MENU PLAN MONDAY..

Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!

Here's a few pics to start off my menu and be sure to check out the special announcement below! (lowfat Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread)

(French Toast made from homemade wheat bread, cut into strips -complete with a dipping cup of syrup!)
(Sourdough Bread)

SATURDAY:
-french toast (cut into sticks)
-porcupine meatballs, cabbage, corn, sourdough bread, leftover pumpkin pie
-sandwiches, yogurt, homemade candy
Snacks: toasted pumpkin seeds, Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread, salsa and chips

SUNDAY:
-french toast
-Butternut Soup, toasted sourdough bread with high yellow butter, Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
-Baked wild-caught salmon with butter and garlic, leftover soup and sourdough bread toasted with high yellow butter
Snacks: popcorn and butter, apples

MONDAY:
-bug oats
-soup, grilled cheese bread
-simple spaghetti, buttered garlic bread
Snacks: Laura's graham crackers, popcorn, juice pops, pickles

TUESDAY:
-coconut brown rice pudding
-meatloaf, potato salad, slaw
-Pan-fried chicken chunks, couscous, brussel sprouts
Snacks: leftover graham crackers, fish eggs

WEDNESDAY:
-from the freezer-waffles, pancakes
-Sourdough Cheese-n-Onion Strata, slaw, fruit salad
-Chicken Fried Rice, string beans, toasted sourdough bread
Snacks: salsa and blue chips, chicken in a boat

THURSDAY:
-soaked oatmeal
-O'Brion's Irish Dish, corn, green beans
-Veggie Beef patties, oven potatoes, broccoli
Snacks:juiced carrots and apples, popcorn, cinnamon-raisin muffins

FRIDAY:
-waffles with blueberry sauce
-Brandy's Tacos, refried beans and cheese with blue chips
-Brandy's Chicken a la Crescent, steamed cabbage, green peas
Snacks: raw cheese sticks, applesauce, juiced carrots and kale

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****SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT****

Please remember to check back this week to view a special guest post from Brandy (The Prudent Homemaker)dealing with CHRISTMAS on a zero budget!

Sourdough Starter Using Yeast

This is not how I wanted to do a starter but I could never seem to get another one to grow and flourish! ;-) It would just lay there like Spot when you tell him to 'play dead'.

Perhaps I will try it again one day, but for now, this one works amazingly well! It grows some kind of wild! ....But it does have yeast added to it and I know some of you will view that as cheating. ;-) But it's only a teeny amount! Speaking of cheating, you also add a dash of cane sugar to this one too. I know, I guess I should have called this "Sourdough Starter for Idiots"!

lol- Just kidding! But this one is almost fool-proof! ;-)

In a large jar* combine:

1 cup fresh whole wheat flour

1 t yeast

1 t cane sugar

1 1/2 cups warm water

Mix this up at night and place it in the cupboard over the stove. In the morning, feed it with one cup of flour(can use wheat or unbleached to feed) and approx. 3/4 cup water. (You just need enough water to make it the consistency of a thick batter.) Feed the starter in the same way for two more mornings.

On the following morning, your starter is ready to use or store in the fridge, covered.

It should be bubbly and smell somewhat like beer.

I took one cup of starter out for bread (part two) and stored the rest.

NOTES ABOUT REPLENISHING THE STARTER FROM THE BOOK**:

To replenish: Each time you use your starter replenish it with a mixture of equal parts of milk and flour(i.e. 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup milk). Leave it at room temperature several hours or overnight, until it again becomes full of bubbles, then cover and store in the refrigerator.

The starter is best used at least once a week. If not used for 2-3 weeks, it may become too sour. Freshen it with a small amount of baking soda OR discard half of the starter and replenish it with 1 cup water and 1 cup flour.

You may freeze a good starter. To use, allow it to stand at room temperature for 24 hours after it has thawed.

*I like to use this old apple sauce jar.

