Fish fountain

Hi,
The fish, our koi collection, have a new toy in their playground: a fountain. It was part of the package sent to us by the  pond chemical company after they tested our chemicals. They said the pond chemicals were not at fault for killing our last two batches of fish but their customer service representative that I dealt with was extremely nice and he sent us a whole load of new chemicals, food and a fountain-filter-pump-thingy.... It filters the water then shoots the water up, really high.

When we set it up in the pond it looked like Old Faithful going off. It's hysterical to watch this thing pump water up almost two feet in the air. The fish love it! They frolic in the splashing water like kids at a gushing fire hydrant in the heat of the summer. The fish jump and swim madly to get into the frothing water. I've never seen koi do this trick but it's a lot of fun to watch the mayhem. They would keep it up all day if I let the fountain run. I'm afraid they will die of exhaustion so we limit the play time to a few hours every couple of days.

This latest batch of koi were a gift from dad. He felt terrible that the last group from Toronto died when I cleaned the pond so we bought a big group from a web site out of  Florida. They shipped us 40, 3"- 6" fish in an array of colours and marking. They have all grown about an inch in the last month. There are also 8 feeder goldfish that I threw in two months ago to test the pond water with and they have increased in size as well. The goldfish don't seem as interested or entertained by the fountain as the koi are. Where the koi can't get enough of the fountain splash, the goldfish make a point of avoiding it. Very interesting indeed. I wish I knew more about different fish mentality, but they don't have a lot of info on fish brain process in my local library. Imagine that!

The pond is in full swing with koi, blooming water lilies, hyacinth and some other green plants. We had a frog but it committed suicide last week. It had just moved into the neighborhood and seemed to really dig his new pad. The next thing we know he's floating in the pond and not in a good way. It looked like he threw up the lining of his stomach. I asked my pond guru guy at the fish chemical company and he said that frogs will occasionally swallow something they don't like and regurgitate their stomachs to get it out... Not always successfully. Ours seemed to have lost his stomach, literally, and died. I am so tired of dealing with dead pond critters but it seems that it's the state of the hood no matter what we do. If it's not dead fish, it's suicidal frogs, birds that can't see the window and crash dive into them, or mice that break into the bird seed and eat themselves to death. The pet cemetary is over flowing in the backyard.... But the fountain is a blast.

xox
M

Bread Making

Hi, I know I haven't posted anything new in over a month. I'm sorry, but life just got in the way.... But now I'm back in business. The cost of food is skyrocketed in the last year and the weather this summer is reeking havoc on crops all across the country so it's about to get more expensive to eat. I think we all need to learn to cook and bake. It's healthier to know exactly what is in the food we eat every day. We take part in a food co-op farm. I love getting greens & fruit every week from the farm. There is nothing more fun and delicious than picking berries or cherry tomatoes. We even have a zuccinni plant and a tomato plant in our garden at home this year that are starting to bear fruit. It's so much fun going out every morning to see what's ripe and ready to eat. I'm not growing my own wheat but I am baking a lot of bread. The challah (egg bread) that I make is a favorite when ever I bring one to a gathering. Bread is easy to make and now that a regular loaf is over $3 I am breaking out my recipe books and baking my own. I am a flour snob and that's the hardest thing to get around here. I have been bringing Canadian "Five Roses" flour in when ever we go back to Toronto but I also have been experimenting with the "Gold Medal - better for bread" brand and it's not bad. Fleishman's Yeast is also an important part of the process. Its never failed me... And guess what, it's made in Canada too. Imagine that! Here is my recipe for a perfect challah. Try it, it isn't hard to do and the results are worth it, trust me. You will stop buying bread at the grocery store once you spoil yourself with fresh bread out of your oven. Do it on a weekend when you have the time to let it rise and then you will have bread for the rest of the week to eat. This recipe makes one large loaf or 9 sandwich size buns. I'm also available for private bread making lessons any time, just call. Challah Bread 3tsp yeast 2tsp sugar 1 cup hot water In a large wood, glass or plastic bowl mix the yeast, sugar and water. It will start to proof (bubble). Never use a metal bowl, the yeast will not activate properly. Add in: 1/2 cup sugar 1tsp Kosher salt 2 eggs 1/2 canola or vegetable oil 4-5 cups flour, added one cup at a time and mixed as added until dough is formed into a ball. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let rise 2 hours. Knead into loaf shape or divide into smaller buns and place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise one more hour. Brush with a beaten egg mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the loaf or buns at 350* for 45-50 minutes. The buns may take less time, check them at 35 minutes. When the bread is golden crusted, it's ready. Enjoy! The exercise you get kneading the bread offsets the calories in eating it, guilt-free baking at its best. xox M