So, blogging friends, I'm embarking on a new homemaking, home-made adventure: making liquid soap! I've been wanting to do this for a while, ever since I happened on this recipe. My mom gave me a couple bars of nice Yardley's soap for my birthday, and I bought a $7, six-ounce bottle of glycerin at the drugstore the other today, and today I decided to go for it! I also referred to this post , and I read somewhere else (forgot to bookmark that one) that including isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol added antibacterial qualities, so I mixed in that too. Here's the final recipe that I used:
10 1/2 cups water
1 cup grated soap flakes
1 tablespoon glycerin
2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
I sanitized my grater, measuring spoons, cutting board, whisk, and glass measuring cup with boiling water. Set the 10+ cups of water to boil while I grated the soap. (If I do this again, I'll use a food processor--it was tiring and I think I breathed in some soap dust.) The soap melted almost instantly, and the mixture foamed a bit when I poured in the alcohol. The fumes were a bit strong, but now the entire apartment smells nicely of lavender soap! I'm going to let the mixture cool in the pot until it reaches the consistency I want. If it turns out too runny or too "snotty" (that's a word a lot of commenters on both those posts used to describe their soap), I'm going to try whisking it or using a hand beater to incorporate air. We'll see if that works.
If it's too thick (which I doubt will happen) I'll probably heat it up again and add some more water.
A lot of people were complaining that the soap didn't lather. Plenty of others explained that lather doesn't equal cleaning. I know it's soap, and I know it'll do the job whether it lathers or not!
Others were concerned about bacteria growing in the soap if purified water wasn't used to make it. I'm not worried about that, for these reasons: I boiled my water, for several minutes, before I added the soap, and boiled it some more after the soap flakes were mixed in. I sanitized all my utensils, and I'm going to sanitize my storage containers before I put the finished soap in them. Also, again-- it's soap. It already contains ingredients that kill germs. Plus, that's why I added the rubbing alcohol. If the boiling didn't already kill off any bacteria, the alcohol will!
Finally, if this experiment turns out to be a complete flop, I'm not going to fuss. The soap didn't cost me anything since it was a gift, and I wrapped the leftover bits in a piece of cotton fabric and tightly rubber-banded it shut, and I plan to use that in the shower. And I still have most of a bottle of glycerin, which I can use as a skin moisturizer mixed with water. So even if I decide that I can't use my homemade liquid soap, it's still not a loss--and maybe I'll try again with a different technique!
In the meantime, I'm baking bread (a combination of white and whole wheat flours), and I finally figured out how to get the loaves to rise properly and avoid having the dough stick to the towel covering it. Cover the dough first with a well-greased piece of plastic wrap, and then put the wet towel over that. Also, the second and third risings were on top of the warming-up oven, not in it, so that I wouldn't collapse the dough by taking it out of a very warm oven into a less-warm kitchen.
I'm so proud of myself. And feeling so very domestic. :)
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Blogging, Bragging and Baking: Why God is Amazing
God has been working in some pretty cool ways this week. As always, he gives us so much to be thankful for, but this week he reminded us how awesome he really is!
A young married lady, E, started reading my blog several months ago because she saw a comment I made on a blog that I visit on occasion. A few months later, she started going to my parents' church and met my mom and dad. Recently, my mom had this lady and another young married lady over for tea. My mom was telling them about my blog, which is when E realized that she read it already. This past Tuesday, E and I commented on each other's blogs, which was when I figured out she was from near my hometown. Long story short...we have an insane amount of things in common, and we spent two and a half hours facebook chatting and getting to know each other.
Yeah, told you God is awesome. :) E and I are hoping to meet in person when Joshua and I visit my parents over Christmas break. It is a very small Lutheran world! I'm excited to see what plans God has for this budding friendship...because he obviously orchestrated its beginning!
My husband is awesome, and other people are well aware of this fact, too! Very good things are happening with his job. We are blessed, and I'm so proud of him I could bust. God is amazing; that's all there is to it.
I got to take a nap this morning (which is why this post is two hours late...oh well). But I woke up to cloudy skies and the gentle rolling of a little thunder...I sure hope we get more rain!! It sprinkled a little bit!
