven while you finish dinner. With the cooler temps, this is the perfect time to give it a try.
Good Morning Susan! I am going away for a few days and I think I will pick up this book. I, too, love bread–actually my whole gang does! I brought a bread starter from Leslie the last time I went home. It did not survive the trip, so I am going to try again.I will let you know how it goes. Have a great weekend!
YAY for going away! I’ve got Amish Friendship Bread starter, if that’s what you’re looking for. And I have PLENTY. Come over anytime
Hey, I have a recipe for making the started if anyone would like it.
I’d love a sourdough starter if you have one, Di
Susan, great favorites! Thanks especially for sharing the produce codes – I’ve seen that before but had forgotten about it. Definitely something to remember! Blessings!
Thanks, Sue — good to see you!
The bread machine is great for kneading & mixing , I do that too Susan. It is so much easier and no mess. I have a great recipe for wheat bread & it has spelt flour. Sounds like the Angela Hunt’s book is a great read. I want to get ahold of that book.
Have a nice packing day for Belize. 
YAY for no mess, huh? I’d love to try your recipe, Anita!
Yes, packing packing packing…
I’m excited about the bread, as I think I recently unpacked my machine.
(took a while) & the info on the bulbs (since our yard has not been cared for in over 10 years).
Your Friday posts are very creative Susan – Love, Hester
If you come across any good bread recipes, please pass them along!! And have fun reworking your yard, Hester!
I always look forward to “Friday Favorites!” Thanks for the book review, Susan… I love to read (especially books that have been peer reviewed and recommended!)
GMOs are killers and should be taken very seriously! I especially stay away from corn, canola oil, and soy. They are now even questioning the purity of the organic varieties of these products, so I really limit the buying of these products (and the packaging must say GMO-free and organic before I would even consider making the purchase)… there I go… off on a tangent!
Your bread looks AMAZING! If there were no bread I would have no need to step on the scale for accountability!! Man, I love bread and especially the homemade-slathered with butter-with fresh berry jam kind of bread
Thanks for being a faithful Friday follower, Marisa! Oh girl, I am SO with you on the butter and yummy spreads
Here’s a link to my friend Cathy’s post from a couple of weeks ago. She discovered Maranatha organic raw almond butter, which I love, and I told her about one of my favorite concoctions:
warm up a couple TBSP of almond butter with
a TSP or so of a yummy sweet spread
(I’m currently in love with a date spread I bought in Israel)
I keep it in a little glass jar in the fridge, so it’s premixed and ready to spread in the morning. Yummm
Okay…you talked me into it. This weekend, I’m planting tulips!
YAY, Nikki! And then we’ll have lots of pretty photo ops in the spring!!
Thanks for enlightening me on the different codes. Genetically modified foods were addressed in this month’s Prevention magazine and now your info will help me steer clear of them.
I love bulbs too — and if you have any other readers, like myself, who enjoy heirloom bulbs (found in our grandmother’s yards!) they may want to check out Old House Gardens Heirloom Bulbs. I’ve ordered from them for awhile now and I’m never disappointed. http://www.oldhousegardens.com/
How cool is that Heirloom bulbs site! I have some old irises in my yard, and I also have an Easter lily that’s bloomed for several years. Bulbs are so much fun – it’s like a surprise party when they bloom
One year I will plant tulips…and daffodils…and crocuses! Oh and what are those LONG stemmed purple flowers-IRISES! They are bulbs also, right? this year I have no desire to draw attention to my front yard NEXT year since we are mid reno-yard work!
Also, home made bread that is a few days old makes THE most fantastic French toast! Just be aware home made breads loves to soak up the liquid. I will mix a few eggs, milk, and a touch of vanilla then run it through a sieve to get the larger egg albumen out. My boys so lovingly refer to that as “egg-snot”. Charming. But if you do that you avoid having the last piece of toast with a fried egg white on it :0).
No new sites to share this week as I have been avoiding the Internet for 2 weeks while I was having my little hissy fit over WHAT my next “step” should be….for life in general. HA! God is awesome and has given some direction so now I am praying for me to be at peace and CHILL a bit!
Ok, egg snot — LOVE THAT, Donna! I never thought about it & just buried that piece under the pile
I’ll keep that in mind for French toast. Leftover bread isn’t a big problem since I’ve started making it!
Go ahead and plant some irises and daffodils and tulips and crocus, Donna! Pull a few weeds this fall, plant a patch of fun bulbs, then work on the rest of the yard next spring. At least you’ll have something pretty and fun to look at when the weather breaks!
As for your next “step” — I’m glad you’ve got some direction. Nothing’s worse than being adrift.
Thanks for stopping by, Donna!