IT'S A BUG PLANET

In preparation of the onslaught of mosquitoes at the cabin this year, and knowing full well that spraying my little ones with DEET is not an option, I have opted for full body armour.

It is very apparent after years of swatting and swearing, we cannot beat 'em...so we might as well join 'em. Become one with the bug!

The search was on for the ultimate bug jacket and I found 3 possible sources.

The first company had fabulous deals...$14.99 for a full hooded jacket. One problem, they don't stock them! Okay, strike 1.

The second company had them for $19.99, but honestly the mesh/screen used in the hood part was way too dark. I could just see our little people bumping into things or tripping, the jackets would be off in a flash, they'd be bitten from head to toe, then they'd swell up like a carnival balloon, hospital visits would follow....well you get the picture.

Then I found this:

Look at this happy family, having the time of their lives, laughing at the bugs! Now that's what I'm looking for. Oh they were a little more expensive at Lee Valley, but I did get a surprise when I ordered them...the kids' jackets come with a set of leggings. Neat!

Now I can't wait for spring....bugs and all.

MASON JAR LIGHT

Look what Jim found!! I'm so excited!! Turning a mason jar into a light source is just brilliant! Did you know that these little gems existed? Such a great idea, I ordered up a ten pack!! lol Thanks Jim!!! Oh and if you missed his link, you can order them from here.

IN A PINCH

If you ever need a very fast and easy dessert that can be pulled out of thin air...then this is it.

You're going to need:

1 can of crushed pineapple

1 angel food cake mix

Here comes the complicated part:

Dump the can of crushed pineapple - juice and all - into a medium bowl with the angel food cake mix. Beat for about 1 minute.

Pour into one of those "fancy" pans and bake, using the temperature and baking time from the cake mix box.

Cool, invert pan, slice up and top with whipped cream....oh and some berries would be nice too!

Big Daddy loves this dessert because it isn't heavy and overly sweet! Silly man!

SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS

Well, I'm back at it...sourdough everywhere! lol I whipped up a second batch of starter and haven't put it in the fridge...and it's working marvelously! Thank you Garden Girl for that tidbit! I've been baking sourdough every other day, getting the hang of it. I was feeling a little adventurous so I thought I'd try Garden Girl's sourdough english muffin recipe. They are wonderful!

Okay, so here's what you'll need:

1 cup of starter

1 1/2 cups of milk (warm)

5 - 6 cups of flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Mix 1 cup of sourdough starter with 1 1/2 cups of milk and 3 cups of flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 2 - 24 hours.

When your sponge has developed, mix the sugar, salt and soda into 2 cups of flour. You're supposed to just stir this into the sponge, but really it's much more fun to use your hands to mix it. If you can get a bit more flour into this mixture - go ahead - I couldn't. Cover and let it work up to an hour.

Flour counter and hands. Turn your dough out and knead for 2 - 3 minutes until smooth. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/4 - 1/2 inches thick. Cut out circles 3 - 4 inches in diameter. Place these muffins onto a cornmeal sprinkled cookie sheet and let rest for 15 minutes.

Place 4 - 5 circles on a lightly greased skillet on low, low heat with the cornmeal side down first. Cook for 10 minutes. Gently flip the muffins over and cook another 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Split the muffins, toast them, smother in butter and have at 'er!

Okay, so I have to fess up to making a couple of mistakes....nothing we couldn't eat though!

My cutter wasn't big enough afterall...next time I'll use a washed out can like Garden Girl.

I also didn't roll the dough out thin enough. They looked fine here on the cookie sheet but....

as soon as they hit the heat....they got too puffy and didn't quite get thoroughly cooked in the middle. Didn't really matter, the toaster fixed that problem.

You can see how tall they got in this photo. Oh and when Garden Girl says cook them on low, low heat for 10 minutes....it doesn't mean on medium heat for 6 minutes! hahahaha I was just saving time. Lesson learned.


Okay, so here's the final product:

I'm going to need some practice with this recipe....next time: larger cutter, thinner dough, lower heat. Go visit Garden Girl and see her final product - they're gorgeous! Thanks Garden Girl for another sourdough adventure!!

I'm trying bagels next....stay tuned!