I love this picture. It may look crazy to some of you without dogs, but Loki was actually very good with puppies.
Taken last year.I have some recipes to share–and I even have pictures, but we finally replaced my computer (I now have a Mini Mac–YAYAYAY!!!), but I don’t have the software installed yet for photo editing. Any recommendations or should I stick with Picasa? I prefer it be free. 🙂
I am sure on any other day I would have eagerly downloaded it by now, but I had to put Loki down today and I just don’t have the heart to deal with it. He would have been 14 in March so it was hardly unexpected, but, surprise surprise, that does not seem to have lessened my pain.
However, in the hope of not letting things stockpile too much AND because honestly loaves of bread (sandwich loaves) all kind of look the same, here is a recipe for you sans picture. I made this for the kids, who always want homemade bread toast or grilled cheese or PB&J or… as opposed to making it for a soup/bread dinner. It is fairly crusty and kind of craggy on top. Feel free to sub in regular whole wheat as well as wheat bran, but I used the more palatable (to me) white whole wheat and oat bran. The teff seeds are optional, but if you can find them (anywhere with a good Bob’s Red Mill selection should have them) I urge you to try them out. They have great flavor.
Oat Bran Sandwich Bread
Adapted from Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book Of Breads
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 T teff seeds
1/2 cup 8 grain cereal
1 cup oat bran
4 T (1/4 cup) honey (use 2 if you are using a sweetened cereal)
2 t salt
4 T (1/4 cup/half stick) unsalted butter
2 cups very hot water
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 T dry yeast
approx. 2 cups bread flour
Place the rolled oats, teff seeds, oat bran, 8 grain cereal, honey, salt and butter into a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot water over it. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so. When it has cooled enough to stick your finger in, add the white whole wheat flour and stir a few times to further cool down the mixture. When it is lukewarm (around 115 F–much hotter will kill the yeast), sprinkle the yeast over the mixture. Beat the mixture for about one minute on medium speed with the paddle attachment or the equivalent. Slowly add the bread flour with the speed on low until a rough, shaggy mass forms. Switch to the bread hook and continue to add flour until you have a slightly sticky ball that clears the sides of the bowl. Knead either by hand or hook for about 8 minutes. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes, covered with a towel.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with saran wrap. Leave to rise at room temperature until doubled, 60-90 minutes. Punch down and shape into loaves. place into greased loaf pans–I used 8X4–and cover. Leave to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400 F. When the loaves have risen, place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, rotate the loaves and turn the temperature down to 350 F. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the loaves have browned and their internal temperature registers 200 F. Let cool at least 30 minutes, preferably more but who are we kidding, before slicing.
I am so sorry. I know how painful that is. I hope all your memories are sweet and carry you through the rough spots.
I so sorry. My sister raises German Shepherds and they are her life – we are thinking of getting one as soon as my son is doing a little better. I hope your heart is healing.
I’m so sorry Laura. Loki will always live on in your heart.
I’m sorry about Loki — he was such a sweet, gentle dog.
Anne
I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t think of anything in my life that has been more devastating than putting down my dog. It doesn’t make it any easier knowing that it’s coming.
(((Laura))), my heart is breaking for you! I know how much Loki meant to you, how much he brought into your life. Please be comforted by the fact that, aside from arthritis and other old-doggie issues, his last days were spent in relative comfort, at his beloved home with his family around. That counts for so much.
~Vicci
So, so sorry!! Hope to chat with you again soon.
Leila
Laura I am so sad about your dog. So sorry that this had happened to you, losing a pet is so very sad. May you have fond memories.
Very sorry to hear about Loki. Such a hard decision — I went through it with my lab. I went to see Marley & Me and even having read the book, I sobbed through it.
As for free photo editing software, you can do it online for free: http://www.picnik.com I love Picnik because it works great and is very user friendly. They have an upgraded version with more features for $25 per year that so far I've been tempted by but have been able to live without.
Take care…
oh no! i’m so sorry, laura! frankly, i’d rather hang out with my pets than many of the people i have the misfortune of knowing…
may he rest in peace.
when i met loki (a skinny, 9 month old), i never thought i would bond with him. He spent a week hiding from me! I am a dog person. Dogs love me. Here I was his living nightmare.
I thought, boy i hope Laura never tries to take him near kids. On the next visit, where I was once again dog abuser #1 in his eyes, I am walking with Laura and Loki, and about a dozen, screaming, roller-skating young kids come stampeding down the street. I yell, “Laura, get him inside or he might bite one of those kids!” She laughs, and that nincompoop dog flops over on his back while bunches of kids rub his tummy and anywhere else they can reach. Well, my ego is crushed. What a dog person I am.
Then one night, Laura becomes sick and lost consciousness. Here I am, hated by her dog and that very dog standing over her and protecting her from me. I just told him who i was and what i was going to do and lo and behold he stepped aside and let me. I took her to the hospital. she was fine and from then on, i became one of Loki’s chosen few. I loved him, and I will always miss him. Thank you, Laura, for sharing him with me.
Mother
bless your heart mom
Susie, what a lovely story. And of course Laura, as I told you separately, I’m so sorry sweet Loki is gone. He really was a special soul.
And now on a completely different note: it’s so interesting that you use Teff seeds in bread. I wouldn’t have thought of it. That’s the grain used to make Ethiopian injera bread, and you’re right, it is delicious. Also has a ton of iron – useful for the vegetarians among us!