October 22

A couple of things stand out about this day. 20 years ago today, Jacob Wetterling was abducted on his way home from a convenience store in St. Joe, MN. I think any of us living in Minnesota remember when that happened. And as the mom of 2 boys, it shook me up. It still does when I think about it. I don't know how a parent could go on having to deal with the unknown--is he alive? God forbid, is he dead? What happened? And 37 years ago today, my mom died in a car accident. Forever changed my life. And me, the oldest of 3 children. I can remember it like it was yesterday.

Today, I finally got Deb Thomford's cookies baked. She earned them by winning the "Who Is It?" contest in the September issue of RTC News. She requested Oatmeal Craisin cookies. I used a recipe given to me by her husband, Paul. It's very good. They're soft, puffy, and don't spread.

2-1/2 cups quick or old fashioned oatmeal
1-1/2 cups flour
2 egg whites
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter ( softened )
1-1/2 cup dried cranberries
..........................................

Place oats , flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in bowl. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 3 minutes. Beat in egg whites, vanilla extract , gradually. Add flour and oats mixture. Stir with wooden spoon until blended. Fold in cranberries. We use a small ice cream scoop to form medium size balls, flatten here, then bake 8 - 9 minutes at 350 degrees on parchment paper. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.

I also tried a new bread recipe. It's a batter bread.

Four-Grain Batter Bread
(from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook)

Cornmeal
4 1/2 to 4 3/4 c. all-purpose or bread flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 pkgs. (4 1/2 tsp.) regular or quick active dry yeast
2 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats

1. Grease bottom and sides of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches, with shortening; sprinkle with cornmeal.
2. Mix 3 1/2 cups bread flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and yeast in a large bowl. Heat milk and water in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
3. Stir in whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oats and enough remaining bread flour to make a stiff batter. Divide bater evenly between pans. Round tops of loaves by patting with floured hands. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until batter is about 1 inch below tops of pans.

4. Heat oven to 400.
5. Bake about 25 minutes or until tops of loaves are light brown. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool.
(Whole wheat batter bread: Increase whole wheat flour to 2 cups. Omit wheat germ and oats. Stir in 1 cup raisins with second addition of bread flour.)

I heard on the radio yesterday that some weather records are being broken: 1) The most rainfall ever on October 21 (1.57 inches at the airport). 2) It's been the coldest October on record. ugh.

Leann Zubay's new store, ZZest, is opening tomorrow morning. It's an enlargement and expansion of her previous business,  Culinary Market. There's also a Facebook page for the new market. It looks to be very fun!!

All for today. Tomorrow, off to WI for the North Face Endurance Challenge series. GO CINDY!!

Quote for the day: "Do good to your friends to keep them, to your enemies to win them." --Benjamin Franklin

Go. Be. Do.