Whole Wheat Triple Chocolate Braided Bread

Chocolate and wheat- these are two of my favorite things!

This bread is a little dense and will require some patience. But- good things come to those who wait!

For the dough:
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 t instant yeast
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup melted butter
1 large egg
1/8 cup plain flour for kneading and rolling

For the filling:
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1/3 cup melted semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup plain flour
1/3 cup cane sugar (or white)
1 egg yolk
1 t vanilla

For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1/4 cup heavy cream (or milk)
several T warm water (about 3 or 4)

Directions for the dough:
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt, sugar, and cocoa. Blend in half the flour and melted butter. Stir in the egg. Add remaining flour slowly. You will want to leave this dough on the slightly sticky side. Allow to rise for about 40 minutes.

For the filling:
Allow cream cheese to come to room temp and whip until fluffy. Blend in melted chocolate chips and vanilla. Mix in the egg yolk and sugar. Add flour and scrape the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.

Assemble dough and filling:
Divide dough into equal thirds. Roll each piece out into a rectangle; about 6X15.
Spread one third of the filling in each rectangle, keeping it within one inch of the edges. Roll each rectangle up and pinch closed. Lay the three rolls on baking sheet and braid. Pinch and tuck under both ends. Allow to rise 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes on light colored baking sheet.

For the glaze:
Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream. Add warm water, one tablespoon at a time until you have the glaze thin enough to drizzle. Tuck a sandwich baggie into a cup with the top open and pulled over the edges of the cup. Spoon the glaze into the baggie, pull the baggie out and twist, forcing the glaze down into the corner. Snip the corner with a pair of scissors and drizzle over your loaf once it has cooled for 15 to 20 minutes. Slice and serve! (For best slicing, use an electric knife or one with a jagged edge.)

***This post is linked to:

Raising Homemakers
HandyManCraftyWoman
Lil' Luna 
SavvySouthernStyle 
TheThrifyHome 
WeAreThatFamily
Grocery Cart Challenge 
While He Was Napping 
Fingerprints On the Fridge

Ride 'em CowPup!

 When Abby grows up, she wants to be a Cow-Pup and that's why she barks at the horses and cows that try to live in peace across the street.

You know, if I didn't keep an eye out on these kids, it's un-telling what they'd do to this little pup!

...today a gun belt, tomorrow a pogo stick...

Menu- Jan. 21, 2012

 Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!

Projects this weekend: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Waffles and Strawberry Jam from using a free sample of pectin!
Frugal Tip of the Week: If at first you don't succeed try try again! Trying frugal and healthy meals on your family is a big job. For a long time, I couldn't get everyone to eat liver and be content about it, but I kept trying until I got them 'used to it'. Chicken liver can often be found for .99 per pound. It is also loaded with vitamin D and A, which makes it a great frugal choice for your family's health. For the last month, I've worked in fried liver with tater tots once a week! Liver can be hidden by chopping in your food processor and mixing with ground meats too. It freezes well in its container and thaws overnight in the refrigerator.

SATURDAY:
-Whole Wheat Johnny Cakes, blueberries
-leftover pizza on my fave crust, 3 Grain Cookies
-Fried Chicken Legs, romaine salad, biscuits and Pomegranate Jelly
snacks-Hot Chocolate, Fried Bananas
SUNDAY:
-Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Waffles
-Homemade Sesame Seed Focaccia Bread with Cranberry Chicken Salad, flatbread strips with roasted red pepper Bruschetta, romaine and tomato salad
-Fried Chicken Livers, tater tots, Pureed Frozen Fruit Cups
snacks-Banana-Avocado-Mango Smoothies
MONDAY:
-Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Waffles
-Bologna Cups, leftover flatbread strips with red pepper Bruschetta, romaine salad
-Soft Tacos, refried beans, salsa and chips
snacks- Homemade Orange Sherbet, leftover Focaccia with homemade pear jelly
TUESDAY:
-Sausage-Gravy and Biscuits
-Haystacks, Cherry Cream Shakes
-Oven-Fried Chicken Thighs, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes
snacks-leftover Biscuits with homemade strawberry jam, leftover rice with butter and honey
WEDNESDAY:
-fried eggs and applesauce
-Simple Spaghetti, Twisted Garlic Bread Sticks
-Roast Beef with Gravy, mashed potatoes, lima beans
snacks-celery sticks with Kefir-Ranch Dressing, Blueberry Crisp
THURSDAY:
-Cinnamon Raisin Muffins
-Cheese-n-Onion Strata, romaine salad, Cinnamon Applesauce Salad, home-pickled okra
-Easy Dump Chicken, asparagus, tomato salad
snacks-leftover muffins, celery with Buttermilk-Cheese Spread
FRIDAY:
-Banana Crepes
-Cheesy Tuna Noodles, broccoli normandy, speckled butter beans
-Homemade Pizza
snacks-Triple Berry Muffins, Gooey-Pie Cookie Bars

Vegetable-Tomato Fettuccine Soup

This soup is super frugal, but so delicious! 