Ok WalMart, who do you think you're fooling?

Have you girls noticed that the new and NOT improved WalMart brand Ziploc bags are horrible???

Well, you zip them once, maybe twice, and then you don't zip them again! I'm not kidding!
They've made the 'zippers' different and skinny and they won't work right after the first couple of times, particularly after you wash them. Once you wash them- they're done!

See, I don't know if Walmart understands this, but some of our goals are to buy the least amount possible! That means that their brand will be excluded from our shopping lists because we want to buy LESS bags, not more bags!

See, we will pay a little more for another brand that we can get more uses out of rather than never be able to reuse theirs! We will wait for sales and coupons and buy another product.

The WalMart bags that I have here will be used for meat for the freezer (since I don't reuse these) but my everyday use--- I will have to use a brand that will work a few times!

I wonder if WalMart thought we wouldn't notice. I wonder if they really thought that we wouldn't shop around!? I wonder if they thought we'd buy MORE of their faulty bags!?! Don't they know we're frugal? We will get the most bang for our buck! ;-)

Please excuse me- I was thinkin' outloud again....
Oh, and one more thing- that's not very 'green'. I thought they were 'green'...not that I am, but you know....that's a lot of plastic!

NEW GUEST POST COMING SOON!

Oh I'm so excited!

BRANDY (The Prudent Homemaker)will be doing another guest post next week!

The topic will be dealing with Christmas on a zero-budget!

I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO GLEAN FROM HER POST!

$267.23 worth of groceries for ONE CENT...

You can see the video and read her tips
HERE!

Earthy Buttermilk Oat Scones...

I over toasted the oat groats and almost ruined them! But- it worked good for pictures! Now you can actually see them! ;-)

This is not my recipe, its in my files and I'm not quite sure where it came from, likely Paavo Airola.

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1 cup at groats (toast at 375- says 20 but mine didn't make it that long, they were too toasty in 15! Let them cool.)

3/4 cup buttermilk, warmed

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oat flour (rolled oats whirled in blender, processor, etc)

1 t baking powder

1/4 cup softened butter

In a mixing bowl, put flours, baking powder and butter. Mix to resemble fine bread crumbs. (I think I added in a little rendered beef fat too, just for good measure- the good measure of extra inches around my waist!) Add the groats and buttermilk. Mix to make a firm dough. Roll out into a large round. (on baking sheet) Cut with pizza cutter into wedges. Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes.

These are an excellent addition to a light meal.

The kids ate these with pear preserves!

Favorite outings...

Some of our favorite things to do this time of year are:

-walk the trail at the park, packing water bottles in a back pack beforehand. There's a lake, some wooded areas, ducks, and then playgrounds too. If we can afford it, we may drive through McD's and get an ice cream cone when we are done.
-walk downtown after dark. There's an old train station and the kids climb up in the trains, ring the bell (boy! is it loud!), there's an amphitheatre, and now they've put up historic pictures of the town and some of the history on the pics! Super neat! If we can afford it, from time to time, we pick up a dozen donuts from the best bakers in town (that'd be Ralph's to you locals!)!
-on the weekends, if we have to make a 'Wal-mart run', we sometimes will get or take sandwich stuff and stop somewhere and have a 'picnic' of sorts.
-Sometimes we get $1 kites and fly them in the yard this time of year and in the spring. The wind this time of year will really take a kite up!
-Sometimes we take a big sheet out in the yard and a ball and all the kids get around the sheet and we toss the ball up and down, catching it with the sheet.
-Sometimes, this time of year and in the spring, we do some of our homework outside! Either on the porch, the picnic table, or on a blanket on the ground!
-Oh yeah! One more thing we do this time of year- we eat pumpkin pie for breakfast! :-)

This makes for great FRUGAL FRIDAYS and FINER THINGS FRIDAY!

You know your kids are savvy when....

