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SPINACH TORTILLAS
2 cups water
4 cups loose, fresh spinach
6 cups wheat flour
1/2 cup butter, softened (can substitute coconut oil)
2 tsp. salt
Note: If you leave out the spinach, these are just regular tortillas.
Place water and spinach in blender and blend until spinach has been liquefied. Place water mixture with all other ingredients in your Bosch mixing bowl and begin to knead. At this point, add more flour if needed until dough cleans sides of bowl. Add as little flour as possible so dough stays as moist as possible. Knead for 8 minutes on Speed 2. (If you don't have a Bosch, you can use a Kitchenaid mixer or just mix dough in a bowl, then knead by hand.) Let dough rest while you heat your griddle or Villaware Tortilla Press*. Break off lime-sized pieces of dough. Roll out into very thin circles and place on hot griddle for about 30-60 seconds per side.
Notes: We call these Shrek Tortillas. (We don't even own that movie, but the kids know who he is. I don't know if this actually makes it more fun for the kids, or if they have figured out that when mommy says "Shrek" that just means "spinach" in mommy language.) Eat them while they're HOT and you'll be in homemade tortilla heaven! You can also freeze them for later use by cooling completely and placing in a ziplock bag. I buy the large bag of baby spinach from Costco. You can also experiment with the flour by using half wheat, half spelt, or another combination of flours.
*I use the Villaware Tortilla Press, which I have really enjoyed having. It presses out the dough and cooks it at the same time. However, it does make the tortillas quite thick.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Fruit leather
I LOVE my Excalibur dehydrator. I use it frequently for yogurt making and have also used it to dry pears, peaches, and even bucket lids we were washing & drying for our wheat storage. I've even heard of people using it to dry boots (but...yuck...I'm kind of a germ freak...)
Today my Super-Husband found a smokin' deal on strawberries. I've never seen them cheaper than .99/lb so we picked up 20 pounds. I froze two cookie sheets full (later to be used for smoothies), saved 3 pounds for eating for breakfast, and made fruit leather with the rest.
I have a really easy recipe for the fruit leather. The thing is, you can stretch out your fruit with apple or pear sauce so you don't have to have only one fruit in the leather. Neat, right? But, don't worry--you can also just use one fruit and I'm sure that would be very tasty, too. It's a forgiving recipe because if it's too watery, it just takes longer to dehydrate. No biggie.
FRUIT LEATHER
4 cups applesauce
2 cups strawberries (or other fruit)
3/4 cups water
Put all ingredients in blender and blend thoroughly. Pour into dehydrator trays so it's about 1/8" to 1/4" thick. You need to have the mats they sell for your dehydrator that are meant for liquid items, or you can line your trays with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Set at 115 degrees and dry for 8-10 hours. Drying it at a temperature below 116 degrees will preserve the enzymes which are super healthy.
You can add sugar to sweeten these up, but why? If you must, consider an alternative sweetener like agave, stevia, raw sugar, or fruit juice. Refined sugars are bad, bad, bad. (I use white sugar sometimes, but only when we're making a treat. I'd like to wean us from that.)
Mine are in the dehydrator right now. I made some with plastic, some with parchment paper. I also made some with just straight strawberries. I'll let you know how they turn out in the morning!
Also see www.simplylivingsmart.com or www.greensmoothiegirl.com for more inspirational food ideas!
NEXT DAY UPDATE: I just looked at my fruit leather and discovered some things that need improving. First, if you are using an alternative to the mats that come with your dehydrator, use plastic wrap but avoid parchment paper. Perhaps wax paper would work, but trust me, parchment paper does not.
Second, I would go for at least 1/4" thickness. I was leaning towards 1/8" but mine got paper thin. It still tastes great but it is VERY thin. It's pretty much strawberry paper.
Third, the applesauce trick worked great! It took on the strawberry taste and stretched the strawberries much further.
Overall, it was a success!
Today my Super-Husband found a smokin' deal on strawberries. I've never seen them cheaper than .99/lb so we picked up 20 pounds. I froze two cookie sheets full (later to be used for smoothies), saved 3 pounds for eating for breakfast, and made fruit leather with the rest.
I have a really easy recipe for the fruit leather. The thing is, you can stretch out your fruit with apple or pear sauce so you don't have to have only one fruit in the leather. Neat, right? But, don't worry--you can also just use one fruit and I'm sure that would be very tasty, too. It's a forgiving recipe because if it's too watery, it just takes longer to dehydrate. No biggie.
FRUIT LEATHER
4 cups applesauce
2 cups strawberries (or other fruit)
3/4 cups water
Put all ingredients in blender and blend thoroughly. Pour into dehydrator trays so it's about 1/8" to 1/4" thick. You need to have the mats they sell for your dehydrator that are meant for liquid items, or you can line your trays with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Set at 115 degrees and dry for 8-10 hours. Drying it at a temperature below 116 degrees will preserve the enzymes which are super healthy.
You can add sugar to sweeten these up, but why? If you must, consider an alternative sweetener like agave, stevia, raw sugar, or fruit juice. Refined sugars are bad, bad, bad. (I use white sugar sometimes, but only when we're making a treat. I'd like to wean us from that.)
Mine are in the dehydrator right now. I made some with plastic, some with parchment paper. I also made some with just straight strawberries. I'll let you know how they turn out in the morning!
Also see www.simplylivingsmart.com or www.greensmoothiegirl.com for more inspirational food ideas!
NEXT DAY UPDATE: I just looked at my fruit leather and discovered some things that need improving. First, if you are using an alternative to the mats that come with your dehydrator, use plastic wrap but avoid parchment paper. Perhaps wax paper would work, but trust me, parchment paper does not.
Second, I would go for at least 1/4" thickness. I was leaning towards 1/8" but mine got paper thin. It still tastes great but it is VERY thin. It's pretty much strawberry paper.
Third, the applesauce trick worked great! It took on the strawberry taste and stretched the strawberries much further.
Overall, it was a success!
Friday, July 2, 2010
A new way of eating
I've been slowly changing the way we eat over the past several years. More whole grains, less refined foods, less sugar, less meat. But now I'm feeling the need to change even more. And I need help. We need to eat as healthy as possible to protect our health. However, like all other moms, I am busy and don't want to spend all day in the kitchen. Also, we home school which keeps me on my toes, I have a baby who doesn't want me to put him down, and I have lots of taste preferences to deal with. Luckily, we don't have too many intolerances. We're all fine with wheat, dairy, etc. I feel blessed about that.
What I need is simple ideas. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. If your idea is a simple two-ingredient throw-together dish, I want to hear it!
Here are my criteria:
I hope everyone will benefit from seeing everyone else's recipes! Thanks everyone!
