Basic Hearty Wheat Bread Recipe

This is the recipe I followed to make the bread in the previous post. I'll post the recipe as is, and then put my variations in a different color.... If you have a favorite bread recipe, please post on your blog-I'd love to try it!

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 packages instant active dry yeast (equiv to 4.5 teaspoons)
1/4 cup brown sugar (can use 1/4 C honey)
1 Tbsp salt
( can add in ½ C wheat germ & 1/2 C Rolled Oats) or (1/4 C wheat germ, 1/4 C Oat Bran, 1/2 C rolled Oats- this is what I did)

1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

1. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off.
2. Combine flour, germ, oat bran, oats, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixer bowl; blend. (I Activated my yeast first with some of the water and sugar above. Heat water to 105-115 degrees. Hold off on adding yeast just yet)
3. In a saucepan, heat the (rest of) water, milk and oil together until very warm (120 to 130 degrees F). (I only let mine get to about 115 to 120- if it gets too hot you can kill your yeast)
4. Add eggs and heated mixture to flour mixture. (I added the heated mixture to the dry ingredients first, mixed, add in the activated yeast, blend, then added blended in the egg)

MIXING
1. Blend at low speed until moistened. (if you use Kitchen Aid, use wire whisk for this part)
2. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.
3. With a wooden spoon, (I used Kitchen Aid witih Dough Hook) stir in an additional 3 cups of Wheat flour to form a sticky dough.
4. In bowl or on a floured board, gradually knead in ¼ to ¾ C more white flour, kneading or working in with hands until dough is smooth, pliable and no longer sticky (about 5 minutes).

RISING
1. Place dough in a greased bowl; cover with a cloth or loose fit lid.
2. Let rise in a warm place until light and double in size, about 1 hour.

SHAPING AND BAKING
1. Punch down dough to remove air bubbles; divide dough into two parts.
2. Form dough into desired shapes; place in greased pans according to Shaping and Baking directions (follows). (I used expert village you tube video on making wheat bread to do the punch down/shaping of my bread)
3. Cover, let rise in a warm place until light and doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F according to shape until loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped. If loaf becomes too brown, cover with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes of baking. (Baking for about 15 mins, then cover and bake 10 mins more)
5. Immediately remove from pans; cool.

OK... So GOOD LUCK! Seems like bread making is not so straight forward, and everyone has their "own thing"....

and p.s. IT'S SNOWING TODAY!!!!

FInally.... Homemade Bread!

I mean... need I say more?! HAHA

If you only knew how many times I have tried to make homemade wheat bread in the past 2 weeks... that is edible! You would be as excited as I am today! Not only does it look good... it taste good too! I THINK I've finally found a recipe that we like...

Sarah, if you're looking at this picture and possibly salivating.... that's great, because this is your loaf...coming your way tomorrow! Hope your family enjoys it as much as Matt and I have today!

Precious to My Heart

In keeping with my previous posts about special gifts, there is one that I just could NOT leave out!

My mom gave me her bible when I got married. That in itself was a special and significant gift...but.... she also wrote a piece of heart into a poem for me. You can see the framed poem and the Bible below.

And, since you can't really see what the poem says I want to type it out for my memoirs.

Dear Cheryl,

This Bible is old, it's weathered and worn

And through the years some pages have torn

But it's special to me for many reasons
And it has served me well through most of life's seasons.

It was 1958 in the Spring of the year
When I cam to know Christ and He became dear.
That year at Christmas this Bible was a gift to me
And on it my name was inscribed for everyone to see.

It was my first "complete" Bible and I was so glad
'Cause it was given to me by my Mom and Dad
I read it diligently taking it down off the shelf
But with dating, school and sports I often thought more of myself.

When I started my firstjob and I went off to DC
In my suitcase was this Bible remembering me who I was to be.
It was with me on 12/30/61, the best of my life
When I married your Father and became his wife.