We had dinner with some new-ish friends last night at their home. It was sooo yummy. Also, I made dessert, which you should all try... chocolate chip cookie dough in the bottom of a paper-lined muffin tin, a mini Reese's cup on that, and then brownie batter on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Oh my goodness, SO delicious. And if you wanted to make it really easy you could buy store-bought cookie dough and use a good brownie mix...but I didn't feel like doing that so I made a quarter batch of cookie dough (had some left over) and half a batch of brownie batter (which was exactly enough). YUM.
I'm thankful this week, also, for new blogging friends, and bloggers I'm getting to know better. Blogging is a big world, and yet we still manage to find people like us--for me, that means a heart crazy in love with Jesus, almost as crazy in love with my husband, and with a passion for homemaking. It has been so encouraging to find others who are doing and loving the same things I am, and who have been able to encourage me in my faith and in life.
This is a ridiculously long Thankful Thursday post...I apologize. But what's a girl to do when her Jesus is so wonderful? :) :)
Linking up with some other thankful (and thriving :) ) ladies this week:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; Passionate and Creative Homemaking; Live Called; a punk, a pumpkin and a peanut; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life
A young married lady, E, started reading my blog several months ago because she saw a comment I made on a blog that I visit on occasion. A few months later, she started going to my parents' church and met my mom and dad. Recently, my mom had this lady and another young married lady over for tea. My mom was telling them about my blog, which is when E realized that she read it already. This past Tuesday, E and I commented on each other's blogs, which was when I figured out she was from near my hometown. Long story short...we have an insane amount of things in common, and we spent two and a half hours facebook chatting and getting to know each other.
Yeah, told you God is awesome. :) E and I are hoping to meet in person when Joshua and I visit my parents over Christmas break. It is a very small Lutheran world! I'm excited to see what plans God has for this budding friendship...because he obviously orchestrated its beginning!
My husband is awesome, and other people are well aware of this fact, too! Very good things are happening with his job. We are blessed, and I'm so proud of him I could bust. God is amazing; that's all there is to it.
I got to take a nap this morning (which is why this post is two hours late...oh well). But I woke up to cloudy skies and the gentle rolling of a little thunder...I sure hope we get more rain!! It sprinkled a little bit!
We had dinner with some new-ish friends last night at their home. It was sooo yummy. Also, I made dessert, which you should all try... chocolate chip cookie dough in the bottom of a paper-lined muffin tin, a mini Reese's cup on that, and then brownie batter on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Oh my goodness, SO delicious. And if you wanted to make it really easy you could buy store-bought cookie dough and use a good brownie mix...but I didn't feel like doing that so I made a quarter batch of cookie dough (had some left over) and half a batch of brownie batter (which was exactly enough). YUM.
I'm thankful this week, also, for new blogging friends, and bloggers I'm getting to know better. Blogging is a big world, and yet we still manage to find people like us--for me, that means a heart crazy in love with Jesus, almost as crazy in love with my husband, and with a passion for homemaking. It has been so encouraging to find others who are doing and loving the same things I am, and who have been able to encourage me in my faith and in life.
This is a ridiculously long Thankful Thursday post...I apologize. But what's a girl to do when her Jesus is so wonderful? :) :)
Linking up with some other thankful (and thriving :) ) ladies this week:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; Passionate and Creative Homemaking; Live Called; a punk, a pumpkin and a peanut; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Our Love Story {Part Two}
In this series: Part 1
Back to August 23, 2009, Monday: Day 1 of college classes.
Joshua figured out my name in geography class that morning. That night was the first weekly swing dance in the campus center. (Yes, we're a conservative Christian university. Yes, we like to dance!) I think I mentioned something to Joshua in class that morning about planning to go to the swing dancing to learn how, and I probably said something about hoping that he would go, too. He later told me that he wasn't going to, but his roommate Tyler encouraged him to go anyway.
