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| Selfie of the day |
The morning greeted us with a light rain, too rainy to bike or fish, so as is the norm for this family, we comforted ourselves with food: Semel to be exact, although a few eggs were fried along with some nice bacon. But the traditional Friesen Sunday morning breakfast before church is Semel. For the uninitiated, Semel is a simple baked bun made of flour, yeast, salt sugar, and water. Originally, the recipe came from Prussia, but the Beatrice Mennonites claim it as their own. The dough is "stirred up" the night before, beaten by hand into a soft, sticky texture. During the night it doubles or triples in size. The next morning the dough is spooned one dollop at a time onto a greased cookie sheet, sprinkled with either poppy or sesame seeds and baked in a 425 degree oven until golden brown (About twenty minutes). Fresh from the oven, the buns are sliced in half, smeared with strawberry jam and a a slice of sharp cheddar. The next chore is to enjoy. Semel freezes well, and when toasted, they are almost as good as fresh baked. The family tradition is to have a Semel or two before Sunday service. We kept the faith this morning. Happily, the rain ended mid morning and people made their own enjoyments during that time. I chose to ride to Manistee and back, a ride of about thirty miles. Judy and Karen began solving a jigsaw puzzle. Rod, Kel, and Karen went fishing. Scott and Kate took a bike ride of their own. For lunch, we had a buffet of mixed goods. Some ate more Semel. Some made Sweet Lebanon Bolagna sandwiches, and almost everyone sampled some classic "chex" mix. For dinner, we drove up to the popular tourist town, Frankfurt, MI to a brewery called Stormcloud. Dinner was quite good. Judy and I shared a flat bread pizza called "Thai it on". I enjoyed a strong, dark Belgian style ale. To top the evening off, we all jumped into Kel's boat for a sunset cruise out to the edge waters of Lake Michigan and then a nice slow tour around Portage Lake. That about sums it up for our family. As for other groups, I saw one "grandpa" teaching his kids to filet a fish. I saw family groups playing pickle ball. I saw kids swimming, swinging, and two young girls counting the cars that drove by. I also saw people reading, lounging by the water, and all the while the air was filled with happy sounds of laughter, encouragement, and joy. Clearly, families together make life good, especially today.
Now....
this is a fish....
story!
Semel, step by step.
Slice the hot Semel in half.
Add strawberry jam (Both sides) and a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.
Fold and eat.
Repeat.
Aunt Karen brought several pictures from days past for everyone to enjoy, recollect, and count blessings.
My dark Belgian Ale and a few slices of the "Thai it On" flatbread.
I think this guy just enjoys hanging around. Anyway, he was kept in suspension outside a Bed and Breakfast called "Serendipity".
Second selfie of the day: The stern crew.
And there goes the light from another fine day. Be thankful.
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