When your 8 year old daughter comes to YOU and tells you that "you should consider Netflix- its only like $9 a month and you can rent all the movies that you want!"

Gee-
I don't know whether to be proud of her for looking at this from a frugal perspective or-
Be impressed with her savvy-ness or-
Check to see if she has been employed by Netflix!

:-)

Peanut Butter Honey Syrup...

If your kids love peanut butter, this will be a hit!


1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cane sugar
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup honey

Heat the first four ingredients until thick, slowly whisk in the honey and heat until the consistency of syrup.
Serve warm with whipped cream or with jelly!

A week of treats...

Years ago, we went to a big church (oh how I miss it!) for years. This church had "Hallelujah Night" rather than Halloween night. They took the whole church and instead of having a typical 'haunted house', they had skits set up in every room where different Bible stories were re-enacted. It was brilliant! The kids got candy upon leaving each room and at the end everyone got to go through this one huge room that had games set up like a Fall Festival and they served refreshments. Everyone was welcome and some kids dressed up and some didn't. By the time the children left, they had heard of the Lord's love for them and a tract was stuck in with the candy that was especially written for children. It was a great outreach tool to the community and a great alternative for everyone!

Well, now we don't have that where we live but I have still tried to make a little fun for the kids.

Yes, the fun is oft centered around sugar! :-)

Some years we've made cookies and I let the kids decorate them. One year we had our own little 'party' of sorts. I had treats and a big bowl of water with apples to bob for!

This year, I've kind of made it a week of treats, especially with orange color. Orange gummies, orange iced cookies, orange iced cake, and now this one. I know this sounds like wayyyy too much sugar, but keep in mind that there's six kids around here- five being boys! (One cake can be gone in ONE day if they all eat a slice at lunch and supper.)

I have found this to be a better alternative than a sack full of candy and six expensive costumes.

However, the kids often get a card with money from their grandparents, and they have been known to buy a costume to play in- after Halloween when it goes on clearance! ;-)

Blueberry Sauce for waffles...

The other day, I took some time to make up waffles for the freezer (no leggo my eggo for me!;).

Here's one of the ways that we love them!

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3/4 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup water
dash of lemon juice
Heat, stirring often until sugar dissolves and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.

*Served here on a Belgian Waffle with whipped cream!

A cute appetizer idea...

I saw this video and thought it would be great for upcoming holiday dinners.
You could stuff them with all sorts of things!

Juicing and stocking the freezer for breakfast...

While reading through Nourishing Traditions, I discovered a little note about juicing, specifically carrots. The tip was to add a little cream to juiced carrots so your body can use the yummy beta carotene. -and let's face it, heavy cream added to anything is good! Mmmm!

I've been doing more of this since its that 'germie time of year' and hopefully a few extra fruits and veggies will help keep us well! Then I decided to stock up the freezer with some waffles. (I already have a stash of pancakes!)

These are whole wheat and I used this recipe.

These are big, fat, sweet Belgian waffles! I used this recipe for these big cakes! I hope to serve fruit and whipped cream on these! (unbleached flour and 1/2 the butter called for)

Now I have 3 large freezer bags full of pancakes and waffles! I think I'll sit down now and drink the rest of my juice! ;-)

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WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY!

A toothbrush in the kitchen?!!?!!?

Yep, if you visit my house, you will find a purple toothbrush on my sink! This comes in so handy to scrub things like the juicer blades! Whew! Keeps me from scraping up my knuckles and tearing up my dish cloths!

I also like to have one handy when I come in from the garden and when I've had my hands in dough!

(I especially like to have one under the bathroom sink for when the KIDS come in from the garden.;)

Visit Tammy's Recipes for more Kitchen Tip Tuesdays!

Fish Eggs...

Oh yes, I have arrived! This is indeed caviar. My kids have had so much fun just chatting about these. Comments like these have been heard; "I thought caviar was like a million dollars!" and "Isn't caviar 'spensive?"

