Elephant Hill/Loon Lake, the Strangest Forest/Wild Fire in all of History; or Nature's the Creator's Devine Providence???

This photo shows the cabin and the woodpile, which is provided free of additional charge--no need to pay $25.00 for a little bag containing 8 toothpicks.

Cabin 12 did start to burn, 13, 14, 15, are long gone.

Where cabins 13, 14, 15 stood. The area now being turned into an RV Site.

Showing the wood Heater/stove and the electric Stove.

Table, chairs and fridge, entrance to the bedroom.

There are two beds one in a separate bedroom, as you see in this photo, the other in the main portion of the cabin. In the old days, when this cabin was still a school student wishing to sleep in class got no such luxury

Cabin 12 in which I stayed this time was originally a one-room schoolhouse. The Bathroom as shown however is a modern innovation. In the old days, the doors let outside and to two outhouses, one labelled Girls the other Boys.

The second bed.

The kitchen area and leading towards the front entrance.

The next few pictures show just how close cabin 16 (the newest and largest, complete with basement) cane to becoming one of the lost. The pictures show the opposite side of the cabin from where the lost cabins were. The trees shown are only about three feet from the cabin.

Cabin 16 was completely surrounded by fire. Areas that one might suppose would survive were lost, while buildings and areas one would think just couldn't survive did.

Lilium philadelphicum * Common Names*: Wood Lily, Western Red Lily, Prairie Lily

Lilium philadelphicum * Common Names*: Wood Lily, Western Red Lily, Prairie Lily

* Genus: Lilium * Species: philadelphicum Subspecies: * Family (scientific): Liliaceae  * Family (common): Lily

* INDIGENOUS Distribution in Canada: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, N.W.T.

***Although sometimes incorrectly called so; OBVIOUSLY, it is NOT a tiger lily.***

Yes, the Lilium Philadelphicum is being threated and protected under the provincial emblems and honours act; meaning it cannot be picked, uprooted or destroyed in any way. Please Don't Pick Them; so us, our children, our children’s children; are able to admire Nature’s-the Creator of All Realm for generation upon generation to come.

Once a species of animal, including man, plant, flower becomes extinct there is no way for man or for a God Created by Man, in his own image or other, to re-create it.

Habitat and Distribution: Lilies are most often found in clearings in woodlands, prairies, roadside, and meadows. Lilies take advantage of margins, such as those resulting from forestry cut lines and road building. Somewhat shade intolerant.

Seral Stage: Late seral, although establishing in margins, lily is one of the later species to invade.

Soils: Sandy to loamy, well-drained soils, more tolerant of higher pH than lower

Distribution: Scattered in the Rocky Mountains, boreal forest and parkland in Alberta. Southeastern British Columbia to western Quebec south to New Mexico, North Dakota, Michigan.

Phenology: Blooms June to July. Stems and seeds ripen in August and September

Pollination:

Swallowtail and monarch butterflies, as well as bees have been observed as pollinators.

It is also pollinated by wind.

Likely wind dispersed.

 Facts, About the Lily: The Lily has significant medicinal use. A tincture is made from the fresh plant and has proved of great value in uterine-neuralgia, congestion and irritation, also in the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.

Lily flower essence helps in suppressing aggressive tendencies in individuals and helps in holistic healing.

Tiger Lily is an unincorporated community in central Alberta within the County of Barrhead No. 11, located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northwest Highway 18, 96 kilometres (60 mi) northwest of St. Albert. It is (incorrectly) named for the Prairie lily(Shown right) flower.

Tiger Lily, the Plant (left)

The bulbs of its plants are boiled and eaten in some countries, especially China. They taste like potatoes.

The Tiger Lily, bears large, fiery orange flowers covered by spots. The name tiger probably refers to the spots on the petals.

The flowers of this perennial can grow up to three inches in width.

The Tiger Lily Flower Lilium lancifolium- Other Names:  Lilium tigrinum features bold nodding orange trumpet-shaped flowers with black spots at the ends of the stems in mid-summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain green in colour throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Tiger Lily is an herbaceous perennial with a rigidly upright and towering form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

Tiger Lily will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 23 inches.

Tiger Lily has a strong, sweet and distinctively lily smell. Besides producing a stunning spectacle, most parts of this plant are edible. There are two varieties of the Tiger Lily:

The Oriental Variety: Propagates through bulbs that form at leaf axils.