By the way, if you want to post a link to another website or blog with great ideas, that would be great, too. I found this one, but her over-use of exclamation points is already driving me crazy. (!!!!!) Great information, though. http://simplehealthytasty.blogspot.com/
This one is also great! www.greensmoothiegirl.com
P.S. I think I need to also mention how we are currently eating, for comparison's sake. We eat only homemade bread made from freshly ground whole wheat. We drink smoothies a lot which we make with fresh oranges and a tiny bit of milk & vanilla. We usually have fruit with breakfast, fruit or veggie with lunch, and a veggie for dinner. We do eat dairy but we don't eat much meat at all and when we do it's either ground turkey or boneless skinless chicken. We have a bit of a sweet tooth so we do make treats a couple times a week. We never drink soda--only water. We generally don't eat processed foods but sometimes we will buy mac & cheese. No food coloring, no artificial sweeteners, no high fructose corn syrup. We focus on whole foods and cook most of our foods from scratch. We just need to step things up a notch.
What I need is simple ideas. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. If your idea is a simple two-ingredient throw-together dish, I want to hear it!
Here are my criteria:
- Focus on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and non-meat proteins.
- No meats, poultry, or fish for now, but we're fine with eggs and cheese.
- No refined sugar or white flour. No processed foods.
- No cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Unless you want to be mean to Marty. :)
- If it has mustard or vinegar, I have to leave it out for certain family members so we try to stay away from those.
- Easy--not looking for gourmet, here.
- Budget friendly
- Baby or kid-friendly--it would be great if I could feed it to the baby, too, but it has to at least please the children.
I hope everyone will benefit from seeing everyone else's recipes! Thanks everyone!
By the way, if you want to post a link to another website or blog with great ideas, that would be great, too. I found this one, but her over-use of exclamation points is already driving me crazy. (!!!!!) Great information, though. http://simplehealthytasty.blogspot.com/
This one is also great! www.greensmoothiegirl.com
P.S. I think I need to also mention how we are currently eating, for comparison's sake. We eat only homemade bread made from freshly ground whole wheat. We drink smoothies a lot which we make with fresh oranges and a tiny bit of milk & vanilla. We usually have fruit with breakfast, fruit or veggie with lunch, and a veggie for dinner. We do eat dairy but we don't eat much meat at all and when we do it's either ground turkey or boneless skinless chicken. We have a bit of a sweet tooth so we do make treats a couple times a week. We never drink soda--only water. We generally don't eat processed foods but sometimes we will buy mac & cheese. No food coloring, no artificial sweeteners, no high fructose corn syrup. We focus on whole foods and cook most of our foods from scratch. We just need to step things up a notch.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Fudgy Orange Brownies
I was thinking about what to make for a party I was attending later one night. I was thinking about brownies, and as I picked up a box of oranges I just bought, a stroke of genius occurred! ORANGE brownies--of course! Why had I never thought of this before? I combined my favorite super-moist brownie recipe with orange zest, and VOILA, a new favorite was born! Enjoy!
Fudgy Orange Brownies
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
Zest from two oranges
Optional:
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or other nuts
Powdered sugar sprinkled on top
Suggestion: Hersheys makes a Special Dark cocoa powder that I think would be amazing in this recipe! Next time I'm going to try it with dark cocoa powder and chocolate chips.
1. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 1-2 minutes or until light and lemon-colored.
2. Add melted butter and cocoa. Beat together.
3. Add orange zest and mix thoroughly.
4. Add flour and mix just until combined.
5. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if desired.
6. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs.
Fudgy Orange Brownies
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
Zest from two oranges
Optional:
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or other nuts
Powdered sugar sprinkled on top
Suggestion: Hersheys makes a Special Dark cocoa powder that I think would be amazing in this recipe! Next time I'm going to try it with dark cocoa powder and chocolate chips.
1. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 1-2 minutes or until light and lemon-colored.
2. Add melted butter and cocoa. Beat together.
3. Add orange zest and mix thoroughly.
4. Add flour and mix just until combined.
5. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if desired.
6. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Frugal Recipes-Chocolate Sauce, Orange Smoothie, Laundry Detergent
Chocolate Syrup
Add to milk, ice cream, or anything that needs a good dose of chocolate.
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp. salt (a couple dashes)
½ tsp. vanilla
In a medium saucepan*, whisk together the cocoa and water. Heat over medium heat. Add sugar and continue to stir until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium low and boil for a full 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt and vanilla. Pour into a Mason jar and store in fridge.
*Make sure the pan is big enough or else it will boil over.
Easy Orange Smoothie
4 oranges, peeled
½ cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
Ice (less=thinner, more=thicker)
Put all ingredients into blender and blend well. Can add sweetener if desired (sugar, agave, or whatever you prefer). Great for a snack or breakfast.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap (From www.thefamilyhomestead.com)
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~
Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.
**A few things to note about the soap**
~The finished soap will not be a solid gel. It will be more of a watery gel that has been accurately described as an "egg noodle soup" look.
~The soap is a low sudsing soap. So if you don’t see suds, that is ok. Suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.
Powdered Laundry Detergent - Top load machine (From the Duggar Family website, www.duggarfamily.com)
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)
*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!
TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile
Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes
Recipe #1
1 Cup White Vinegar
Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.
1 Cup White Vinegar
Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.
Recipe #2
1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener
4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half
4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half
Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.
Frugal Tips
I teach a mini-class on homemaking skills for our Relief Society (women's church group). The latest class was on Saturday and the topic was Budgeting and Money-Saving Tips. We also cooked some sauces (cheese sauce, chocolate sauce, and pancake syrup). I have had a lot of requests for the information so I thought the easiest way was to post it here. So, enjoy!
If you have any comments or questions, the best way to contact me is to email me at sar.mckay@yahoo.com. Enjoy!
Tips:
Always use a budget and stick to it!
Make food from scratch
Buy generic brands
Grocery shop once every 7-10 days
Use a shopping list & stick to it!
Avoid impulse purchases-stick to the essentials
Combine your errands & go out all at once
Do not eat out for convenience-bring food with you or go out in between meal times
Consider your needs vs. your wants
Plan ahead for meals on your calendar
Shop the ksl.com classifieds for used items
Re-evaluate insurance needs & shop for best rates
Call credit cards & ask for a better rate
Get OUT of debt & don’t carry a balance
Don’t buy processed or premade foods
Buy used clothing if possible
The library has more than you know-new books, online downloads, great movies, cookbooks, etc.
The library has more than you know-new books, online downloads, great movies, cookbooks, etc.
Garden and preserve your harvest
Give homemade gifts
Learn to make bread, yogurt, crackers, etc.
Invest in tools that will save you money long term including a mixer for bread, grain mill, dehydrator
Make breads, muffins, pancakes in large batches & store in freezer
Buy multiples of foods you can store
Use & rotate the food you store
Buy only food storage you will use regularly or that has a long shelf life
Buy from a food co-op
Make your own cleaners (all-purpose, laundry soap, fabric softener, disinfectant, etc.)
Eat less meat & more good grains & beans
Cut cable/Dish TV
Use less detergent per load for clothes & dishes –usually don’t need as much as it states on bottle
Use cold water more often for laundry
Clean the back of your refrigerator-dust build-up makes it work harder
Be organized-disorganization costs time & money
Be industrious-laziness is expensive
Garbage is cheap-don’t buy foods just because they’re cheap. Buy for value, not just price.
