What's Cooking?

 Hello and Good Morning,

Whew!  Yesterday felt like summer (80+ degrees) - too much, too soon in my book.  I did not walk, but I did get in more archery - shooting 25 arrows this time and hitting the target at least a dozen times!  No bulls eyes, but definite progress. 

Fletch grilled wings (BBQ and Hot) for dinner and with the warm temps, I decided a cool pasta salad with tons of fresh veggies in it would be perfect to accompany the wings.  Everything turned out great and best of all, there are left overs!

Over the weekend I made a quick bread that I had not made in years.

Apricot Yogurt Bread

• 2/3 Cup Dried Apricots
• 1 1/4 Cup Plain Yogurt
• 2/3 Cup Grape Nut Cereal
• 1 Egg
• 3 TBS melted shortening - or oil
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 1 3/4 Cup Flour
• 1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 2/3 cup Packed Brown Sugar

Place dried apricots in a small pan with 1/3 Cup water.  Cover and steam over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Drain, cool and chop.

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix yogurt with cereal.  Add egg, shortening and honey.  Stir thoroughly.  Combine all the dry ingredients and add to the cereal mixture.  Stir just enough to moisten the dry.  Add in apricots and turn into a greased loaf pan.  Bake about 50 minutes.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes and turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

Best if wrapped and stored overnight before slicing.

I remember this bread as being delicious!  However, Fletch and I were both under-whelmed by it this week.  Fletch thought it was a little dry and not sweet enough.    I had no specific complaints, but it just wasn't wonderful.  I did try another slice several days after I had made it and I thought the taste had improved, so maybe it's just one of those things that needs to sit a bit.

Love that white leg in the back!  And spots!!  But this sweet girl had us concerned last night.

Fletch and I had just finished watching the first episode of  "Our Great National Parks" on Netflix (narrated by Obama) and I wandered in to the kitchen.  I spotted Mabel on the patio and she was howling!  I mean really - a deep howl and walking a little weird.  She came in when I opened the door, but her left eye was shut and she was hyperventilating.  She did eat some food and we guessed that she either got whacked in the eye by a branch or stung by a bee or something!  

I slept fitfully...worried about Mabel...thinking I'd need to take her to the vet this morning, etc.  She came up at 4 a.m. crying to go out.  I went downstairs thinking I'd just give her some food, but Fletch had left a note for me saying that 15 minutes after I went to bed last night, Mabel curled up on his lap and then shortly after that her left eye opened fully.  She looks fine this morning and has been in and out several times and is consuming her regular enormous amount of food!  So thankful she is ok.

And we saw her in one of her "hiding" places yesterday while we were sitting on the patio.

In amongst all the brambles around one of our trees.  Easy to see how she could have gotten poked in the eye by a branch or something.

This morning I will focus on getting out my Thursday reports and then I'd like to get a walk in before lunch.  Rain should be here by early afternoon.  Hope your Thursday is a good one!