Cooking Tuesday - White bread

One of our favorite things if fresh homemade bread.  We usually finish off more than a loaf when it's hot from the oven. Spread butter on it and oh, my it's delicious.

I usually use the same recipe all the time.  If you want to make this recipe healthier, just use whole wheat for half of the flour.  I like this recipe because the yeast goes directly in with the flour.

First take 2 1/2 cups of flour and add 2 T of yeast.  I usually make two recipes so thankfully I have two red bowls.  You can double the recipe, but I like how the bread comes out when I do them separately.

 Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt to the flour

 Now take 2 cups of milk and add 1 tablespoon of margarine to it.  I put it in the microwave for 2 minutes, but you'll have to see how your microwave works.  The way I test the "water" is to put a clean finger in the milk and if it's too warm for me then it's too warm for the yeast.  But if it's comfortably warm, then it's ready to use.  You can also use a thermometer and it should be between 110 and 125.



Next use a whisk and mix the yeast, sugar, and salt into the flour.

 Now pull the milk out of the microwave.  This is how it will look - the margarine melting but not yet melted.  If it was in your microwave too long, it doesn't matter just give it time to cool down.

Use that whisk and thoroughly mix the milk into the flour mixture. 

 Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and stir it with a wooden spoon till it looks like the pic below.

When it looks like this, your hands need to get involved and start kneading.  If it starts sticking, add more flour to your hands.

Knead it till it looks like this.  Then it's time to let it raise for an hour.  When it's done raising, punch it with your fist. 

Divide the dough in half and then knead each half into a loaf shape, and put it into a greased loaf pan.

Let it raise for a half hour and turn the oven on to 350 degrees.  Put it into the oven and about a half hour later.  Yum!

Making the most of today
Steph

Project Monday - Gardens and vigilance

Every year, I plant a garden with the good intentions of making it through a season - not with a bountiful harvest - but with a victory over the weeds.  And every year, I might do a little bit better, but never coming out the victor. 

This weekend we planted our peas.   We have many little plants growing in our greenhouse, but the peas were planted in the garden bed.  I filled the whole bed with peas.  The bed is in the midst of the whole garden, and last year peas were one of the things planted in the three beds.  It worked pretty well.  Problem is I tore apart the other two beds. 

So we watered the soil on Thursday night, while I was working the soil on Thursday, I noticed it was pretty dry.   We decided that we needed to wait until the soil was a bit more moist.  The next day we planted the peas even though the soil was still quite dry.

Jules and Tractorman were out there helping me.  We pounded stakes that Jones cut for me on the ends of each row.  And then I started weaving string to make little things for the peas to climb.  Not sure how well they will work, but I tried chicken fence last year and it was bulky.

The Lord brought good rain last night, so they are good and watered.  And while I was in town today, buying a heat lamp for our newest babies (chicks), I found blueberries and rhubarb.   My grandma used to make some amazing strawberry-rhubarb jam and I would love to do that. 

The rhubarb won't really be able to be harvested for another two years, but I will be glad I did this now.  I planted the blueberries on either end of the three rhubarbs and all of this in a row at the top of my strawberries.  Now to paint some rocks to go near them so the kids know they aren't weeds.

My thoughts this morning were about the vigilance needed to maintain a garden that is free of weeds.   You can't just sit in your house and wait for your plants to grow on their own.  You really need to be out there pulling the tiny things that poke up.  And if you pull them often and while they are still tiny, you will have less to contend with. 

If you wait till the weeds are tall, you will find yourself with sore arms and a back ache and working like crazy in the heat of the summer.  But if you work in the springtime and while they are tiny, you will save yourself a lot of trouble.

Sin is a lot like that.  If you allow yourself to do things you know are wrong and you justify them and continue to walk in sin.  It will be a lot harder to eradicate the sin once it has taken root in your life.  Work on it often and early and it will be so much easier.

