Here’s a super easy bread recipe that has lots of raving reviews – Amish White Bread

Here’s 30 homemade bread making tips…

Homemade breads have been formulated by families for hundreds of years… now’s your chance to finally whip out your own recipe.

1. Use high quality ingredients for better flavor.

2. Whole wheat flour will need one-half cup less flour compared to white flour.

3. When making Italian bread, substitute salt with garlic salt. Add the Italian seasonings like rosemary and oregano before you begin to stir.

4. Double the recipe to make two loaves of bread; you can freeze the extra one.

5. Have fun and experiment with different ingredients.

6. Add condiments and other sweeteners to make special kinds of homemade bread.

7. When you use shortening, oils or real butter, the bread will have more flavor. (Margarine or whipped butter is not recommended because of added water content)

8. If you want the bread crust to be crisp and chewy, spray a little water on the dough during the baking process. If you want the bread crust to be soft, brush milk on the dough before baking it. You can also use butter to make a softer crust.

9. Put the flour lightly in a measuring cup using a spoon. Level off the capacity with a knife to rid of any access. The flour should not be packed in.

10. For superb accuracy, use a digital kitchen scale to weigh the flour.

11. Use bakeware pieces that are heavy in weight. Heavy pieces will help your bread bake evenly and the bakeware will last longer.

12. The quality of your homemade bread will improve if you use yeast that has improvers instead of the plain yeast.

13.  Kneading dough is an important part of the bread making process that should not be overlooked. Do it for at least ten minutes until the dough is springy.

14.  If there are bubbles of gas that are trapped inside of the dough, the bread will be light and fluffy. These bubbles come when the bread is rising. When the dough rises for the first time, allow it to double up. Only punch it down afterwards. It will double again after it has been shaped.

15.  When you bake the bread, use a pan of hot water and place it on the bottom rack. This will help the crust to take shape. You will know it is ready if the crust is hollow when you tap it.

16.  For easiest slicing, allow bread to cool for a few hours first. (Your crust will tear if you try to slice it while it’s hot.)

17.  Water is an important factor when you are making your bread. The temperature should be 98 degrees Fahrenheit. It cannot be too hot or too cold. It’s better if you use a thermometer so you will get it at the right point.

18.  When the dough has doubled in size, it is ready to cook. You will know this by pressing your finger on the dough to make a dent. If the dent does not disappear, then it’s ready to cook.

19. Dried yeast is better and easier to use when you are making bread.

20. The fresher the ingredients are, the better the bread will turn out.

21. The ingredients should be at room temperature when you use them in order to get the best results for your homemade bread.

22. If you are using more than one baking pan, keep them several inches apart from each other on the oven rack.

23. You can keep leftover dough to freeze and shape at a later time.

24. You can keep leftover dough in the freezer for about a month. When you are thawing it, put it in the refrigerator and let it sit overnight. Take it out the next day and unwrap part of it. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature.

25. For best results, place the dough that you are freezing in aluminum foil or a plastic bag.

26. Since there are no preservatives in homemade bread, the loaves should be frozen within three days and used within the next few months.

27. Bread can be reheated in an conventional oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. A whole loaf can be wrapped in aluminum foil. Or it can be unwrapped while the oven is preheating for no more than 20 minutes. Slice bread and rolls should be wrapped prior to reheating.

28. The microwave can also be used to reheat breads. It only takes about 15 – 20 seconds to reheat bread, whether wrapped or not. If it stays in past that time, your bread will be chewy and hard. Then you will not be able to eat it.

29. You can use dried herbs to give the bread a flavor. However, you should only use about a third of what you would use if they were fresh herbs.

30. Plan a bread making day at the beginning of the week to have plenty of bread to use at hand during the week.  This saves money and is a healtier option.  And don’t forget, homemade bread makes a perfect gift!

“Because Mom Makes them Better” was my youngest son’s quote this morning immediately after my middle son said that it was better than Braums.   I don’t know if I could exactly compete with Braums, but the price sure is better. (BIG GRIN)

You may be surprised that I served this for breakfast.  For a quick breakfast, I used to feed them some bananas with peanut butter smoothed over the top with a small glass of milk. Suddenly, I thought, why not make breakfast super special by serving it all mixed in a smoothie! (Great idea, mom!)

Here’s the pic, to entice you a bit…

Note: I found these three glasses at the thrift store for 49 cents each.  I swiped them up to make our smoothies a little more special.   We were praising God for a special find…because the fact is there were just three of them….which made me think immediately of my 3 sons.

Here’s the original recipe:

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

• 1 cup milk

• 1/4 cup P.B.