My parents had learned how to swing dance a couple years before this, so I thought I might have an idea of what I was doing, but we learned country swing dance which wasn't what my parents knew! The leader, David, had us line up in two rows facing each other: guys on one side, girls on the other. I darted around in order to get across from Joshua. (Again! An incorrigible flirt!) Anyway, swing dancing involves holding both your partner's hands the whole time--a fair bit of physical contact. I had a blast, partly from the fun of dancing but mostly because I was developing a serious crush on Joshua by that point!
I remember going back to my room and telling my roommate Courtney, "Guess what?!? I just got to hold Josh's hands for two hours!" She had a boyfriend back home, so she was excited for me.
Those first two weeks of school nearly every email I wrote to my mom had something in it about Joshua. He and I had class together three days a week, and we started hanging out, but with my roommate. I remember one night we watched The Little Rascals in Courtney's and my room. She and I each had a chair, but there wasn't one for Joshua, so I piled up blankets and pillows on the floor and sat between them. We had a bag of popcorn and I kept intentionally brushing my hand against Joshua's when we were eating the popcorn.
It was Sunday, September 6 when Joshua and I were chatting on facebook (I found him and added him as a friend shortly after we met), and he asked if I wanted to come watch a movie in the lounge of his dorm that night. Courtney was invited, too. We discussed what movie we wanted to watch, and I suggested South Pacific, one of my favorites. Was it a chick flick? Joshua wanted to know. Kind of, I said--it's a musical. But it takes place during World War II, so there's fighting and stuff. He said that was okay, so I said I'd bring it over later. Little did I know just how much significance that movie choice would have!
...to be continued!...
Coming soon: My husband is going to guest post on my blog!!!! He actually volunteered to do a guest post when he found out I was doing this little series on our love story. He is that awesome. He is also so awesome that he did the dishes while I was at work tonight AND mixed up chocolate chip cookie dough, so we are currently eating fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies!
Get excited for his guest post!!
Back to August 23, 2009, Monday: Day 1 of college classes.
Joshua figured out my name in geography class that morning. That night was the first weekly swing dance in the campus center. (Yes, we're a conservative Christian university. Yes, we like to dance!) I think I mentioned something to Joshua in class that morning about planning to go to the swing dancing to learn how, and I probably said something about hoping that he would go, too. He later told me that he wasn't going to, but his roommate Tyler encouraged him to go anyway.
My parents had learned how to swing dance a couple years before this, so I thought I might have an idea of what I was doing, but we learned country swing dance which wasn't what my parents knew! The leader, David, had us line up in two rows facing each other: guys on one side, girls on the other. I darted around in order to get across from Joshua. (Again! An incorrigible flirt!) Anyway, swing dancing involves holding both your partner's hands the whole time--a fair bit of physical contact. I had a blast, partly from the fun of dancing but mostly because I was developing a serious crush on Joshua by that point!
I remember going back to my room and telling my roommate Courtney, "Guess what?!? I just got to hold Josh's hands for two hours!" She had a boyfriend back home, so she was excited for me.
Those first two weeks of school nearly every email I wrote to my mom had something in it about Joshua. He and I had class together three days a week, and we started hanging out, but with my roommate. I remember one night we watched The Little Rascals in Courtney's and my room. She and I each had a chair, but there wasn't one for Joshua, so I piled up blankets and pillows on the floor and sat between them. We had a bag of popcorn and I kept intentionally brushing my hand against Joshua's when we were eating the popcorn.
It was Sunday, September 6 when Joshua and I were chatting on facebook (I found him and added him as a friend shortly after we met), and he asked if I wanted to come watch a movie in the lounge of his dorm that night. Courtney was invited, too. We discussed what movie we wanted to watch, and I suggested South Pacific, one of my favorites. Was it a chick flick? Joshua wanted to know. Kind of, I said--it's a musical. But it takes place during World War II, so there's fighting and stuff. He said that was okay, so I said I'd bring it over later. Little did I know just how much significance that movie choice would have!
...to be continued!...
Coming soon: My husband is going to guest post on my blog!!!! He actually volunteered to do a guest post when he found out I was doing this little series on our love story. He is that awesome. He is also so awesome that he did the dishes while I was at work tonight AND mixed up chocolate chip cookie dough, so we are currently eating fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies!
Get excited for his guest post!!
