AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD
1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
2/3 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
Grease and flour well 2 9″x5″ bread pans. Or grease and coat pans with cinnamon/sugar. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
Variations: Add 1/2 cup of one or more of the following - raisins, chopped apples, crushed pineapple, candied fruit, coconut, chopped dates, nuts or chocolate chips. Add to batter just before baking.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Amish Friendship Bread (Starter)
AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD (STARTER)
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. warm milk (110 degrees)
Making the starter:
Day 1:
Soften active dry yeast with 1/4 cup warm water for 10 minutes.
Stir with a wooden spoon. In a non-metal bowl, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix, slowly adding 1 cup warm milk and the softened yeast. Cover loosely with clean cloth and leave at room temperature until bubbly. When mixture has lots of bubbles, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Days 2, 3, and 4:
Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon (don't use a metal spoon) until mixture is smooth. Do this once each day.
Day 5:
At this time, 2 cups of starter can be removed from the batch to bake Amish Friendship Bread or use in your own recipe which calls for starter.
Replenish starter by stirring in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk; stir; allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate.
Days 6, 7, 8, 9:
Stir with wooden or plastic spoon until smooth. Do this once each day.
Day 10:
Repeat.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,156183-225206,00.html
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. warm milk (110 degrees)
Making the starter:
Day 1:
Soften active dry yeast with 1/4 cup warm water for 10 minutes.
Stir with a wooden spoon. In a non-metal bowl, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix, slowly adding 1 cup warm milk and the softened yeast. Cover loosely with clean cloth and leave at room temperature until bubbly. When mixture has lots of bubbles, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Days 2, 3, and 4:
Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon (don't use a metal spoon) until mixture is smooth. Do this once each day.
Day 5:
At this time, 2 cups of starter can be removed from the batch to bake Amish Friendship Bread or use in your own recipe which calls for starter.
Replenish starter by stirring in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk; stir; allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate.
Days 6, 7, 8, 9:
Stir with wooden or plastic spoon until smooth. Do this once each day.
Day 10:
Repeat.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,156183-225206,00.html
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Easy Bread Recipe Using Self-Rising Flour
I have self-rising flour, and no recipes for how to make bread with it, but I found one online, and I can't wait to try it - and there isn't much to it!!! :)
3 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 12 oz bottle of beer
Stir these ingredients together....you can also add some shredded sharp cheese and herbs, such as chopped chives to this. Dump into a lightly greased loaf pan - larger size. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Pour melted butter over top and bake for 10more minutes. Cool.....to remove from pan....can be served somewhat warm.
MY REVIEW:
This bread is yummy and tastes more like shortcake. As a matter of fact, my kids began singing, "Mommy's little baby loves shortnin', shortning'--Mommy's little baby loves shortnin' bread!" The sweetness is surprising at first, since I made it to go with dinner. I used Widmere Hefeweizen (since that's all my hubby drinks when he does have beer), and it was good. The girls, especially, have loved having it for a snack with butter. I'm sure it would be excellent with fresh fruit on top, etc.
3 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 12 oz bottle of beer
Stir these ingredients together....you can also add some shredded sharp cheese and herbs, such as chopped chives to this. Dump into a lightly greased loaf pan - larger size. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Pour melted butter over top and bake for 10more minutes. Cool.....to remove from pan....can be served somewhat warm.
MY REVIEW:
This bread is yummy and tastes more like shortcake. As a matter of fact, my kids began singing, "Mommy's little baby loves shortnin', shortning'--Mommy's little baby loves shortnin' bread!" The sweetness is surprising at first, since I made it to go with dinner. I used Widmere Hefeweizen (since that's all my hubby drinks when he does have beer), and it was good. The girls, especially, have loved having it for a snack with butter. I'm sure it would be excellent with fresh fruit on top, etc.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Muffin Morning
It's a Muffin Morning. I need to make some muffins for breakfast because...well, becaue we need something nutritions and different today--at least I do!
Here are two muffin recipes for today. One is from a local friend, and it's called "Blueberry Oat Muffins." It's delicious, so give it a try! The other is "Breakfast Cereal Muffins," and I love this because it lets me use up the last of the cereal for a tasty muffin. Today, I'm making the Breakfast Cereal Muffins with leftover Strawberry Special K! I haven't tried this recipe before, so I'll give it a review when I'm done.