• 1 ripe banana

• 2 tsp. maple syrup

• 4 ice cubes

Use blender to mix till smooth & creamy.

To make enough for my boys:

I toss in 3 bananas, 3 tsp.maple syrup, 2 or 3 cups milk, 3 large hunks of P.B. with my spatula, and 8 -10 ice cubes.

Tip: About 15 – 30 minutes before making our smoothies, I toss the bananas in the freezer to get them really cold.  You can also use frozen bananas that are getting a little soft and store them up just for banana smoothies.  Just slice into frozen chunks and toss into the blender.

Yes, the peanut butter can be a little fattening, but oh, it adds such a nice thick, rich texture like a Braums treat. Big $avings!

Attending a birthday party yesterday for a young boy in our church gave me a new awakening.   After our arrival, my two youngest boys immediately headed out to play with the group of kids that were there to enjoy the birthday party at the park.

My oldest, who is turning 14 tomorrow, lingered at the edge of the sidewalk simply gazing at the children who were playing with enthusiasm on the playground.   It struck me hard for the first time that my son really is growing up fast.  I sort of missed seeing him out there playing and running around on the playground.

My oldest son has certainly been a blessing to me.  He loves to help me and still isn’t too big to give me a hug and say, “I love you, Mom”.   If my hubby and I need any “technical” support on the computer, then he is the “go to” man for help.   Above all, if he grows up serving the Lord, then I shall be one happy, content Mother!  (I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. ~ III Jn. 1:4)

We decided to celebrate my son’s 14th birthday early, and so I made a really easy recipe since it was getting late last night.  It’s name is simply, “Chocolate Oil Cake“.  I actually cut the sugar in half, and it was still very enjoyable for us, especially with the delicious chocolate fudge frosting on top.  I’ve shared the simple recipe below with the original ingredients…

Chocolate Oil Cake

1 c. buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1 TB of vinegar)

3/4 c. oil

2 eggs

2 c sugar

2 heaping tsp. soda

2 c. flour

1/2 c. cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients and beat well.  Add the vanilla last.

Bake 350 degrees about 35 min. in 9X13 pan.

Tips for Moist Cakes

I searched online to find a few suggestions for baking “moist” cakes and I thought I would share them with you.  If you have any additional tips or hints, please share them with the readers here.

- Check your cake a few minutes before time is up to prevent overbaking.

- Store your cake in an airtight container.

- One suggestion I found is to bake your cake in advance, let it cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap, store it in the freezer overnight and then take it out the next day to frost it.

- An additional suggestion I found is that you use “cake flour” if possible. (Add 2 tablespoons more of CAKE FLOUR for each cup of all-purpose flour called for in the recipe.)

I remember the really hard times we had when my husband and I were young and starting out.  Eating healthy really seemed like the bottom on our list of priorities because just scraping enough money together to put meals on our table for our 3 boys seemed like enough challenge.

I also remember dreading each and every winter because it meant facing a lot of sickness and sleepless nights with a child throwing up or whining of an earache.  I also never thought much about the deterioration of mine own health and that what we ate or didn’t eat was affecting us that much.

While it is true that fresh vegetables and eating wholesome seems to cost more, there’s the other side of the coin to consider that makes you realize how much less it really does cost.

Here’s some points to ponder on why eating healthy cost less:

1. As  you begin to eliminate some of the “fast foods”, “convenience foods” and “processed foods” out of your diet, you end up spending much less. Most of processed foods have additives and unhealthy chemicals that deteriorate your health and actually cause you to crave more junk food.   You can begin to eliminate most of this and save money as well by learning to make your own salad dressings, salsa, pancake syrup, yogurt and other condiments.

You can also make your own snacks and sweet treats which usually cost much less than the store. Plus, you’ll have more control over the amount of sugar that is used.  I was shocked to learn that most of my recipes tasted just as pleasant with less sugar. I realize now that we’ve been consuming way to much sugar in our diet.

The key here is to progress slowly. You can get quite overwhelmed trying to make a huge change over night.  Focus on a couple of new healthy recipes each month and learn to make just one more convenience item on your own.  Then, establish a routine that allows you to keep stocked up on certain items.  For instance, I make salsa every Thursday.  This way, we can use the salsa for nachos on the weekend and any leftover salsa I can use for cooking in my recipes the following week.

2. After your body becomes accustomed to eating healthier, you’ll end up eating a lot less. Once your body becomes “nutritionally satisfied”, you’ll require a lot less food to feel satisfied.  Those cravings to constantly eat will slowly vanish.  How can you not save more money by eating way less?