Making the most of today
Steph

Titus 2 Tea - Organizing - Week 1

As I am thinking of spring, I just want to organize everything.  What is it about winter that gets stuff cluttered where it's not supposed to be?  And then I look at a spot and think, "How and when did that get so terrible-looking?"

We haven't been able to buy bins and baskets and such, so I've given up the idea of getting organized.  Seems things stay where they go better if you have something to put them in.  But I don't think that I need to wait till I can buy a bunch of pretty and matching bins or baskets.  I  found that I have quite a few things that will work well.

They aren't pretty but they'll do the job.

The first thing I do is completely empty the shelves, and then keep the munchkins away from the kitchen table.  "No, you may not play with anything on the table right now."  Seems I've said it quite a few times as they look longingly at the things they haven't played with in weeks. 

Next I clean off the shelves and then measure them and draw up a plan. 

Then I sort the things from the kitchen table into the shoeboxes, and containers that I have on hand.  This is when I find out what my containers will be full of.   Today, I have labels of Guitar, Wii Remotes, Computer, Crafts, Coloring, Paints, Office and Star Wars.  I will make labels for my boxes today, so I don't forget.

Because I don't know what size of containers I need for each thing, I start by just putting things into a container - not neatly or how I want it, but just in there.  Inevitably, I will spend a ton of time making it look nice only to find that I need something bigger.

Now I pencil in where I think the containers will fit best on my plan.  I need measurements for that.  Also some of the things need to be higher, and some things need to be lower on the shelves - so I need to take that into consideration.

That's hard to see but you get the idea.  While in practice this sounds good, it didn't really work for me.  I found that for me it's easier just to move the bins around till they fit.  But if I was going to buy bins or baskets for this project, I would definitely draw it out so that I wouldn't buy the wrong size.

This is how the area looks with almost all of the stuff that came off of it, but I also put one puzzle on that hadn't been on there.  Lots of room!!!  So I added more puzzles, changed it around to suit and added labels.

My goal is to fill all the space with boxes and bins and baskets, so there isn't a lot of room for junk.  Though I'm sure they'll find the nooks and crannys.

Making the most of today.
Steph

Thursday's Thoughts - Marilla or Mrs Brady

By the title I'm pretty sure you can tell what's been on in our house lately.  For awhile, we were watching a lot of the Brady Bunch.  The kids loved it, and well, so did their dad and I.  I pulled out our Anne of Green Gables movies that my in-laws brought last time.

Everyone groaned, including Carpenter, but I knew if they would just watch a bit that they would get sucked in and enjoy it.   So we put the first tape in.  I thought the comments from the older boys were hilarious.  One in particular has hardly left my mind.  "She talks all the time - that's why we don't like watching this movie." 

Oho!  So you have competition.  After that comment, I noticed that between the three of them someone has to be talking at all times.  Sometimes two and sometimes all three.  A very revealing statement.  Just makes me smile and say "Go outside and play." 

But back to the title.  I love Mrs. Brady - she's so nice - always willing to listen to her kids and their struggles with life.  Never exploding because they did something really annoying this time.  Just calm, cool and collected.  Always showing love and tenderness.  I want to be like her.

As I watched Anne of Green Gables, I saw someone who looked altogether too familiar to me - and it wasn't Anne with an e.   No.  It was Marilla.  She's more of a "Nope.-I don't want to hear it.-Go to your room right now until you confess.-sort of gal.  There's no nonsense with her.  No understanding of the silly antics that bring the occasional mess.  Rarely giving one an idea that she might actually love them. (We're not past the first video yet).  I don't want to be like her.

But I am.  I generally won't fly off the handle if you make a mess, but I will tell you you have to clean it up.  Even if you're one or two years old.  And I will make you do it alone if you're capable, but if you're not I will help you. 

Then another time, I will get upset at unexpected times and make a huge deal over something that is really tiny.  And my kids will stand there looking at me like, "What's the matter with her?"  But they won't say it.  Nope, cuz they know Mom's lost it.  For sure and certain.

