Making Bread

I have discovered the joy of making my own bread.  It is amazing to think I know exactly what ingredients go into it (aka no weird words I can't pronounce) and it is fun to try new recipes for fun.  I love my mom's recipe for a sweet wheat oatmeal bread.  Slice it into toast with a little butter and cinnamon sugar- mmmm....yeah, that bread is usually gone within a day!  I enjoy making an italian style loaf for our everyday sandwich, grilled cheese, french toast, garlic bread sort of thing. 

Anyone else make their own bread?  Care to share a recipe?  Use a breadmaker?  Get me drooling people!

Here is mine:
I use a breadmaker for the dough and then bake in the oven for this recipe:


Italian Bread:

1 1/3 cup of water
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of oil or shortening
3 2/3 cups bread flour (I used high gluten or add 2 T of gluten in replace of 2 T of flour)
1 1/4 teaspoon yeast


put all ingredients in this order in the breadmaker (or what order is suggested by yours) push dough cycle.
after dough is finished let rest on slightly floured counter for 10-15 minutes
divide in half and form two loaves about 10x4x2 in size, slightly flattened on top
sprinkle with corn meal
Let rise for 45-60 minutes
Slice the top
bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes

You can also do an egg wash right before baking which gives it a glossy look and tougher crust.

Enjoy!

You're Welcome- a recipe to enjoy

I have found my new favorite holiday- ok anytime- sweet treat recipe. Love the mall cinnamon roasted almonds? Um, yes! Not exactly diet friendly, but at least it has more substance that cookies right?

So here is the homemade version (I had no idea it would be so easy, yummy- like where has this been all my life!)


You'll need:
16 oz bag of whole almonds
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon


Mix egg white and vanilla until frothy. Add almonds and mix until they are all coated.

In a separate dish mix rest of ingredients. Add almonds and toss to coat.


Place in one layer in a jelly roll or baking pan (you may want to use parchment as these kind of leave a sticky mess, but my color glazed 9x13 did great, easy clean up!). Place in a preheated oven at 250 degrees. Bake for one hour, fifteen minutes. Every 20 minutes mix around and rearrange back into one layer. Let rest outside of stove for 5 minutes before eating. Store in an airtight container. Make great goody giveaways to friends/teachers/family etc.

You're welcome.

Fun cooking adventure

I know I've been gone awhile- let's just say I'm so pooped these days, writing a blog is the last thing on my to do list. I try to nap or at least rest when Izzy does- which then takes a lot of my free time away.

But, I thought I'd come back and share a fun, easy little cooking adventure with Izzy. I'm no kitchen pro. No chef wanna be. I'm not nearly brilliant like my friend Sarah (she is amazing, cook, mom, wow! her examples of cooking with her boys will put my post to shame). Alas, this is all I have to offer at the moment. I thought Sarah's idea of cooking with her boys and teaching/sharing with them the joy in the kitchen was a great idea. I've tried coming up with ways Isabelle can help me in the kitchen to 1) Have fun, quality time together (so I'm not constantly saying, mommy's cooking go play!) and 2) Having 'chores' or jobs makes kids feel valuable and a part of the family.

So, a little project we did together yesterday was from my favorite recipe source (Kraft Food Magazine!). Little homemade pudding pops.

Yum. Pretty healthy. Easy Cheap. Quick sweet fix for miss preggo over here. What's not to like?

Grab some little Dixie cups and Popsicle sticks and try it for yourself!

Pudding pops

1 box of instant pudding (any flavor)
2 cups of cold milk
1.5 cups of thawed cool whip
Any desired mix in (marshmallow, crushed cookie, chocolate chips...fruit if you are feeling healthy)

Mix pudding and milk for two minutes. Add cool whip and stir until well blended. Add mix ins. Pour into small Dixie cups and place a Popsicle stick in the middle. Freeze for 5 hours (ours were ready after about 2-3 hours).

To get the pop out of the cup, run under warm water and give it a little squeeze and pull.

These are also the perfect size for small eaters.

Enjoy!