For example: Snacking a just a small portion of nuts satisfies hunger far longer than potato chips and nuts are better for you nutritionally.   Carrots ward off hunger far better than any candy bar can.

Keep your kids from whining about food by setting limits on when they eat and how much they eat.  Soon, they won’t be thinking about food all the time.  And if your snacks are healthy, you won’t have to keep buying tons of snacks to keep them satisfied.

Popcorn is always a real winner.  Save money by popping your own over the stove.  You’ll be surprised how easy it really is.  You’ll save lots of money eliminating the microwave bags and it’s much healthier for you without all the additives.

3.  Eating healthy means being sick less often. Less visits to the doctor equal less stress, less time wasted in the doctor’s office, less money spent on co-pay and medicine.  The healthier you and your family members are, you’ll reap more benefits that far outweigh the arguments that you can’t afford to eat healthy.

Some extra tips for eating healthy on a budget:

Watch for sales on frozen vegetables. These are healthier than canned vegetables in the long run because they retain their nutrients more, plus you’re not paying for all that extra sodium and water in the canned products.

Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. You will usually find better sales on seasonal fruits and vegetables; therefore, plan your meals according to the season and what’s available at a decent price.

Buy produce by the bag, not by the piece if available. (Example: apples, grapefruit, onions, oranges, potatoes, etc.)

Don’t put junk food in your shopping cart. Eating junk food only adds to cravings for more junk food which wastes your money on food that doesn’t provide adequate nutrition.  Make your own pudding, cookies and brownies and use less sugar.  Another benefit of not having junk food within reach is that you will more than likely evaluate how bad you really need that sweet treat before you get into the kitchen to start baking since it takes some work.

Plan a few meatless meals during the week. Cut down on the amount of meat you buy.  Most of us eat way more meat than we need to.  Vegetable soups and salads can make terrific meals without meat.   One idea is to cook meat one day and save the juices to flavor a vegetable soup the next day.   To make your salads more hearty, chop up any small leftover meat scraps to toss in with your salad.

Drink water, milk or real juice on sale instead of soft drinks: Drink milk or juice at breakfast and then drink water with the rest of your meals during the day.  Buy real juice instead of sugared drinks so that your body will be nutritionally satisfied from the vitamins in the juice.  You can still enjoy your favorite drinks at a sporting event or night out.

Buy fruits in quantity: When they are in season, buy fruits in quantity and freeze any extras. You can buy several pounds this way, and freeze extras to have them when the fruit goes out of season. Wash the fruit well, remove any spoiled pieces, dry thoroughly, and then freeze in plastic zipper bags.

Choose chicken: Meats are good sources for protein and chicken is priced fairly reasonable.  You can usually get 2 or 3 meals out of one chicken.  Chicken can be mixed with pasta for a meal.  You can also use cold chicken to create chicken salad sandwiches or simply chop some up to toss on a salad.  Use the leftover carcass to create chicken stock to add to soups.

Get creative with beans: You should use beans a substitute for meat frequently. There are several varieties and you can find tons of bean recipes online. You can prepare them in a crock pot; so when you return home, they are ready to consume. The USDA recommends eating beans at least 4 times per week. If you experience gas after eating beans, you should try washing them, covering them with water, bringing the water to a boil. Then drain off the hot water and refill the pot with fresh.

Buy locally. Sometimes you can save money by buying fruits and vegetables locally.  Honey and nuts are a couple of other items to consider buying locally.  If you live in a coastal area or an area where you can fish, make that an integral part of your diet. You can catch them from the ocean, lakes, or rivers; saving money in the process.

Buy peanut butter in bulk. Peanut butter is great for those on a budget as it’s popular with almost everyone and helps ward off hunger. You can use it for sandwiches instead of eating hot dogs. Peanut butter also makes great cookies and goes well in banana shakes, etc.  Bigger containers may need refrigeration since it can last you for weeks.

*Note: you can easily create your own peanut butter by processing peanuts in a food processor.  Check out details and instructions here by click here.

Fill up on foods with high water content. Watch for sales on watermelon which make a great family treat.  Salads and even gelatin are other examples on filling up on foods with extra water content.

Use rice and potatoes as fillers. Rice and potatoes are usually cheap and offer nutrition as well.  Once again, you can utilize the internet to find lots of new recipes for these main ingredients.

Take time to measure. I find that measuring can be sort of an “inconvenience” when you’re in a hurry, but I also realized that I can really stretch my ingredients by taking time to measure.  Figure out what least amount you can get by with on spices and seasonings and use that exact amount.