And it makes me sad, that I am not there yet.  I'm not the perfect Mrs. Brady, but rather I'm Marilla.  And I'm not satisfied with that.  You see, sometimes I look at them as two totally different people.  "Oh," I say, "Well Marilla just doesn't have the same personality as Mrs. Brady, so there's no hope for her.  She's just always gonna be that way."  O.k now I'm super discouraged. 

But when I open the word and look inside, do you know what I see?  In Romans 8, where I've been working on memorizing, God tells us the goal of the believer.

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Crossway Bibles (2011-02-09). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (with Cross-References) (p. 1138). Good News Publishers/Crossway Books. Kindle Edition.  

You see, I think when God looks at it, He sees that we do indeed have different personalities, but he also sees our growth potential.  Maybe Marilla has the potential to become like Mrs Brady, if she yeilds to the Spirit.  That gives me so much hope.  Now, I know that there is no reason to be discouraged.  

I see that as I keep studying the Word and spending time with Him, He will grow me into the image of - not Mrs. Brady - but His own Son.  A much more desirable goal anyway.    What a wonderful God we serve!  Christ is the goal of our hearts and lives and the last word of those verses - when we get to that part - we'll be finally finished and conformed and perfected to what He wants us to be.  Praise Him!!!  

And now, my little munchkins are waking up before I'm quite finished.  I must go and see to their needs with a good attitude even though they are disturbing my quiet time. :)  

Making the most of today,
Steph

Wednesday's Household - Spring and clothes

A couple of weeks ago, this was how my dining room looked.  While the babies were napping, I was sorting out of totes into other totes.  Carpenter had said that we would take each of the kids clothes' shopping and I was going to be prepared and not buy a bunch of things I didn't need.

Does it sound like that happens on a regular occurence?  Yep, for me it does.  So  I sorted and sifted through the totes.  Then I made new totes.  There are two totes for each kid with one exception - my second and third sons are very similar in size, so they share, because there is only enough to fit in one tote anyway.

Spring is coming so another good reason to get out the totes was to find those shorts that I had hidden last winter.  Seems they always show up wearing the opposite of what they need.

As we sorted, they brought their clothes from their drawers down and I tossed stained and ripped clothing.  Made piles of outgrown clothes.  One tote per person was my limit.  Not going to save more than that.

As I sorted, I simply threw the clothes in the correct bin.  That helped me attain more bins for sorting into.  Finally my piles were all in totes.

Then, I emptied one tote and wrote down in notebook, the amounts of each thing - shorts, pants, dress pants, shirts, long-sleeved shirts and dress shirts. 

As I said before each child has two totes - one if for now (the littler ones also have their memory things in this tote) and the other is for the next size up.  It's for what's between them and their older sibling.  Bugaboo (dd - almost 10) has clothes from a friend who passes things down to her sometimes.  So we try to make sure that the growing-into tote doesn't get to be two or three totes.

The tote that they are growing into goes into the attic - so glad that we have one now.  And the one that they are using between seasons with their memory stuff in it, goes on the top shelf of their closet.  This way I can put something in it or grab another pair of shoes out of it, if they grow out of the ones they are wearing.

This is the first time I've been faithful to write everything down on paper.  Now, I seriously have to find that notebook and get it on the computer.  I was planning to have a piece of paper in each tote so I would know what was in it.  I didn't do that, but still can as all the totes are labeled.  Once I find the notebook, get it on the computer, then I can put those pages in the tote. 

I love organizing, but as you can see I'm horrible at it.  It's worth it though, to me, to try.  In this house, things go into disarray fast, but I'm like a turtle, slowly but surely things are changing for the better around here.  Lies tell me it's not worth it - they'll just mess it all up.  But I've found that if I consistently stick with a plan, they tend to follow.

Making the most of today,
Steph

Cooking Tuesday - a mix for Beef Stew (or Hamburger Gravy)

Lately, I have been researching how to make some things on my own instead of buying those small packets that cost a dollar.  There are quite a few reasons for this research project.

