Tank Birthday Cake Tutorial

For my oldest's 7th birthday he wanted to go with an Army theme and have a tank birthday cake. I must admit, at first I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do to pull it all off. However, in the end, it turned out just perfect and was fairly easy to do.

For this cake you will need:

• 2 cake mixes; your flavor preference
• 9x13 pan
• Oven proof circle pan; I used a metal bowl.
• Icing; I use a basic Buttercream icing recipe
• Green Food Paste
• Peanut Butter
• Cocoa
• Black Licorice
• Chocolate and Vanilla Oreos
• Coffee Wafer Sticks
• Army Men

Prepare the cake mixes as directed on the package. Bake one in a 9x13 pan and the other one in a circle, oven proof dish. I had cake mix left over, so I made some cupcakes that I later used as hills on my cake board.

While the cakes are baking you can go ahead and mix up your icing. I separated mine into 3 different bowls so I could color them. I used the green paste to achieve the dark green color, cocoa to make brown chocolate flavored icing, and peanut butter to achieve the tan color.

After the cakes cooled, I assembled them and began decorating them. All I did was eyeball the cake, and I would spread a blob of icing on in a random shape. Once the whole cake was finished, which didn't take much time at all, I added the "wheels" using oreos and black licorice.

On top of the cake, I separated a chocolate wafer from the cookie, and placed it on top for the lid to the man hole. I even added an army man coming up out of the cake. For the gun in the front of the tank, I used a Chocolate Coffee Wafer stick. The really neat thing about using this is they are hollow. When we lit the cake, my husband stuck a candle into the gun. The boys got a huge kick out of it!

To cover the cake board and make it look a little more like a desert, I crushed up vanilla and chocolate wafers and spread them around. I also added my cupcake hills, covered in boulders of Raisinettes.

Nicholas is now 9, and his friends still remember this birthday party fondly. To go with the Army theme, we did a "Boot Camp" sleepover party. We had different drills for the boys to do, complete with code names and goodie bags almost completely supplied by the Army Recruiting office. I told them what I was planning on doing and asked if they had some stickers or something they were willing to donate. I walked out with water bottles, stickers, pins, pencils, and some other things. When the boys were leaving to go home, I printed them off Certificates of Completion for surviving Boot Camp.

For some more cake inspiration, be sure to check out the Birthday Cake Roundup.

Homemade Baking Mixes

Homemade baking mixes are a great way to have the convenience of pre-packaged foods from the grocery store, but without the added cost and all the processing. With homemade baking mixes you are able to customize them to your wants and you are able to add as much nutrition as your heart desires. Homemade baking mixes are very convienient for every day use as well as a nice homemade gift.

One of our personal favorite mixes is Cinnamon Pancake Mix. We are huge cinnamon and pancake lovers in our house--so there was no doubt that this mix was just for us. You can always add more or less cinnamon depending on your tastes. Another mix that goes perfect in gift baskets like the ones I mentioned in this post, is Buttermilk Biscuit Mix. These bisuits taste so good with apple butter, but they would also go great in biscuits and gravy. Yum!

Don't forget to check out other ideas for edible gifts and how to package them (as well as enter to win an EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale) here.

Cinnamon Pancake Mix

In a food processor or blender combine:

3 cups flour (Can use whole wheat)

4 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons baking powder

4 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

Put mix in a festive bag or jar and attach these instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 C. milk, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons oil. Once combined add in 1 1/3 cups pancake mix. Cook on a hot griddle. For added fun, use a plastic condiment container to draw shapes.

Buttermilk Biscuit Mix

This recipe is adapted from Taste of Home Magazine (which is one of my favorites of all time!).

Combine all the following ingredients in a food processor until it is mixed together completely:

8 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups buttermilk powder
4 tablespoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/3 cups shortening

Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Be sure to attach these instructions:

Combine 2 cups of mix and 7 Tablespoons of water until a dough forms. Roll out on a floured surface and cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake at 375° until golden brown.

This post is linked to:

• Works For Me Wednesday
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
• Tasty Tuesday

Packaging Ideas for Edible Gifts

**UPDATED** Winner is announced at the bottom.



Welcome to this weeks round of the Holiday Food Fest! This week we're covering Packaging Ideas for Edible Gifts. I absolutely adore packaging Christmas presents. My husband makes fun of me for all the time I spend on packaging up our gifts.

I usually try to give a fair amount of homemade gifts every year. Not only do I find it to be more personal, but it makes for a frugal Christmas. Over the last year I have become more comfortable and confident in the kitchen, so I purposed to make even more edible Christmas gifts this year.



For Thanksgiving this year, we are going to see my family in Iowa. What a great opportunity to drop off some Homemade Christmas Gifts!