I estimate the cost to be around $1 to $1.25 for the entire pot.

You can adjust the seasonings according to your family's preference but I like them a little on the heavy side :-)

2 quarts of chicken bone broth

2 T butter, lard, or other fat

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped celery with leaves

2 t minced garlic

2 bay leaves

1/2 t paprika

1 1/2 t oregano

1 1/2 t basil

1/2 t thyme

1/2 t rosemary

1 T dried parley

1 t chicken bouillon powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 can Italian flavored Tomato Paste

 3/4 of 12oz box Vegetable Fettuccine (buy up when they are .50 a box!)

Saute onions, celery, and garlic in fat for about 5 minutes. Add broth and seasonings. Stir in paste until well-blended. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add broken fettuccine noodles and cook for about 12 minutes until Al dente. 

Serve hot with a sprinkling of mozzarella or Parmesan.

Make this soup frugally in the summer with your own herbs, garlic, celery, and onions.

Also, make your own bone broth! And render your own fat/lard from free tallow at your local grocery store.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Waffles

I don't know whether these should be breakfast, dessert, or a snack- they're just so yummy!

But they would certainly be good for any of those categories and since they are all whole wheat, you wouldn't even have to feel bad about grabbing one on the way out the door for a 'quick fix'.

I cooked some of these up to have for breakfast this week but they will also be handy if we need a 'quick fix'!

This is a big batch, so you can feed a big family, and/or have some for the freezer!

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups milk

1 stick of melted butter

6 eggs

3 T baking powder

1/2 T salt

2 1/2 T cane sugar (or white or honey)

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in large mixing bowl. Stir in milk, eggs, and melted butter.

(*Tip: always beat pancake or waffle batter with a mixer to ensure no dry lumps!)

You may stir in chocolate chips but I prefer to sprinkle them on the batter before closing the waffle iron. This way I can ensure that each waffle gets about even, rather than have the chips sink to the bottom of the batter between each batch.

Brush melted butter on your waffle iron between each batch and cook according to your iron's instructions.

(One of my irons has a green light that goes on when it's ready while the other one I have has a red light that goes off when it's ready!)

Cool on wire rack if you are going to store in the fridge or freezer. 

I tied these up in a large double, bread-bag :-)

Top with maple syrup, fruit and powdered sugar, honey, or you might even like Peanut Butter Honey Syrup!
***
This post is linked to:
Skip to My Lou

...and the winner is.....

JOY- you're the winner! 

There were 4 entries and I punched them in the widget above, from Random.Org, and it picked the number one, which is the first poster.

Thank you girls for entering!

Joy- I'll ship this right out to you and hopefully you should have it by the middle of the week.

***

Special thanks to Blade Buddy for allowing me and one of you to try out their product.... my razor is still going strong, thanks to this product!

***

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Our Current Reading List- lots of goodies from our local library or online free

3rd grader-Kyler: Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Pinocchio, McGuffey’s Fourth Reader, The Swiss Family Robinson, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Treasure Island, Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of the New World, Rascal, Lentil, The Bears: Hemlock Mountain, The Sign of the Beaver, A Lion to Guard Us, The Family Under the Bridge, Yonie Wondernose, The Book of Dragons, The Enchanted Castle, Make Way for Ducklings,  Allan Fowler- Pine Trees, Maple Trees, It Could Still Be a Tree, Simple Machines, Can You See the Wind?, -One Morning In Maine, A Tree Is Still A Plant, The Apple and the Arrow, Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving, The Story of Valentine’s Day, Blueberries for Sal, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Daniel’s Duck, Hatchet

4th grader-Kayanna: The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, The First Four Years, Little Men, Rascal, Secrets on 26^th Street, The Family Under the Bridge, Thee Hannah!, Twig, Watcher in the Piney Woods, Listen to the Nightingale, The Enchanted Castle, The Railway Children,

6th grader- Kellan: The Silver Chair, The Last Battle, David Crockett-Scout, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Pathfinder, Robinson Crusoe , Elements of Civil Government, Not Yours to Give, The Story of David Livingstone (http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=golding&book=livingstone&story=_contents),  Rascal, The Yearling. The Sign of the Beaver, The Family Under the Bridge, The Door in the Wall, The Enchanted Castle,The Wanderings of Odysseus, Abraham’s Family by John Morris, Black Ships Before Troy, Minn of the Mississippi, Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving, My Side of the Mountain, Hatchet, Call it Courage