Monday, January 16, 2012
The Gift of Community
If I lived all alone, had no friends or family, and spoke to no more people than were necessary each day, God would still bless me incredibly. He would give me a home, food, a way to support myself, and most importantly his Word and forgiveness and eternal life.
However, my life is SO much more full and complete with friends, family and spouse! Besides being a blessing to me, having interactions with many people over the course of the day gives me opportunities to be a blessing to others. God works through me to accomplish his purpose in the lives of many people besides me.
Today's Joy Dare (well, yesterday's actually) has to do with the blessings of interacting with other people:
"One thing you wore, one thing you gave away, one thing you shared."
I wore (am still wearing, in fact) a real pearl necklace that I got while I was in Hong Kong my freshman year of high school. I haven't worn it in a while, and having it on brings back memories of the day I bought it, the people I was with, the other experiences I had that day, and the things God taught me on that trip.
I gave away time and energy at work, to help feed a LOT of college students (technically I got paid for that, but I think it counts!) and I gave time and energy at home to get the kitchen clean, food made, and bread baked for my husband and me.
I shared hugs. Quite a few at church! I thrive on hugs, and I have several friends who appreciate hugs as much as I do. Giving and receiving hugs is comforting, reassuring, and joy-filling.
I appreciate being by myself as much as the next person--sometimes even as much as an introvert, even though I most certainly am extroverted! However, I LOVE my family and friends, and I am so thankful that they are a huge part of my life.
However, my life is SO much more full and complete with friends, family and spouse! Besides being a blessing to me, having interactions with many people over the course of the day gives me opportunities to be a blessing to others. God works through me to accomplish his purpose in the lives of many people besides me.
Today's Joy Dare (well, yesterday's actually) has to do with the blessings of interacting with other people:
"One thing you wore, one thing you gave away, one thing you shared."
I wore (am still wearing, in fact) a real pearl necklace that I got while I was in Hong Kong my freshman year of high school. I haven't worn it in a while, and having it on brings back memories of the day I bought it, the people I was with, the other experiences I had that day, and the things God taught me on that trip.
I gave away time and energy at work, to help feed a LOT of college students (technically I got paid for that, but I think it counts!) and I gave time and energy at home to get the kitchen clean, food made, and bread baked for my husband and me.
I shared hugs. Quite a few at church! I thrive on hugs, and I have several friends who appreciate hugs as much as I do. Giving and receiving hugs is comforting, reassuring, and joy-filling.
I appreciate being by myself as much as the next person--sometimes even as much as an introvert, even though I most certainly am extroverted! However, I LOVE my family and friends, and I am so thankful that they are a huge part of my life.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
comforts of home
As I write there is oatmeal bread in the oven, just about done, and vegetable-beef soup on the stove (I didn't realize how long of a project that is, but oh it's going to be worth it!). Joshua and I have been lounging in pajama pants and t-shirts since we got home from church. It's been a wonderful, relaxing, couple-bonding day. And I got to do some cleaning and cooking, so I'm pretty happy. :)
It's amazing how my emotions rise and fall, how days and weeks can have such a combination of bad and good. Whoever first compared life to a roller coaster sure had it right.
That's just how it is here on earth, I suppose. The good parts more than make up for the bad. God is gracious, even though we're living in a world of sin. He lets us experience little glimpses of his glory, his goodness, and the perfection that he is preparing for us in heaven. So many good gifts fill every single day, more than I can count, and far more than I ever thank God properly for. And yet he keeps them coming.
This marriage-thing is wonderful: on the days when I'm sad or upset or frustrated, Joshua is there to help ease them. On the days when I'm being a snotty little brat (because I sure can be!), he is there to put me in my place and help make me aware of my sinfulness. And on the days when I'm happy, content, and joyful, he shares in those things and makes them all the more sweet.
Today I'm reveling in these comforts:
comfy clothes
comfort food
a warm home
a calm, relaxed mind
the gentle presence of my husband
the peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit.
It's a good day today.
It's amazing how my emotions rise and fall, how days and weeks can have such a combination of bad and good. Whoever first compared life to a roller coaster sure had it right.