Even funnier to me is the difference in my kids on how they respond to new and unusual foods! The younger three will eat anything! The older three, particularly the oldest two, will question me and really think that I'm one cockadoodledoo shy of cuckoo! They will say things like; "I'm not so sure this is a real food source mom." Or, "No one else in the whole wide world eats this!"

-sigh- They do keep me laughing though!

I came across this jar while quizzing one of the fellows at Kroger in the meat department. He told me that he wasn't sure if they could order 'fish eggs' but he showed me this jar of 'caviar'. Who knew it was on the shelf the whole time?!?! Sure enough, there it was with the canned tuna, salmon, crab, shrimp, etc. The cost? It's six dollars for a tiny little jar- HOWEVER- it will go far serving it like this. It has a strong flavor and is quite salty so I've found that a little goes a lonnnnng way!

These are whole wheat Savoritz crackers, spread with cream cheese (or buttermilk cheese or yogurt cheese), and topped with a dab of fish eggs. (There are more fish eggs on these than my kids prefer but I wanted you to see them real good.

Nana Yogurt Dish...

This is similar to the Yogurt Muesli, but a little more simple.

2 cups plain yogurt

3 mashed ripe bananas

1 cup oats

2 T honey (adjust according to taste and ripeness of bananas- the more ripe, the more sweet!)

dash of cinnamon

Mix and top with cinnamon! Chill until ready to serve.

***You can soak just the yogurt and oats first if you like.

Happy Birthday....

Today, brother Chris would have turned 40 and would have been celebrating life and his love for the Lord with his family; his wife and his children.

Would you pray for the family of brother Chris today? They know he is with the Lord but I'm sure today will be very hard.

Please remember his parents as well. His father's words; "to God be the glory, to God be the glory- Great things He has done and great things He will do!"

May God truly use this tragedy for His glory!

MENU PLAN MONDAY...

SATURDAY:
-eggs and applesauce
-Fried Beef Livers and Onions, red potato salad, leftover snack bars
-hamburger steak, potatoes, lima beans, orange-iced sugar cookies (by request!)
Snacks:pomegranate, juiced-pretzel sticks, apples, carrots, and kale

SUNDAY:
-kids choice
-homemade waffles, bacon, applesauce
-fried chicken, red potato salad, plum-kefir smoothies
Snacks: leftover cookies, Chili-cheese popcorn, bananas

MONDAY:
-leftover waffles
-Hearty Beef Stew, cornbread squares
-Steaks, baked potatoes
Snacks: juiced-carrots apples kale, cupcakes

TUESDAY:
-waffles
-Leftover Beef Stew, buttered Breakfast Bread
-Fish, Homemade Oven Fries, slaw
Snacks: leftover cupcakes, juiced-kale carrots apples, popcorn

WEDNESDAY:
-leftover waffles, blueberries, whipped cream
-Butternut Soup, Pan-fried Chicken Chunks, Scones, pear preserves
-Meat Patties, potato wedges, leftover slaw
Snacks: fish eggs-n-crackers, apples with peanut butter yogurt dip, pretzel rods

THURSDAY:

-oatmeal
-Creamy Chicken Spaghetti, green beans, maple-glazed carrots
-Turkey Taco Pita Pockets, blue chips and salsa
Snacks:pickles, yummy Raisin Bread, gummy candy

FRIDAY:
-kids choice
-Salmon I'm Afraid So and peas, Cherry-Blueberry Slush
-Chicken Breasts Fillets on Homemade Buns, marinated cabbage
Snacks:yogurt-juice pops, crunchy chick peas, juiced-apples kale carrots
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Visit Org.Junkie for more Menu Plan Monday!

A ROCKIN' coupon site- the best I've seen!

My DH yelled for me to come see this 30 second clip on this coupon site on some television program that he was watching, earlier today.

I thought it would just be the 'normal' print your coupons here site but I checked it out and even signed up just to see what all was available.