The Common Wildflower: Also propagates by tuberous roots.

The Lily is known by a host of different names in different parts of the world. Some of the synonyms are: Lilium tigrinum, Devil Lily, Kentan, Lilium lancifolium, Leopard Lily, Pine Lily, Lilium catesbaei, Columbia lily, Oregon Lily, Western Wood Lily, Chalice-Cup Lily, Western Red Lily, etc.

The Tiger Lily was first described by the famous Swedish botanist Carl von Linne (Linnaeus) in 1753.

Tiger Lily can often act as a carrier of viral diseases and so becomes a vector infecting other species. It is therefore better to grow this species well away from your other lilies

Tiger Lily has some toxic effects on cats. It can produce vomiting, in appetence, lethargy, kidney failure, and even death.

Tiger Lily has edible flower buds apart from edible roots and shoots. These can often have a bitter flavour. When baked, lily bulbs taste rather like potatoes.

The best place to find dried Tiger Lily buds is in an Asian market. Look for soft buds and store well in a cool, dry place. Tiger Lily buds must be soaked in warm water for about 30 minutes to soften them before adding them to the dishes. The tough stem attached to them should be removed. Besides adding to Chinese dishes, they can enhance the flavor of egg dishes and salads.

There is an old legend from Asia about the Tiger Lily. A Korean hermit helped a wounded tiger by removing an arrow from its body. The tiger asked the hermit to use his powers to perpetuate their friendship after his death. The hermit agreed and when the tiger died, his body became a tiger lily. Eventually the hermit drowned and his body was washed away. The Tiger Lily spread everywhere searching for its friend.

There is a superstition that smelling a Tiger Lily will give you freckles.

The Tiger Lily stands for wealth and prosperity.