That's just how it is here on earth, I suppose. The good parts more than make up for the bad. God is gracious, even though we're living in a world of sin. He lets us experience little glimpses of his glory, his goodness, and the perfection that he is preparing for us in heaven. So many good gifts fill every single day, more than I can count, and far more than I ever thank God properly for. And yet he keeps them coming.
This marriage-thing is wonderful: on the days when I'm sad or upset or frustrated, Joshua is there to help ease them. On the days when I'm being a snotty little brat (because I sure can be!), he is there to put me in my place and help make me aware of my sinfulness. And on the days when I'm happy, content, and joyful, he shares in those things and makes them all the more sweet.
Today I'm reveling in these comforts:
comfy clothes
comfort food
a warm home
a calm, relaxed mind
the gentle presence of my husband
the peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit.
It's a good day today.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Thankful Thursday: bread and friendship and other happy things.
Yesterday I got home with Joshua at about 1:00, and other than an hour of work at the library I was home the whole afternoon and evening. So I made bread: Italian flatbread (for which I will post the recipe) for supper, and two loaves of white bread because we needed bread. I bought bread flour the other day, hoping it would make my bread lighter, softer and less crumbly. In the white bread I used half bread flour and half all-purpose, and oh. my. goodness. It turned out absolutely perfect. It's easy to cut, it doesn't fall apart, it's light and soft, and it rose so high! Plus it tastes fantastic. :) I can hardly wait to try whole wheat bread with the bread flour (which will end up being about 1/3 whole wheat, 1/3 all-purpose, 1/3 bread flour). I know this might not seem very exciting, but I've been making bread for five months now and it FINALLY turned out the way I've really wanted it to. I'm hoping to find a place to buy gluten to add to all-purpose flour (which is basically what bread flour is); I just need to see if it's cost-effective.
Anyway, so that's #1 for Thankful Thursday: beautiful bread!
#2: The fantastic supper we had last night: the flatbread, cheese that my mom sent in a care package this week, and roasted asparagus. Soooo good. I love fresh, simple, wholesome food!
#3: I am so thankful, as always, for our wonderful friends. We spent the evening with Ruth and Joe again last night. I know, we're with them all the time, but they are such blessings, and we just love being with them! You know those friends who love you for exactly who you are but encourage you to keep growing into the person God made you to be? And they always make you laugh? And they appreciate your cooking? And they're supportive and generous and kind? Yeah, Ruth and Joe are two of those friends. :) And they're just two of quite a few amazing people in our lives.
#4: It is SO great to have a car again!! I feel like I've regained independence and adulthood, in some ways. Amazing what having a car can do for the self-esteem.
#5: Coffee. From our own coffeemaker. Which we just used for the first time yesterday after five months of marriage. I can't believe I put it off this long. Thank you, Eva!! It's even programmable, so it started brewing while I was making french toast this morning (one of Joshua's favorite breakfasts). Bliss.
#6: My incredible husband. I love him more every day. Can't praise him enough. He is the best thing that ever happened to me!!
Anyway, so that's #1 for Thankful Thursday: beautiful bread!
#2: The fantastic supper we had last night: the flatbread, cheese that my mom sent in a care package this week, and roasted asparagus. Soooo good. I love fresh, simple, wholesome food!
#3: I am so thankful, as always, for our wonderful friends. We spent the evening with Ruth and Joe again last night. I know, we're with them all the time, but they are such blessings, and we just love being with them! You know those friends who love you for exactly who you are but encourage you to keep growing into the person God made you to be? And they always make you laugh? And they appreciate your cooking? And they're supportive and generous and kind? Yeah, Ruth and Joe are two of those friends. :) And they're just two of quite a few amazing people in our lives.
#4: It is SO great to have a car again!! I feel like I've regained independence and adulthood, in some ways. Amazing what having a car can do for the self-esteem.
#5: Coffee. From our own coffeemaker. Which we just used for the first time yesterday after five months of marriage. I can't believe I put it off this long. Thank you, Eva!! It's even programmable, so it started brewing while I was making french toast this morning (one of Joshua's favorite breakfasts). Bliss.
