This is my husband's favorite bread that I make. He discovered the recipe on a techie message board. Apparently, some guy had figured out exactly how much it cost him to make this bread, and was excited about how much he could save over store-bought. LOL. My favorite thing to do with this bread is let my bread machine do the mixing, and then I pull it out, punch it down, and shape it into rolls to bake in my oven.
Here's the recipe:
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar (I use 3 or 4T)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
12-oz. water (microwave for 90 seconds)
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups enriched white flour (I omit the white flour and use 4 cups of whole wheat flour instead)
1-3/4 teaspoon dry yeast
Put in bread machine and press standard (default) bake button. (or use dough setting and shape into rolls to bake in your oven)
Note: for a softer crust this bread must sit undisturbed for a 3-hour (or longer) cool-down.
(makes a 2-pound loaf)
Yields 2 cups.
2 cups pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
Rinse the pumpkin seeds until all the pulp and strings are washed off. In a medium bowl, combine the Worcestershire sauce, melted butter or margarine, and salt. Add the seeds and stir until they are coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 225 degrees for 1 to 2 hours, until crisp. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
Pumpkin seeds are very good for you. Here are some websites with more information:
This recipe is so easy ... no rolling required!
1-1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
dash of salt
Dump ingredients into a 10-inch pie pan. Mix with a fork until blended. Pat into shape with hand and flute. Fill with favorite filling and bake, or pierce and bake unfilled in 450 degree oven until brown. Yields on 10-inch pie crust.
The pie dough is very soft, so push it all the way up on the top ledge of the pan and flute the dough so it will hold and not shring into the pan.
Approximate preparation time: 5 minutes plus baking time.
(NOTE: The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of oil, instead of 1/2 cup of melted butter. So you can successfully use vegetable oil if that is your preferred oil. I like the taste and texture much better with the butter, though. You could probably also successfully use olive oil - though I'm not sure about the taste - or coconut oil that is melted.)
This is the yummiest recipe! I got it from a lady I worked with when I was first married. She was such a "Suzie Homemaker," and she always inspired me in this regard.
Pie made from fresh pumpkins is so much better, fluffier, creamier than pie from canned pumpkin. It's worth the effort. :-) You will need to use the smaller pie pumpkins, which are sweeter than the large pumpkins typically used for jack-o-lanterns.
To prepare pumpkin:
Break off stem. Cut in half, through the middle sideways. Clean out. Bake, cut side up in 350 degree oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, with a little bit of water in the pan. (wrap with aluminum foil to prevent scorching and for softer pumpkin) After cooling, scoop out the pumpkin with a spoon, and place into blender with a small amount of water, and blend until smooth. Package in 3 cup amounts. Freeze if desired.
Pumpkin Pies
3 cups pumpkin
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 teas. salt
1 teas. ginger
3 teas. cinnamon
1 teas. cloves
2 teas. flour
4 eggs - slightly beaten
2 cups evaporated milk (1 can)
1 teas. vanilla
Mix all together and pour into 2 pie shells. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Eat pie.
(Optional - for a nice effect, cut out dough with a leaf-shaped cookie cutter, place several "leaves" in the center of the pie about halfway through cooking time. Makes a pretty effect.)
Pumpkins are very good for you. Here are some websites with more information:
I spent the better part of my day yesterday cooking pumpkins. It's a lot of work. First cutting them, then cleaning out the seeds, cooking for at least an hour, then scooping out the pulp and blending with a little water, then measuring out into 1-1/2 cup portions to freeze for pumpkin pies all winter long. (I think I have enough for 6 pies! :woohoo: )
THEN...separating the seeds from the pulp, rinsing, adding seasoning, and roasting them in my oven for 2+ hours. (boy, did it sure heat up my kitchen having the oven on all day long! :eek: )
Then, at DD's request, I also made a pumpkin pie, with from-scratch crust. DD helped me stir it all up. Boy, was it good!! :D Pie from fresh pumpkins is so much better than pie from canned pumpkin. :)
So...now, for all my hard work, I have a delicious pie, and 4 cups of pumpkin seeds. And none of it is commercially processed, so it's all healthy (except for the sugar I added to the pie, and the white flour in the crust).