The Tiger Lily, has six stamens (composed of anthers and filaments), one pistil (composed of the stigma, style and ovary), a long style, and a three-lobed stigma.

~~~Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan.

Wild Blueberry Biscuits:

2 Cs Flour

1 C milk (cold)

1/3 Cup sugar

5 Tbsps. of butter (cold or frozen)

4 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 ozs. wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)

At home, Glaze:

1 C powdered sugar

1/8 C water

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F. Mix salt, sugar, flour, and baking powder in a bowl. Add the super cold milk into dry ingredients and mix. As dough begins to form take each tablespoon of hardened solidified butter and break chunks off and spread evenly over dough. Fold dough, and knead… repeat until all butter is spread in chunks evenly throughout dough. Move dough to floured cutting board and roll flat to about ¼ - ½ thick (or to desired thickness) and cut approximately 6 biscuits with a biscuit or cookie cutter. If you notice the butter start to melt (hot kitchen) during this process it may be necessary to return the dough to the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Do not exceed 20, as the baking powder’s 1st stage may become inactive past that. Place in oven and bake for about 7-12 minutes. Melt 1 tablespoon of low-fat butter in the microwave, and paint finished biscuits with pastry brush. Mix glaze ingredients in a bowl, and drizzle over biscuits. © Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan.

Sourdough Crackers-NOT Hardtack.

Ingredients

1 C Whole Wheat Flour or White Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 C unfed ("discarded") sourdough starter

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 Tbsps. . dried herbs of your choice, optional

  oil for brushing

  coarse salt (such as kosher or sea salt) for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Mix together the flour, salt, sourdough starter, butter, and optional herbs to make a smooth(not sticky), cohesive dough.

Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a small rectangular slab. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a couple of hours, until the dough is firm.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Very lightly flour a piece of parchment, your rolling pin, and the top of the dough.

Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough to about 1/16" thick. The dough will have ragged, uneven edges; that's OK. Just try to make it as even as possible.

Transfer the dough and parchment together onto a baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil and then sprinkle the salt over the top of the crackers.

Cut the dough into 1 1/4" squares; a rolling pizza wheel works well here.

Prick each square with the tines of a fork.

Bake the crackers for about 20 minutes, until the squares are starting to brown around the edges.

When fully browned, remove the crackers from the oven, and transfer them to a cooling rack. Store airtight at room temperature for up to a week; freeze for longer storage.

Yield: about 100 crackers, 20 servings.~~~Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan

FRESH BLUEBERRY SCONES

Ingredients

2 Cs Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Pastry Flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 C sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

6 Tbsps. cold butter, cut into pieces

2 large eggs, beaten

1/3 C vanilla yogurt

1/2 Tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. lemon zest (grated lemon rind); or 1/4 tsp. lemon oil

1 C  blueberries (preferably wild), picked over and rinsed

2 Tbsps. melted butter

2 Tbsps. sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingers.

Stir the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and lemon zest or oil together. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Stir in the blueberries. This dough is the consistency of a wet drop-cookie dough.

Liberally flour your counter and your hands. Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on the counter. Pat it into a 1" thick rectangle. Cut into 10 triangular scones. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet.

Brush the scones with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and a cake tester inserted into a scone comes out dry. Cool completely on a rack.~~~Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan.

FRESH APPLE CINNAMON SCONES

Ingredients:

SCONES

2 3/4 Cs Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/3 C granulated sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp.  Apple Pie Spice or ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (8 Tbsps.) cold butter

3/4 cup diced fresh apple, in 1/2" pieces (about half a medium apple); leave the skin on, if you like

3/4 C cinnamon chips

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 C applesauce, unsweetened preferred

TOPPING

3 Tbsps. coarse white sparkling sugar

1/2 tsp.ground cinnamon

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spice.

Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.

Stir in the chopped apple and cinnamon chips.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and applesauce.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don't have parchment, just use it without greasing it. Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan.

Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment or pan, and divide it in half. Gently pat and round each half into a 5" to 5 1/2" circle about 3/4" thick.

To make the topping: Stir together the coarse sugar and cinnamon. Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with the topping.

Using a knife or bench knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.

Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2" space between them, at their outer edges.

For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Bake the scones for 18 to 22 minutes, or until they're golden brown. When you pull one away from the others, it should look baked all the way through; the edge shouldn't look wet or unbaked.

Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm. When they're completely cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days.

Yield: 12 scones.~~~Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan

Bacon-cheddar-chive Scones

Though  we usually think of scones as sweet, not savory. These rich, tender scones are packed with chunks of cheddar cheese ,and diced bacon, accented with fresh chives. Serve them with soup or a salad for a satisfying meal.

Ingredients

CRUST

2 C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Pastry Blend

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