#6: My incredible husband. I love him more every day. Can't praise him enough. He is the best thing that ever happened to me!!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Life isn't perfect, but it sure is good. (Also, my hubby is a good baker!)
So my husband has been wonderfully "domestic" lately. I put that in quotes because he's not really domestic, he's just been doing some domestic activities. Mostly baking and doing some of the dishes that I never seem to find time to do. But seriously, in the last four days he has made:
bread
no-bake cookies (his specialty :) )
homemade chocolate chip cookies.
They all turned out fabulously. Last week I had him make no-knead whole-wheat bread. It was in the More-With-Less cookbook, and I figured, hey, no-knead! Easy, right? Have the hubby make it. The bread turned out tasty, but very, very dense. Read: cutting it gave me writer's cramp. Or I guess bread-cutter's-cramp. Anyway, this week I had him do white bread instead, which turned out really good. And the cookies were all fantastic.
But tonight we made banana bread. It was fun, working together. But then we were watching Smallville, and I left the bread cooling in the pans too long.
It fell apart as I tried to ease it out of the pans. :(
I nearly cried. Especially because I was going to give a loaf away, but it's not very pretty anymore. It does smell good, however, and I know it will taste great! (I haven't had any yet because I just had two fabulous chocolate chip cookies and a mug of vanilla tea!)
That's how life goes. It's never perfect. It might look really, really messy sometimes. And often I goof up so much I just want to cry. But that's ok, because I'm human. I'll never be perfect, no matter how much I try or how good my intentions are. Things will definitely not always go the way I want them to.
I know, though, that life is and will always be good. I will always have more blessings than I can count. I will always live forgiven and loved by God. And sometimes, life will even be great. :)
bread
no-bake cookies (his specialty :) )
homemade chocolate chip cookies.
They all turned out fabulously. Last week I had him make no-knead whole-wheat bread. It was in the More-With-Less cookbook, and I figured, hey, no-knead! Easy, right? Have the hubby make it. The bread turned out tasty, but very, very dense. Read: cutting it gave me writer's cramp. Or I guess bread-cutter's-cramp. Anyway, this week I had him do white bread instead, which turned out really good. And the cookies were all fantastic.
But tonight we made banana bread. It was fun, working together. But then we were watching Smallville, and I left the bread cooling in the pans too long.
It fell apart as I tried to ease it out of the pans. :(
I nearly cried. Especially because I was going to give a loaf away, but it's not very pretty anymore. It does smell good, however, and I know it will taste great! (I haven't had any yet because I just had two fabulous chocolate chip cookies and a mug of vanilla tea!)
That's how life goes. It's never perfect. It might look really, really messy sometimes. And often I goof up so much I just want to cry. But that's ok, because I'm human. I'll never be perfect, no matter how much I try or how good my intentions are. Things will definitely not always go the way I want them to.
I know, though, that life is and will always be good. I will always have more blessings than I can count. I will always live forgiven and loved by God. And sometimes, life will even be great. :)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Feeding My Family
I really enjoy cooking (I think that's become pretty evident lately!). The women in my family are all good cooks, and I've learned a lot from them over the years. I've also developed an attitude of "don't knock it till you try it" with most foods (I'm not interested in eating oysters or most shellfish), and I'm fairly fearless when it comes to trying out new recipes. So far no major disasters have occurred, other than using WAY too many chili flakes in a batch of chili; it turned out very spicy!
Like my mother does, I try to make the tastiest, most nourishing food possible with as few and as inexpensive ingredients as possible. This is good stewardship: making the most out of the blessings God has given us. I spend as little money as possible in the grocery store, and then I make the food I buy go as far as it can.
More-With-Less. My mom's old copy of this is coverless and literally falling apart from being used so much. This cookbook was developed by some people in the Mennonite community who wanted to share their knowledge and recipes for using as few resources as possible to make as inexpensive and nutritious food as possible. The small print on the cover says, "Recipes and suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources." Again, it's all about stewardship!
It's also about taking care of my family's health while also being as kind as possible to our pocketbook. As a wife and homemaker, I feel that this is one of my big jobs. It's also a privilege and a huge responsibility: I determine what we eat, which affects how healthy we are, which affects how we feel and how well we can work, which affects how much we earn, which affects how much food we can buy, which determines what we eat...You see? I may not be the primary breadwinner, but I have a great impact on my (little) family's earnings just the same. Wives, mothers and homemakers have been given this responsibility for centuries. And now I am one of them.
