Living Large and Green

Awhile back I commented on how most of us have forgotten (or have never learned) how easy some things are to make.  At the begining of this year, I cut out my biggest weekness-CARBS!  But every once in awhile I will indulge, and if I go there, I want it to be great.!  So today's lesson is on a quick and easy way to make homemade bread, chock full of grains.  It costs pennies on the dollar and has all natural ingredients, not to mention the taste and the wonderful, mouth watering aroma when it comes out of the oven!

Remember these?  Everyone still has one stuffed in the back of a closet.  Dig it out!  I never liked the hard, compact shape of the loaf so I only use it to make quick work of the WORK!  This is a smaller bread maker so I altered the recipe to fit.  Into the pan add:

1 1/4 Cup water

2 TBSP powdered milk (I like buttermilk)

2 TBSP BUTTER

2 TBSP HONEY

1 1/2 TSP SALT

2 1/4 CUPS WHITE FLOUR

1 CUP WHOLE WHEAT

3/4 CUPS CRACKED WHEAT  (or a mix of cornmeal, oats etc)

1 1/2 TSP YEAST

Set your bread machine to the dough setting.  When it's finished, knead the dough on a floured board to your desired shape. Then put it on a greased sheet pan and pop it into a cold oven.  Set the temp at 190 degrees and the timer for 30 minutes.  Don't open the oven door, but turn the temp up to 350 when the timer rings.  Then set the timer for 15 minutes.  When the timer rings, turn off the oven and set the timer for 10 more minutes.  (It keeps baking and saves money).

Now you can open the oven and remove.  Cool and enjoy!

A bit about shopping green...

 I buy in bulk and as local as I can.  Bonneyville Mill is a wonderful local, historic mill, and New Rinkel is bagged in Howe, IN.  I keep my flours in the freezer to keep it from getting "buggy".

 If I eat a sandwich,  I want it to be a tasty, full, and pretty.    We had some left over roast recently,  so I shredded the meat and sauteed 1/2 vandalia onion, 1 sweet red pepper and a handfull of mushrooms.  Cut the loaf in half through the center of the bread, spread it with chipotle skinny cow cheese and pile high with meat and veggies.

 It's ok to indulge every once in awhile, so make it worth it!


Live each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit and resign yourself to the influences of each.


            Henry David Thoreau