2 tsps. sugar

4 Tbsps. cold butter

1 C very coarsely grated or diced cheddar cheese

1/3 cup snipped fresh chives or finely diced scallion tops (the green part)

1/2 pound bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. heavy cream or whipping cream, or enough to make the dough cohesive

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.

Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, with some of the butter remaining in larger pieces.

Mix in the cheese, chives, and bacon until evenly distributed.

Add ¾ cup of the cream, stirring to combine. Try squeezing the dough together; if it's crumbly and won't hang together, or if there are crumbs remaining in the bottom of the bowl, add cream until the dough comes together. Transfer the shaggy dough to a well-floured work surface.

Pat the dough into a smooth 7" disk about 3/4" thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife or bench knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.

Brush the scones with a bit of cream; this will help their crust brown.

Bake the scones for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan. Serve warm, or at room temperature. Want to make scones now, freeze and bake later? Make scones up to the point they're on the baking sheet, cut and ready to bake; don't brush them with cream. Freeze, then remove from the sheet, and wrap airtight in a plastic bag. When you're ready to bake, remove however many you want to bake from the freezer, place on a baking sheet, brush with cream, and bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Make mini-scones: Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 5" round. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven till golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes; or for about 25 minutes if frozen.©Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved

SCONES-Here's Your Basic "Start Here" Recipe.

While this simple vanilla scone is delicious as is, it's also the perfect vehicle for your favourite add-ins.

Ingredient's

DOUGH

2 3/4 Cs  Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/3 C sugar

3/4 tsp.  salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 C cold butter

1 C to 2 C diced dried fruit, chocolate or other flavoured chips, nuts, or a combination, optional

2 large eggs

2 tsps. vanilla extract or the flavoring of your choice

1/2 C to 2/3 C half and half or milk

Topping

2 tsps. milk

2 Tbsps. s sparkling white sugar or cinnamon sugar, optional

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.

Stir in the fruit, chips, and/or nuts, if you're using them.

In a separate mixing bowl, whip together the eggs, vanilla or other flavor, and half and half or milk.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don't have parchment, just use it without greasing it. Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan.

Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment or pan, and divide it in half. Round each half into a 5" circle (if you haven't incorporated any add-ins); or a 6" circle (if you've added fruit, nuts, etc.). The circles should be about 3/4" thick.

Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired.

Using a knife or bench knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.

Carefully pull the wedges away from the centre to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2" space between them, at their outer edges.

For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown. When you pull one away from the others, it should look baked all the way through; the edge shouldn't look wet or unbaked.

Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm. When they're completely cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days.©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

Sourdough Pizza Crust

•Sourdough pizza crust? Why not? For one thing, you get added protein and also this crust can go from quite sour to "can't even tell it's sourdough," depending on how recently you've fed your starter. Even if you want very little (or no) tang, the vigour of the starter enhances the pizza dough's rise. Even the merest hint of tang comes across as rich flavor, which marries beautifully with the usual pizza toppings of tomato, cheese, vegetables, and meat.

•You’ve been looking for ways to use the "extra" cup of starter, the one, nowadays  you're directed to discard with each feeding; this is another good solution for you thrifty bakers who hate to throw anything away.

•

•Ingredients

•1 C sourdough starter, unfed (straight from the fridge)

•1/2 C hot (not boiling) water

•2 1/2 Cs  Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

•1 tsp. salt

•1/2 tsp. instant yeast

•Stir any liquid into the sourdough starter, and spoon 1 C starter into a mixing bowl.

•Add the hot water, flour, salt, yeast,. Mix to combine, then knead till smooth and slightly sticky, about 7 minutes at medium speed using a stand mixer with dough hook. Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased container, and allow it to rise till it's just about doubled in bulk. This might take 2 to 4 hours; it might take more. A lot depends on how vigorous your starter is. For a faster rise, place the dough somewhere warm (or increase the yeast). To slow it down, put it somewhere cool.

•For two thinner-crust pizzas, divide the dough in half, shaping each half into a flattened disk. Drizzle two 12" round pizza pans with olive oil, tilting the pans to coat the bottom. Place half the dough in each pan. Cover, and let rest for 15 minutes. Gently press the dough towards the edges of the pans; when it starts to shrink back, cover it, and let it rest again, for about 15 minutes. Finish pressing the dough to the edges of the pans.

•For a thicker-crust pizza, drizzle olive oil into a jelly roll pan (10" x 15") or half-sheet pan (18" x 13"), or similar sized pan; or a 14" round pizza pan, tilting the pan to coat with the oil. Shape the dough into a flattened disk or oval. Place it in the pan, cover it, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Push the dough towards the edges of the pan; when it starts to fight back, cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes. Finish pushing it to the edges of the pan.

•Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's as thick as you like. For thin-crust pizza made from fairly fresh starter, this may only be an hour or so. For thick-crust, using an old, little-used starter, this may take most of the day. There are no hard-and-fast rules here; it all depends on the vigour of your starter, and how you like your crust. Once you make it a couple of times, you'll figure out what time frame works for you.

•Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F.