I took a jar of Jalapeno Jelly and a jar of Corn Cob jelly and attached a festive ribbon around the jar band. For the tag, I used a piece of white cardstock and wrote the serving instructions inside. For this gift I also included Buttermilk Biscuit Mix with a cute snowflake cutter. The candy cane bag was purchased at Dollar General for $1. Total Cost=Under $4




{Please forgive the quality of the photos from here down. My 4yo knocked the camera off the counter..I have yet to find part of the lens that flew off. :( }



I'm so upset that you can't see this basket very well. This is a Breakfast Basket and includes:

• Cinnamon Pancake Mix
• Buttermilk Buscuit Mix with Snowflake Cutter
• Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea Mix with Snowman Mug
• Jalapeno and Corn Cob Jellies in Red Snowman Bag
• Plastic Condiment Bottle w/these instructions on a cute printable Christmas Label: Fill with favorite pancake batter and draw on hot griddle for fun, shaped pancakes! My children LOVE it when I pull mine out!
• Wooden Spoon for mixing
• Plastic Spatula for flipping pancakes
• Green Snowman Towel for cleaning up
• All of this is contained in a plastic green bowl, perfect for use later on.

Total Cost: Under $8

This is more of an All-In-One Basket, I used Jars for the mixes intead of bakery bags. It includes:

• Homemade Vanilla Chai Mix with Snowman Mug {Breakfast}
• Buttermilk Biscuit Mix {Breakfast}
• Jar of Homemade Apple Butter {Breakfast}
• Chili Mix in a Jar w/plastic serving spoon {Dinner}
• Brownie Mix w/wooden stirring spoon {Dessert}
• Snowflake Towel for cleaning up
• Also in a plastic green bowl.
  

Total Cost: Also right around $8

When making homemade mixes, be sure to attach a label with directions so the recipent knows what to do. I did a quick Swagbuck search for "Christmas Lables" and found a lot of really cute options. I use a fair amount of ribbon and Christmas Stationary because it adds a special touch. If you want more of "country" feel, you can use Raffia in place of the ribbon--or even together. Before passing these gifts along, I will wrap the baskets in cellophane and tie off with coordinating ribbon and another home printed tag.

Oh, I can't wait to give them out!

Additonal ideas: I packaged up hot cocoa, homemade marshmallows, and made baggies of Heaven on a Stick for teacher gifts.

Now it is your turn.

What Edible Gifts are you giving this year? What are your Packaging Ideas?

Last weeks giveaway winner is: Saveur at TasteSpace! This week if you link up you enter to win an EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Scale.

"The EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale is a versatile multifunction home appliance. Designed to be highly accurate and aesthetically pleasing, the Precision Pro is manufactured to the highest quality specifications. Weigh items up to 11 lbs quickly and accurately, with results displayed in four different units: grams / ounces / pounds / kilograms. Weigh food items directly on the scale platform or utilize the scale's tare (zero) function, which eliminates the weight of a plate or bowl and makes cleanup a snap. The high resolution screen provides easy viewing angles on any kitchen counter and the five rubber feet eliminate sliding. Additionally the three minute auto-turnoff feature ensures that you will never again lose your measurement in the middle of your recipe prep!" ~Excerpt from Amazon.com

Digital scales are a great tool for any cook. They come in handy when having to measure ingredients for canning, or even bread making--as some recipes state the weight of an ingredient versus a measurement. This scale is pleasing to the eye, so it won't be gawky sitting out on your counter top. The Auto-Turnoff is especially handy for forgetful cooks like me--don't want to waste those batteries!

Link up or comment on this post to enter to win! Must be in the United States to win. Winner will be announced on Wendesday, November 25th.

Can't wait to see your ideas!

Linda from Gluten Free Homemaker--you were picked by Random.org!!

Decorating Cupcakes With Children

All of my children were out of school today due to deer season, so I was trying to come up with something to occupy them. It was chilly and rainy for the first day in weeks, giving me the urge to bake. I had the brilliant idea of making cupcakes, since we rarely make them. I envisioned the kids helping me measure and mix up the cupcake batter, scooping into the festive cupcake liners and decorating to their hearts content.





After listening to the children argue over this, that, and the color of the moon--I sent them to their rooms for a nap. They were told they had to get rid of their attitudes before we could proceed with the cupcake making process. When they woke from their naps they feared that I had already made the cupcakes..while it did cross my mind, I was really wanting them to be able to be creative and create their very own, unique cupcakes.





I mixed up a chocolate cake mix, substituting applesauce in for the oil and baked away. I gave each child a small plate with 2 cupcakes each, a dollop of icing, and set the decoration in the middle of the table for them to use.





Aren't these the prettiest cupcakes ever??

