It's HOT!!

Wow - it's in the 90's today - really too warm for this time of year up here in the mountains!  So, what did I do but come home from work, turn on the oven and bake bread,  I must be crazy!  It smells wonderful, though - can you smell it???  We are going camping this weekend, so it will taste yummy toasted over the fire!

Plus, it's the wrong time of year to be knitting, but I'm doing that too!  Here's the pattern for a twisted scarf I'm working on.  The scarf takes about 6 oz. of worsted weight yarn with size 8 needles.

Cast on 20 stitches and knit the first row.

Knit 8, turn and knit the 8 back.
Knit 6, turn and knit the 6 back.
Knit 4, turn and knit the 4 back.
Knit all 20 stitches across.

Repeat until the scarf is the desired length. 

I had a nice visit from two of our momma deer this afternoon, and they brought out their babies to show me.  Aren't they adorable?

Bread Making!

Last night I made another batch of sodium free bread.  My boyfriend and I are planning on going camping this weekend, and his low sodium diet is proving to be a real challenge.  It's fairly easy to manage at home, but another story to try to figure out "camping food" that is low sodium and can be cooked outdoors.  Anybody have any suggestions???  Also, anybody know why the top of my loaves always look like the craters on the moon? 

Pictures

Today we went to Lacawac Sanctuary and took a walk around the old cottage and barn and down to the lake.  It is a beautiful and quiet place.  Can't wait to go back when we have more time to take a hike, picnic and enjoy the peace.  Also went and got herbs for my herb pots on my front porch and did a little antiquing - yippee!

Here's a couple of my favorite recent pictures.  The first is an Amish farm in Lancaster County, PA (one of my favorite places to spend time), and the 2nd is an old robin's nest inside an antique Farmall tractor. 

My First Attempt at Blogging!

Well, today is my first try at creating a blog!  I really enjoy reading blogs others have set up, and figured it was time to join in the fun.  In upcoming days I'll try to post photos, recipes, patterns and other things I enjoy! 

Here's one of my favorite recipes for today:

3-Chip Cookies
1 cup shortening (butter flavored is best)
1 cup granulated sugar
1-½ cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanut-butter(optional)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut-butter chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla until creamy. Sift together dry ingredients, stir into creamed mixture.  Stir in chips. Roll into balls and place 2 in. apart on greased cookie sheets and bake about 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes about 4 dozen.