Mom's Whole Wheat Bread

I made a few small adjustments to this but there's no real taste difference - I'll explain later. I remember my mom would make this only a few times a year. However, she would get out her heavy duty wheat grinder and grind her hard red winter wheat from the LDS Cannery. Then she'd mix up batch after batch of this recipe until all the countertops were full of loaves of bread. She'd slice them with her electric bread slicer (yep, I have one too) and bag them and put them in the extra freezer for later enjoyment. The house smelled wonderful when we came home from school. Don't you love how memories can flood your mind when you enjoy food? Now when I make this, the first loaf gets eaten within 5 minutes. I try to give one or two away and the last loaf is to save for the next day's sandwiches or eggs & toast breakfast.

Mom’s Whole Wheat Bread
Karen’s version of Joyce McCown’s recipe

In medium bowl combine:
5 tsp. yeast, ½ cup warm water, and 1 Tbs. honey. Set aside. I know this is just to proof the yeast and that I could probably just add it later but I like to stick with tradition.

In Bosch mixer, with dough hook, combine:
5 cups Whole Wheat flour (I use hard red winter wheat), 3 cups white flour, 5 cups hot water, and 1/3 cup Vital Wheat Gluten (my optional add-in)
Mix for 10 minutes to make gluten work and to allow yeast to rise.

In another medium bowl combine:
2 beaten eggs (those poor eggs), ½ cup canola oil, 1/3 cup honey (if you buy some from your area it will actually help relieve your allergies - cool, huh?), 1 Tbs. salt, and 2 Tbs. lemon juice (I found that this is a natural dough enhancer that helps the wheat rise). Mix and combine with wheat/water mixture in Bosch. Add yeast mixture. Scrape down sides. Gradually add 2 ½ cups wheat flour and 2 ½ cups white flour. Mix for 5 minutes to knead. Take out of Bosch and put into a large, greased bowl. Cover with warm, damp towel and let rise till double (1 hour where I'm at). After 1 hour, turn oven on to warm setting. With greased hands, punch down dough and form into 4 loaves, brush tops with PAM as well and let rise in pans till double (30 minutes in warm oven). Leave the pans in the oven and turn it from warm to 350 degrees for 30 minutes more. Remove from oven after cooking time then brush tops with butter and wrap in towels for softer crust.

It may look difficult at first but once you get used to making it, it's a breeze. I don't even need to look at the recipe anymore. Besides, what's better than to walk in your home and smell bread baking?

My daddy likes his with honey. My oldest son likes his with strawberry or raspberry jam, no butter. My Nana liked hers with sliced sharp cheddar on top and toasted. My grandma would put a thin layer of peanut butter on hers. The rest of them like it with butter. I'm good with any of the above because it reminds of those people I love. What do you like to put on your homemade bread?

Living Christ Craft

Here is the "craft" I did for our last Enrichment Craft Night. I got the frame at Walmart for about $15. The rest of it cost $8 since I had 50% off coupons for Robert's craft store for the 11x14 matting. I love that place. I got the green matting that has the burgundy inside. I had to take all my kids in to 2 different Robert's stores but it was worth it. I got Greg Olsen's "Beautiful Savior" 3x4 prints at Deseret Book. I cut them out then we just placed them on the matting with double-stick tape. The Living Christ paper was free at the Distribution Center. This would make a great Christmas gift.

My kids aren't very good at keeping secrets

One of my children accidentally spilled the beans. However, the kids are very excited to meet their new sibling on (but preferably a little before) April 30th. I went in today and saw the heartbeat and got a tiny little picture on the ultrasound but I thought this picture above looked more visible. My parents are supposed to get back from their mission to Chile the first week of May. I wonder if they'll be able to come back a little earlier than planned?

Here we go again... :) Where's my pillow? I need a nap.

*Update: It looks like my parents are going to try to come back mid-April. That will give them some time to go home, see my SIL's new baby, then hopefully come up here to watch our kids while I deliver. Hooray!

First Day of School & Belated Birthday

My 3 oldest had their first day of school which was on Wednesday. They're holding up their fingers to show which grade they're going into. They're all laughing at me because right at that moment, our sprinklers sprayed cold water all over the back of legs. At least it got some good, geniune smiles out of them, right? Nathan was sad for 5 minutes but I felt like I was on vacation - it was so quiet and I got SO MUCH done. I cleaned, read a book (uninterrupted) and took a cat nap.

I finally got my daughter's birthday pictures taken, a week late. Oh well. We were too busy having fun at Lagoon and I was too tired when we got home. She lost ANOTHER tooth so she looks a little goofy. What a fun age!

Finished rag quilt

Here's the first quilt I've finished since being inspired from the quilt show I went to a few weeks ago. For those of you who scrapbook, do you recognize the print? It's from My Mind's Eye and I have the matching paper. *Heaven* I was going to do a gathered hem but after a couple HOURS both threads broke from the strain so I did pleats and it was done in no time. I've only washed it once so it still has some fuzzies on it. I have enough leftover of the pink polka dot to make a matching nightgown for winter. My daughter's so excited.