Apparently they were too worried about eating them, and forgot to decorate them! So much for festive cupcakes to share.

This post is linked to:

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
• Tasty Tuesday
• Cupcake Tuesday

Grind Your Own Cornmeal

During the winter months we end up using a fair amount of cornmeal. We love Buttery Homeamde Cornbread served with piping hot soups. Like most families, soups are a plenty when the cold weather hits. Cornmeal is also a must for giggin' season. My husband makes his own fish breading, and cornmeal is the main ingredient. With cornmeal being in high demand, there are plenty of times I would go to grab some out of the cabinet and I wouldn't have quite the amount I needed.

The Cornmeal Shortage is over.

Since deciding last year to not replace our broken microwave, we've kept regular popcorn on hand for our weekly Pizza/Popcorn/Movie night. You know, the kind that has to be popped on the stove? :) Did you know the same stuff you "pop" and slather in butter can be ground into cornmeal?

How handy!

Storing large amounts of popcorn kernels is a lot easier than trying to keep cornmeal fresh and bug free. Now when we need cornmeal for a recipe, I grab the popcorn and grind my own cornmeal. You can do yellow cornmeal, or even white; depending on the type of popcorn you have. I use my NutriMill, which is the same thing I use for grinding my spelt wheat. I buy the popcorn kernels in bulk from the discount grocer, which makes my savings even greater.

You can't beat the savings or the freshness!

This post is part of Frugal Friday.

Apple Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

Our local grocery store keeps having great prices on browning bananas. So much so, I cannot pass them up. I've been freezing sliced bananas for us to use in smoothies, but, you can only have so many.

I seem to be stuck on making Banana Bread/Muffins with our browning bananas. Quite frankly, I'm ready for a change. In addition to our abundance of bananas, we also have an abundace of apples. I was searching for a recipe that contained both, and I found these. With a few slight changes, they are perfect for breakfast and for using up clearanced fruit.

Apple Banana Oatmeal Muffins

1 ½ cups old fashioned oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1 cup chopped apple

2 mashed bananas

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Then add in the eggs and milk, and mix thoroughly. Gently fold in the mashed banana and chopped apples.

Spoon into greased muffin tins. You can line them, if desired.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes.

I'm hoping that having some of these muffins handy, will help me with my breakfast issues.

What are some of your go-to breakfasts?

This post is linked to:

• Slightly Indulgent Monday
• Mouthwatering Monday
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
• Cupcake Tuesday
• Tasty Tuesday

Baking Day Update

I've had so much fun baking the last few days. While I have been alone in my kitchen with nothing more than my radio going (and an occassional 4 year old, when he isn't at school), I know that I have my Twitter friends who are baking along with me. Twitter was all a buzz with the #bakingday hashtag today. Everyone was tweeting what they were baking, their questions, and their progress. So fun!

I got a lot more accomplished today than I had originally anticipated. I love it when that happens! You can see my baking day plan here.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (2 bags of 20), Chocolate Chip Cookies (2 bags), 2 batches croutons (Garlic Paprika, and Garlic Pepper), French Bread Baguettes, and French Bread. Not included in this picture are the Breakfast Burritios I made this morning; I already stashed those in the freezer.

I started out by tossing my beans in the crockpot for dinner and mixing up my breads so that they would have time to rise. In addition to the 2 batches of French Bread, I also made a loaf of Whole Wheat bread. However, I used my new (bigger) loaf pan, which was too big. Lets just say it isn't the prettiest loaf on the block.

I exeriemented around and made some Apple Streusel Muffins. They were really good--but there is still a bit of tweaking that needs to be done.

Last week when I was cleaning out my freezer (which is what inspired me to do a baking day) we found this old pack of hot dog buns, that was obviously past it's prime. I hated to throw them out, so I turned them into Croutons! So good!

Lots of Taco Meat for the freezer.

Refried Beans. Plenty leftover to freeze (although I've never frozen them mashed up)

Jalapeno Cheddar Tortillas

In the midst of all my baking, I decided to go ahead and make up some Jalapeno Cheddar Tortillas for dinner, instead of my normal, plain jane one. I went ahead and browned and seasoned the whole pack of hamburger, so that I could freeze the leftovers for a quick meal.

Tomorrow, I will be baking again--if I still have energy!

Here is what I am hoping to do:

• Ham/Cheese Pockets
• Pepperoni Pizza Pockets
• French Bread x2
• Whole Wheat Bread(the right way!)
• Apple Butter
• Applesauce x2 batches (made and canned)

I should be set for awhile!

You can see other Baking Day participants over at Money Saving Mom.

