Homemade Bread...Try it, you'll like it

I am always meaning to put more recipes on here and more posts, but I get busy and distracted with 3 busy little boys and this is the activity I have to ixnay.  Now that it's finally feeling fall like here in Oklahoma, I decided it was time again to bake some homemade bread!  Now, homemade bread makes me really, really excited.  No, really, it does.  I was going to tell you that it's JUST as easy to make a loaf than to pick up a loaf at your local grocery store, but that would be a blatant lie.  I will, however, tell you that it really is NOT that difficult to make your own bread and you will definitely reap the rewards.  I love homemade bread.  I love the process of making bread and I love the smells of baking bread in the house.  Now, I am really not loyal to any specific recipe for bread.  I like to experiment and try different things.  I have made bread with ALL whole wheat flour and have NOT had good luck with it.  It seems to get too heavy and does not taste quite as yummy as it should.  Last night, I was looking for some motivation, so I went to my cook book cabinet and on a whim pulled out my "The Joy of Cooking" cookbook that I scored at a local thrift store for $1.  The most recent copyright date in this book is 1953, so this book is definitely an oldie but a goodie.  It's got recipes in the margins and also is inscribed to someone named Bertha.  The inscription says the following:  Bertha, Cookbooks are to be used!  and it's signed Dr someone or another.  I could NOT agree MORE with Dr. Who's a ma what.  After looking at the index, I turned to the bread section and settled on a Steel Cut Oatmeal bread.  Ironically, I just picked up some ORGANIC steel cut oats for 99 cents a pound the other day.  The recipe seemed easy enough except for the part about using a yeast cake.  A yeast cake!?!  What in the crap is a yeast cake?  After further reading the bread section, I was informed that dry yeast (1 packet) can be evenly swapped out for a yeast cake.  Problem averted.

Now here comes the recipe you've all been dreaming about:  Steel Cut Oats Nut Bread (See, I improvised once again and DID not add the nuts as I did not have any)

This recipe will make ONE loaf of bread

Measure into mixing bowl:
1 C. steel cut oats
1/4 C. dark molasses
1 Tbsp soft shortening (crisco)
3/4 tsp. salt

Pour over above ingredients:
2 C. boiling water

Stir In:
2 C. flour

Cool, then add:
1 package yeast (follow directions on back to dissolve.  Usually you dissolve in 1/4 cup lukewarm water)

Work In:

2 C. flour

Knead the dough on a floured board until it is soft and pliable and no longer sticks to the hands.  Use a little additional flour if needed.  You may work in the following:  1 C. pecan pieces.

Place the dough in a greased loaf pan.  Punch it down so the pan is only 1/2 full.  Cover it with a cloth and allow to rise (doubling in size).  Bake in a 375 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes ( I check mine after about 35 as my oven runs hot).  Remove from pan and cool on a rack.  Then, devour said bread.  It's really great fresh from the oven with a little bit of butter and honey on it.  It does NOT get any better than that kids.

Look at that beauty!  I wish you could really get the full scope of how HUGE this loaf is.  It wouldn't even fit in the toaster.  I had to cut it in half to toast it this morning.  It was a delish breakfast treat with homemade black cherry jam I got from my jam exchange partner, Anna. 

My gorgeous loaf after being all sliced up!  I have an electric knife I got from someone for perhaps a wedding gift that I found last year in the move (brand new might I add) and it works AMAZING for getting nice, uniform slices of bread.  Can you see the little white flecks in the bread?  Those are some of the steel cut oat goodness.  Delish.

I again URGE you friends to step outside of your culinary box and at least TRY and make some homemade bread.  I really think that you won't be disappointed.

Until we meet again...
Paula

Kleenix Koozie--A Tutorial

Some of you may be aware that last week I was one of the caterers for a quilter's retreat in Missouri. Can I say awesome!!!  No, seriously these ladies rocked.  Their handiwork was completely amazing.  I also brought my sewing machine along just in case I had an extra 5 seconds to sew.  Some of the ladies taught me some amazing tips and tricks to use when sewing and also passed around some hand made crafts to share.  I received one of these kleenix koozies.....My name for it, not theirs.  I thought what a great present this would be to give to ALL the kids in Abe's first grade class for Christmas.  I know that I've never met a six year old without a snotty nose and thought that it would be pretty cute.  I was telling one of the ladies what a great idea it was and she informed me that she is the one who made these.  I then got a quick lesson from her on how to construct said koozie.  I  didn't even get her name, but I am very thankful to her for showing me her stuff! 

Materials you will need:  To make this little project you will need a small piece of fabric, approximately 6"wide x 13"long.  I found that you can make 2 of these projects out of a fat quarter piece of fabric.  You will also need a scissor OR rotary cutter, cutting mat and pins.  Of course you will also NEED a sewing machine.

Once you have cut your fabric to the specified size of 6"wide by 13"long, take your fabric and fold longways with the right sides facing each other.  Then, sew a 1/4" seam.  Once your seam is finished, turn your fabric rightside out.

Now, you want to take the seam and center it on the bottom side.  Then take your fabric and fold in (right sides together so your seam is on the bottom, outside).  I used 4 pins across the top and 4 pins across the bottom.  Next, you are going to sew the seams where you have pinned it.  Again, use a 1/4" seam allowance.

After you sew your seams, take out your pins, pop out your corners and flippy-flip.  You are going to rotate it so that your seams will all be INSIDE!  Now, you have your almost finished product.  The ONLY thing left to do is to add a nice little pack of kleenix to this pouch.  See, doesn't this make a CUTE little gift for a friend?  Or in my case, your child's classmates?  The fabric possibilities are ENDLESS for definitely have fun!  Please, let me know what you think about this cute little project.

   Here is a picture of my cute little sewing machine!  It doesn't need to be fancy to get this little job done!  Happy sewing everyone.