Now I'm starting my son's scrap quilt. We had some "discussions" about fabric choices yesterday at JoAnn's: I really don't think he should be sleeping with pictures of skeletons/skulls/all black. He's only 9 for crying out loud - isn't that supposed to happen when he's 17? Anyway, here are the pictures of the front and back. Enjoy!

CTR blocks

These are come cute little wood blocks we're making for a craft night at my house next weekend. I'm posting pictures here to share since I'm always looking for cute LDS Super Saturday ideas. I love vinyl lettering!

Quilt Inspiration

Museums are a great way to stay cool in the summer! Yesterday we drove to Springville and after 30 minutes of driving around numerous contruction zones we found the Art Musuem where they are doing a Quilt Show. I forgot how much I LOVE quilts! Here are a few that have inspired me. I now hope to finish at least one quilt a year. (Most of these look they need to be done by hand) Feel free to click on them to see them a little closer.

This was based on Gordon B. Hinckley's 6 B's. I saw one just like this at Raspberry Days in Bear Lake and couldn't help but walk right up and start touching it. So fun!

Eric Carle quilt - E's favorite

Twilight Quilt - hilarious that they did this. They're gifting it to Stephenie Meyer! (No, I'm not doing this. I just thought it was interesting. Some of the pieces look like origami)

Flower Garden aka Honeycomb. Paper piecing by hand sounds so time-consuming but I thought it would be a great way to use scraps on our long car-trips to Arizona. The artist made it with her mother using 40 different patterns of fabric, 777 hexagon pieces (thank goodness it wasn't 666 - you were thinking it too...) and it was all pieced, quilted and bound by HAND in 3 months. It was a large crib-size quilt. I also like how she double-bordered it.

This one stood out to me because the artist used shimmery gold thread - see it? There was a small wall-hanging, peacock-colored quilt with irridescent beads. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of it.

Whole Quilting - this would be awesome done with double wedding ring design stitched on it, don't you think? Talk about a lot of work though...

I was telling my boys the different designs, themes, fabrics and techniques used when some ladies commented that they were happy to see my older boys so interested in the quilts. I love art - It can be symbolic, it can change your mood, and I always wonder what the artist was thinking at the time... what caused them to want to create that particular piece.

On another similar note - if you live in Utah - you have to go see the traveling exhibit at BYU Museum of Art. Steinhilber has some really fun ways to make art out of everyday items. http://moa.byu.edu/fileadmin/moa/steinhilber/steinhilbersplash.html It ends on 8/22 and is an excellent way to get your kids interested in art. We especially enjoyed the "circular balloon wall art" and "blowing styro-peanut corner." Every piece is untitled so those are just the names I use to describe them. The "heat lamp" and "stacked chairs" I could've done without but there are always a few pieces in modern art that I just don't get. (Like at NYC's MOA they have a lamp in the corner of a room. It's just a... LAMP IN THE CORNER, who cares? It took what, 5 seconds to do it - that's not art sweetie. Build it all with forks and then I'll be impressed) Sorry to end on a grouchy note - I must need chocolate or something. :)

Groovy Green Goddess aka Shrek Smoothie

Check out this super yummy breakfast. Your family will never guess the mysterious green ingredient. Tell them you used green apples and green grapes. Then after they've finished add, "Oh yeah, and some spinach!" Thanks to www.crunchydomesticgoddess.com for the recipe.

Serves 2, don't try to double it - it won't fit.
Ingredients:
1 banana, cut in chunks
1 cup grapes
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 apple, cored and chopped
1 and 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup flax seed or wheat germ
Optional - ICE. Gives it a nice chill.

Directions: Place the banana, grapes, yogurt, apple and spinach into a blender. Cover, and blend until smooth, stopping frequently to push down anything stuck to the sides. Pour into glasses and serve with funky straw. Heck, why not watch Shrek?

Long time no blog

We really have been busy with all our summer activities and yet I'm already planning my to-do list for when school starts and I have some ME-time again. You know me and lists:

*Potty train my baby boy
*Walk/Bike/Run every day with N in stroller or bike trailer. Also put him in a gym class of some sorts - he already likes to do front flips off the couch and onto the love sac.
*Get all the kids into swim lessons. I'm hoping it won't be so busy once school starts.
*SCRAPBOOK - I feel sooo far behind
*Quilting - all the kids need new, bigger quilts and I want to do a patriotic one for picnics.
*Finish painting the inside of the house: ceilings, doors, trim and touch-up.
*Deep clean every nook and cranny. It's true what they say: Cleaning the house with kids still in it is like shoveling the driveway in a blizzard.
*Temple at least once a week and get my scripture reading in every day.
*Index 100 names per week. This is my newest thing. You transcript old census files so temple work can be done on them. Check it out at http://www.familysearch.org/

I must say that one of the funnest new things we've done this summer is HIKING every Friday. It's just gorgeous around here and it's fun for the kids & they get some fresh air. Here are some of our favorite places we've gone:

*Cascade Springs up American Fork Canyon. Very pretty with little fish and butterflies.
*Ensign Peak - a little steep in some parts but the view is to die for! You gotta go, now. There's so much wonderful history up there as well in the lower memorial garden.
*Bridal Veil Falls - short, paved and just plain fun since there are snakes & squirrels along the way. The kids liked Krispy Kreme donuts on the way home as their reward for the long drive.
*Cecret Lake - I spelled it right, really. Last year there was still snow up there in July. Salamanders in the little lake up at the top = pure bliss for boys.
*Red Butte Gardens - there was a free day. I love freebies.
*This is the Place Park - another free day. It was packed with people.
*Donut Falls - it was packed when we went on the 4th of July weekend. I'd like to go again so we can go all the way to the top and see the actual part where the water falls into a hole in the rock. Hence the name, Donut Falls.
*Mt. Timpanogos - kinda steep but worth it for the view. I recommend the cave tour if you don't have a baby who's afraid of the dark. Last year, N woke up crying and the tour guide hurried us thru the rest of the tour since no one could hear him speak above N's terrified cries.

Ensign Peak:

Look for my upcoming post about our trip to Ouray, Colorado. We had so much fun there. If it wasn't so cold in the winter, I would consider moving there.

One more side note: Z and J both moved up in their piano books. Hooray!

Relief Society Enrichment Ideas

I thought I would share what our ward is doing for Enrichment and hopefully ya'll will share what has worked well in your women. I love swapping ideas!

Quarterly Enrichment Meetings:

These are the big, all-out ones that we provide child care for and it almost always involves delicious food. We try to get all the women to come to these.

1. Birthday Dinner celebrating RS B-day. We did this potluck on Earth Day and did it as green as possible. We asked our Stake RS president to give a short talk. We also played a 60 Second Social game where we had each sister ask the other a few questions (from a list we provided). After a minute, one side would rotate down so they ended up talking to 1/2 the ladies there. It was so much fun! It was hard getting the ladies to stop talking and move on down the line. Then for dessert we had a variety but it had to include green lime Jell-O in it. :)

2. Service Auction. I'm excited to bring this back again. Sisters come with homemade crafts or goodies OR they can auction off services such as babysitting, cleaning, lessons, etc. Then there is a list of ways to earn points such as 10 pts for visiting teaching this month, 5 pts for every child you've had, etc. They tally their points then use them to buy things up for auction. We're going to try to get an older but fast-talking gentleman to come be our official auctioneer. Last time we served food storage desserts & appetizers like pinto bean fudge and fruit smoothies from canned fruit and powdered milk.

3. Humanitarian Project. I've spoken about it before but White Elegance has AMAZING prices that can't be beat on their Humanitarian kits that you can assemble and turn back in to them or to the Humanitarian Center. Not sure which one we'll do yet.

4. Progressive Dinner. My mother's ward did this and women carpooled together. I started it in my ward when I was Enrichment Leader and it's stuck around. It's potluck and you separate into groups then go to one house for appetizers, another for main course, another for salads. RS provides rolls and paper goods and a short Christmas program at the end with dessert served and a small gift is given.

Enrichment Activity Groups:

These are smaller groups of women who would like to meet together on a regular basis and is headed up by someone who will organize it and tell people what, when and where.

1. Temple 1st Tuesday of each month 10am session. Babysitting swap available.

2. Book Club 1st Thursday of each month at 7pm. Preferrably books by General Authorities. Some books we've done are: Sheri Dew's book "God Wants a Powerful People", Beverly Campbell's book "Eve and the Choice Made in the Garden of Eden", Ferrell's book "The Peacegiver", Truman Madsen's "The Temple: Where Heaven Meets Earth"

3. Scrapbooking & Crafting 4th Friday night each month 6:30-9:30pm. Finish up leftover projects and offer one optional project per month: April- Explosion boxes, May- glass etching, June-Quiet Books, no July (Pioneer Day). Sept-Living Christ frame, October - Vinyl FHE board, Nov- large vinyl clock, No Dec (Christmas Day), Jan- jewelry, Feb - fridge photo magnets, Mar- Glass block w/ vinyl, April – pillowcases, May - Capri Sun bags, June – Table Talk ?s in IKEA jar w/ vinyl, no July (Pioneer Day), Aug- Cute Aprons, Sept – Family Memories Game, Oct – flannel rice bags, Nov – vinyl family chore chart, no December (Christmas). Yes, I'm in charge of this group - can you tell? :)

4. Quilting Bee. No cost, donations and helping kids welcome. 2nd Thursdays 7-9pm. Tied quilts are donated to Humanitarian Center. FYI, cheapest place I've found to get stuff is Walmart. Flat sheet for the backing, high loft batting and a top fabric that has a pattern so I don't have to mark it.

5. Cooking/Food Storage. Summer canning (such as making jam), Rotation/Room Ideas, 72 hour kits, etc. Held quarterly.

6. Single Sisters Group – They come up with ideas for the single sisters in our ward such as lunch dates, movie nights, going to a museum or art show, etc..

7. Summer Walking every Tuesday and Thursday 9-10pm around the neighborhood.

8. Summer Hiking Friday mornings with kids, easy hikes. This one's also mine. Email me if you'd like the list of locations or you can google it for your area. I love living in Utah! The kids have so much fun in the great outdoors and it's even funner doing it with other kids.