English Muffin Bread

English Muffin Bread

5 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

mix and set aside

In a bowl put:

1/4 c. warm water

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp yeast - yes this is correct amount

2 1/2 c. warm milk i used powder milk and warm water

Mix together and add one cup of mix above, mix well then add the rest of dry mix. Stir and divide between two sprayed bread pans. You can sprinkle the pans with corn meal. I also sprinkle on loaf when ready to bake but let it raise till double and bake in a preheated oven 425 degrees bake 20-25 min. Remove from pans to cool.

This is sooooo good, it now replaces all other recipes I had used before!

Monday Message

A collection of things I use when making cakes from scratch and vintage cake and pie carriers to haul cakes and pies around to social activities. 

I think working at living within our means is a goal worth working on. This a great how to & well worth the read!

http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2013/12/creating-a-frugal-grocery-budget-a-series-part-1/  signing up on her site gets you a free 22 page download and two pages to help with budgeting, great recipes in the download too - it is great tool.

http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/10/8-tips-for-stretching-a-bar-of-soap/ unwrap your soap when you get it home, just make it a habit. You can put them in a basket, just have them unwrapped. The longer it goes the longer your soap lasts. I learned this years ago in Relief Society.

Start a binder as you find recipes or free downloads to try. Have it divided up with tips like the soap and start collecting frugal tips. Have budget as a section, have recipes in a section. You can do this. It will be something you go to all the time. A hard copy is the best. Plan your meals in one section. Add articles on how others succeeded in a section so you can reread them to keep you inspired.

Here are some great sites to help….

http://www.livingonadime.com/
http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/10/frugal-real-food-meal-plan-october-2014/
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/
http://theprudenthomemakerblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.awomanthatfearsthelord.com/search/label/frugal%20living good to see what others do
http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/
www.frugalmeasures.blogspot.com this is my site if you have not gone around I suggest you do
http://thepeacefulmom.com/ noodle around

I tried to be diverse in the selection to help :)

http://thepeacefulmom.com/2014/10/13/gluten-free-weekly-menu-easy-gluten-free-recipes-1013/  I thought this would be helpful to some.

http://thepeacefulmom.com/2014/10/10/how-i-turned-1-hour-29-pounds-of-meat-into-2-weeks-of-meals/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cake-mixes-from-scratch-and-variations/ 

http://farmersalmanac.com/food/2011/06/06/make-your-own-ketchup-mustard-mayo/

http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?blog=3397549&group=0&frame_type=b&frame=1&click=0&user=0 this everyday food storage is a favorite of mine. This roll recipe would be good to try using your food storage.

Instead of spending money on paper towels, cut up an old towel you can sew around the outside to keep from unraveling. Store in a drawer or basket in your kitchen, use and toss in the wash.

I know that you are thinking what good amount could be saved but it all accumulates. 

If you do not knit or crochet but sew this would be a helpful winter item http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-sew-a-hooded-scarf-or-scoodie/

Keep working on your storage. Prepare for winter by stocking up to make it through some bad weather. Make sure you have stuff on hand to make chocolate chip cookies on those snow days. Try to live within your means.

Monday Message

Here is a picture of the latest sweater I'm recycling for yarn (Gus is helping me out).

Peace of mind to live within our means, things are things and probably you would hate that thing if you spent money for it that you did not have and came up short at the end of the month. It would make you feel bad that you did that and made such stress. So think before you do that. I am finding the older I get that actually things I thought what would I do if I could not get this grocery item only to find out I do very well. So look for alternatives there are usually several other options that will work. Be creative.

http://oursimplelife-sc.com/how-we-live-within-means/ this is inspiring.

http://prudentbaby.com/2013/04/baby-kid/how-to-sew-a-jersey-knit-dress-2-ways-free-pattern/ this would be cute with a little tee under it.

http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2011/07/junebug-dress-sew-along-part-1-pattern.html
this too is a cute dress

http://premeditatedleftovers.com/naturally-frugal-living/cut-grocery-bill-eating-real-food/#_a5y_p=2256956 great info here

http://premeditatedleftovers.com/naturally-frugal-living/naturally-frugal-tip-upcycle-old-sweaters/#_a5y_p=2410651  good to recycle

Right now I am taking apart a sweater for the yarn http://www.youtube.com/user/NeauveauFiberArts this is the best I have seen explaining it.


http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/2012/03/31-days-to-yumminess-grocery-shopping.html this has helpful ideas.