Nurse instead of bottle feed if possible
Make your own baby food
Use cloth diapers & cloth wipes
Never let leftovers go to waste!
Learn to sew, mend, knit, crochet
Study the Great Depression
Educate yourself as much as possible-READ!
Keep lists of meal ideas on inside cupboard doors
Keep a notebook in your purse for grocery lists
Learn to cut hair—search www.youtube.com
Cut out breakfast cereal
Don’t overload your washer—it wears out sooner
Price compare for your prescriptions
Keep bottled water & snacks in your car
You can learn anything from youtube.com
Clean dryer lint after each load=more efficient
Buy ink in recycled cartridges
EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS
Pay financial obligations first, then budget out what’s left.
Resources:
www.ksl.com –classifieds and free section
foodco-op.net (local organization)
www.utahcoop.org (local organization)
www.sarahsbakingco.blogspot.com (my blog)
The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn
Financial Peace University
Dining on a Dime by Tawra Kellam
More Money-Saving Tips from Sarah's friends
-Insist on proper hand washing and food handling technique. Contamination of bacteria or viruses from your hands or body spreads disease and illness. Cross contamination of unclean or raw foods to your mouth can cause illness. Being sick is expensive! Avoid it by being careful—especially when preparing food for other people, even in your own home.
-Shop around for doctor visits. My daughter had an ear infection and we have a high deductible plan and knew I’d be paying cash for her visit. Draper After-Hours by Fresh Market was $100-120. Our regular pediatrician was $62-80. The clinic inside Smith’s was $49 but the doctor printed out a coupon from their website for $10 off and said I could print one off every time I come in. Her visit ended up costing only $39 plus $8 for her prescription.
-I stopped buying ziplock bags. I just live without them. I do have foil I can use. And I save every plastic tub anything comes in and reuse it instead of ziplock bags.
-I stopped buying paper towels and use and rinse out rags instead. There are some messes I would rather not go down the sink or into the washing machine so sometimes napkin gets used so the mess can go in the trash.
- I stopped buying tape. For the most part I can use something else instead of tape. To wrap presents I use string to tie the newspaper around the gift, no tape needed. Staples often can take the place of tape as well and some how we always seem to have lots of boxes of extra staples.
-I only buy the fruit or veggies at the store that are on sale and will last more then one meal. Like a $1.50 cantaloupe will get eaten by our family in one sitting, not the best deal...BUT a $1.50 bunch of bananas will last a few days. And a $1.50 bag of carrots at Sam's club will last more than a week.
-Call your phone company about once a year and ask them to review your phone bill and give you a better deal. I just called and my new phone bill will be $20 cheaper now.
-Live without out it. There is so much we can live without. I am currently living without: a garbage disposal, (The drains have screens on them and I keep a $1 plunger under the sink to fix the sink when it gets plugged up), two working toilets (we look the top off one and flush it by hand and used duck tape to fix the other), the van door closing properly (my hip does the job), cooking spray (I just use oil in a squirt bottle), lotion (we use coconut oil as lotion and for cooking), 409 (we use vinegar). In the past I have lived without a drier, just hang the clothes up. A washer, the bath tub makes a great place to wash laundry. Beds, sleeping bags do work on the floor. A kitchen table--that did make eating a little tricky with children-- it was a picnic on the kitchen floor every night. An oven-- it is amazing what you can cook in a microwave!
-Help clean up after parties and ward functions. They almost always send you home with the leftovers. We got a week’s worth of food and had more to share with our friends from our ward Christmas party.
-Help clean up after parties and ward functions. They almost always send you home with the leftovers. We got a week’s worth of food and had more to share with our friends from our ward Christmas party.
-Use powdered milk in recipes instead of store-bought milk.
-Turn the heater down. Our heater is set at 68 one the main floor during the day. Heat rises so I have the upstairs set at 66. Then we do the reverse at night. If we are cold we put on socks and a light jacket. And in the fall and spring we try not to use the heater or the air conditioning and open windows and use fans. We also have blankets over many of our windows in the winter and some I even put some large pieces of plastic over the windows. I like the plastic, it keeps the heat in and also lets light in so the house isn't so dark like with blankets.
-When I go to the book store I write down titles of books I find interesting (or take a picture on my camera phone) and then find them at the library. 99% of the time they are at the library.
-I also make homemade tortillas, tortillas chips, dinner rolls, yogurt, sour cream, ranch dressing, french fries, cereal.
-If you buy herbs for medicinal purposes try mountainroseherbs.com Their prices and quality can not be beat. I can get 4 times the herbs I used to get else where for the same price.
- I hope no one thinks too low of me for this, but I do check in the trash. On big trash day in Sandy many people just put everything to the curb knowing someone will take it. And often when someone moves they just start tossing everything because they are just tired of packing. So when my neighbors move I offer to help and I always take stuff home or see what they tossed in the trash and I take that. I just got a working jig saw this way.
-Borrow, rent etc. Follow the 90/10 rule. Don't buy it. We bought a cabin once. The cost of owning a cabin was 100x what the cost would have been to rent one a once a month for a year. In my opinion a boat would fall into this same category. Boats are way expensive. How many times a year do you honestly think your family will use it? Unless you will honestly use your boat EVERY weekend then renting would be cheaper. We don't need to own everything.
-Often a friend or neighbor has that thing you'll only use once and they are willing to let you borrow it. We don't own a ladder, but all of our neighbors do and they store them outside. We have open permission to just borrow them when we need to. With renting or borrowing you have no up keep cost, no insurance costs or registration fees. My only advice on borrowing is to make sure you are willing to replace the item for your friend if you ruin it.
-I cut everyone's hair in our family, including my own. I learned to cut my own on youtube by watching a couple of really cute girls cut their own hair.
-Thin out things like sour cream by adding a little milk. It makes it last longer and you use less of it because it is creamier and does blob off the spoon.
-I use 1/3 laundry detergent and then use baking soda for the rest. I get baking soda in a big bag at Sam's club for cheap.
-Check the KSL.com free section regularly. I needed 2 new toilets, and found 4 new ones for free on KSL. I also recently got a free pinewood derby track from KSL for troops to use that can't afford to rent a track.
-Patch your clothes. I patch everything. And if it can not be patched I turn it into something new. An old pair of baby pants with a whole in the bottom got the legs turned into little draw string bags to hold pencils. An old t-shirt was turned into a vest.
-Newspaper, (from my neighbor who gets the paper) makes great wrapping paper.
-Plan all your driving to be done at the same time in the same direction. This doesn't always workout, but most of the time you know that you need to go to Sandy sometime this week, and South Jordan on that day and the Temple
-We don't rent movies. The library eventually gets most of the new movies. We just wait and see them a year after everyone else. And for that must see movie, go to the dollar theater.