BLUEBERRY OAT MUFFINS
1 1/4 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 c. quick-cooking oats
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
Topping:
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Directions:
Combine first six ingredients. In another bowl, beat egg white, water and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just till moistened. Fold in blueberries. Put in greased muffin cups. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 400 for 18-22 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.
BREAKFAST CEREAL MUFFINS
1 egg
1/4 cup salad oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups breakfast cereal (like Raisin Bran, All Bran, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, etc.)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease 12 medium sized (2 3/4" diameter) muffin cups.
In a mixing bowl, beat egg and whisk together with oil, milk and honey.
In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients; mixed well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until flour is moist (batter should be lumpy).
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with the batter, and bake for 20-25 minutes (until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted).
Remove from pan immediately.
Makes 1 dozen.
***Wonderful breakfast, brunch, or mid-morning snack. This recipe is very versatile. Any kind of cereal works, and you can substitute dried fruit and/or nuts for part of the cereal. If using a cooked, hot cereal like oatmeal, combine with wet ingredients instead of dry.
MY REVIEW:
This recipe was decent, but it doesn't seem quite sweet enough. I used Agave Nectar to sweeten, rather than honey, because I didn't have enough. I also added a small amount of yogurt to the Strawberry Special K recipe. Then I made a second batch of muffins with some Raisin Bran, and I added a little sour cream to those...not as tasty. I need to tweak it a bit more, but the recipe is worth keeping in mind. I may use honey next time.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
A TEN-YEAR OLD'S THOUGHTS ON WOMANHOOD
Tonight, our 10 year old daughter Katie began delivering this impromptu speech to me, as she stood by the kitchen sink getting a glass of water. It was soo precious to me, I had sit and type it verbatim while she was speaking because I never want to forget this:
"Women work hard...taking care of children, especially babies, can be hard to do, but it's worth it because God made you different than men, and women have a gift and when God sees us working for the Lord, taking care of our children, he is giving us a blessing...a gift. Men have a different gift--to provide for their family, but women have a beautiful gift, and when I think of it, it's like a butterfly, you know. It's beautiful and sometimes, it's like a flower, and when that gift is so tired, the Lord gives it strength--the gift of God with wisdom and power with His strength to keep moving forward. I just have to say that women work hard, and women (she's got tears in her eyes now) are beautiful creatures because they were made in the image of God, and they're hard-working, cooking, mopping, sweeping, changing babies' diapers, and reading to their children, teaching school, doing laundry, doing the dishes, and even sometimes they need some stuff for their own selves like medicine because the doctors--they can help us, but they can't help us as much as God. Because God is our Savior and Messiah. He can do everything, even if it's hard for us. We can do it in His will, and if we continue to obey Him and pray, then we can do anything through Christ. So, this is what I'm saying about women. Women sometimes make bad decisions. Some other women make good decisions, but forever and ever I'm saying that I wish that some people prayed for anything they needed because some women don't have that gift. They don't have it deep in their hearts; that's why they need God. Some women, if they have hurt feelings, instead of praying they do things like eat candy, read books, or do other things, but that's not how it is in Christian life. We have to pray...we need to pray for everything, even if it's hard. We need to pray.
Then, she read a verse I have taped to one of the kitchen cupboards:
Isaiah 40:11--"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."
I hope you don't mind, but...I just had to share my blessing tonight with all you women out there. :)
"Women work hard...taking care of children, especially babies, can be hard to do, but it's worth it because God made you different than men, and women have a gift and when God sees us working for the Lord, taking care of our children, he is giving us a blessing...a gift. Men have a different gift--to provide for their family, but women have a beautiful gift, and when I think of it, it's like a butterfly, you know. It's beautiful and sometimes, it's like a flower, and when that gift is so tired, the Lord gives it strength--the gift of God with wisdom and power with His strength to keep moving forward. I just have to say that women work hard, and women (she's got tears in her eyes now) are beautiful creatures because they were made in the image of God, and they're hard-working, cooking, mopping, sweeping, changing babies' diapers, and reading to their children, teaching school, doing laundry, doing the dishes, and even sometimes they need some stuff for their own selves like medicine because the doctors--they can help us, but they can't help us as much as God. Because God is our Savior and Messiah. He can do everything, even if it's hard for us. We can do it in His will, and if we continue to obey Him and pray, then we can do anything through Christ. So, this is what I'm saying about women. Women sometimes make bad decisions. Some other women make good decisions, but forever and ever I'm saying that I wish that some people prayed for anything they needed because some women don't have that gift. They don't have it deep in their hearts; that's why they need God. Some women, if they have hurt feelings, instead of praying they do things like eat candy, read books, or do other things, but that's not how it is in Christian life. We have to pray...we need to pray for everything, even if it's hard. We need to pray.
