My sister Sherle and I were not twins but born on the same day: but hold on, the same day but four years apart. How clever was that! I am the younger sister. Sherle was so ahead of me. I was the one hanging on the edges of all her parties, the annoying younger sibling.
Anyway another birthday and I am still feeling great and ready to make trouble each day. Sherle has been gone maybe 8 years. A sad thought.
I think the highlight for this year must be my trip back to Vancouver to promote my book and visit with friends from years past. Don't forget the PB tournament in Abbotsford that same time, it was super fun and exciting too.
So now I am back in Sebring ready to bake bread because we were running low on that commodity. Every 4 weeks I bake bread. My own bread is so much better, tastes wonderful, and is amazing when toasted, almost like cake! It makes every sandwich something special.
Bread is the staff of life and it is true not just a saying. When I bake, the aromas waft through the house and I feel all is right with the world.
The business of baking bread is really a simple thing. Just yeast, flour, water, sugar, salt and elbow grease!
After the flour mixture rises in a bowl in a warm place, punch it down, let it rise once more, then shape into loaves and before you know it, there are 5 loaves of scrumptious bread sitting on the counter. So many people say baking bread is so tricky, but of course it's not!
When I bake, all other current problems are out of my mind and I just get carried away with the mixing, rolling and baking. Soon the house bursts with fresh bread aroma and all the goodness it produces.I keep one loaf handy in the fridge, and the other loaves are sliced and placed in zip lock bags for the freezer. It is very handy to have an extra freezer.
Getting back to my Birthday, Tom and Marylou, Mike's brother and sister-in-law, are going to drive up from Cape Coral to join us for dinner at 18 on Main, a trendy restaurant just North of us, along on I, 27 in Avon Park. This restaurant is a step up from most of the local places except maybe Chicanes.The warm atmosphere and general welcoming attitude of the staff at 18, adds a lot to the success of the food. We have been there quite a lot and are never disappointed.
I am going to suggest saving room for dessert back at our house because it will be a fun way to extend our time together, and relax over shots of a favorite brandy. Also slow spoonfuls of deep chocolate cake with a dollop of whipped cream on the side will be the Pièce de Résistance. There is always room for dessert!
I will be adding a recipe for Pecan Sticky Buns here so wait for that. They will be baked ready for our delicious breakfast the day after my Birthday, Saturday, while our guests are still here