-We improvise a lot. Make do with what we have. For dad's birthday we thought it would be fun to fill the shower with balloons so when we went to get in the balloons would all spill out onto him. Well, to save money we didn't buy any balloons. We filled kitchen trash bags with air, twisty tied them and wrote happy birthday on them. We put them all in the shower and it worked great. And then we still used them as trash bags. We decorate kids’ parties with Christmas lights all around the house. Cards are made out of scratch paper.
-In my kitchen there are 6 can lights. I leave 2 of them with burned out bulbs all the time. The other 4 lights provide enough light.
-Before I ever call a fix-it man I look on line to see if there is some way for me to do it myself. Just google “faucet tutorial” or “fix toilet tutorial” or whatever you are looking for. There are so many great video tutorials online. It is not always possible, but most of the time it is. And think creatively. Most of us think we have to get help because that is what everyone else does, or what we have always done. I have been taking my van in for years to have fluid put in our differential because it leaks. Finally I thought I'd figure this out myself. I went to Checker told the guys what fluid I needed and asked them where I should put it. They walked out with me and showed me the one screw under my car to unscrew, pour the stuff in and put the screw back on. Why have I been paying someone to do that all these years?
-I needed our heater tuned up and green stickered. I looked everywhere to see if I could learn that myself and could not. I had heard an ad on the radio for a cheap green sticker and tune up price and I used them. And I followed the guy around to see what he was doing. Well, a tune up basically consists of vacuuming out the dust inside the heater. I can do that myself next time.
-I only shop at DI. And we love hand-me-downs.
-Sell that stuff you don't need. KSL is a great place to sell that cool thing you just only use 10% of the time. We sold our pool table, spare snow tires to a car we didn't have anymore, our extra set of wedding rings, old basketball hoop that no one used...Most of us think we have to hang on to everything. But it is really OK to be done with things and pass them on. So for me it's the 90%-10% rule. If something fits into the 10% category I don't need to buy it or keep it. Do I use it 90% of the time or only 10% of the time. Will this thing I want to buy help me 90% of the time or 10% of the time.
-Have a price book. Determine what price YOU are willing to spend for an item and try to get the item for less. I usually have a price per ounce for various types of food. For meat mine is $2/pound max boneless and .99 for bone in chicken. For cold cereal it is 10 cents/ounce, honey $2/pound etc. Your price will vary depending on if you will use no name items, if you only use organic items, etc.
-Savers has a 99 cents sale every Monday at 9am. Everything that has the featured tag color is 99 cents. I have found very nice (some still with the original tags on) items at these sales.
-Remember that just because it is in an ad does not mean it is a good price. Just because it is at Costco or the Dollar Store doesn't mean it is a good price either.
-Savers has a 99 cents sale every Monday at 9am. Everything that has the featured tag color is 99 cents. I have found very nice (some still with the original tags on) items at these sales.
-Remember that just because it is in an ad does not mean it is a good price. Just because it is at Costco or the Dollar Store doesn't mean it is a good price either.
-Never buy cleaning products you can make yourself. Why spend $2-3 on a can of Lysol when you can just use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide or bleach if you need something really strong.
-You are in charge of your money. Make it work for you! Tell it where to go and don’t let it be in control—YOU are the one in control! Be a wise steward! Laziness and poor planning are very expensive.
-If you save a dollar here, a dollar there, throughout the month, you could easily save hundreds every month. What would you do with all that extra money? Pay off debt? Contribute to fast offering? Purchase a grain mill or mixer that will help you save money for years to come?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Yogurt Making made super-simple!
I have been experimenting with a new yogurt recipe and would like to share my Super Simple Yogurt recipe for all to enjoy. I make 3 quarts at a time since we use a lot of it but I'll write the recipe for 2 quarts. It's easy to scale up or down depending on how much you use. We use yogurt a lot for our homemade peanut butter smoothies (see recipe below).
Super-Simple Homemade Plain Yogurt
*Note: This recipe uses powdered milk. The recipe using regular milk is different. Only use powdered for this recipe.
Ingredients:
2 quarts water--hottest you can get it from the tap
Powdered milk--use DOUBLE the amount of powder that they say to use when making regular milk)
3 Tbs. plain yogurt (store bought or homemade)
Tools:
Clean jars for yogurt (glass mason jars work great)
Thermometer (I use my candy thermometer)
Dehydrator (I have an Excalibur) or other device to keep yogurt at a constant temperature
1. Measure 2 quarts hot water from your tap (or just heat water above 110). Mix in milk powder.
2. Cool milk mixture to under 110. (I stick mine in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.)
3. While cooling milk, leave yogurt on counter to come to room temperature.
4. Add yogurt to milk mixture and stir well.
5. Pour into jars and place lids on jars.
6. Place into dehydrator and set to 105. Leave in for 12-14 hours. Do not disturb it during this incubation period. It can destroy the cultures that are being built. Place in refrigerator when done.
Tips:
* I've left my yogurt in the dehydrator for a few hours longer than that without any negative effect.
* I use Country Cream powdered milk. We even drink this brand & think it's the best powdered milk we've ever tasted. (Marty doesn't drink it but he's the milk-connesseiur of the family.)
* You can also use a heating pad or other heating methods but I have had the best luck with methods that can keep it at a constant temperature for that length of time. You could also try a heating pad.
* Add honey or jam for sweetened yogurt.
* Add honey and defrosted berries (we get the big bag from Costco) for a yummy breakfast treat.
Peanut Butter Smoothie
2 cups yogurt
2 bananas
1/2 cup peanut butter (don't actually measure it--just plop a bunch in)
lots of ice (about 2 cups)
Blend until very smooth. You can also add chocolate or honey. Enjoy!
Super-Simple Homemade Plain Yogurt
*Note: This recipe uses powdered milk. The recipe using regular milk is different. Only use powdered for this recipe.
Ingredients:
2 quarts water--hottest you can get it from the tap
Powdered milk--use DOUBLE the amount of powder that they say to use when making regular milk)
3 Tbs. plain yogurt (store bought or homemade)
Tools:
Clean jars for yogurt (glass mason jars work great)
Thermometer (I use my candy thermometer)
Dehydrator (I have an Excalibur) or other device to keep yogurt at a constant temperature
1. Measure 2 quarts hot water from your tap (or just heat water above 110). Mix in milk powder.
2. Cool milk mixture to under 110. (I stick mine in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.)
3. While cooling milk, leave yogurt on counter to come to room temperature.
4. Add yogurt to milk mixture and stir well.
5. Pour into jars and place lids on jars.
6. Place into dehydrator and set to 105. Leave in for 12-14 hours. Do not disturb it during this incubation period. It can destroy the cultures that are being built. Place in refrigerator when done.
Tips:
* I've left my yogurt in the dehydrator for a few hours longer than that without any negative effect.
* I use Country Cream powdered milk. We even drink this brand & think it's the best powdered milk we've ever tasted. (Marty doesn't drink it but he's the milk-connesseiur of the family.)
