Posted on 03/29/2021 6:09:50 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
When I was a kid, I was fascinated by miniatures – dollhouses, matchstick cars, all kinds of little models - and I still am. The thing I remember most from the Easter Baskets that my Grandparents gave us, were panoramic sugar eggs – eggs made of sugar, with peepholes and little scenes inside.
I looked recently to see if you can still buy these, and you can; most places may be out of stock by now, but try next year - lots of people offer them, including the Vermont Country Store, vendors on Etsy, etc.
However, if you want to try making your own, here are some instructions from Confectionery House (please note that these are not really intended to be eaten; but can be saved for years, properly stored.)
http://confectioneryhouse.com/blog/post/how-to-make-panoramic-sugar-eggs/
***********************************************
When I first saw a picture of 'Wool Roll Bread', I couldn't figure out how it was made - until I saw this YouTube from the Apron channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGw0GuSx3_c
********************************************
I've been sick the last few days, just sitting on the couch and watching TV. I've become enthralled with this beautiful little family in Alabama, who have a small family farm and a young daughter who is amazing. (I've been a bird aficionada all of my life; but at 67, I still don't know as much about birds as the pre-teen Mary Carl does, and I probably never will. Herewith, the Cog Hill Family Farm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtwRexhVy4w
They tend to have the nest built before the mating happens. The male usually starts that process sometimes before even finding a mate. If a female has one already in the process and is unable to lay it, it’s because of being egg bound, but that’s a different situation.
Yes. Same formula. We go through sugar like mad.
Hummingbird masks...
I made some of those eggs decades ago. Didn’t know you were supposed to save them.
If you don’t want to go to all the sugar egg trouble:
1) get some little chocolate bunnies
2) place them on mounds of “grass” made from melted white chocolate/coconut flakes/green food coloring
3) put little egg shaped candies on top.
It's so sad to see them only get so far and the nest just whisks away over and over again.
My monthly baking group decided to bake Easter breads from around the world. I found this Greek Easter bread to try https://www.realgreekrecipes.com/greek-easter-bread/ I had to find the mahleb powder online. It should be good.
That looks really good. The description of the mahleb powder sounds really interesting.
I’m going to try this recipe for Easter:
Easy Italian Easter Bread
Ingredients
2½ cups all purpose flour
1 zest lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg (room temperature)
2 tablespoons butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup + ½ tablespoon milk - lukewarm (I used whole)
EGG WASH
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons nonpareils
Instructions
In a large bowl or stand up mixer, whisk together the flour, zest, salt and sugar, add the yeast and mix gently, make a well in the middle and add the egg, butter, vanilla and milk.
Mix with a fork until it is almost combined. Then with the dough hook on speed 2, knead the dough for 7 minutes, until smooth slightly sticky, (this dough can also be kneaded by hand for about 10 minutes).
Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and form into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and form into 3 ropes (approximately 14 inches/30 cm long each), join the 3 ends and braid, starting with the one on the right into the middle, then left into the middle, until you have a finished braid. Gently squish the braid to make it smaller and more compact to fit the pan, then place it into a lightly greased loaf pan (9 -9.5 inch / 22-24cm), cover and let rise in a warm draft free area until doubled about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C).
Brush the dough with an egg wash and sprinkle with nonpareils. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Immediately move the bread to a wire rack to cool.
EGG WASH
Beat together the egg and water.
Notes
If you find the bread is browning too much before it is baked through, then cover it with foil and continue baking.
https://allthingsbread.com/easter-bread/
This stuffed savory one looks pretty interesting too:
https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/casatiello-napoletano/
Well the nest made progress today but there’s a thick piece of straw about a foot and half dangling off the nest that’s puling on the nest....wouldn’t take much wind for it to go down again.
It’s right outside my kitchen window (2nd floor) so like having a bird cage in front of you without bars!
A CAKE???? That’s amazing. That’s art. WOW!
That looks very good. I love *Black* Raspberry preserves, and would use that...
Need to have our hummingbird feeders out by Derby Day. Flowers the week of Derby
What kind of wrens are they, and where are you?
Some of them like enclosed spaces.
http://www.birdhouses101.com/House-Wren-mating.asp
I’m in Western Pa....just above Pittsburg south of Erie.
After reading your link I can say I’ve seen and heard a lot of that written.......also I checked and there is indeed a second nest up in the corner of the awning.... maybe the one that keeps falling is the fake nest? I can’t see the other one, just the edges.
This could be Sparrows out there.I have to pay better attention as they all look alike..but the male is brighter with cinnamon on his back...very nice looking.
You probably have several wrens in your area. You could likely have a Carolina Wren, or a House Wren.
The former tends to mate for life - the latter is polygamous.
Watch the behaviors.
http://www.pgc.pa.gov/Education/WildlifeNotesIndex/Documents/wrens.pdf
The one we hear the most here where I am in Maryland, is the Carolina; ours sing a little slower than this (birds have ‘accents’ and ‘dialects’ in different regions, just like people do):
Carolina:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_Wren/sounds
House:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Wren/sounds
(My eyesight for birds has never been great; I rely a lot upon sounds and shapes.)
Seriously thinking I will make this Sunday morning to go with coffee. Thanks!
Depends on the sparrow. The common ‘house sparrow’ (also called an English Sparrow) has a more finch-like beak, shorter, thicker.
The wrens have longer, slender, elegantly curved beaks.
This beak is short.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.