Well, turns out that this not only hooks you up to all the big and main coupon sites, AND sends you emails of the super savers weekly- BUT for those of you who try to stay focused on the fresh and real food- it offers all of the sale prices on EVERYTHING! I didn't even see some of these prices listed this week in the flier. ...But as I clicked on my state and my Kroger, I looked through the list and I could even see the price on Organic Apples and Organic Potatoes!

That's important so you can plan before you even leave your house!
AND, for those of us who do our bulk shopping once a month, we can see in advance, a lot more detailed sales AND this site also shows if there are coupons (AND LINKS TO THEM!), for certain products! WOW!

Sorry, I get a little excited about good things! (like saving money, aids to help me plan my once-a-month shopping, etc)

Oh- the site-
COUPONMOM.COM

Snack Bars...

We made these snack bars yesterday with the addition of 3/4 of a cup of coconut and the subtraction of 1/4 cup of the sugar. Yummy! These are the perfect portable snack. Once they are cooled, they are quite sturdy and pack well in ziploc bags or lunch pails!

Another GREAT book...

If you like studying other cultures or you are a Nourishing Traditions fan, you would love this book!

There are recipes from yogurt drinks to Rugelach (a different but very tasty one) to offal to coconut milk! So many, so yummy! There's also quite a bit of cultural information in there about the Jewish people in various regions and how the same dish is made in slightly different ways in several different places. Interesting!

We have it at our local library and I can't count the number of times that I've checked it out! It is a great book! It would hover in your kitchen or keep you up in the late hours, reading!

Liver Gravy +...

I decided that I couldn't just keep tossing out the little bags in the chickens when I made Lil' Roasted Chickens last.

I tossed them (2) into one quart of water with 2 T raw vinegar. I threw in a quarter of an onion, a sprig of thyme, and some fresh black pepper for flavor. I simmered them for 2 hours while the chickens roasted in the oven.

I then strained the broth, keeping the heart, liver, kidneys, and chopping them up very fine. (The beagles got the necks!)

I heated it back up and beat 1T cornstarch with 2 T cold water and added that to the broth. It thickened up very nicely. I then added lots of salt and pepper to make it just right.

How did this go over with the children?

I served the gravy on the table, allowing them to serve themselves if they wanted any.

Well, the older ones were not brought up eating strange things so they rejected it right away.

The younger - they've had their share of strange foods and -they gobbled it up! And I want you to know, that they liked it SO well, that they ask for some in mugs so they could eat it like soup!

Why yes, of course I let them! :-)

Now, what to do with that pack of hearts and gizzards in the freezer...hmm....

More Gummy Candy...

They begged me for more and then begged for green!

(Oh and DH asked for another Pineapple Upside-down Cake, which I made too!;)
Mat 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Gummy Candy...

My kids had a big surprise after supper tonight! Candy! Halloween candy!

Several weeks ago, I found some candy molds at the Goodwill and I've had them tucked away, hiding.

(Brandy helped me find a recipe for the Gummies on the www!)

Its super easy!

1- 3 oz- box of flavored gelatin

7 envelopes plain gelatin

1/2 cup water

Mix together in a pot and heat slowly until melted.

Spoon into molds and toss in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Easy peasy!

The pretzel sticks were a hidden bonus since they were still hiding in the freezer

at suppertime.

Boy were my kiddies excited when I brought them out!

(Just melted chocolate poured into molds with a pretzel stick in the middle.)

***********

Homemade Halloween Candy is certainly a Finer Thing!

And a great thing for Foodie Friday and Frugal Fridays!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes...

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 t baking powder

2 T cane sugar

pinch of salt

3 eggs

3 T oil

3/4 cup pumpkin (this was what I had leftover, you can use a little more or less, adjust milk)

approx. 2 cups milk (enough to make a thin batter)

Mix all and stir well.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake...

1 box yellow cake mix, prepare as directed

Spray 2 round or square pans or a 9x13.*

Melt 1 stick of butter and stir in 1 1/2 cups brown sugar and 1 t ginger.

Stir until thoroughly moistened. Mix in 1 cup pecan pieces.

In coated pan arrange 1 can pineapple rings and maraschino cherries.

Spread sugar-nut mixture over pineapples and cherries then top with cake batter.

Bake as directed or at 350 for 30 minutes in 8 inch square pans.

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For more tasty goodies visit:

Tasty Tuesdays

Tempt MyTummy Tuesday

MENU PLAN...

My Menu Plan Monday started off with homemade Pizza! Yummy! SATURDAY:
-eggs, homemade applesauce, cinnamon bread sticks
-Creamy Chicken and Noodles and spinach, Frosted Zucchini Bread
-Homemade Pizza, Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Snacks:Cookies, pickles, apple-carrot juice

SUNDAY:
-French Toast (sorta like these) from homemade bread
-Breaded Chicken Chunks fried in beef fat, potato wedges, green beans and onions
-White Beans, corn, spinach, cornbread, green onions
Snacks:leftover cookies, popcorn, beef jerky

MONDAY:
-oatmeal
-Baked Beans from leftover white beans, potato wedges, corn
-Beef Chapatis , Whole Wheat Blueberry Cake
Snacks: cake, raw cheese and carrot sticks

TUESDAY:
-kids choice
-salmon loaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
-Beef-n-Cabbage Bake, corn on the cob, leftover potato cakes
Snacks:leftover cake, salsa and blue corn chips, apple-carrot juice, Sourdough White Chip Almond Cookies

WEDNESDAY:
-eggs and toast (I make this bread in the afternoon, cool, slice, place in Ziplocs, and store in the fridge, ready in a moments notice!)
-Salmon I'm-afraid-so, Garlic-Parmesan Bread Sticks
-Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts
Snacks: apple-carrot juice, popcorn, Chocolate Silk Pie

THURSDAY:
-Whole Wheat Waffles
-Bacon, Egg, and Cheese wraps with oven potatoes, carrot-n-fruit salad
-Steak Casserole, steamed cabbage wedges , Yogurt Muesli
Snacks: Black-n-Blueberry Smoothie, sliced apples, Maple-Walnut Muffin-cakes

FRIDAY:
-kids choice
-Salmon Patties, potato wedges, green salad
-Beef Steaks and gravy over egg noodles, green peas, carrots
Snacks:Gingerbread Men, popcorn

Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies....

Cream:

1 cup of softened butter

1 cup cane sugar

2 T black strap molasses

Mix in;

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda
2 cups quick oats

3/4 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour

Bake at 350 for 9 to 11 minutes.

Creamy Chicken and Noodles..

This is one of my favorite chicken dishes!

(Its easy if you have some leftover diced chicken already cooked up.)

***

3 cups cooked, diced chicken

1 pkg egg noodles (cook while making the sauce)

Once noodles are cooked, drain and toss in 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour into buttered 9x13.

To make the sauce, in a large pot melt:

1/4 cup butter

Once melted, stir in;

4 T unbleached flour

Whisk in;

1 cup heavy cream (or milk)
3 cups chicken broth

Heat the sauce and stir often until it begins to thicken. Toss in cooked diced chicken and salt to taste. Pour over noodles, toss to coat well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 375 for approx. 20 minutes.

*Served here with spinach.

The kiddies breakfast today...

I wanted to show you these bread sticks again! I made them last night for supper and I had enough leftover of the cinnamon-sugar sticks to toss in the oven to reheat for breakfast! Yummy! (Good with coffee too!)

Along with the sticks, they had homemade applesauce and scrambled eggs. A good start for our coldest day of the season so far. ...We woke up to 40 degrees! Brrrr!

The Perfect Book for the Sneaky Mom!

I checked this book our from the library last week and I got to go through it last night (after being woke up because a battery seemed to be dying in a smoke detector- nothing like a little excitement in the dead of night;).

If you have trouble getting veggies down your littles, this book is the perfect instruction manual for the determined, sneaky mom!

The writer purees vegetables after shopping, freezes them up, and smuggles them in everything- and I mean everything!

I don't have this trouble too much but I know when mine were smaller that it sometimes was a task for one or two of them, but this tricky book would solve that problem for even the pickiest of eaters!

Sweet and/or Savory Bread Sticks- quick and easy!

This is a great recipe for quick and easy bread sticks that can be sweet or savory or both!

I made a double batch so I could use part of them for bread sticks to go with the meal and the other part to be a quick dessert after the meal. Easy peasy! (2birds with one batch!)

This recipe was based on one from Set for Life that I mentioned a few weeks ago. These are the sweet Cinnamon Sticks.
Yummy!

The above is prior to baking.

These are the Garlic-Parmesan Bread Sticks.


6 cups whole wheat flour
(1/2 cup unbleached flour for kneading)
1 1/2 T dry yeast
2 T honey
2 t salt
3T olive oil
2 1/2 cups warm water
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add remaining ingredients and make soft dough.
Allow to rise until doubled (30 mins), punch down.

(Toppings: 1/4 cup melted butter and/or garlic salt and Parmesan Cheese and parsley -Cinnamon and (cane) sugar)

Melt 2 T in 9x13 baking dish. Roll out slightly less than half of the dough to fit pan. Place dough in pan and flip so as to butter both sides. Cut strips lengthwise and then one cut vertically down the middle so as to halve the long strips. (see pics above) Top with garlic salt, Parmesan Cheese, and parsley. Allow to puff slightly and bake at 375 approx. 20 minutes until Parmesan is golden.

Roll remaining dough into a large rectangle. Use melted butter to coat pan. Place dough in pan. (I used a very large, lipped cookie sheet.) Butter the top of the dough and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Allow to rise for 20 to 30 minutes. Bake at 375 until golden.*

*Great for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.

My kitchen buddy....

I told DH last night that this little gal is my kitchen buddy. He asked me what I meant and I told him that she cheers me on! -She growls, whines, scratches, and even barks (begging) while I'm fixing food! ;-) ...and doesn't she look so innocent?!!?!!

A special touch to make it work...

Much of the 'soaked' recipes in NT do not go over well with my family.

Its: "sour" "tastes funny" "not sweet enough" or "the texture's weird".

I have to say that many times I have to agree with them.

There's only been a few things that I could get them to eat well that were soaked- I've tried to build on those while making the less favorable ones "work".

This is the Zucchini (Banana) Bread on page 483.

Since I can't get them to eat it as is, I've come up with a yummy frosting that seems to help it go over a little better.

I use 3/4 of an 8oz bar of cream cheese and 1/4 cup of butter, creamed well.

A dash of vanilla and approx. 2 T of Agave (liquid) or to taste.

Works like a charm and doesn't really add a bunch of sugar when spread over the entire bread.

Haymakers' Oat Water...

My poor DH, he thinks I'm such a loon! He says he NEVER knows what I'm up to in the kitchen or if I'm (his word) funkifying his food! I finally just had to tell him- "look, if that yellow book is out, don't even ask!" ;-) ...He then says, "Well--- the kids won't drink that." I replied, "They don't have to." "Well, aren't you going to let them try it?" "Oh yes, they can try it if they want to." "Well---they won't like it", he added. So I just smiled and said, "More for me!" This is one of the easiest NT drinks in the book. It is also a good place to start for those who may be of a picky sort or new to NT.
1 gallon of filtered water
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar*
1 cup molasses
Mix well and keep at room temperature several hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.

*Raw apple cider vinegar is my personal pick for the sake of "cultures" but a newbie may want to go with the lemon juice!