Valentines Day and Yertle

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentines Day and Yertle

Got my story, A Nice boy from Stanford, posted on SCN e-circle writing group this am. Yeah. Agonized all too long about it. Just do it, Arlene! The story will appear in my memoir View From The Scaffold. Been working on my memior for several years now. This year for my birthday in June I will bind a draft copy. Here is the photo I am thinking about for the cover. The story tells of how Alan and I met 51 years ago.

Got a 6 pack of artichoke plants and cilantro planted yesterday.

We have a turtle; we named him Yertle. We put him in the pond with a net. It is Dad’s Valentine’s gift.

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March Recipe - Irish Soda Bread

1 c old fashioned oatmeal (2 c)
½ c buttermilk ( 1 c)
1 c flour (2 c)
1T baking powder (1 T)
½ t baking soda (1 t)
1/4 t salt (½ t)
2 T sugar (4 T)
2 T butter, cold (4 T)
1 egg (1 egg)
1/3 to ½ c buttermilk (⅔ c)
½ c currants (1 c)
The whole recipe makes two 8-inch round loaves. The amount in the parenthesis is for a whole recipe. I now make just half the recipe. The egg and the baking powder remain the same for half or whole recipe.
Heat oven to 375 F; butter an 8 inch cake pan. Combine the oatmeal with ½ c buttermilk; let sit for 2 hours or overnight. In a bowl, place the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar; cut in the butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Beat egg slightly; add ⅓ c buttermilk; then add the milk-egg mixture and the oatmeal-milk mixture to the flour; stir with a large fork until blended; add the currants; add more buttermilk if necessary. Turn on board, knead lightly, shape into a round and press dough down into the cake pan. With a sharp knife, cut a shamrock into top of the loaf; sprinkle with green sugar. Bake for 25-20 minutes until lightly brown; don’t over bake as it gets dry very easily.
My husband Alan was served the bread when he was a student at Stanford. He was taking Russian from a Dutch professor. She served the soda bread during a final exam she held at her home. After we were married, Alan told me the story and asked me if I could make it. I got the recipe from Sunset Magazine. I started making soda bread according to my notes in March 1972. When we were working and Allyson was in school, I used to make eight loaves to share.

By the Pond - Arlene's Quilting, Writing and Photography Journeys

Our Pond and My Quilt

Monday, February 14, 2011