Baking Day

I've been overdue for a baking day, and have finally just decided that in the midst of my craziness, I would just have to schedule one. I'm hoping to get a bunch of muffins, breads and cookies baked up and in the freezer so I can just grab some when I need them. The only problem I see, is that I have to take my youngest to preschool in the middle of the day, everyday, which generally haults my production for a bit. Because of this, I think I will end up doing all my baking over two days; Tuesday and Wednesday.

I will update the post as I go along. This is what I have planned so far:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Shortbread Cookies Decided against these.
Pumpkin Bread x 2
Pumpkin Pie
French Bread x 4 Finished 2
Whole Wheat Bread x 2 (maybe 4??) Tried something new with batch #1--HUGE FLOP!
Pumpkin Caramel Muffins (modified from Amy's Pumpkin Butterscotch) Ended up making double batch of these as well.
Whole Wheat Honey Pumpkin Muffins x 2
Apple Streusel Muffins. Experimenting with this one.
Breakfast Burritos
Ham/Cheese and Pizza Pockets (hopefully will get to these.)
Tortillas



I meant to take pictures before I prepared them for the freezer--but I spaced it!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Honey Muffins (the rest are in the cookie jar), Pumpkin Bread (1 was almost devoured after dinner!)

Pumpkin Caramel Muffins. The "hole" you see is a caramel. The last time I made these I used Caramel Bits, but the grocery store I ran to today didn't have them--they only had the traditional ones. My thinking was to put a surprise in every muffin--some it worked on, some it didn't.

I think that is plenty! This is what I want to accomplish, but I'm really not sure I will be able to get to it all. I have a morning of appointments regarding our home addition, so I won't be able to actually get started until noon-ish tomorrow and I will finish up on Wednesday.

Feel free to join in on your own baking day. You can follow my progress here and on Twitter. If you are a Twitter User and joining in on the baking day fun--use the #bakingday hash so we can all follow along.

Stocking my freezer with home baked, healthy, and yummy snacks Works for Me!

What are your favorite Baking Day recipes?

This post is linking to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

Recipe: Banana Bread

Every single time I make banana bread, as soon as it comes out of the oven, I have to slice off a hunk and devour it, right then. Not sure why, but there is just something about that first, piping hot slice of homemade banana bread.

I got this recipe about 7 years ago from my former boss's wife, and I've loved it ever since. I've been able to easily sub in some whole wheat flour, and it turns out just as good--if not better!
*Sorry this post is lacking pictures! The bread was gone before I knew it.

Banana Bread

2/3 cup shortening

2 ½ cups flour (Can use whole wheat)

1 2/3 cup sugar

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup buttermilk **TIP** If you are a raw milk drinker and have some milk that is past it's prime and soured a bit, Do not throw it out! It works perfectly here.

2 eggs

about 3 mashed bananas. You can use more or less, according to your taste. We love lots of bananas in our bread--so I usually use 3-4 bananas.

In a mixer, cream your shortening. Add in the flour, sugar, baking soda, powder and salt. Beat for 2 minutes.

Add in the buttermilk (or soured milk) and eggs. Beat again until fully combined.

Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

This week for our snacks, I am doubling this recipe and making it into muffins. I scored many pounds of bananas and need to use them up. This is that perfect recipe for using up those browning bananas and the milk that is past it's prime.

This recipe is linked to:

• Slightly Indulgent Mondays
• Tasty Tuesdays
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays

Q & A: Wheat

Earlier this week when I posted on Grinding Wheat, there were a flood of questions that came in. Instead of answering them all by email, which is what I usually do, I decided to do a post since a lot of the same questions were addressed. If you still have questions, fell free to ask in the comments, on BlogFrog, or even Facebook.

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on my dilemma of holey bread. Here are some of your tips:

• Anonymous: To keep my bread from having holes in it, I form the loaf and then slam (and I do mean slam) it on the counter to get rid of air bubbles. Just keep shaping and slamming until the loaf makes a deep thud. You'll notice the difference in sound after a few times. Then pop them in the pans and bake! I've always heard that making bread is a good stress reliever! Thanks for your help!
  
  


• Miriam: For the "mouse hole" in your bread, I used to have the same problem (mom's bread was notorious for them). I knead the dough a bit before I divide it into loaves, and then instead of just shaping the loaf, I knead it into shape. I also don't use any oil on the dough at any time, so there's no oily surfaces preventing the dough from sticking to itself inside the loaf. I don't know if that was the problem with your loaf, but that's what I do :) I hope it makes sense. Yes, that makes sense. Looks like I haven't been kneading enough...
  