Of course, I also had to do all my other usual "chores," as well as cook supper. Boy was I tired last night! I slept good! ;-) But I felt so accomplished.
I have a wonderful brownie recipe that I love to make for friends and family. It gets rave reviews every time. I can't even count the number of people who have told me it became their favorite brownie recipe after trying it.
I mostly like to make up the mix in a quart-size mason jar, then cut a pretty circle of fabric to put in the lid, and attach the recipe.
I am going to list my recipe, along with the recipe for the mix.
It is really a very simple recipe. Just note that the brownies will come out a bit "gooey" in the middle - that is how they are supposed to be (hence the name "fudge brownies").
Mimi's Yummy Fudge Brownies
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
In a mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine oil, eggs and vanilla; add to dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Spread in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Yield: about 2 dozen
Okay, I also made this recipe into a "jar mix," which I like to give as gifts (and also get a lot of compliments on). It fits nicely in a quart-size jar, but you need to press the ingredients down a little in the jar to get everything to fit (I have a little wooden mallet type thingie that I used to pound it down real good). (Also, whenever I make this recipe, I tend to get several one-quart ziploc bags out and fill each of them with this mix so that I always have some on-hand to easily mix up when I don't have a lot of time. Much cheaper than store-bought mix, and just as convenient.)
Put the following in a jar or baggie:
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
(I also sometimes put 1/2 cup chopped nuts in a separate baggie to be attached, but that's optional)
Then, put the following recipe on the jar or baggie:
Mimi's Yummy Fudge Brownie Mix
To make Yummy Fudge Brownies:
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Fudge Brownie Mix
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
Pour Fudge Brownie Mix into a mixing bowl, and stir to mix dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; add to brownie mix. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped nuts (if desired). Do not over mix. Spread in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup chopped nuts (if desired). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Yield: about 2 dozen
I hope you enjoy this recipe!! ![[Big Grin]](http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/ubb/biggrin.gif)
I love my Mamaw's recipe for banana nut bread, but I decided to make it healthier this time (more along the lines of whole foods/nourishing traditions), so I revamped her recipe into a much healthier one, and it is very delicious! 
Much more so than I would have expected.
Here it is:
Healthier Banana Nut Bread
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda put in flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 really ripe bananas
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup Rapadura (or Sucanat)
2 eggs
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup kefir
Cream rapadura and butter. Add well-beaten eggs. Alternate kefir and dry ingredients (sifted together). Lastly, add mashed bananas and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Makes 1 loaf.
Yummy!
I just wanted to share a couple of salad "recipes" for my favorite salads.
Here they are:
Salad #1 - Jean's Yummy Salad
A lady at work used to make the best salad. She just mixed chopped romaine lettuce, shredded swiss cheese, sliced almonds, and ranch dressing (preferably buttermilk). It has a really wonderful, unique taste, and everyone always raved over it.
Salad #2 - Sproutgirl's Favorite Healthy Salad
For me, I like to mix lettuce, some spinach (optional), green onion, cucumber, and tomatoes. Then I top with a capful of apple cider vinegar. Then I sprinkle on some Bragg's Liquid Aminos, and then some flax seed oil. Then I top with some crumbled turkey bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. A super yummy, very healthy salad. (Actually, everything except the turkey bacon is really healthy - but I love the flavor of the turkey bacon, and I figure it's at least better than pork bacon).
This is a whole foods recipe that follows the guidelines of Nourshing Traditions.
I made it the other night, and it is really good. This is going to become a regular in our menu. I am going to make a big batch of the mix to keep on-hand to simplify this recipe.
Garlic Lime Chicken
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I used chicken tenders)
3 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil (I used butter)
2 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. lime juice
In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, paprika, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts. Heat butter or coconut oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle wiht 2 tsp. garlic powder and the 3 Tbsp. lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.
I finally found some wheat berries to grind to make my own bread. I was so excited to try this new venture, and it went really well!!