* You can also use a heating pad or other heating methods but I have had the best luck with methods that can keep it at a constant temperature for that length of time. You could also try a heating pad.
* Add honey or jam for sweetened yogurt.
* Add honey and defrosted berries (we get the big bag from Costco) for a yummy breakfast treat.
Peanut Butter Smoothie
2 cups yogurt
2 bananas
1/2 cup peanut butter (don't actually measure it--just plop a bunch in)
lots of ice (about 2 cups)
Blend until very smooth. You can also add chocolate or honey. Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Candy- Butterfingers, Caramels, Honeycomb
Most of these recipes require either candy thermometer or a basic understanding of stages of candy (soft ball, firm ball, hard crack, etc.) and how to test what stage the candy is in. It is essential to get them to the right temperature for them to behave properly, hence, taste good. Investing in a good thermometer will save lots of frustration and wasted ingredients. Also be sure to read the chocolate tips at the end. Merry Christmas and enjoy!
Butterfingers
2 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Butter a 9 x 13 pan. Place peanut butter in a microwavable container and warm slightly. Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. (I use an old heavy aluminum pressure cooker.) Stir to blend ingredients and cook to hard crack stage (290-300). When cooked, immediately stir in peanut butter, baking soda and vanilla. Mix together quickly and spread into the buttered pan. Cut into bite-size pieces WHILE HOT. (If you wait it'll turn into one big, hard piece that you can't cut.) Cool and dip into melted chocolate. YUM.
Caramels
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 1/3 cups light corn syrup
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
1 1/2 Tbs. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts, preferably pecans (Optional)
1. Pam or lightly grease/butter a jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet with sides).
2. Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add other ingredients (except vanilla). Stir constantly on high until it reaches 210 degrees. Turn heat to medium and continue to stir constantly until it reaches 244 degrees (firm ball).
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla (and nuts if desired). Pour into a jelly roll pan. Cut when cooled completely.
Honeycomb
2 tsp. butter to grease pan
1 cup white sugar
1 16 oz. bottle dark corn syrup
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 Tbs. baking soda
1 12 oz. package Guittard milk chocolate chips
1. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and grease the foil with the butter. Set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and vinegar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Cook without stirring until hard crack stage (300 degrees). Note: It's very important to be precise with candy. Use a thermometer or learn how to test using the ice water method to ensure it has reached the proper temperature.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda (stir it in quickly and completely). Immediately pour into prepared pan and do not touch it! No stirring, jiggling, spreading, or anything like unto it! Cool completely.
4. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Break candy into pieces that are about 1-2 inches square. They will all be odd shapes and you'll have a lot of crumbles leftover but that's okay.
5. Melt chocolate chips in microwave (see "Chocolate Tips"). Stir until smooth. Dip candy into chocolate and place on waxed paper. Let stand until set. (You can speed it up by placing in freezer or refrigerator.) Store in airtight container.
Important Chocolate Tips!
1. Store well-wrapped chocolate in a cool, dry place, not over 70. It can be frozen, but allow it to return to room temperature BEFORE unwrapping so moisture doesn't condense on the surface.
2. Grate or chop into small pieces (you don't have to grate chocolate chips, only if it's in a larger block). Melt no hotter than 110-115! Chocolate is very heat sensitive and will harden & become unsuitable for dipping. DO NOT heat over boiling water! Use a microwavable glass or earthenware bowl.
3. Place in microwave at 50% power for 30-60 second intervals, stirring to check for readiness. It doesn't need to get hot, just enough to melt it. It needs to be cooled or tempered by stirring before it can be used for dipping. Test it on the inside of your wrist (like a baby bottle). It should feel the same temperature as your wrist.
4. To dip candy into chocolate, wash hands thoroughly and pour chocolate into your palm. Put candy into your palm and roll it around. Place onto a clean cookie sheet or waxed paper. Let sit until set. (You can put it in the freezer or fridge to speed it up.)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Cheese Sauce
This easy sauce can be used to make a quick homemade macaroni and cheese dish. Can also be used for baked potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, or anything else that needs a good dose of melty cheese.
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste (opt.)
Heat a medium size pot to medium. Melt butter. Whisk the flour into the melted butter until fully combined. Add milk. Stir frequently until milk boils. Allow to boil for 3 minutes or so while stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken. Add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper as desired.
Store in refrigerator up to 5 days.
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste (opt.)
Heat a medium size pot to medium. Melt butter. Whisk the flour into the melted butter until fully combined. Add milk. Stir frequently until milk boils. Allow to boil for 3 minutes or so while stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken. Add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper as desired.
Store in refrigerator up to 5 days.
Homemade Brown Sugar Syrup
This is so easy--you'll never buy syrup again!
1 cup water
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Dash cinnamon
1- Bring water to a boil. Add brown sugar. Stir occassionally. Boil 3 minutes.
2- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and cinnamon.
I store this in a quart mason jar. Does not need to be refrigerated.
Cute story: This is my husband's family's recipe. One day Marty's sister found a glass in the fridge that looked like root beer and took a swig only to find that it was really brown sugar syrup. After that, they affectionately named this syrup "Root Beer Syrup" and that's what they call it to this day.
1 cup water
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Dash cinnamon
1- Bring water to a boil. Add brown sugar. Stir occassionally. Boil 3 minutes.
2- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and cinnamon.
I store this in a quart mason jar. Does not need to be refrigerated.
Cute story: This is my husband's family's recipe. One day Marty's sister found a glass in the fridge that looked like root beer and took a swig only to find that it was really brown sugar syrup. After that, they affectionately named this syrup "Root Beer Syrup" and that's what they call it to this day.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Favorite Kitchen Tools & Ingredients
My favorite things for baking (not in any particular order):
Tools & Equipment:
Bosch mixer--love it, love it, love it. Thinking about asking if I can be a retailer for Bosch.
Good quality loaf pans (Kitchen Kneads or Bosch store)
Silicone pastry mat (Pampered Chef)
Big, heat-proof spatula (Pampered Chef)
Cooling racks (Pampered Chef)
Pizza cutter for cutting dough for rolls, cinnamon roll-ups, ham & cheese roll ups, etc. (Pampered Chef)
Nice baking sheets (Costco or Orson Gygi)
Parchment paper for baking sticky cinnamon roll ups or cheesy roll ups (Kitchen Kneads or Orson Gygi)
Large tik wood rolling pin with handles that clear the edges of my baking sheets for when I'm rolling dough flat for things like dinner braids, focaccia, or graham crackers--look for a large rolling pin at a specialty kitchen store like Orson Gygi or maybe Spoons & Spice
Floss (yes, dental floss) for cutting cinnamon rolls
5 gallon buckets for storing wheat and large amounts of freshly ground flour for big baking days (Macey's or a friend of mine that orders them sometimes for a super price)
Wheat grinder- I like my K-Tech Kitchen Mill but what I really want is a Nutrimill (http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/)
Silicon basting brushes for brushing on melted butter(Target)- couldn't live without them. No little brush-hairs in my cinnamon breads!