  


• Lynn: I love my Nutrimill. Fresh ground wheat is so much better. Did you see my post on the book about whole grains? You would probably really enjoy it. Thanks, Lynn! That book sounds interesting.**If you are not familiar with Lynn's blog, you really need to check her out--her recipes are amazing!**
  
  
• Jena: I don't have much interest in grinding my own because I'm very lucky and have access to organic stone ground flour that is grown just 2 miles down the road. (Jealous!) I've been struggling to consistently make good loaves of bread with it for about a year now. My results are much better since reading "Laurel's Bread Book" which is entirely dedicated to baking with whole grains. My first single loaf made from the book turned out well but when I tried the double recipe they were pretty block like again. They either rise well and then not much in the oven or the rise a ton and collapse. Oh well, I'll get there! :) Is this the book you are referring to? You'll get it down in no time, at least it is fun and tasty to practice, huh? :)

Your Questions:

• hiptobeme: How long will the wheat keep before you grind it? Also, can you make it more convenient and use it in the breadmaker?
  
  
  
  • Oh goodness. Wheat berries, if stored correctly, can be stored for quite some time. I've heard varying things, anywhere from 10-50 years! Really, if you remove all the air, store in a cool, dry location and they don't have a foul smell or contain bugs--you are good to go! The only time you need to use it quickly is when it has been ground. Once the wheat berries are turned into flour, it loses it's nutrients very quickly. As for using it in the breadmaker, yes you can! It is fully interchangeable with store bought flour.
    
    


• JeannaMo: Does the wheat you grind always turn out brown like whole wheat flour? That is my only concern for home use as my family is pretty much a "white bread bunch". Yes, it looks very similar to store bought whole wheat flour as far as color goes.
  
  
  
  
  
  • Also, do you use it straight or mix it with white flour. That depends on the recipe. I prefer to use all whole wheat flour because of the nutrition and honestly, we prefer the flavor. But, there are some recipes that we still prefer to be "white", like some desserts and breadsticks.
    
    
  
  

Source

• What is "spelt" flour. How is it different than the all purpose flour I buy at the store. Spelt is still wheat, just a different kind of wheat, and one can easily be substituted for the other. It contains more protein (about 10-25% more) and fiber than a white or red wheat berry, and is also a bit sweeter and nuttier in taste. Spelt also has a high water solubility, which makes it easier for your body to absorb all the extra nutrients. There is a HUGE difference between all-purpose flour and any whole-wheat flour. All-Purpose flour is still milled from wheat, but it has all the wheat bran and wheat germ removed (when looking at whole wheat flour--those are the "brown specs" you see). Bleached All-Purpose flour has literally had a chlorine-bath to remove the color and inevitably any sort of nutrient that may be left once the bran and germ were removed. For this reason, when I use white flour, it is always unbleached.
  
  
• Where did you find the storage container that keeps the bugs away (is this something the farmer provided?) My friend said he could get me all the wheat I wanted and he said he could get it before they spray it with the stuff to keep the bugs away - eeek! Now I have to do it cause we all now know what we are eating - insecticides of some sort! We got our containers from a local merchant, but on a recent post, commenters mentioned that they were able to get food safe buckets with lids from grocery stores for no cost. Definitely something worth checking into.
  
  
Rachel R.: And, yes, it is generally a money-saver, if you eat 100% whole wheat bread to begin with. Last time I priced my bread - using extra-virgin olive oil, raw honey, and sea salt (not cheapy ingredients), it was about 70 cents a loaf. Now, wheat prices have gone up, so it's probably a little higher, but not nearly the $2-3 I would pay for 100% whole wheat bread at the store. And it tastes better. ;) Definitely! When I was at the store a few days ago, I decided to check the ingredients in store bought 100% Whole Wheat bread. I was a little taken a back by some of their ingredients, and I'm still trying to figure out why it contains HFCS! That is in ev.er.y.th.ing. Geesh.

Grinding Wheat

I've been toying with the idea of getting a wheat grinder for many months now. The price of one had really turned me off from buying one, although the benefits are many. My birthday was in early July, and my husband kept hinting at buying me one. While I really, really wanted it--I didn't think it was quite the time since I hadn't been able to save up the full amount, yet.

But--he insisted. This is where I tell you that he is very hard to convert to the frugal wagon. Very. I know that I don't mention it a lot here, but seriously, converting him to frugal-ism isn't the easiest thing I've ever done. He sees the benefits, and he is pretty good, but he still wants what he wants, when he wants it. Which is exactly why not all of our snowball has been going to our debt in recent months. But, we move on....

He really did have a reason, though, on buying the grinder now. A local farmer, and good friend and co-worker of my husband, grows organic, spelt wheat. He offered us as much of it as we wanted...FREE OF CHARGE! Y'all that is huge! We just needed the grinder to make good use of it. Currently we have not one, but two (!) 55 gallon barrels of spelt stored (with oxygen absorbers so we don't get icky bugs. Although, that is just added protein.. ;) ) patiently waiting to be ground into flour.