8th grader- Kemuel: On That Day Began Lies, Don Quixote, Life on the Mississippi, The Soldier in Our Civil War Volume 2, Rascal, Lord Peter: the complete Lord Peter Wimsey stories, Our Town: A Play in 3 Acts,- Cry: The Beloved Country-, The Family Under the Bridge, The Bronze Bow, The Enchanted Castle, Exploring the History of Medicine, Mosque by Macaulay, Cathedral by Macaulay

10th grader- Krestan: Roughing It (semi-auto Twain)My Utmost for His Highest, Elements of Civil Government, My African Journey, Luther and the Reformation (G), Beacon  Lights of History Vol V -?(G), Why Won’t They Listen? http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/wwtl, Rascal, An American Plague, Silas Marner, The Nine Tailors,  Crime and Punishment, What’s So Amazing About Grace?,  The Family Under the Bridge, The Enchanted Castle,

Exploring the History of Medicine, Mosque by Macaulay, Cathedral by Macaulay, The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, The Screwtape Letters

3-Grain Cookies

 These puff up into a nice big cookie, but there's so much good stuff in them, you won't mind at all!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 t sea salt (or plain)
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 cup barley flakes
1 cup quick oats
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup cane sugar (white will work)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 t vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Stir in wheat flour, barley flakes, and oats. Toss in chocolate chips and nuts. Scoop out slightly less than 1/4 cup at a time. Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes. 

Tips: These would make a great "breakfast cookie". You could cut your sugar bag 1/3 to 1/2 and add fruits instead of chocolate chips if you like too. 

You can also make these in advance and freeze for a "quick fix" morning when you least expect it!

**This post is linked to:
Raising Homemakers
The Thrifty Home
HandyManCraftyWoman

Scavenger Hunt- for all of YOU!!!

How about a freebie for all of you?
Wanna Have Some Fun?

Remember the My Memories Suite Giveaway back in September? 

(And don't forget my special promo offer (code: STMMMS61766) on the side bar if any of you are interested in purchasing the entire suite!)

Well boy- I mean girls, ladies- do I have a fun surprise for YOU! -All of you!

See these below?

Those 3 packs are YOURS and all of you can have them!!!

If you're up to a little fun ;-)

First let me say that this will be a link to the MyMemories site and you will simply download these special png files. They are special, in that, you can use them COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT of the MyMemoriesSuite!

That means you can use them on ANY program on your computer! Which also means that ALL OF YOU can get them!

Now for THE BIG FUN- you have to find them! ;-)

Told you it would be fun!

I'm going to hide the links to the downloads in some old posts. I'll give you a clue to find each of them and you simply find the post and the link will be at the bottom and it will say: "Here's your first (second or third) special My Memories Link." Click on the link, it will take you to the special My Memories page and simply click the "click here to download" button. 

Woo hoo! Let the fun begin! 

Oh I just love to play games!

1st clue to first download: I posted about a book in 2008 on Gutenberg that I thought was really neat. It was called Science In the Kitchen. Hint: type in MRS. E.E. KELLOGG in my blog's search bar.

2nd clue to second download: Your second download is on the post of my family's favorite dessert. Hint: Look on the side bar.

3rd clue to third download: I posted a while back about an oddly-named Scripture memory activity that I was using with my kids. Hint: Type "zombie" in the search bar on my blog.

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread=butter+lemon=yummy!

This isn't a big batch of cookies, so they don't last long...which is a blessing to those of us who can't stop "at just one"! ;-)

1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup) 

1/2 cup sugar (plus 2 to 3T additional for dipping)

1/2 t vanilla

1 t lemon extract

1/2 t lemon zest

2 cups plain flour

Cream butter with sugar. Add vanilla and lemon extract. Add zest.* Gradually add flour.

Scrape the bowl several times to make sure all butter is incorporated. 

Roll out in 1 inch balls. Dip in the extra sugar. 

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten. 

Bake at 350 approx 15 minutes. Cool on rack.

Makes approx. 2 dozen cookies.

*If you don't have lemon zest, you can use 1/2 t more lemon extract. 

If you don't have the extract, but have a lemon, add 2 to 3 t fresh lemon juice and zest.

*****************************************************************************
 Be sure to enter the Blade Buddy Giveaway while you're here!
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This post is linked to:

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Chef In Training 
HomeStories AtoZ 
Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday 
Between Naps on the Porch