Granola is one simple way to eat well and healthfully while saving money. I haven't done the math or figured out the exact nutritional value, so this is just my opinion, but homemade granola is inexpensive, very good for you, and tastes fantastic. It's also really easy to make. And it makes a good food for toddlers who are learning to chew, because if you make it soft instead of crunchy, babies can gum it pretty well. Since the picture of the recipe is a little blurry, I'll type it below. You can also click on the picture to see a bigger version.
Simple Granola
Makes 2 1/2- 3 qts.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Combine in large mixing bowl:
2 c. whole wheat flour
6 c. rolled oats (NOT quick oats)
1 c. coconut
1 c. wheat germ
Blend together separately:
1/2 c. water
1 c. oil
1 c. honey or corn syrup (I used honey plus some pancake syrup because I didn't have enough honey or any corn syrup; you just want the sticky sugar)
2 t. vanilla
1 T. salt
Add blended liquids to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Spread out on 2 greased cookie sheets and bake 1 hour, or until dry and golden. Store in covered containers (I used the empty oats container).
This is much more filling than commercial cereals, so you don't have to eat nearly as much to feel full. It's also delicious dry as a quick, filling snack. And you could mix in nuts, dried fruit, or anything else you might like.
Baked, golden and delicious. I ate several handfuls straight from the pan as it was cooling!
You can stir it while it bakes to break up big chunks, or just break them up when it's done.
Yum. :)
Monday, June 27, 2011
Making things and making a home
A friend gave me some plant slips to transplant. I have them in water to start the roots coming until I can get some potting soil and a couple small pots. I love growing things!
The same friend gave me mulberries off her tree. I took a cue from her and made muffins. They turned out WONDERFUL. (Thank you Lisa!) Also in this picture is my butter dish that I really like, my Betty Crocker cookbook that I couldn't do without, the sweet glass cutting board from Et Cetera (with Bible verses on it, no less!), ground beef defrosting about four hours before I needed it, for once (meatballs), and on the far left in the corner are three pretty dishcloths that Lisa crocheted for me.
I've always been awed by yeast. Tiny little organisms, that given the right conditions grow and grow until they puff up a loaf of bread. Jesus knew what he was doing when he used yeast as a parable illustration!
Oatmeal bread in progress! My mom often made it when I was younger.
I love kneading.
I made oatmeal cookies for the first time the other day. They turned out REALLY GOOD if I do say so myself (and my husband agreed :) ).
We had friends over from our church (the one Hubby's dad is pastor at) to go see Cars 2 and then play games and consume the above-pictured cookies. I love having people over, feeding them, entertaining them, and just visiting with them.
The same friend gave me mulberries off her tree. I took a cue from her and made muffins. They turned out WONDERFUL. (Thank you Lisa!) Also in this picture is my butter dish that I really like, my Betty Crocker cookbook that I couldn't do without, the sweet glass cutting board from Et Cetera (with Bible verses on it, no less!), ground beef defrosting about four hours before I needed it, for once (meatballs), and on the far left in the corner are three pretty dishcloths that Lisa crocheted for me.
I've always been awed by yeast. Tiny little organisms, that given the right conditions grow and grow until they puff up a loaf of bread. Jesus knew what he was doing when he used yeast as a parable illustration!
Ah, there's the muffins again. Closeup this time.
Oatmeal bread in progress! My mom often made it when I was younger.
I love kneading.
I also love my hand-embroidered floursack towels. I think that one is from Mrs. Ford.
I made oatmeal cookies for the first time the other day. They turned out REALLY GOOD if I do say so myself (and my husband agreed :) ).
We had friends over from our church (the one Hubby's dad is pastor at) to go see Cars 2 and then play games and consume the above-pictured cookies. I love having people over, feeding them, entertaining them, and just visiting with them.
So, some more of my cooking and homemaking projects as of late!! I'm really loving this life. We're so very blessed!!!
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