So, for a little over a month now, my family and I have been enjoying free, freshly ground spelt wheat. It is delicious and oh so good for you!! The only issue that I have encountered is that my bread isn't as "pretty" and one time there was a big hole all through the center. Anyone know what caused that??? I did find an awesome spelt dinner roll recipe that I used to make a loaf a of bread again as bread bowls. So delicious!

I use a NutriMill Grain Mill, basically because it has a bigger capacity than the VitalMill (it's little brother) and the WonderMill. Ususally when I am making my goods, it is all in one day, so I just grind a huge batch and get it over with since the machine is rather large and noisy (it sounds like a vacuum cleaner--maybe a smidgen louder).

Here are some thing to keep in mind:

• Only grind as much flour as you can use. While you can go ahead and grind enough for a few weeks use--once ground, the flour loses about 45% of it's nutrients in the first 24 hours!! Can you imagine what they put in store bought flour to maintain nutrients?? Or how lacking it really is?? While placing the flour in a freezer will slow the process, freshly ground flour is still the best! Why go through the whole process and still end up with an inferior product??
• Keep this in mind: 1 cup of berries= about 1 ½ cups of flour. This depends a lot on how fine you grind your flour. I've been able to get about 2 cups of flour to 1 cup of berries--it was a very fine flour and took quite a while to grind. But, for everyday baking, this should be right about your ratio.
• Packed with Nutrients! Whole wheat flour (especially spelt) is packed with protein, amongst other nutrients, which is very good for you
• You are not limited to just grinding wheat. With most mills you are able to grind beans, rice, barley, as well as wheat berries. This opens up a whole new field of baking! A lot of these specialty flours are very expensive, but you can buy the "whole product" much cheaper.
• Expect to pay about $250. While this may sound like a lot (trust me--I thought so, too!) , it is worth it. Flavor alone is enough for me to recommend grinding your own wheat. While it may not end up being cheaper in the long run for most (I think it comes out about even, maybe just a tad cheaper), the nutritional benefits are far greater. Nutrition combined with better taste, and knowing exactly what is in your food is as good a case as any.
• Peace of Mind. Quite frankly--I don't know what the future holds. Now I know that if times get really tough, we will have bread products. There is no need to worry about flour products in my minimal grocery budget anymore. While I know that it may be impossible for some to store 110 gallons of wheat (or over 300 pounds!)-some is better than none. You just don't know.

Do you grind your own flour?? Have any tips/tricks and recipes to share?

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Recipe: Rosemary Focaccia

Since I have been making all of our bread for quite sometime now, I finally decided to branch out into the world of Focaccia. We usually have French Bread with our Italian dishes--but a new favorite has arrived!



Focaccia is so versatile. For toppings you can do anything from sliced red onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers, to anything that you can dream up!



This recipe is actually 2 recipes that I turned into one and it makes 2 loaves. We ate (part of) one with our dinner and used the remainder for sandwiches. Yum-tastic!

Rosemary Focaccia

5½ cups flour (I used all purpose)

4 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar

4 Tbsp Rosemary

2 cups warm water

2 tsp salt

4 Tbsp olive oil

Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water. Add sugar and a tbsp of flour. Let stand 20 minutes. The mixture will be very frothy and thick.

In mixing bowl combine flour, salt and 2 Tbsp Rosemary. Add yeast mixture, olive oi and the remaining 1½ cups water. Mix until fully incorporated and a dough ball forms. Cover. Let rise until double.

Turn onto floured surface and knead 1 minute. Lightly oil your baking stones. Divide dough in half and form into 8-10" circles. Cover and let rise until doubled again.

Using your fingers press in deep dimples about 1½" apart. Drizzle with EVOO and top with remaining rosemary. Bake 10 minutes at 450°. Decrease temperature to 375° and bake 20-25 minutes longer. 2 minutes before bread is finished, brush with an egg wash (1 egg white and 2 tsp water--whisked) and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

• Tasty Tuesday
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Guest Post: Using What We Have

I am out of town for the weekend, and Lynn has graciously offered to do a post in my absence. I love Lynn's recipes! Her Oatmeal Pancakes quickly become our favorite pancake, even my daughter, who hates oatmeal, gobbles them up!




I think that one of the biggest things we can do to save money on groceries and food is to use what we have and to not let things go to waste. This is an area I think most of us struggle with., and it is something that past generations were much better at than our generation.



Most of our grandmothers would not have even thought about throwing food out. But all too often I find myself throwing away the last little bit of something. I let produce go bad or something gets hidden in the back of the fridge or freezer, and by the time I find it, it is too late to use it. Does anyone else besides me have this problem? It is something I really am trying to get better at, but I have a long ways to go.