1. It's less expensive.

I'm always looking for a cheaper way of doing something, especially if it doesn't take forever.  And in this case, you make quite a bit and I use it in a lot of different things.  So it was worth it for me.  I did have to buy some spices I didn't have, but in the long run it was still a big save for me.

2. It's healthier.
Now I know what is in the seasonings I'm putting in the pot.  Everything is a spice or flour, no extra preservatives or anything.

3. Less to buy.
It's one more thing that doesn't go on my grocery list anymore.  I always would forget to buy them and then I would need them.  Now I have the spices that go into the mix and I can mix it up whenever I want.

It may seem weird to have a mix when you already have the spices.  Why not just put the spices in the stew or gravy? But I don't generally cook with a cookbook, even though I do reference them sometimes when I'm cooking.  And I can never remember if rosemary was one of the spices to go in the gravy or taco seasoning?  So I like to have a container of a mix that I can use.  I know it already has what I need to put in. 

So for my Beef Stew Mix recipe - I took a big Mayonnaise jar and put in the following spices and then shook it up to mix it all together.

• 2 cups of flour
• 4 teaspoons of oregano
• 2 Tablespoons of basil
• 4 Tablespoons each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon of cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons of rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons of celery seed.

This makes a bunch of mix that lasted me almost six months.  I keep a smaller container in my spice drawer and the rest in the pantry. 

I mostly use this for Hamburger Gravy on Wednesday mornings.  It's pretty simple and at 5:30 in the morning I'm not awake enough to remember what all goes into this. 

First I take my pre-cooked hamburger and put it in the pan with a bit of oil (water works too and is usually my choice).  I just want to get the hamburger moist, so that the seasoning will stick to it. 

I sprinkle (but most recipes call for 2 to 3 tablespoons per pound), there is no way I can get away with using that much.  It's too spicy for our household.  So be careful and add some later if you like it spicier.  We are pretty much wimps when it comes to the spicy stuff - except for Daddy.

Then I stir it into the meat.  While it's sizzling a bit, I take 1/2 cup of flour and put water just enough to make a pourable liquid and stir it together - hot water works better.  Pour it in with the meat and then I use my nylon whisk to stir it into a gravy. 

You have to really watch it, because as it starts to thicken, you'll want to add milk.  I have no idea how much because I just pour some in and then mix it in and as it thickens, I add a bit more, till it's the consistency I want. 

It will burn if you don't watch carefully, so have someone help set the table or stir while you set.  Mine burns regularly because at 5:30 in the morning there are not many people up - the one who is up is getting ready to go to work.

It's very yummy over biscuits in the morning.

Another meal I use this mix for is anything with hamburger and rice.  Sometimes in a pinch, I take hamburger ( the pre-cooked) and add some veggies and some of the mix to the water.  It makes it taste so good.

Obviously it would work great in Beef Stew - if we ever had that, which we rarely do. 

Making the most of today,
Steph

Project Monday - Bathroom closet

This was my project this weekend.  I have organized it and cleaned it before.  But didn't really use baskets, mostly I just put like things on the same shelves.  The problem with this solution is that things still get messy and you can't find stuff so you buy more - at least that's how it is in my house.

One of the things that I wanted to buy with the bit of extra we got from income tax time was some baskets or  bins or organizing supplies.  I was hoping Carpenter would agree.  But I got desperate and grabbed a bunch of shoe boxes lying around and some bins I already have and started sorting the closet.

I pulled everything out and wiped down the shelves.  Then I started filling shoe boxes with like things - face stuff - meds - vitamins - teeth (we have a plethora of things needed for teeth now that we have braces in the house) - cleaning supplies - soap - sunscreen - nails, make-up etc.   

Now there are a few things that are "loose" on the shelves, but mostly things are in their basket, which I can pull out easily to see what we have.

Next step is to find some paper and decorate the shoe boxes.  I'd also like to get some new shelf liner for the shelves.  But that is by far cheaper than buying the bins themelves.

Making the most of today,
Steph