Then, she read a verse I have taped to one of the kitchen cupboards:
Isaiah 40:11--"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."
I hope you don't mind, but...I just had to share my blessing tonight with all you women out there. :)
Whoopie Pies
Here's a fun little recipe for your spring get-togethers.......
Chocolate Sandwich Creme Cookies (a.k.a. "Whoopie Pies")
For the cookie, you will need:
1 box of chocolate cake mix (the pudding kind works best)
1 stick of margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
Sift the cake mix into a large bowl, then cut in the butter with a fork, until the mixture is crumbly and well-incorporated. Add the eggs, and mix until it is a stiff dough.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and roll the dough into 2" balls. Place them by the dozen on a large cookie sheet, and bake on the top rack, for ten minutes. Remove cookies from oven, and let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack.
Spread one with marshmallow fluff, filling, or ice cream, and stick another on top.
Filling:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon extract
4 drops food coloring, optional
4 teaspoons fat-free milk
*Great for get-togethers...can be made in as many varieties as cake mixes and filling ideas: pumpkin, spice cake, lemon, red velvet, etc. Fillings: peanutbutter, cream cheese, cheesecake filling, mint, almond, maple, etc.
Chocolate Sandwich Creme Cookies (a.k.a. "Whoopie Pies")
For the cookie, you will need:
1 box of chocolate cake mix (the pudding kind works best)
1 stick of margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
Sift the cake mix into a large bowl, then cut in the butter with a fork, until the mixture is crumbly and well-incorporated. Add the eggs, and mix until it is a stiff dough.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and roll the dough into 2" balls. Place them by the dozen on a large cookie sheet, and bake on the top rack, for ten minutes. Remove cookies from oven, and let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack.
Spread one with marshmallow fluff, filling, or ice cream, and stick another on top.
Filling:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon extract
4 drops food coloring, optional
4 teaspoons fat-free milk
*Great for get-togethers...can be made in as many varieties as cake mixes and filling ideas: pumpkin, spice cake, lemon, red velvet, etc. Fillings: peanutbutter, cream cheese, cheesecake filling, mint, almond, maple, etc.
HAPPY SPRING & HAPPY EASTER 2010
HAPPY SPRING 2010
Greetings to our beloved family and friends!
Clearly by now, you must have noticed that we didn't send out Christmas cards or Valentine's Day cards as I had intended. However, we are sending out an Easter Greeting this year in an effort to catch everyone up on all the important details of life around here. :)
First of all, we want to wish you all a HAPPY EASTER!! We rejoice in the fact that Easter is Resurrection Day! Not only did Jesus die on the cross for everyone's sins over 2,000 years ago this Friday, but on that precious Sunday He rose again! Everyone is born, and everyone dies...but only Jesus rose again! Because Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world--He was the perfect sacrifice...without blemish. His RESURRECTION is the key--the whole point of what Easter IS! Praise God!
Secondly, we want to fill you in on a few happenings around our home.
Casey: has been enjoying his new position in the Operating Room as a circulator/nurse. He has witnessed and assisted in many interesting surgeries and loves "the blood and guts" of nursing, as he calls it! He's in his element!
His step-dad Kenny is still in the VA hospital in Florida. The damage he suffered to his brain was very traumatic, and his survival and gradual rehabilitation has been nothing short of miraculous!! He fell from the ladder in Sept., and has progressed from a non-responsive coma to being able to use a bicycle-pedal attachment on his bed for rehab, as well as being able to talk a bit, smile, and remember some details from his life. He recently had a set-back and was in the ICU, but praise the Lord he is back to the rehab part of the hospital now! He has not regained speaking again since the set-back, but we continue praying for his mind and health to be restored completely and permanently, as well as for encouragement for his heart. In the meantime, Casey's mom has been a shining example of strength through adversity. We ask you to join us in lifting them both in prayer during this difficult time of ups and downs.