Bananas seem to be the perfect example of something that goes bad before I use them all. I always end up buying more than we can eat before they turn brown, but I don’t want to throw any out. Yes, you can freeze them and use them in things like smoothies. You can also make banana bread, but my family gets tired of those things. So, when I found a recipe for a banana cookie, I knew I wanted to try it. Not only does it have bananas in it, it also has whole wheat flour and oatmeal in it. So, it is semi-healthy.



My family loves these cookies, and they have become one of our favorite ways to use up bananas. I hope you give these a try next time you have bananas that need used up.

Banana Chocolate Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

about 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars into the bowl mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chips.Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days.

Lynn is a stay at home, homeschooling mom to three. She loves to cook and try all kinds of recipes. If you want to follow her adventures in the kitchen on her blog lynnskitchenadventures.com.

I can't wait to try them! Thanks, Lynn!

This post is linked to :

• Frugal Friday
• Recipe Swap

Clearanced Fruit

Every once in awhile I get lucky and I stumble upon great clearance sales on fruit at the local grocery store.

I rarely pay full price for bananas since they go on clearance quite often. Although they are usually browning a bit, these bananas are great for freezing or using right away.

• Slice up and flash freeze individually and then place in a gallon bag. These are great for smoothies, to use in baked goods later on, or even for banana foster (a new favorite in my house!)
• Peel and freeze whole. I've frozen then in the peel before--some were easy to get the peel off, while others were not. Peeling them before hand eliminates this hassle.
• Use right away in banana bread/muffins, cakes, smoothies, banana foster :), oatmeal, etc.

A recent stop into my local grocery store yielded me a great score of clearanced bananas and apples! I was so excited at my find since it is rare that I find apples this cheap-- .29¢/pound!! I brought home all that they had, which was almost 4 pounds. I was dreaming of all the different things I could do with all those apples.

• Made lots of fresh apple juice with my new juicer. Boy, oh boy am I addicted to that thing! Fresh juiced juice does not even compare to commercial juice.
• Sliced, cored, and peeled a big batch for the freezer. I added some cinnamon and sugar and froze to use later on in apple pie.
• Ate fresh.
• Smoothies.
• If I had gotten more I would have loved to make some apple butter or apple sauce. Mmmmm!

Clearanced fruit saves money--as long as you use it up before it goes bad. Saving money with clearanced fruit definitely works for me!

Have you ever gotten any good deals on clearanced fruit? What is your favorite use for it?

Finding Freedom Friday: 2009 Goal Update

Goodbye April. I think I may miss you, sorta. Not a huge fan of all the rain and all that jazz, but all in all you were pretty good to me.

It's time for another update on my 2009 Goals. Again, if you haven't made goals yet, it's never too late. I encourage you to set a couple for yourself and be sure to come back and share with us. Consistently looking at my list has definitely kept me on track this year, and I'm loving it. Just because I've been staying on track, though, doesn't me that I've been necessarilly succeeding in all areas.

As will everything in this Earthly life, nothing is for certain. I set out with big intentions for 2009, and I hope to make it my best year yet. Frankly, that is all that I can do.

With that being said, I've encountered some bumps in my plan, mostly in terms of my financial goals. I do not like bumps, generally, but I'm taking these bumps as they come. Thank God for that. Goes to show that all the prayers I've put in for help with my patience and my issues with perfectionism and control have not gone unanswered. I must continue to remind myself that although I've set these goals, everything happens in God's time--not my own.

Let's take a look back at April:

• Financially:
  
  
  
  • We were able to pay extra onto our debt this month, which I am ever so grateful for. $250 extra to be exact!! This brings our total debt down to just over $16000, with $3592 being paid this year alone. Wow, oh Wow! This puts us right at 21% of my goal for this year.





• I do not have an exact total for my grocery spending, but I do know that I did not go over my $300 mark. Yippee! I've been buying tons of fresh fruit and veggies and am at the point of making all of our bread products. What a great feeling this is!





• With our busy season approaching, I do feel as if we are being too careless in some areas of our spending, in addition to some unexpected costs that we have encountered with the garden and some outside projects. I hoping that we can gain our control back now, before we are knee deep in busy-ness, because then it will be too hard. If you are in the same boat--be sure to check out the upcoming FFF topics. I can't wait to see what you all have to offer!




• Home/Gardening:




• First and Foremost (since this could knock out a lot of my goals)--Willie and I have some major, major decisions to make in the next few months. When we moved here, I was not the biggest fan of our home. The main reason we bought it was because the 50 acres that it sat on was absolutely beautiful and the house had lots of potential. We knew we would have to build on, and we were okay with that. After starting FPU and reading through The Total Money Makeover, we knew that it was essential for us to get rid of our consumer debt before we went any further with our addition. Knowing this has really helped feed the fire under me to get our debt gone! But.....with the current state of the economy and the interest rates being so low, we would be able to build onto our home (almost doubling it) without increasing our monthly payment. That is huge!! We had originally planned on our payment jumping quite a bit. So, our big issue is do we wait and risk the interest rates jumping back up, or do we go ahead and jump in and get it over with now? I've been praying.....