I don't have a grain grinder yet, so I went to my MIL's house and used her Vita-Mix. It worked really well. I have hard red wheat grains, and it ground 2 cups in about 4 minutes.
I ended up making 4 loaves of bread. I cooked two right away, and put two loaves of dough in the freezer to thaw and bake later.
The bread turned out wonderfully! It is so yummy!
Here is my recipe:
Whole Wheat Bread
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. oil
1-1/2 cups warm water
1-1/2 tsp. salt
3-1/2 cups fresh whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp. vital gluten
1-1/2 tsp. yeast
I put it all in my bread machine on the dough setting. Took it out after the first rise, punched it down, put in two greased loaf pans, and let rise again. Baked at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
After it was done, I brushed with melted butter. Soooo good!!
Since I am going to be sharing several recipes here for lacto-fermented foods, I felt it necessary to explain how to make whey. It is very simple, actually...
Go to the store and buy some plain yogurt (or if you happen to have homemade yogurt, that's even better - just make sure it is "plain").
Line a large strainer with a clean kitchen towel, place it over a large pitcher, then dump the yogurt into it.
Let it sit there and drip for a few hours. When dripping slows after a few hours, take the towel off the strainer and tie the towel to a wooden spoon (or any big spoon) and place the spoon on top of the pitcher to where the towel of yogurt is hanging suspended in the pitcher from the spoon. Leave it there several hours or overnight, until it completely stops dripping. (overnight is probably best)
When it is done, the stuff that dripped into the pitcher is your whey. It will last about 6 months in the fridge. The stuff in the towel is like cream cheese, and can be used just like cream cheese in recipes and such. It should last about 1 month in the fridge.
And in case you're wondering - you leave the yogurt sitting out at room temp.
I tried the Braum's yogurt the first time, and it didn't work. I think that's because it has gelatin in it.
All the rest of the time I have used Dannon brand yogurt (or homemade yogurt), and it works just great! 
If this doesn't make sense, then please let me know and I will try to explain it better.
Don't be afraid to try this. It is really easy, and it's almost impossible to mess it up. 
Also, you can make whey the same way using kefir instead of yogurt.
I have heard about these snacks for a while and wanted to try them. I *finally* found a recipe! I made them yesterday, and they are really yummy, and super easy. They can't be too bad for you, considering the ingredients. 
Honey Milk Balls
Combine in bowl:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup dry milk solids
1 cup uncooked rolled oats (I used quick oats)
Mix well, then knead by hand until blended. Shape into small balls. Makes 2 dozen.
Options:
- Mold dough into a long roll and slice.
- For each ball, shape dough around a nut.
- Roll in coconut.
I had made them before following the recipe, but this time I made
healthy substitutions. I actually think it tastes a lot better with the
healthy substitutions than according to the original recipe. This is what we are going to snack on all week instead of our typical "junk."
Healthy & Yummy Breakfast Muffins
6 eggs
1 cup Rapadura (similar to Sucanat - you can use regular sugar if that's all you have)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup real butter (or you can use 1 cup vegetable oil in place of the olive oil and butter)
2 cups grated apples
2 cups grated carrots
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin (or mini muffin tin), or line it with paper liners, and set aside.
Blend the eggs, Rapadura, and oil/butter until well combined. Stir in the grated apples and carrots. In a separate bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Blend the dry ingredients with the apple mixture until just combined.
Put the batter into the muffin tins and bake until golden brown. In a mini muffin tin, bake for about 12 minutes. In a large muffin tin, bake for about 20 minutes.
Makes about 50 mini muffins or 24 regular muffins.
This recipe has become a favorite at our house! DH loves it!!
One batch makes a full 5 quart ice cream tub, but I mix it in a separate large bowl to make sure it's mixed good enough.
11 cups dry milk (one 8 quart box is just about right)
16 ox. chocolate milk mix (Quick, etc.)
6 ox. coffee creamer (Coffeemate)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Mix all ingredients, store in a clean 5-qt. ice cream tub. Use 1/3 to 1/2 cup of mix in a mug, fill with hot water.
Enjoy! 