A+

How would you like to receive that grade? I know that I would, and I did! I'll admit, the grade is not on a paper, assignment, or anything even remotely school oriented. I cannot say that it doesn't count, though. It was an encouragement to me, but I hope even more that it means that our friends who visited us this weekend were edified by our fellowship (or at least well-fed). As we said our goodbyes, they said that I had earned an A+, in hospitality!

After working diligently to stay on top of our studies, we freshened up our apartment and welcomed in our friends on Saturday. We watched a little football (of course, it's a fall Saturday, isn't it?) and then we showed them a bit of our town. We went to a local dive for lunch, and then took the scenic route home, before a walk through the neighborhood, dinner at home, and just a little bit more football before bedtime. Our three guests happily squeezed into our living room on the sofa and an air-mattress.




On Sunday we walked to church, and after the morning worship service, we meandered home through our neighborhood's annual fall street fair, enjoying a glorious fall day. All in all, it was an A+ weekend.


For such a short time with our friends, I didn't want to spend all of my time in the kitchen. While I was whipping up Beef Stroganoff and roasted broccoli for dinner on Saturday night, my friend whipped up these wonderful biscuits. They are so easy, and so good!

Sour Cream Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence (or other herbs, optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the flour and butter. Add the sour cream and herbs and blend well. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling 12 muffin cups half-way full, or 24 muffin cups for smaller muffins. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Whatever you do...

Make this bread!

Our neighborhood has several bakeries, excellent bakeries from what we have tasted. However, when my husband tasted his first bite of this bread, he said, and I quote:

"Mmmm, where did you get this bread?"

To which I replied, "I made it."

The rest of the conversation was inarticulate, a series of grunts and groans and happy husband sounds. I think that I heard "make again" somewhere in there.

Herbes de Provence Bread

1 cup warm water

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence (or italian herbs, or a mix of italian herbs and rosmary, or whatever herbs you like in your bread)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 1/2 cups flour

Using a dough hook, mix the water, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, or until bubbly. Add 1/2 cup flour, the salt, olive oil, herbs and pepper and mix, on medium speed, for a minute or two. Gradually add the rest of the flour, mixing on low speed until all of the flour is incorporated, and the dough starts to pull away from the bowl, about 6 minutes. Grease a clean bowl, and transfer the dough to the greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour. Press the dough down, and transfer to a baking sheet (or a pizza stone, your call). Form the dough into a loaf shape, cover with the towel, and let the dough rise for another hour. Carefully remove the towel (some of the dough may want to cling to it), and bake the dough at 375° for about 30 minutes.