• The garden is doing amazing! I hope to do an update post later today with all the happenings.





• I have actually stuck to my day to day duties for awhile now. What a relief this has been to actually be on top of things instead of feeling behind and out of whack everyday. Just in time for summer..!!



• Personal Goals:




• I have yet to buy a scale, but I know that I've lost weight. Which is huge to me. I'm thinking of cashing in some of my Swagbucks to get Jillian's 30 Day Shred video. I know a handful of people that just rage and rage about it, (A Cowboy's Wife and MommySnacks to name a few) and I'm wanting to amp things up a bit.
  

So, how are you doing on your 2009 Goals? If you haven't made your goals yet--hop in now and let us know what you are striving for.

*Don't forget to check out the rules to linking up, you can find them on this post.

Be sure to check out other goal updates over at Money Saving Mom.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

I've been on a search for a light, fluffy purely 100% Whole Wheat Bread for some time now--and I have finally found it! Previously I was making my husband French Bread Baguettes for him to make his sandwiches for work, but no more. He loves this bread so much more.



As a matter of fact, I sliced the homemade bread and put it directly next to some store bought bread--and the texture of the homemade stuff was exactly the same as the store bought stuff. The only difference, mine tasted LOADS better, and it wasn't the exact same shape (but pretty close!).



So, without further ado...

100% Whole Wheat Bread

1 ¼ cups warm water (not hot)

1 Tbsp yeast

1/3 cup sugar

2 ¾ cup Whole Wheat flour

¼ c Vital Wheat Gluten (You can find this at Walmart in the baking aisle, or at some health food stores)

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp dry milk

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp vinegar

In a mixing bowl add the warm water and the yeast and let sit until the yeast is bubbly. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix with Kitchenaid mixer for about 2 minutes. Your dough should be soft and springy to the touch, not too wet. If it is still a bit moist, throw in a small dusting of flour and mix until the right consistensy.

Cover and let rise until doubled. The time will depend on the conditions of your home. Mine takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Once doubled, punch down and form into a loaf shape. Grease bread pan and place in your dough. Cover with greased Saran Wrap and let rise until over the top of your bread pan.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until browned a bit on top.

TIP: A good way to tell if your bread is baked all the way is to thump it on the bottom. If it gives a hollow like sound, you are good to go. If not, pop it back in the oven and bake longer.

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday
• Recipe Swap

Recipe was modified slightly from Everyday Food Storage.

Time to Bake!

It has been awhile since I have baked for an entire day, or atleast a good part of it. Earlier this week I decided that I was overdue, so I planned a Baking Day for today. Crystal, has been baking up a storm this week in preperation for baby #3 and blogged through it, so I decided to blog through mine as well.



As the day progresses I will update my post with my progress. Unfortunately, since I still cannot figure out why my computer won't recognize my camera--there won't be any pictures. You'll have to use your imagination!



Here is my "To-Accomplish" List

• Chocolate Chip Cookies for next weeks snacks. I'm going to try out this recipe instead of ol' trusty.
• Try not to eat all of the cookie batter! It's my weakness.
• French Bread Baguettes for DH's sandwiches. (same recipe, different method. I hope to share my "new" way later.) They are all shaped, and are working on their second rise. DONE!
• Oat Bran Bread. It's on it's second rise. This is a new one to me--and I just don't know about it.... **It's done--and it is not so good! Any ideas on how to salvage it?
• Granola Bars. Finished and bagged up!
• Chocolate Zuchinni Cake (Thanks for the reminder, Jessica!) In the oven, and I just remembered I forgot to add the butter! Hope it turns out! :) DONE! And delish! Since I've single handedly eaten almost half of it, I froze the rest of it in 2 seperate portions.
• Cheese Crackers. I was going to experiment and come up with a recipe, but Laura took out all the guess work for me. DONE!
• Clean up the kitchen.
• Freeze half of the Chocolate Chip Cookies.
• Let Noah help me. This is always a hard one for me, as I mentioned here. It was SO much fun having him in the kitchen!
• Have Fun! Of course!
• Find a snippet of time to do a load of laundry. Getting ready to start load #3!
• Start dinner by 4:30pm. Well, 4:45--close enough.

Time to get cracking!

This post is linked to:

• Money Saving Mom: Baking Day Wrap Up
• Thursday Thirteen

What do you have planned today?