As I walked down the aisle toward his smile of love
was carrying this Book with joy from above
My Bible was covered with a bouquet of flowers
And it marked the beginning of many happy hours,
For with Christ at the center, a marriage is blessed
As two become one and on His Word they rest.

So although it's old and visibily aged,
I wish you the love found on every page
For years it was the only Bible I carried
Now, I give it to you on the you are married.
Love,
Mom
March 12, 2005

This still brings tears to my eyes as I've now re-read it a hundred times probably!
I too carried this Bible the day I was married with a bouquet of flowers.
A mother that is also a friend, is something rare and so special.
Thank you Lord for my mom and her heart for you and for me!

Love you Mom!

100th Post for Savings

I kept thinking i'd do something special for my 100th post... but that means a little extra effort at the moment... and this too has been something i've wanted to post about...

Ways to Save Money... i do several differnt things to save us money. One of which is cutting coupons. These days though it's not just cutting them, it's uploading them to your store card(s), and printing them off line, as well as getting the Sunday paper(s).

I thought I'd just post a few links that i've found helpful in hopes it may help someone else save a little here and there!

If you shop at Kroger, Foodlion or CVS check this page out:
http://southernsavers.com/
She also gives you the upcoming insert deals- very cool!
She will tell you what is on sale for the week and what coupons are available for those products. If there are printable coupons for the product, she puts the link right there so you can print it off.
The CVS link on Southern Saver is wonderful! She gives you "Deal Ideas" and then also at the bottom of each weeks post she'll tell you what her plan is for the week- she rarely spends any money there - but walks out with lots of product!

Also- if you're a CVS shopper- or want to be; here is a link to a great blog entry entitled CVS 101
http://www.thethriftymama.com/2008/08/cvs-101.html
This entry will give you the basics of How To Shop at CVS!
I get FREE stuff at CVS every week! If I can't use it, i always know someone that can!

If you are a Walmart Shopper check out:
http://www.dealseekingmom.com/walmart/

Also- Kroger again- you can upload P&G coupons to your Kroger Card.
At Kroger you can double coupons up to 50 cents PLUS use the coupons you've uploaded to your Kroger Card for more savings! Go to:
http://www.pgesaver.com/Sites/PG_eSAVER/Page/SelectCouponsPage/

If you want to save a small percentage on purchase at 100s of different stores (including Martins and Kroger and lots of online stores) for a college fund go to:
http://shop.upromise.com/mall/home
to sign up and get started!

Some other links you may find helpful are:
http://shortcuts.com/
http://www.becentsable.net/2008/08/becentsables-original-grocery-gathering.html
http://www.redplum.com/pages/Grocery.aspx
http://coupons.smartsource.com//index.aspx?Link=5S2ZUA6PWPEPO

Aside from coupons there are a couple of blogs that I've found to be a good source for coupon information and freebies and current deals, they are:
http://www.5dollardinners.com/
http://www.thethriftymama.com/
http://frugalisfab.blogspot.com/

Just remember, buy on sale and with a paper coupon, and an e-coupon and you can walk out with them giving you money!

I use to think that Sharp Shopper was my best deal on several items... I've learned that if a grocery store has it on sale and I have a coupon for it... lots of times I can get it cheaper there! Now, for certain - there will always be items I can get cheaper at Sharp Shopper or Finders Keepers....but I have to keep an open mind and play the game from now on to get the best deal! I use to think Kroger and Martins were the most expensive grocery stores in town, that is probably true if you just run in...but if you're a planner you can get things cheaper there when they are on sale and with a double coupon, than you can any where else!

I hope some of these links helps someone out there!

Happy coupon-ing!

p.s.- the next P&G Savers will come in the Feb. 1st-OOPS that's the 8th paper (around here that is Richmond Times and Staunton News Leader papers)

Snow on the Outer Banks!

As if you didn't already realize....

I LOVE SNOW!!!!