•For a thicker crust, pre-bake the crust for about 8 minutes before topping. Top, then bake till toppings are hot and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. For thin crusts, bake for 4 to 5 minutes, then top and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or till toppings are as done as you like.

•Remove from the oven, and loosen the edges of the pizza with a table knife or heatproof spatula. Carefully lift it onto a cooling rack; you can serve it right from the pan, if desired, but a cooling rack helps keep its bottom crisp. Serve hot.

•Yield: one 14" round, or rectangular thick-crust pizza; or two 12" round thin-crust pizzas.

•Be aware of some sourdough dynamics here. The less-used your starter, the more liquid on top, the more sour it's likely to be; using a starter that hasn't been fed for weeks will yield a pizza crust that rises slowly, and tastes quite tangy. This type of crust is handy when you want to make dough in the morning, and have pizza ready for dinner. On the other hand, a starter that's fed regularly will yield a less-sour crust, one that will rise much more quickly. This is a great "weekend" crust, as you can shape it at 8 a.m., and have pizza for lunch.~~~Al (Alex-Alexander)D Girvan.

FRUITED SOURDOUGH SANDWICH BREAD

This soft sourdough loaf is studded with sweet raisins and tangy apple pieces. I like it served simply toasted with melting butter; or as a grilled cheese sandwich with apples .

Ingredients

2/3 C sourdough starter, fed or unfed

2/3 to 3/4 cup lukewarm water*

1 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

1 tsp. to 4 Tbsp. sugar, to taste

1 1/4 tsps. salt

2 1/4 C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/4 C potato flour or 1/2 C instant potato flakes

1/3 C rolled oats, traditional

2 tsps. instant yeast

1 C diced Granny Smith apple (about 1 small apple), peeled or not

1 C raisins, golden ,dark, or both

*In summer, or during hot/humid weather, reduce the water by 1 Tbsp.

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, the bowl of an electric mixer, or the pan of your bread machine, and mix and knead to form a smooth yet sticky dough. If you're kneading by hand, you'll want to keep your hands well greased.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 90 minutes. The dough will become puffy, though it may not double in bulk.

Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.

Gently deflate the risen dough, and shape it into a log. Place it in the pan, cover it lightly, and allow it to rise until it crests at least 1" over the rim of the pan, 60 to 90 minutes.

Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it with foil after 15 to 20 minutes; it will continue to brown slowly. When it's done, the bread will be golden brown, and will register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre

Remove the bread from the oven, and after a couple of minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.

Yield: 1 loaf, about 12 to 16 servings.~~~Al (Alex-Alexander)D. Girvan

MULTI-GRAIN SOURDOUGH BOULE

Ingredients:

•1 C boiling water

•1 C Harvest Grains Blend

•2 Cs sourdough starter, fed and ready to use

•1 3/4 Cs White Whole Wheat Flour

•1 3/4 Cs Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

•2 1/2 tsps. salt

•1 1/2 tsps. instant yeast

•2 Tbsps. vegetable oil(preferably olive)

•

•Instructions

•In a large mixing bowl, or the bucket of a bread machine, combine the Harvest Grains Blend and boiling water. Let cool to lukewarm

•Add the fed sourdough starter and the remaining dough ingredients, and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, bread machine or food processor — until you've made a soft dough, adding additional water or flour as needed.

•Cover the dough in the bowl, and let it rise until it's almost doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

•Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface, and gently fold it over a few times to deflate it. Shape it into a large round.

•Place the round on a lightly greased baking sheet, and cover it with lightly greased plastic wrap. Or place in a round covered baker, about 4.2-quart and 10" diameter, that's been sprayed with non-stick baking spray and sprinkled with sesame seeds or cornmeal, and put on the cover. Let the loaf rise until it's very puffy, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

•Just before baking, brush with water, and sprinkle with seeds. Use a lame or a very sharp knife to make four slashes across the top of the loaf, in a crosshatch pattern.

•Bake the bread for 40 minutes. Uncover the loaf if in a covered baker, and continue to bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190°F. (A loaf baked on a baking sheet will need to bake for 38 to 45 minutes total.)

•Remove the bread from the oven, let sit in the baker for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool on a rack.

•Yield: 1 large loaf.~~Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan.

NUTTY-FRUITY SOURDOUGH

•Ingredients

•1 C(about 8 ounces) fed sourdough starter

•1 C water

•3/4 C pumpernickel flour

•2 1/2 Cs (10 3/4 oz.) All-Purpose Flour

•1 1/2 tsp. salt

•1 tsp.instant yeast

•1 1/2 cups Fruitcake Blend or the dried fruits of your choice

•1 cup cut nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds)

•Instructions

•Mix all of the ingredients (except the fruit and nuts) by hand, mixer, or bread machine till you've created a smooth, elastic dough. Because the consistency of sourdough starters vary, you may need to add a bit of extra flour or water; the dough should be medium-soft but not sticky. Add the dried fruit and nuts, kneading until they're evenly incorporated. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

•Turn the dough onto a lightly greased or floured surface, and form it into a fat log. Place the log into an Italian stoneware baker that's been greased on the bottom, or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the loaf, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it springs back very slowly when lightly pressed.

•If you're baking in a covered stoneware baker, place the bread into a cold oven, set the oven to 400°F, and bake for 40 minutes. Check the bread, and bake for a bit longer, if necessary; the internal temperature should be about 190°F when measured on an instant-read thermometer. If you're baking on a sheet pan, preheat the oven to 375°F, and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the bread is brown. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Yield: 1 loaf.

•Tip: Need some sourdough starter to get started? See my step-by-step directions for creating your own sourdough starter from scratch.~~Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan