Fun Times in February and March

Since I haven't been blogging much, due to school, church, school, co-op, school, family, school and, oh yeah, school... =) here is a little review of some of my favorite highlights from the past 2 months!

We finally got back to scrapbooking, after a looonnnnggggg break for the holidays, in February.  Holly and MaKenna helped Cadence bake up some brownies for a goodie while we worked.  I actually ended up accomplishing nothing except for catching up with the girls sorting through some pictures and loving on Tracy's new baby!

A few of us took Melissa to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory for her birthday.  We had such a great lunch laughing, talking and celebrating Melissa and friendship.

Kimi came for a visit, making the month so much more special than it had already been!  We always have a great time when we get together and can pick up right where we left off - even our children!  Camille even got to come this time!  So many fun memories made!!!

Garrett, Austin, Camille, Caleb, Holly, MaKenna and Micaylah:

Kimi and I:

These are the "special" things that have happened.  Life tends to take on a sort of busy routine these days full of family, church, friends, school, homeschool, co-op, baking, cleaning, cooking, couponing, bargain shopping, lesson planning, etc.  Not to mention all the good things in the works - lots of little goodies up our sleeves around here!  Here's one - getting ready to build a raised bed garden - bigger and better than last year!  I am so excited!  This is my life and I am loving every minute of it!


Hopefully I can get back to more regular posts, but for now, I better get back to that next assignment before it comes due!

Dr. Seuss Day

March 2, 1904, Theodor Seuss Geisel was born into the world.  We know him today as Dr. Seuss.  What a character!  I think that he was a really neat person who we all learned to read from, taught our children from and has been a part of all of our lives for a long time.  Who doesn't love a good Dr. Seuss? 

In the past, the kids and I would do all sorts of silly things for his birthday - dress silly, read his books, eat green eggs, make Cat in the Hat hats, etc.  Today, I took a midterm exam and we didn't do any of that!  But, I did have some fun with the kids looking up quotes of his and we enjoyed that.  You can learn a lot of life lessons from Dr. Seuss!  So, I decided to post some of my favorite quotes here so that I can come and look at them anytime I like.  Thanks for humoring me and coming on the journey!  Hope that you enjoy them as much as we did.

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." 

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."
 
"A person's a person, no matter how small."

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You."

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"

"If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along and you'll start happening too."

"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!"

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."

"They say I'm old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast! "

"And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed."

Thanks for reading along!  I find these inspiring in quirky little ways, don't you?  

Bread Machines

Funny - my last post was about bread that I made by hand and this one is about bread machines.  Seems like a contradiction, but so many things have come up about bread machines lately that I thought I would post a few thoughts here.

I was in a store the other day near some bread machines that were for sale.  There was a couple near me, looking at various things and the husband pointed out the bread machines, asking her if she wanted one.  Her response was so similar to many that I hear.  "No, I had that one a  long time ago and never used it (used it only once or twice, etc.).  They are just a waste of money."

I reflected on buying my first bread machine after I heard this discussion.  I bought a cheapie machine at Wal-Mart soon after my wedding and did as the lady at the store said - I used it once.  The bread was horrible and after that, if I made bread, I made it completely by hand.

Then, a few years ago I was at my local Homeschool Convention.  As I walked into the vendor hall with a friend, an amazing scent filled my senses and I think I literally floated to the booth in the far back corner of the massive hall.  The booth was for a company called Bread Beckers and I believe that I spent most of the rest of my time at that convention at their booth - watching, asking, talking, listening, learning and, yes, tasting!  I left there changed on my views of bread making, but didn't buy a thing.  I did take a free CD that heralded the health benefits of eating bread made from freshly ground wheat, though.  I didn't need much convincing.  Always being one to look for new ways to take care of the temple that God dwells in for myself and my family, I consistently and diligently search for ways to reach this goal.  Not to mention, the things I tasted were amazing!

Mark and I were blessed to sell a house that year, the year of the great rise in prices, and we made a nice profit.  We talked about it, analyzed the cost vs. the benefit to our family, and decided to take the plunge and get the things we needed.  We went back to the Bread Becker's booth at another Convention nearby and purchased the Zojirushi Bread Machine as well as the Nutramill to grind our own flour.  It sounds so Little House on the Prairie-ish to write that, but I love it!  The fresh ground flour makes everything taste better and fresher and it feels so good to know that I am putting unprocessed, whole wheat grains in my family.

So, what about the bread machine - do we use it or did I use it once and that was it?  The truth is, I use my machine at least several times a week, even though I take my dough out and bake it in the oven (simply because I like the shape I can make by hand better).  I trust this machine to take the wholesome ingredients I put in it and mix them thoroughly and properly for a perfect dough.  Then, I am able to make rolls, bread, pizza crust, cinnamon buns, sandwich pockets, etc. The possibilities are only limited by my creativity and time! If I didn't have the bread machine, I would like to think that I would still consistently bake bread, even by hand, but I know that there would be times when reality would take over in the busy-ness of life and it would be easier to stop and buy a loaf.  The machine helps me to continue making bread at home when I just have to throw the ingredients in the pan and go about my business.

So, when I hear people talk about what a waste bread machines are, I feel sad for all that they miss out on by using this amazing kitchen tool.  Here is my favorite bread recipe, in case you were wondering! :D

Gathered Ingredients:

 

Grain ready to mill:

  

Fresh ground flour:

1 1/2 c. tap water - as warm as it will get straight from the tap
1/3 c. olive oil
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. gluten
2 Tbsp. lecithin
1/2 c. flax meal
4-4 1/2 c. freshly ground hard red flour
1 Tbsp. instant yeast

Pour the water, olive oil and honey into the bread machine.  Add the salt, gluten, lecithin, flax and about 4 c. of the flour, in order.  Make a small well in the top of the flour and add the yeast.  Place in the bread machine.

I set it on the basic dough setting which takes 1 hour and 50 minutes to complete the cycle.  I will check the machine when the "add" timer beeps to see if it needs anymore flour (this will vary based on temperature, etc.).  This is where the extra 1/2 cup of flour may be needed!

Dough is ready to be punched down and formed:

When the timer beeps, I take the dough out and, on a normal occasion, I make 3 average sized rolls which I place on a greased cookie sheet.  I take a small amount of dough, form a rope and tie a knot.  I set these aside and then take the rest of the dough and lightly punch it down while forming it into a loaf shape.  Place it in a greased loaf pan and set in a warm place to rise to the desired height or doubled, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Ready to rise:

Bake at 350* for 20 minutes, remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Fresh out of the oven.  I wish you had smell technology on your computer, cause this is pretty much amazing!

I have used bunches of recipes, many of which are very good, but this is my overall favorite.  It is just right for us!  Do you have a favorite bread recipe?  Oh, and the ingredients are mostly gotten from a local co-op through the Bread Beckers.  You can get info from their site if you are interested in learning more.

BTW - I mentioned that sometimes we use the dough to make pizza.  Sometimes when I am making bread, instead of making the three rolls, I use that dough and make beauties like this for lunch.  Yeah, homeschooling is tough sometimes!

Homemade Spinach Alfredo Pizza:

I'll save that recipe for another time!