Bread bags (Bosch store, http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/)
Good bread knife- Pampered Chef used to have one for about $13 but now they only have fancy, expensive ones that are even nicer, but too much $$ for me.
Ingredients:
Lehi Roller Mills Hard White Wheat (Costco)
Gluten (Kitchen Kneads)
Olive Oil (http://www.alpinefoodstorage.com/ or Costco)
Honey (http://www.alpinefoodstorage.com/ or Costco)
SAF Instant Yeast (Harmons or Macey's)
Lecithin (Kitchen Kneads)
Tools & Equipment:
Bosch mixer--love it, love it, love it. Thinking about asking if I can be a retailer for Bosch.
Good quality loaf pans (Kitchen Kneads or Bosch store)
Silicone pastry mat (Pampered Chef)
Big, heat-proof spatula (Pampered Chef)
Cooling racks (Pampered Chef)
Pizza cutter for cutting dough for rolls, cinnamon roll-ups, ham & cheese roll ups, etc. (Pampered Chef)
Nice baking sheets (Costco or Orson Gygi)
Parchment paper for baking sticky cinnamon roll ups or cheesy roll ups (Kitchen Kneads or Orson Gygi)
Large tik wood rolling pin with handles that clear the edges of my baking sheets for when I'm rolling dough flat for things like dinner braids, focaccia, or graham crackers--look for a large rolling pin at a specialty kitchen store like Orson Gygi or maybe Spoons & Spice
Floss (yes, dental floss) for cutting cinnamon rolls
5 gallon buckets for storing wheat and large amounts of freshly ground flour for big baking days (Macey's or a friend of mine that orders them sometimes for a super price)
Wheat grinder- I like my K-Tech Kitchen Mill but what I really want is a Nutrimill (http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/)
Silicon basting brushes for brushing on melted butter(Target)- couldn't live without them. No little brush-hairs in my cinnamon breads!
Bread bags (Bosch store, http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/)
Good bread knife- Pampered Chef used to have one for about $13 but now they only have fancy, expensive ones that are even nicer, but too much $$ for me.
Ingredients:
Lehi Roller Mills Hard White Wheat (Costco)
Gluten (Kitchen Kneads)
Olive Oil (http://www.alpinefoodstorage.com/ or Costco)
Honey (http://www.alpinefoodstorage.com/ or Costco)
SAF Instant Yeast (Harmons or Macey's)
Lecithin (Kitchen Kneads)
Wheat Bread Recipe- New and Improved!
Introducing the new and improved recipe for Sarah's homemade bread! After experimenting with SAF INSTANT YEAST, I've discovered a new technique that makes this bread just as yummy, but even FASTER to make. And it was pretty fast to begin with. The recipe used to take about 2 hours to make 6 loaves of bread, but now it takes about 90 minutes. I'm pretty amazed, myself. Hooray for SAF instant yeast (I just bought a case at Harmon's). :)
Also see the other tips listed on my older recipe.
Put in mixer (I put the water in first and end with the flour):
6 cups warm water (as warm as it would be for a nice bath)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbs. Lecithin (optional, but improves the overall texture)
1/4 cup SAF Instant Yeast (not the kind at Costco, this is different yeast than my other recipe)
1/2 cup gluten (optional, but does make a nicer, more elastic texture)
1 & 1/2 Tablespoons salt
15 cups freshly ground wheat flour
Turn on mixer. Set timer for 10 minutes. Wait for a minute then assess the dough. If it is very, very mushy, add more flour. It should just clean the sides and bottom of the bowl--this is the most important sign. It will look much softer than you think it should look. It should NOT look like a tight ball of dough. If it does, add more water, a little at a time. You may add anywhere from zero to 1 cup more flour to make it look just right. This is the hardest part, but once you get this down, you've got it made. You want to get it as close as you can during this step so you don't have to add more flour or water later.
Knead for 10 minutes (that's why you set the timer in the previous step).
Look at the dough and make sure it looks good. It should still clean the sides of the bowl as it kneads. Now turn the blender off and scrape out all your dough onto your work surface. Make sure it is oiled and not floured. I use a silicone baking mat but you can also use a very clean, smooth countertop. Also oil your hands so they don't stick to the dough.
Divide into 6 sections. Shape as desired. See below recipe for tips on shaping.
If making 8"x4" loaves, pre-heat oven to lowest setting, then turn OFF. Place loaves in oven and let rise until the dough is about an inch over the top of the pan. This should only take about 15-20 minutes (don't let it rise too tall or it will collapse during baking). Then turn oven on to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. I use the bottom rack but the second-to-the-bottom might work fine as well. Bread will be slightly browned on the bottom when done. Remove from pans and cool on a cooling rack. After they are completely cool, store in plastic bread bags. Bread may be frozen. To thaw, take bread out of freezer and set on counter overnight (don't open the bag).
Email me if you have any questions. If you try this, email me and let me know how it went! Enjoy!
Also see the other tips listed on my older recipe.
Put in mixer (I put the water in first and end with the flour):
6 cups warm water (as warm as it would be for a nice bath)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbs. Lecithin (optional, but improves the overall texture)
1/4 cup SAF Instant Yeast (not the kind at Costco, this is different yeast than my other recipe)
1/2 cup gluten (optional, but does make a nicer, more elastic texture)
1 & 1/2 Tablespoons salt
15 cups freshly ground wheat flour
Turn on mixer. Set timer for 10 minutes. Wait for a minute then assess the dough. If it is very, very mushy, add more flour. It should just clean the sides and bottom of the bowl--this is the most important sign. It will look much softer than you think it should look. It should NOT look like a tight ball of dough. If it does, add more water, a little at a time. You may add anywhere from zero to 1 cup more flour to make it look just right. This is the hardest part, but once you get this down, you've got it made. You want to get it as close as you can during this step so you don't have to add more flour or water later.
Knead for 10 minutes (that's why you set the timer in the previous step).
Look at the dough and make sure it looks good. It should still clean the sides of the bowl as it kneads. Now turn the blender off and scrape out all your dough onto your work surface. Make sure it is oiled and not floured. I use a silicone baking mat but you can also use a very clean, smooth countertop. Also oil your hands so they don't stick to the dough.
Divide into 6 sections. Shape as desired. See below recipe for tips on shaping.
If making 8"x4" loaves, pre-heat oven to lowest setting, then turn OFF. Place loaves in oven and let rise until the dough is about an inch over the top of the pan. This should only take about 15-20 minutes (don't let it rise too tall or it will collapse during baking). Then turn oven on to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. I use the bottom rack but the second-to-the-bottom might work fine as well. Bread will be slightly browned on the bottom when done. Remove from pans and cool on a cooling rack. After they are completely cool, store in plastic bread bags. Bread may be frozen. To thaw, take bread out of freezer and set on counter overnight (don't open the bag).
Email me if you have any questions. If you try this, email me and let me know how it went! Enjoy!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Honey Wheat Bread- The BEST!
