Seeing Double & a Recipe

(A note about yesterday's blog entry. Apparently the updates on Identify Your Breyer were done prior to Janice Cox's passing. We will have to wait  for more updates to come.)

Between sewing for Horsiemama's Mercantile, 18th century re-renacting, and things for my family, I buy a lot of fabric. I'm not exaggerating; I often buy it by the bolt (generally 10 yards) and an entire corner of my sewing room has stacked bolts waiting to be used.

Sometimes I buy a fabric because I like it and later realize I have liked that fabric "before." Here's an example:

 

Horses? Check! Appaloosas? Check! My favorite color orange? Check! I was sorting fabrics the other day and as I came across this piece, I realized I had seen it, or something close to it, before.

My sewing notebook, where I draw diagrams as I adjust patterns, record what I've made and for whom, etc. Was my notebook the same print that I'd found on the fabric? They sure were close.

So, I pulled out the notebook to compare.

It turned out that they were similar but not the same. Maybe one was inspired by the other? Hard to tell, but it made me smile to see my taste in horses and color expressed so closely in two different products.

And now for my favorite bread recipe - I'm actually making it today for Sunday dinner. It's been in my recipe files since 1982 and while I don't know if it is an authentic challah bread recipe, I do know that it is delicious.

Challah Bread (Easily doubled. When my big family is in town, I quadruple it.)

Mix 1 tablespoon yeast with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 3/4 cup hot water. Let sit for a couple of minutes - the yeast mixture should begin bubbling up. 

Add 1 egg, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup of flour and mix well. 

Gradually begin stirring in another cup to a cup and a half of flour. Knead either by hand or with a dough hook.

Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size. Punch down, and either cut into three pieces and braid, or make a long roll and place on a greased or parchment paper covered baking sheet. Cover again and let rise 15 - 20 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. 

This also makes great garlic bread.