Be sure to measure items that are more costly.  I measure my frozen blueberries in the morning for my breakfast.  They’re a little costly to begin with, so I don’t want to just thoughtlessly toss them into my bowl in the mornings.  I take time to measure out a small serving and overall this saves money by being cautious about the amount I use.

Plan your menus around the sales. Some people are big on menu planning, but rather than try to plan your menu and then shop for the necessary ingredients try finding out what’s on sale at the local market and then plan your weekly menu around that.

I’ve planned for quite some time to share my homemade chicken stock recipe (I even took the photo shown here a very long while back).

Anyway, after my 12-year-old son saying how much he loved my broth at least four times tonight during supper, I felt inspired to share it with you all because I believe good chicken broth is the key to making delicious soups….and it’s so easy to do.   It literally only takes a couple of minutes to toss everything together; after that there isn’t much maintenance at all to do.

(Next week I’ll share my egg noodle recipe to make Homemade Chicken & Noodles!)

Tips:

*I use celery to munch on during the week for snacks…so no use wasting the tops!   I save all my celery tops with the leaves in a baggie or plastic container and use them for making my stock instead of a whole celery rib.

*If the carrot cooked in the stock is still fairly firm in shape, I save it to slice up in very small pieces and add it to my homemade chicken and noodles when they are finished.  You won’t need to add your carrot until your noodles are completely finished because your carrot is already cooked.  It’s also easier to slice it in very small pieces for your soup since it’s soft.

Easy Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

1 Chicken Carcass including the neck.

1 large carrot halved

2 ribs of celery halved

1 onion halved

2 bay leaves

10 peppercorns

4 whole garlic cloves

1 heaping tsp. salt (or none if you are on a salt-free diet).

*Additional items only if you prefer: toss in some thyme and parsley.

Place items in large pot.  Pour 1 gallon of water over content and bring to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, turn down to low or medium heat and let it simmer 2 – 3 hours.  *For the first hour, skim off any scum every 15 min. or so.

*The longer you cook your stock, the more concentrated it will be.  Once your stock is finished, run it through a strainer in order to pour clear broth into your container and refrigerate.  Discard the rest.

*To make bigger batches of broth in a large stock pot, save your chicken carcasses in the freezer and cook 2 – 4 carcasses  at once and increase some of your other ingredients.  Turkey carcasses also do just as great!

2 eggs beaten

3 very ripe bananas

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

————————

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

————————

1 or 2 TB ground flaxseed

1 cup of chopped walnuts

*Optional: 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

————————

Directions: In a mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs, add in small pieces of ripe bananas and beat together. Next, stir in oil and water and then beat in your sugar.  On top of mixture, toss in flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon; gently stir together and begin combining it with the liquid mixture beneath. Finally, toss in the ground flaxseed and walnuts and stir.

Pour into a greased muffin pan.  Makes one dozen.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min.

*I’ve worked this year to create this recipe for banana nut muffins that are little healthier, but still moist and enjoyable for those with a little sweet tooth. I cut back on the amount of sugar, but to make it extra special sometimes I toss in some leftover chocolate chips.  I usually use brown rice flour instead of the whole wheat flour when I have it on hand.

On “Thrifty Thursday” I thought I would address the subject of paper towel waste.  I decided that this was another area where I could save a few more pennies.  Paper towels wipe up small messes and are just tossed into the trash…hence you can just imagine hearing the little “cha-ching” going on at the paper towel manufacturers.

A few weeks ago, I decided to invest in a couple bundles of white wash cloths that were on sale.  I also bought a tall, white, round plastic trash container (the kind with the swinging lid on top) to toss in my cloths and other towels when they were dirty.  To be honest, I still keep paper towels on hand to grease a pan or to use when I want to serve some cookies but don’t want to mess with little dishes.  But overall, I feel better about being less wasteful.

I have found that keeping these white cloths nearby are really handy and just as easy to use as grabbing  a paper towel.  When my napkins for the table are gone, I plan to put some of these in my little square basket that I keep on the table.  My boys can toss them into my container when the poor little white cloths are done being abused from wiping dirty hands and faces.

P.S. ~ Here’s a little video on this very subject that I saw just today…

For “Thrifty Thursday” I thought I would offer you some ideas to create some quick and easy breakfast meals.

With cereal costing  mega bucks per pound, I think it’s time we ban the cereal isle and make our own breakfast! (And please feel free to share some of your own ideas with the readers here.)

Breakfast is a very important meal.  Studies have shown that children who eat a balanced breakfast are more alert in school, perform better and in many cases are less prone to bad behavior than children who skip breakfast.