**NOTE: This is my OLD recipe for bread. It still works fine and makes bread that is just as delicious, but I never use it anymore since I started using the "New and Improved" recipe which is much simpler and faster.
Although I sell this bread at boutiques/craft shows, and to friends & neighbors, I do think it is very important for everyone to be able to make their own homemade bread. People have asked me if I give out my recipe and I always say yes. I've also given classes and am willing to give a class to anyone who wants to learn. (Except the week before a craft show, lol!)
So, enjoy! And, as always, feel free to email me any questions you have and definitely let me know if you try the recipe. I'd love to know how it goes!
Sarah McKay’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Sponge Recipe-Makes 6 loaves with 1 hour of work and 1 hour in the oven
Blend:
9 cups whole wheat flour (I use Hard White Winter)
2/3 cup wheat gluten
2 ½ Tbs yeast
Then add:
6 1/3 cups very warm water (can use 6 cups in more humid weather)
Blend 1 minute. Turn off mixer and cover for 12 minutes to sponge. Should rise to about double.
After sponging, add:
½ cup oil
½ cup honey
1 ½ Tbs salt
Run mixer, then add:
6-7+ cups flour, 1 cup at a time. (If making ½ wheat, ½ white bread, use white flour at this step.) Flour should be added JUST until the dough starts to pull away from or clean the side of the bowl. It will probably look more wet than you are used to. This is the trickiest part! Don’t worry, you will learn with experience when you have added enough flour. Also, the dough will become stickier as it kneads so get it to where you want it and add just a tiny more. (If you can get this part down, you’ve got it made!) Knead for 10 minutes on power level 1 on your Bosch.
Check dough. If too sticky,add 1/4 cup wheat or white flour at a time until dough is not too sticky. If too stiff, drizzle warm water over it while kneading.
Preheat oven to warm/lowest setting, just for a minute, then turn it off.
With oiled hands, turn dough out onto oiled counter/plastic mat. (Pampered Chef sells a nice pastry mat I use for this step.) Divide and shape into 6 loaves. Do this by rolling out dough into a long, skinny, skateboard-like shape (about 6 inches wide by 20 inches long) and then rolling it up tightly, pinching the seams closed. Place in oiled 8” x 4” loaf pans (I use Pam).
Put into warm oven (make sure oven is off). Let rise for about 25 minutes or until the dough is about 1 to 1 ½ inches over the top of the pan. Leaving loaves in, turn oven on to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. Take out of pans immediately and put on a rack to cool completely before packaging.
To make rolls:
Use 1 loaf worth of dough. Roll out into a circle. Use a pizza cutter to cut 12 triangles (like you cut a pizza). Shape into croissant shapes by rolling up from biggest end to the point. OR shape into balls by rolling up from the point to the biggest end, then pull down & pinch at the bottom.
To make cinnamon swirl bread:
Roll out 1 loaf worth of dough into a long “skateboard” shape. About 7” wide & 24” long. Brush with about 1 Tbs melted butter, then generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (about 1 cup total). Roll up tightly and pinch all ends. It will probably break open somewhere, but it just makes it look more rustic!
There are so many things you can make with this recipe--breadsticks, pizza crust, dinner braids, dessert braids, round loaves, butterflake rolls, meat & cheese rolls... the list goes on! If you have any questions, or want more ideas, just email me at sar.mckay@yahoo.com.
Sarah's Tips:
- Start with ½ wheat, ½ white flours. Wheat flour is high in fiber and can be a bit shocking to your digestive system if you aren’t used to it.
- Divide recipe in half if doing by hand or using a Kitchenaid or other mixer besides Bosch. (Kitchenaid mixers can generally handle mixes with up to 7-8 cups flour. This recipe can use up to 18.)
- If using a Kitchenaid, start with a little less water so that you won’t need so much flour and it will still be able to fit in the bowl.
- Cinnamon Sugar= 8 cups sugar, 1 cup cinnamon. Make in a #10 can. (Or 2 cups sugar, ¼ cup cinnamon.)
- From beginning to end, this recipe takes me 2 hours or less. (I can crank out a LOT of bread during craft show weeks!)
- This bread freezes really well! Defrost by leaving it on the counter, still in the bag, until it is defrosted.
- Buy yeast, oil, honey, white flour, and wheat already in a bucket from Lehi Roller Mills at Costco.
- Invest in a good electric wheat grinder. K-Tech Kitchen Mill and Nutrimill are two good brands with excellent reviews. I have a K-Tech which does work great and is less expensive than the Nutrimil. However, if I had a little more money, I would buy the Nutrimill. It's a lot more user-friendly and I've heard it's quieter than the K-Tech which sounds like a jet taking off in your kitchen. See http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/.
- Put your wheat grinder in another room while in use. Stay out of the room while it’s grinding to prevent damage to your hearing.
- 1 cup wheat = about 1.5 cups flour after grinding
- Store unused freshly ground flour in fridge or freezer if you won’t be using it within a week or so. Let it come to room temperature before using it, or warm in the microwave if you're in a hurry.
- Add blackstrap molasses, flax seeds, or other grains to the dough for extra nutrition.
- The Bosch store (in Sandy, UT) is the cheapest place around here that I have found for plastic bread bags. These loaves are slightly too big to keep in gallon ziplock bags unless you cut off a couple slices first. You can also just keep the bags that you buy bread in from the store.
- Buy a good bread knife! I have a Pampered Chef bread knife that I really like but I’m sure you can find good ones at many different stores. It will make a difference in the texture of the bread depending on what knife you use. I think that the nicer ones will make a more smooth slice, as opposed to the cheaper ones which will make a more rough slice.
Although I sell this bread at boutiques/craft shows, and to friends & neighbors, I do think it is very important for everyone to be able to make their own homemade bread. People have asked me if I give out my recipe and I always say yes. I've also given classes and am willing to give a class to anyone who wants to learn. (Except the week before a craft show, lol!)
So, enjoy! And, as always, feel free to email me any questions you have and definitely let me know if you try the recipe. I'd love to know how it goes!
Sarah McKay’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Sponge Recipe-Makes 6 loaves with 1 hour of work and 1 hour in the oven
Blend:
9 cups whole wheat flour (I use Hard White Winter)
2/3 cup wheat gluten
2 ½ Tbs yeast
Then add:
6 1/3 cups very warm water (can use 6 cups in more humid weather)
Blend 1 minute. Turn off mixer and cover for 12 minutes to sponge. Should rise to about double.
After sponging, add:
½ cup oil
½ cup honey
1 ½ Tbs salt
Run mixer, then add:
6-7+ cups flour, 1 cup at a time. (If making ½ wheat, ½ white bread, use white flour at this step.) Flour should be added JUST until the dough starts to pull away from or clean the side of the bowl. It will probably look more wet than you are used to. This is the trickiest part! Don’t worry, you will learn with experience when you have added enough flour. Also, the dough will become stickier as it kneads so get it to where you want it and add just a tiny more. (If you can get this part down, you’ve got it made!) Knead for 10 minutes on power level 1 on your Bosch.