I love this picture- snow on the pier- Outer Banks- Jan 2009 (LB)

I love to watch it snow, I like to play in the snow, I like to eat the snow, but mostly- watch it from inside a warm, cozy home with the fireplace burning!

Today, my sister-in-law, who lives on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in Kill Devil Hills, sends me some pictures... needless to say- I am a bit jealous!

The Wright Brothers Memorial- Jan 2009 (L. Burnett)

After 3 days, the still have snow on the ground there! Take a look!

This is my sister-in-law, Lyne, enjoying the snow!!!

This is Willow- one of their Labs. And this is my brother, Mitch, he is looking pretty chilly!

THANKS FOR SHARING ALL THE PHOTOS LYNE!

It's Snowing!!!

Just a Quick post to say YES

IT IS SNOWING!!!

Now...if it would only accumulate and last for a while.... wishful thinking i believe...

Another Special Gift

My previous post got me to thinking about other special gifts I received at Christmas (either this one or previous ones). I wanted to document for memory sake another one of those gifts.

Sometime in the late 90s my mom started charm bracelets for my sister, myself, and my sister-in-law. Each year she gets us a charm that reflects something special about that year in our lives!

This is what my charm bracelet looks like now, after Christmas 2008.
I want to highlight each charm and the year I got it- if I can remember (thus the need to document) - They are not in much order, because the charms are not placed sequentially on the bracelet!

1998- My First Charm- the Labrador. I got my own dog for the first time in October of 1998. I named him Buxton, after Buxton, NC. Buxton, NC is actually a small town outside of Hatteras where the Hatteras lighthouse is located. This was one of the first places Buxton ever went to the beach and went swimming. (It was a bit chilly mind you.... October weather.)

2000- The Airplane. The Lord introduced a great friend to me in 1996 (or so)- Carla VanPelt (at the time...now Carla Yoder); and we discovered we had LOTS in common, of which one thing is TRAVELLING! We started taking like 2 trips a year that involved getting there by an airplane! What fond memories! Not to mention trips with other friends as well! (Right Dawn?! ) I've visited Mexico (numerous times), Bahamas x2, Ireland x2, London x2, Hawaii x2, California, Colorado, Florida, Canada....

1999- The Year 2000 Charm- The New Millennium was right around the corner, worth documenting, the turn of a century that I was living through.

2001- The 9-11 Charm-here on the far left is a charm of the Twin Towers. It is a charm documenting the 9-11 Tragedy that the US experienced on September 11, 2001. The back of the charm is engraved with the date 9-11-01. 9-11 has been documented as the worst terrorist attack on US soil.

2003 - The London Bridge Charm -A trip to London with 2 great friends! Dawn & Carla. We found a great deal (see the Piggy Bank charm) on a week long trip to London over Thanksgiving. So we flew out on Thanksgiving Day 2003 for a trip to London! I bought this charm while we were touring the Tower of London, by the London Bridge. Weather was a bit challenging on that trip (remember riding a double decker bus on top- in the rain!) But we had a GREAT Time- right girls?!

2004- The Engagement Ring Charm- In October of 2004 on the 31st I was in Charleston, SC with my boyfriend at the time. We went to Isle of Palms one evening for a stroll on the beach. We had been really dating at this point about 4 months. Matt got down on his knee, pulled a ring out of his pocket, and asked me to marry him! Now the funny part of that story is- the ring he pulled out of his pocket at the time was one that he had 'borrowed' from my jewelry box! It was a ring that I had noticed was missing, and I was actually a little distraught about it. He said he wanted to give me a ring, but he also wanted me to pick out my engagement ring with him! So that was the only thing he could think of to do at the time! So sweet! :)

2002- The Piggy Bank! Over the years I have always tried to find "the deal" I'm always on the look-out for the best price, the cheapest place to buy something, buy it on sale- never- ever pay full price for something, and just all around ways to save a penny here and there to make it add up! My parents have recognized that in me and I got this charm one year for my bracelet!

