Saturday, September 27, 2008

random stuff

I went to lunch with my friend Trina on Wednesday and on the way home she announced that there was a storm coming sometime in the next 24 hours. The sun was shining, the weather was warm -- but she is weather psychic. She said she gets a headache when there will be a barometric pressure change - and sure enough, the next morning, we had a monster of a rainstorm. It has been off and on ever since. I seem to be obsessed with taking pictures on my deck when it is raining. This was Thursday's photo -- I love the reflection of the chair and the trees & sky on the wet planks. This is from either 2005 or 2007 and it is a better picture. Why do I keep taking the same thing over and over again? The reflection fascinates me. Thursday a.m. (in the rain) and the woods are actually more lush in September than they were in May (bottom picture). Ironic, since we are going into the autumn and it is Indian Summer. These are the woods at their least interesting. It is still hot and humid as we get closer to the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Monday night I am having my kids/grands and my mother for dinner. Yesterday, in a fit of insanity, I decided I should bake my own challah. So I got out all my cookbooks and ended up being so confused that I am not sure what I did. When I told my son Jeremy I intended to do this, he said I had better go buy a back-up - LOL. Smart kid. i was going to blog about this last night, while I was baking - but I was too tired. On the left (now in the freezer) the plain challah; on the right, the erstwhile raisin challah. Well, the erstwhile part only goes back as far as last night ; it is half gone because Marty volunteered to be the official taster this morning. We will go to the bakery for a raisin challah. Anyway, this recipe is too sweet for me - if they had called it coffee cake, I would have still thought it was too sweet. I made my brisket and my noodle pudding, so tomorrow I will go to the studio to get ready for the open studios next Sunday, 1-5. CLICK TO ENLARGE for directions. If you're in driving distance - we're not far off the Garden State Parkway. I know there were some other things, but it is beginning to rain again (we have already established that I love the sound) and I think it is time to turn in.

6 comments:

lizzieb said...

Hi Rayna,
I have a great challah recipe you could have used! I've had it for 40 years and love it...of course I braid mine....LOL

Lizzie

Chaya Erez said...

Something I learned from my daughter about round challahs. Instead of braidingthem, she makes small balls from the challah dough, then arranges them in a spring form baking pan. When they rise and are baked, they come together (much like chelsea buns) and the resulting challah surface is quite festive.

Anonymous said...

Rayna, Tell your friend Trina she is not alone... I get the barometric pressure change headaches too, and they are pretty acurate, although not fun!

Judy

Anonymous said...

I dscovered a challah recipe twenty-five, no thirty years ago (time flies)that l and the family loved haven't made it for a long time. I braided mine too. I don't remember it being very sweet.
juanita

Rayna said...

Challah at Rosh Hashanah is round to symbolize the cirle of life and of the year.

Anonymous said...

Rayna--_I am another one with a great Challah recipe if you would like it. Susan S

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