The last 10 days have been super exhausting

I'm just going through one of those life phases where everyone is needing my energy. It set me up for a nasty stomach issue this week. I know that you know the kind of phase I mean. Anyway, I just felt completely useless yesterday. I kept trying to make myself do something productive, so I could feel good about my day. But came up short.

I have a friend who tells me when I have these sort of days, to make a 2-do list. Not a to-do, but 2-do. Put two things on the list, and anything else that gets done is just gravy. So my 2-do list yesterday was to make dinner for 2 nights (so tonight's dinner prep would be easier, and give me time/energy to get other things done today), and catch up on laundry.

The "gravy" part yesterday included hot-gluing these acorn pieces together. Oak trees are not plentiful in our area, so when we come across acorns, we pick up both whole and pieces. I am working on my "collection" of acorns. Jo Ann Fabrics sells decorative acorns for about $15, for a small box. That probably sounds ridiculous to some of you. But for me, that really is tempting. I imagine a large bowl of acorns on the coffee table in the family room. Or a tall, clear vase filled with acorns on the table in the entry way. Or, apothecary jars filled with acorns on a shelf in the living room. For now, I have barely a 1-pint jar of acorns. So, I'll work on my "collection" first, then do something decorative with them.

I'm hoping today is a lot more productive. My stomach issues are abating. I slept long, last night. Yes, today should feel much more productive.

Have a great day!

Pesto-French bread roll

This was a dinner item that I baked last week that was a big hit in our house. If you love pesto on bread, this is a nice presentation, nice enough for potlucks, dinners with invited guests, or to bring as a hostess offering at the next occasion.

I used a half and half whole wheat/white French bread dough (using this dough, 1/2 of a recipe), and homemade pesto.

To make the Pesto Roll-up:

Make one loaf of French bread dough. Just before forming, have your pesto (about 2/3 to 3/4 cup), ready to go. Roll out the bread dough to about the size of a sheet of school notebook paper (9 X 11 inches, roughly).

Spread the pesto on thickly, leaving a margin of about 1 inch of dough, uncovered along one of the long edges.

Roll the dough up tightly and pinch the seam. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Allow to rise until double in bulk. Bake at 400 degrees F, until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

After a brief cooling, slice into nice rounds, revealing the pesto swirl.

My daughters and I had a sample of a similar bread offered at a local farmer's market. This vendor's bread used just chopped basil, with none of the other ingredients of traditional pesto (garlic, Parmesan, nuts, parsley). We think our own version was an improvement on the farmer's market bread. :-)