2006- The Pineapple Charm- In September/October 2006 Matt and I took a trip to Maui, Hawaii. This was a wedding gift we received- a timeshare to use anywhere we wanted. So we decided on Hawaii. We spent about 7 days in Maui, a day on Oahu, and 3 days on the Big Island.

2003-Hatteras Lighthouse Charm- this was my Christmas Charm I received that year. Hatteras has always been a special place for our family, probably because my sister and my brother have spent so much of their lives on the Outer Banks- which means lots of trips for me down there! I also spent many summers there in my college life waiting tables and doing an internship- and Hatteras is a great place to drive out on the beach and hang for the day!

2005- The Golf Charm- this was my Christmas Charm I received that year. Back in 1998 my sister and I took golf lessons together. I remember that year because she was pregnant with her first daughter at the time. Over the years I played off and on. When Matt and I started dating and got married we would golf together sometimes. He is a great man to play golf with! He is VERY patient with me and gives instruction in a way that I can receive it! On a sad note- I have not played golf with him since I got pregnant with Kaitlyn...maybe this Spring we can change that!

2006-The Irish Charm- this was a charm I got on a trip to Ireland in February of that year. Matt and I along with the Yoders found a great deal (see The Piggy Bank Charm) on a trip to Ireland that included airfare, 5 nights in bed and breakfasts; 1 night in hotel, & 1 night in a castle, car rental, and a couple of meals! Again, February- probably not the best time to take a vacation- but that's why it was cheap! Carla and I had been to Ireland back in 2002 and when we saw this deal we wanted to take our husbands back this time! We had a great trip and another funny story about our rental car! If you watch Seinfeld- I'll just say it was the "You know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation" episode to a "T". But all worked out and we managed!


2004- The Charleston Charm- See the note above with the 'Engagement Ring Charm'. Matt and I bought this charm in Charleston as a memento of where we got engaged!

2007- The Stork Charm- I got this charm for Christmas the year I was pregnant with Kaitlyn. I would have been 4 months pregnant at the time.


2008- The Mother Charm. You can see the front on the left here and the back on the right. This Christmas Mom gave me this charm engraved with Kaitlyn 05-15-08.
She also gave Kaitlyn a charm bracelet to start and her first charm is a birth certificate on the front and her information engraved on the back! How Precious! I can't wait to see her bracelet when she's like 20 years old!

How precious this bracelet has become to me. It has become a family heirloom, it is more than just silver jewelry, it tells a story of what has been, and it will always carry that story with it, whomever has it in the future.
I am so blessed.

A Special Christmas Gift

This Christmas my mom gave Kaitlyn something very special!

When I was a little girl, I had this one doll that i would drag around E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E... I mean everywhere! She was simply my favorite dollie! The Kewpie Doll

My parents and us three kids moved to Staunton in 1970 (the year I was born) and in 1972-1973 they started building a new home, the home they still live in today. So, I would have been about 2 1/2 to 3 years old at the time. It was a bit cold outside, so they had a fire burning in the yard as the whole family was there working.

Well.... in my 3 year old logical mind, it was cold outside, and my dollie didn't have enough clothes on, and the fire is nice and warm... so what better thing to do for the dollie than to throw her in the fire!! I thought for sure that would keep her nice and warm.

Unfortunately, my logical 3 year old mind didn't think about her N-E-V-E-R coming back out of that fire! :( so 'twas a sad day for this little 3 year old girl.

So my mom searched ebay and online and antique stores (yes! antiques- I KNOW!) and found 3 Kewpie Dolls at an antique store actually!!! (We won't discuss how that makes me feel).
She cleaned them up and bought clothes for them (Webkinz clothing actually- very creative my mom) and gave these "Vintage 1970 Kewpie Dolls" to Kaitlyn for Christmas.

Wondering.... does that make me 'vintage' as well?!

Kaitlyn doesn't appreciate them quite as much as i do at this point, but i'm sure she will grow to love them as much as i did! What a very precious gift!

Thanks Mom!