On March 7, Casey's Grandma Davis (maternal g-ma) passed away to be with the Lord. She was 95 years old, and such a special woman! We were able to make it to Salem for a couple days for the funeral and visit with family briefly. We got to have a few hours with Casey's dad, too, during which time the girls endlessly entertained him with their antics and stories. He's probably good on "girl talk" for awhile at least. :)
Shauna: I've been busy with the usual--kids, homeschool, chores, etc. I've been feeling much better lately than I have since October! Praise the Lord, I haven't had to use my cane or walker in over two weeks! We are so thankful for God's blessing of grace and strength! I'm excited that I've been able to become more active again this last week without any issues--it feels good. Please continue to pray for me. I have to return to the neurologist in the near future and have another MRI to make sure the 2 cysts in my brain are still just cysts and that they're not growing enough to be putting pressure on my optic nerve. I trust that everything will be fine. God is so good!!
Katie: is enjoying school and is so interested in cooking, baking, animals, and all things science. We've had some fun trips recently to the local Discovery Center and got to visit OMSI in Portland while we were there, and she was definitely in her element. It was difficult to leave when it was closing because there was just so much more to read and learn about! She is really interested in joining 4-H, so we may try to sign her up for that in the near future.
Anna: is also enjoying school and is thrilled that her dream has come true: She's finally playing soccer! We got her signed up for Upward Soccer (a local league through the churches), and she has a great coach and a cute little team. They are the "Jays". So far, their record is Game 1--Loss 0-5; Game 2--Tie 2/2. She's having fun, learning a lot, and relishing in her rooting section, which last week was made up of her parents, 3 sisters, 2 grandparents, 2 aunts, and 5 cousins. Woo hoo! We took up half the sideline, and it was fun!!
Gracie: is enjoying reading more than guessing at words these days. :) She has been working hard at reading and has just completed another set of readers, so we're on our way!! She wants to finish all her readers before she turns 7. She still has a month or so to go, so I have no doubt she'll make it! She has lots of fun playing with her sisters and if you ask her what her favorite thing to do is, she'll honestly say: "helping Mommy....except not folding clothes." She's a great helper, that's for sure.
Bethany: is almost 3. That sums certain things up. :) As for the rest, though, she is a happy little girl who enjoys singing, playing with her sisters (though not always sharing HER things), and outside. She is learning new things all the time, and we're not ready for our "baby" to be a "big girl" yet!
For Easter, the plan is to be at Meagan and Nathan's house to visit them and the cousins for the day, along with my parents. We're looking forward to that, but wish it were possible to have a giant family get-together again. It's hard as time goes by to have to miss out on vacations and get-togethers due to various reasons, so when we get a chance, we try to savor every moment! If we could come visit each one of you more often, we would gladly do so--You know you're always welcome to come visit us in the meantime, and we'll be glad to share Idaho hospitality with you! :)
If you ever want to keep up with us, sometimes we post something on our blog:
Greetings to our beloved family and friends!
Clearly by now, you must have noticed that we didn't send out Christmas cards or Valentine's Day cards as I had intended. However, we are sending out an Easter Greeting this year in an effort to catch everyone up on all the important details of life around here. :)
First of all, we want to wish you all a HAPPY EASTER!! We rejoice in the fact that Easter is Resurrection Day! Not only did Jesus die on the cross for everyone's sins over 2,000 years ago this Friday, but on that precious Sunday He rose again! Everyone is born, and everyone dies...but only Jesus rose again! Because Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world--He was the perfect sacrifice...without blemish. His RESURRECTION is the key--the whole point of what Easter IS! Praise God!
Secondly, we want to fill you in on a few happenings around our home.
Casey: has been enjoying his new position in the Operating Room as a circulator/nurse. He has witnessed and assisted in many interesting surgeries and loves "the blood and guts" of nursing, as he calls it! He's in his element!
His step-dad Kenny is still in the VA hospital in Florida. The damage he suffered to his brain was very traumatic, and his survival and gradual rehabilitation has been nothing short of miraculous!! He fell from the ladder in Sept., and has progressed from a non-responsive coma to being able to use a bicycle-pedal attachment on his bed for rehab, as well as being able to talk a bit, smile, and remember some details from his life. He recently had a set-back and was in the ICU, but praise the Lord he is back to the rehab part of the hospital now! He has not regained speaking again since the set-back, but we continue praying for his mind and health to be restored completely and permanently, as well as for encouragement for his heart. In the meantime, Casey's mom has been a shining example of strength through adversity. We ask you to join us in lifting them both in prayer during this difficult time of ups and downs.