“Comparison is the thief of joy” - Theodore Roosevelt. How true this statement is…food for thought.

http://andthenwesaved.com/my-spending-diet-guidelines/ some great ideas here as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Aen1ffHpQ this is a great beginner knitting project


Remember gift giving time is coming plan for it wisely, lock up the plastic…..get an early start. Things get so stressful to wait to the end.

Google some gift ideas that will not break the bank.

Remember to put food storage on your list. Also things like dehydrator, vacuum sealer, pressure canner... things that will assist you in getting your storage a huge boost.

Keep working on your storage at the same time keeping it up and rotating it, we can multi-task can’t we?

What wouldn’t you sacrifice for your family?

Teach your children to sew on buttons, cook a simple food item, help them with the things that could help on a mission how to iron a shirt a dress how to wash clothes not just the folding but start to finish.

Keep doing the best you can!

Monday Message

Mixes make for quick work in the kitchen. Check out more HERE.

This week I thought I would start out with making your own bread. This site has lessons if you would like to build your skill - http://www.thefreshloaf.com/lessons

There is nothing wrong with using bread machines if you have one otherwise they seem to be in every thrift store. They make good bread too but I would still like you to build your by hand method too. The machines do have a life span of about three years.

Once you master the feel of the loaf when it is ready for the pan, then you are over the learning curve. 

Keep checking at your goodwill or thrift stores etc...

For bread pans get the narrower rather than wide loaf pan. You will get taller loaves. I like my loaf to rise one inch above the rim of the pan before putting it in a preheated oven to bake.

Looking toward the future when you can save up for it, you might want a bread mixer but doing by hand works great too, I cannot tell a difference.

This is a good bread for if you want it hot from the oven with your meal. Don’t expect it to be a bread you toast left overs with…though you could try. It is a crusty tangy bread best eaten hot from the oven, like the kind you might get at while eating out all fancy like. http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-artisan-bread-325571

It is now time to warm up the kitchen by baking bread! Also teach your kids to do it too. I knew a family with lots of kids, mom taught them to make bread and they all get turns making the family bread.

Gluten free - for those who need it here are great recipes to make all kinds of bread items…. 

http://www.faveglutenfreerecipes.com/Gluten-Free-Breads/Amazing-Gluten-Free-Bread-and-Roll-Recipes 

It is this time of the year that I stir up mixes to help me with the meal making during the busy season ahead  ….

http://www.food.com/recipe/focaccia-mix-in-a-jar-420553

http://mixitupcookbook.blogspot.ca/search/label/gift%20mixes

http://www.itsyummi.com/diy-bisquick/

http://tipnut.com/baking-mixes-seasonings/

http://www.foodstoragemoms.com/top-11-basic-baking-items/

Here are a few to get you started!

Keep working on your skills - here is a good sewing site http://nicolemdesign.blogspot.com/2010/03/sewing-class-roll.html

knitting… http://www.marthastewart.com/264106/basic-scarf-pattern 

Remember to be working on "wear it out, use it up, make it do or do without."

Keep working on skills, practice provident living!

Latest knitting project

It's the time of year for General Conference and I love knitting while listening to the speakers. The project that I worked on for this conference was fingerless mitts. Since my fingers get cold in the winter when I work on things this made for the perfect project before the temps start to fall. You can find a link to the pattern HERE. 

Gus was tired out from all the knitting!

Loom catch-all

With the loom my sister brought me this week, she suggested we handcraft a catch-all that slides on the front of the loom and holds the shuttles while I'm weaving. We had to design it specially because the loom was made in the 1920s and new tools don't fit it. The only thing we had to purchase for the catch-all were two dowel rods, the rest of the materials we used from items we had on hand all the way down to the wood stain. 

