Molasses Bread

Here is the recipe Kara asked for. We loved it when my Mom made it as kids. Especially when we came home from school and she had just pulled it out of the oven. My kids love it too. Enjoy

Molasses Bread

1 1/2 c. Boiling Water
1 c. Oats
3/4 C. Molasses
3 T. Butter
2 t. Salt
1T. Yeast
2 C. Lukewarm Water
8 C. White Flour

Directions
Mix boiling water with oats and let stand for 30 min.
Add molasses, butter, salt
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and add
Beat in enough flour to make soft dough.
Knead bread (10 min.)
Let rise for 1 hour or till doubled
Knead again
Divide into 2 Large loaves (I use two mediums and 3 small because that's what I have) and place in well-oiled pan
Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes until double
Bake at 350 for 45 min. or until knock sounds hollow.

Painting Outside

I wanted to clean the kitchen and needed to keep the kids busy so they weren't bringing more toys into the kitchen (they insist on playing at my feet while I'm trying to work or cook-- I know I'll think of it fondly someday) . So I put them outside with some paints and and box. They had so much fun. They got very creative and even pulled the hose out to make more paint. After the paint was used they mixed all the colors together and the old paint water and shoes in the box to make something special. It's too bad I then had to clean outside and give the kids a bath. But they enjoyed themselves and learned about mixing colors (mostly that all the colors together make brown).

Tomatoes and Peppers

Our Tomato and pepper plants are doing well. Here's what they looked like on Friday. Pretty good for only being April. The kids also have sunflowers that are nearly a foot tall. We'll take pictures as they get bigger.

Monkeying Around

My two little monkeys.

Talmage loves climbing, swinging, and hanging from the swing set in our backyard. He also reminds me often how much better he'd like it if it had monkey bars (he still can't reach the ones at the park).

Anya loves bananas and would eat several a day if I let her. I love how the humidity curls her hair.

Greening Spring

We've had the heat for a few months and now finally the moisture has come. Now everything is blooming and growing. The leaves on our tree finally came in and they are growing in fast -- shade is on it's way. The grass is green and growing. Wildflowers abound along roadsides and in unkempt yards. We even have one green tomato the size of my thumb and a tinny little green bell pepper. The kids planted sunflowers that have really shot up in the past two weeks and I planted a cantaloupe seed out a store bought melon to see what it would do. I was surprised when it sprouted in less than a week. I wonder if we'll get any melons.

Here's our front yard. Aaron just mowed the yard for the first time this spring. (The grass turns yellow and dormant in the winter here)

These plants got too big for the pots they were in so we planted them in the yard. The red flower in front of Anya is Elmo. We planted him in his pot last November-- he survived the winter and it thriving. Anya ripped up Cozmo and then we had a frost that did him in. So Talmage got this new Cozmo (still pink) in January.

Below is a picture of the kids in November shortly after we planted there flowers. Talmage is behind the old Cozmo. You can see how much Elmo and the kids have grown.

P.S. In the in the above picture the kids aren't cold. They are wearing warm clothes because it was cloudy but it was still in the 70's outside with the air conditioning running inside.