On March 7, Casey's Grandma Davis (maternal g-ma) passed away to be with the Lord. She was 95 years old, and such a special woman! We were able to make it to Salem for a couple days for the funeral and visit with family briefly. We got to have a few hours with Casey's dad, too, during which time the girls endlessly entertained him with their antics and stories. He's probably good on "girl talk" for awhile at least. :)
Shauna: I've been busy with the usual--kids, homeschool, chores, etc. I've been feeling much better lately than I have since October! Praise the Lord, I haven't had to use my cane or walker in over two weeks! We are so thankful for God's blessing of grace and strength! I'm excited that I've been able to become more active again this last week without any issues--it feels good. Please continue to pray for me. I have to return to the neurologist in the near future and have another MRI to make sure the 2 cysts in my brain are still just cysts and that they're not growing enough to be putting pressure on my optic nerve. I trust that everything will be fine. God is so good!!
Katie: is enjoying school and is so interested in cooking, baking, animals, and all things science. We've had some fun trips recently to the local Discovery Center and got to visit OMSI in Portland while we were there, and she was definitely in her element. It was difficult to leave when it was closing because there was just so much more to read and learn about! She is really interested in joining 4-H, so we may try to sign her up for that in the near future.
Anna: is also enjoying school and is thrilled that her dream has come true: She's finally playing soccer! We got her signed up for Upward Soccer (a local league through the churches), and she has a great coach and a cute little team. They are the "Jays". So far, their record is Game 1--Loss 0-5; Game 2--Tie 2/2. She's having fun, learning a lot, and relishing in her rooting section, which last week was made up of her parents, 3 sisters, 2 grandparents, 2 aunts, and 5 cousins. Woo hoo! We took up half the sideline, and it was fun!!
Gracie: is enjoying reading more than guessing at words these days. :) She has been working hard at reading and has just completed another set of readers, so we're on our way!! She wants to finish all her readers before she turns 7. She still has a month or so to go, so I have no doubt she'll make it! She has lots of fun playing with her sisters and if you ask her what her favorite thing to do is, she'll honestly say: "helping Mommy....except not folding clothes." She's a great helper, that's for sure.
Bethany: is almost 3. That sums certain things up. :) As for the rest, though, she is a happy little girl who enjoys singing, playing with her sisters (though not always sharing HER things), and outside. She is learning new things all the time, and we're not ready for our "baby" to be a "big girl" yet!
For Easter, the plan is to be at Meagan and Nathan's house to visit them and the cousins for the day, along with my parents. We're looking forward to that, but wish it were possible to have a giant family get-together again. It's hard as time goes by to have to miss out on vacations and get-togethers due to various reasons, so when we get a chance, we try to savor every moment! If we could come visit each one of you more often, we would gladly do so--You know you're always welcome to come visit us in the meantime, and we'll be glad to share Idaho hospitality with you! :)
If you ever want to keep up with us, sometimes we post something on our blog:
I'm trying to get better at updating it, so that we can keep far-away family in touch better.
Please join us in praying for these prayer requests:
*Casey's step-dad Kenny, as he continues to heal and recover from his brain injury and for his Mom Sue, as she is vigilant by his side day and night--for strength and comfort, as well.
*Nathan's dad Rich Bath has an aggressive cancer, multiple myeloma. He is now undergoing chemo, but has recently had several scares and has been in and out of the hospital. Please pray for Nathan, Meagan and the girls, as well as Rich, his wife Rhoda, and the whole family during this diffIcult time.
*Aunt Bonnie, who just underwent open-heart surgery and is in the hospital recouperating.
*Kaitlyn will be having another EEG soon to determine if her medications are adequately controlling her seizures. They don't seem to be, so we need to know so that her Rx regimen can be adjusted.
*Other family struggling through difficult times, including health, financial, and all other needs.
We pray for each of you often, if not daily, and send you all our love and Hershey hugs & kisses!
Love,
Casey, Shauna, Katie, Anna, Gracie, and Beth
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