I didn't want the catch-all to detract from the loom itself and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. It slides on and off so it doesn't get in the way of warping.

Gifts from my sister

My sister, Terri, drove five hours from Minnesota to bring a loom she refurbished for me. What a good sister!

It took three of us to bring it inside the house. 

Above is a picture of the loom pre-warped. We set it next to the fireplace and got busy warping right away.

Here is a picture of it all warped up!

Terri (pictured above) taught me how everything worked and how to weave on this loom.

Here I am trying it out on my own and it was so much fun! Below is an up close picture of the scarf in progress.

So now from big to little these are how my looms measure up....

Above is Big Bertha. Her official name is Weaver's Delight, she's a rug loom and has a rug in progress.

This is Bertha who just arrived this weekend on my sister's trailer. Right now Bertha has a scarf in the works. She is an Over the Head Jack Loom with eight harnesses and was built from a 1920's kit. The bench was made from the original owner's cradle.

And lastly, Baby Bertha who also arrived this weekend with my sister. Baby Bertha is a four harness table loom and also has a scarf in progress.

Monday Message

With winter coming and rumors of a bad winter on the way, now is the time to prepare.

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/preparing-family-winter-weather

It is a good time to take stock of what is low in your storage. Toilet paper is high on my list, especially with flu and cold season. Get flu shots soon - there will be clinics. Have some cold meds on the shelf. Have a sick plan (having a casserole in the freezer at all times is good).

So start thinking on this and make ready. You do not want to be the person on the news who had to go to the store for eight gallons of milk, right?

Winter always makes me think of being snowed in. Oh what to do when the electronics go off? Have those board games all organized and ready. Have goodies stashed and have one fantastic family time!

Now is the time to make sure the winter kit is in the car.

Also, as I mentioned before, try to put gas in at the halfway mark instead of empty in case you get stuck on the interstate (it happens a lot!). Plus winter weather and accidents equals bumper to bumper traffic for hours and hours in very cold weather.

http://foodstoragebascisandbeyond.blogspot.com/2011/09/food-storage-recipes-sept-oats.html find recipes using your stored food.

http://foodstoragebascisandbeyond.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-is-national-preparedness.html - this is very good advice.

http://foodstoragebascisandbeyond.blogspot.com/2011/09/budget-101-idea-of-month.html  good ideas, it sometimes is hard to come up with ideas to save.

http://foodstoragebascisandbeyond.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-is-for-dinner-sept.html this is a great idea though we don’t get hurricanes we do get ice storms that take down power, so keep informed on the weather and try to think of what could help if power goes out. Ask those who have been through it or just sit and close your eyes and think what you would wish you had prepared and make it happen. Don’t let things get in the way of taking care of what you need to do.

http://foodstoragebascisandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/09/keep-germs-at-bay.html this could be a great family nite activity to all learn. Mostly refresh learning these things, I am just on auto pilot washing my hands all the time but wee ones are always in a hurry and forget.

http://survivallife.com/2013/06/13/7-ways-to-prepare-wheat-without-a-grinder/# this is great on how to use wheat without a grinder…. http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/whole-wheat-blender-pancakes/ I just had to add these, I love these pancakes!

http://www.yourownhomestore.com/living-without-running-water/ learn from others

One thing I have noticed is if you have truly had the experience then you are really compelled to have storage, next best thing is to learn from others.

Keep working on your skills. We all don’t have to be the best in the world but just knowing and being willing to learn goes a long way!

http://toteachwhatisgood.com/?p=416 - some basic skills

http://basichomemakingskills.blogspot.com/ this is a good one to look around on.

Keep working at building skills. Add to what you already know and remember you are not competing against any one, and that it does not matter that you are not the best. I am pretty sure there is no one person who is the best at everything and really what does it matter? What matters is your family and what you need to do for them.   

Remember you can teach yourself wonderful things this time with YouTube and books and computers. You can learn so be your own teacher and learn what you can teach your children. Be prepared and do the best you can and be the best you can… not everything will be all wonderful i.e. cleaning toilets but one has to anyway, other things will be more fun….you can do it!