Here are some quick and easy breakfast ideas for kids:

Eggs – Eggs are versatile and nutritious, plus most kids like them. Scrambled eggs are quick to make;  you can add a little chopped turkey ham, cheese, chopped tomatoes or mushrooms.  Simple boiled eggs with slices of toast will make an excellent breakfast too.

Bake Ahead Muffins – Muffins aren’t always the most nutritious meal, but if you bake your own muffins you can use mashed banana, chopped walnuts and a little honey for a naturally sweet breakfast muffin.

*You can also replace half of the amount of white flour for healthier whole wheat flour.  And you don’t have to stick to just sweet muffins; try a savory turkey bacon and chive muffin or cheese and turkey ham muffin. Bake them the night before for a quick and healthy breakfast.

Fruit – Try a fresh fruit salad with a yogurt and cheerio dip. Using a rolling pin, mash a handful or two of whole grain Cheerios in a plastic bag and transfer to a bowl. Fill another bowl with yogurt and let your kids dip the fruit pieces in yogurt then in the cheerio mixture. Whole grain Cheerios have a lower sugar content then many of the cereals on the supermarket shelves.

Pancakes – Prepare a basic pancake batter the night before, cover and refrigerate in the morning. In the morning all you need to do is heat the grill and your entire family can enjoy delicious homemade pancakes. Serve with a little maple syrup or jam and some fresh fruit on the side.  *Peanut butter can also be spread on pancakes for a different flavor.

Pizza for Breakfast – Split a couple of bagels in half, top with a little pizza sauce, grated cheese and some chopped turkey ham. Place under the grill for a few minutes and you have a nutritious breakfast pizza. You can also use English muffins or pita bread.

Breakfast Burrito – Wraps are a great alternative to toast and cereal. You can make a scrambled egg breakfast wrap with a little bit of  turkey ham or cheese added to it or you can add a little cream cheese and turkey or even make a breakfast pizza burrito.

Oatmeal -  You can use your crock pot to make delicious oatmeal that will be ready in the morning.  I also found a nifty recipe earlier this week for “Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal” that I intend to try really soon.  (It looks yummy!)

Remember breakfast doesn’t always have to consist of the traditional toast, cereal and eggs.  You can experiment a little to keep things interesting.

As a final note, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to always make the perfect family breakfast. If your kids really aren’t hungry at breakfast time a simple banana (or peanut butter spread on a banana) and a glass of orange juice will give them an instant boost.

At a local store here in my small town, I pick up bananas at a big discount on Tuesdays.  On Wednesday nights after church we like to have some sort of snack or treat.  So, many times I whip up a quick batch of banana pudding and stick it in the fridge to have ready when we come home.

I found a video online that shows how to make homemade banana pudding and their recipe looks pretty easy. (The actual version I use without eggs is down below underneath the video.)  I usually forgo the cookies to cut back on sugar…and no complaints from the boys…they still look forward to it!

One additional note: I usually add a little nutmeg for extra flavor.  Nutmeg has some health benefits (click here), including effectiveness in killing a number of cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth.

Ingredients:

* Water
* 2 c. skim milk
* ⅓ c. sugar
* 3 tbsp. cornstarch
* 3 large egg yolks
* Pinch of salt
* 4 medium-ripe bananas
* 12 shortbread or vanilla-flavored cookies, crumbled
* Whipped cream

*For an easy homemade pudding without eggs, I use this “vanilla pudding recipe” (adding a little nutmeg), let it cool for 30 minutes in the fridge, then I mix in about half a tub of 8 oz. whip cream, add in my sliced bananas, and the put in the fridge for a couple of hours.

With this method, I have an easy “one scoop & serve” dessert.   You can sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top to spiff it up if you wish.  For best results, mix in the dry ingredients with the milk before heating and constantly stir over heat until thickening begins to prevent lumps.  Turn off heat immediately to prevent scorching.

Last Friday evening we had a ladies’ fellowship at our church.  My friend, Kristina, brought a spinach dip that was sooooo good that all the ladies were fighting for more. (I think my pastor’s wife tried to secretly confiscate it under her sweater to sneak it home. *Wink* )  Anyway, my friend was kind enough to send me the recipe…it’s the recipe from the Knorr vegetable soup mix. (Find it in the isle where you find dry soup mixes.) Very easy to make!

Spinach Dip with Knorr’s Veggie Soup Mix

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed (do not use fresh)
16 oz sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
1 (4 oz.) pkg. Knorr vegetable soup mix
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped

Squeeze spinach until dry. In medium bowl, stir together spinach, sour cream and soup mix. Add finely chopped water chestnuts and green onions. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.