Check dough. If too sticky,add 1/4 cup wheat or white flour at a time until dough is not too sticky. If too stiff, drizzle warm water over it while kneading.
Preheat oven to warm/lowest setting, just for a minute, then turn it off.
With oiled hands, turn dough out onto oiled counter/plastic mat. (Pampered Chef sells a nice pastry mat I use for this step.) Divide and shape into 6 loaves. Do this by rolling out dough into a long, skinny, skateboard-like shape (about 6 inches wide by 20 inches long) and then rolling it up tightly, pinching the seams closed. Place in oiled 8” x 4” loaf pans (I use Pam).
Put into warm oven (make sure oven is off). Let rise for about 25 minutes or until the dough is about 1 to 1 ½ inches over the top of the pan. Leaving loaves in, turn oven on to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. Take out of pans immediately and put on a rack to cool completely before packaging.
To make rolls:
Use 1 loaf worth of dough. Roll out into a circle. Use a pizza cutter to cut 12 triangles (like you cut a pizza). Shape into croissant shapes by rolling up from biggest end to the point. OR shape into balls by rolling up from the point to the biggest end, then pull down & pinch at the bottom.
To make cinnamon swirl bread:
Roll out 1 loaf worth of dough into a long “skateboard” shape. About 7” wide & 24” long. Brush with about 1 Tbs melted butter, then generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (about 1 cup total). Roll up tightly and pinch all ends. It will probably break open somewhere, but it just makes it look more rustic!
There are so many things you can make with this recipe--breadsticks, pizza crust, dinner braids, dessert braids, round loaves, butterflake rolls, meat & cheese rolls... the list goes on! If you have any questions, or want more ideas, just email me at sar.mckay@yahoo.com.
Sarah's Tips:
- Start with ½ wheat, ½ white flours. Wheat flour is high in fiber and can be a bit shocking to your digestive system if you aren’t used to it.
- Divide recipe in half if doing by hand or using a Kitchenaid or other mixer besides Bosch. (Kitchenaid mixers can generally handle mixes with up to 7-8 cups flour. This recipe can use up to 18.)
- If using a Kitchenaid, start with a little less water so that you won’t need so much flour and it will still be able to fit in the bowl.
- Cinnamon Sugar= 8 cups sugar, 1 cup cinnamon. Make in a #10 can. (Or 2 cups sugar, ¼ cup cinnamon.)
- From beginning to end, this recipe takes me 2 hours or less. (I can crank out a LOT of bread during craft show weeks!)
- This bread freezes really well! Defrost by leaving it on the counter, still in the bag, until it is defrosted.
- Buy yeast, oil, honey, white flour, and wheat already in a bucket from Lehi Roller Mills at Costco.
- Invest in a good electric wheat grinder. K-Tech Kitchen Mill and Nutrimill are two good brands with excellent reviews. I have a K-Tech which does work great and is less expensive than the Nutrimil. However, if I had a little more money, I would buy the Nutrimill. It's a lot more user-friendly and I've heard it's quieter than the K-Tech which sounds like a jet taking off in your kitchen. See http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/.
- Put your wheat grinder in another room while in use. Stay out of the room while it’s grinding to prevent damage to your hearing.
- 1 cup wheat = about 1.5 cups flour after grinding
- Store unused freshly ground flour in fridge or freezer if you won’t be using it within a week or so. Let it come to room temperature before using it, or warm in the microwave if you're in a hurry.
- Add blackstrap molasses, flax seeds, or other grains to the dough for extra nutrition.
- The Bosch store (in Sandy, UT) is the cheapest place around here that I have found for plastic bread bags. These loaves are slightly too big to keep in gallon ziplock bags unless you cut off a couple slices first. You can also just keep the bags that you buy bread in from the store.
- Buy a good bread knife! I have a Pampered Chef bread knife that I really like but I’m sure you can find good ones at many different stores. It will make a difference in the texture of the bread depending on what knife you use. I think that the nicer ones will make a more smooth slice, as opposed to the cheaper ones which will make a more rough slice.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Oat & Honey Granola Recipe
Yum...Granola! This is so yummy and easy to make. You'll love it. :)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)
1/3 cup honey (tip: use the same measuring cup as the oil and your honey won't stick)
5 cups rolled oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat a large pot on the stove to med-high heat. Put in the oil, brown sugar, and honey. Bring to a boil and heat until the sugar is dissolved.
3. In the mean time, measure out your dry ingredients in another bowl and give them a stir.
4. When sugar is dissolved add in the dry ingredients and mix well!
5. Spread out on a large, greased cookie sheet with sides (I use the 1/2 sheet size).
6. Bake at 375 for 10-11 minutes. Do not overbake.
7. Let it cool in the pan and stir it every once in a while. If you don't stir it, it'll turn into one big chunk (which is still yummy but harder to eat).
You can also add in nuts, dried fruit, seeds, wheat germ, coconut, or whatever else you think would taste good.
Tip: I have found that different brands of oats change the flavor of the granola significantly. I like the Quaker rolled oats the best. I get them at Costco. Don't use quick oats!
Enjoy!
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)
1/3 cup honey (tip: use the same measuring cup as the oil and your honey won't stick)
5 cups rolled oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat a large pot on the stove to med-high heat. Put in the oil, brown sugar, and honey. Bring to a boil and heat until the sugar is dissolved.
3. In the mean time, measure out your dry ingredients in another bowl and give them a stir.
4. When sugar is dissolved add in the dry ingredients and mix well!
5. Spread out on a large, greased cookie sheet with sides (I use the 1/2 sheet size).
6. Bake at 375 for 10-11 minutes. Do not overbake.
7. Let it cool in the pan and stir it every once in a while. If you don't stir it, it'll turn into one big chunk (which is still yummy but harder to eat).
You can also add in nuts, dried fruit, seeds, wheat germ, coconut, or whatever else you think would taste good.
Tip: I have found that different brands of oats change the flavor of the granola significantly. I like the Quaker rolled oats the best. I get them at Costco. Don't use quick oats!
Enjoy!
Graham Crakers Recipe
Homemade Graham Crackers (easy as making cookies)
2 1/4 cup freshly ground wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup warmed honey
3 Tbs water
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Cut in butter.
4. Warm the honey and water together in microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Add to dry ingredients and blend well. If dough seems too stiff, add a little water.
5. Roll out on a greased cookie sheet to 1/4 inch thickness (the thinner, the better). Prick dough with a fork all over.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly browned. Remove from oven and cut immediately (it will be too hard later).
7. Cool and enjoy!
2 1/4 cup freshly ground wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup warmed honey
3 Tbs water
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Cut in butter.
4. Warm the honey and water together in microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Add to dry ingredients and blend well. If dough seems too stiff, add a little water.
5. Roll out on a greased cookie sheet to 1/4 inch thickness (the thinner, the better). Prick dough with a fork all over.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly browned. Remove from oven and cut immediately (it will be too hard later).
7. Cool and enjoy!
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