One of my goals during the holiday break was to compile a monthly menu plan. I was first inspired to work out a monthly menu plan by Tammy’s Recipes. I saw this as a good means of simplifying by grocery shopping and planning all at once. It has saved me time and energy and the frustration of never knowing what to make on a certain week (maybe this is just my problem!).
Now this menu may vary in the summer, and I will probably make a separate summer monthly menu to throw in some variety. My method may not work for you, but here are a few things that I have learned that may be helpful in whatever menu planning method you choose…
Here is my winter monthly menu plan! It works great to post it on the fridge, so it is easily viewable. It helps me to look it over each morning so I can get a head start on dinner preparations. I don’t always stick strictly to it, as flexibility is always needed as plans change, but it is a helpful guideline to have. From my monthly menu plan, I made a monthly shopping list of ingredients needed for the recipes. So I have one menu plan and one shopping list. Have you realized by now how much I love simplicity!
For pointers on making a monthly menu plan, visit here.
The final product: 3 loaves of bread, 2 dozen muffins, 1 dozen biscuits
In light of my goal to simplify my life (schedule and all!), I have began to complete my baking for the month all at once. I am trying to increase eating whole grains as a more substantial part of our diet. They are so nutritious and filling, so we don’t have to eat as much meat (as grain is an excellent source of protein as well and far cheaper!).
I am all about getting multiple uses with one product! Not only does it typically save money, but it keeps my house more simplified!
Recently, I have incorporated the wonderful natural ingredients of Dr. Bronner’s organic castile soap in my kitchen cleaning routine! This product contains: Saponified Organic Coconut, Organic Palm and Organic Olive Oils (with Retained Glycerin), Water, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Salt, Citric Acid, Vitamin E. I use it for washing dishes, and spraying down and disinfecting the counter tops at the end of the day. I am also using it for other household cleaning as well.
More nutritious desserts that won’t kill you! I wish I had pictures, but alas, you will just have to take my word for it, these are good! Don’t you love the thought of making good wholesome desserts? I sure do…that is why I am always experimenting with recipes and tweaking them to make them healthy!
Did you know that you can save water and electricity by using your dishwasher? I would never had believed this if it were not for a recent stumbling upon an article which said: “Doing only full loads of laundry and –this one is a surprise – using your dishwasher instead of hand-washing dishes saves water. A fully loaded dishwasher cuts the water used to do dishes.” (Gregg Horn, Living Green)
I am sure all of you are way ahead of me in this area, but I am in the learning process of making my own baby food for Karis. This week I was evaluating if the extra work was really worth it. The convenience of buying prepared baby food in the jars is so tempting for me. Earth’s Best has organic baby food! I have proven that it is indeed true.
Mountain Rose Herbs is a wonderfully superior source of organic unrefined and refined coconut oil, and at the best price around! At $41 per gallon, it is significantly cheaper than even Azure Standard (which is around $34 for 1/2 gallon). If you are interested in hearing more about this excellent oil and its multiple uses, check out these posts.
I have greatly been enjoying the use of this product! Lately, I started using it in replacement of lotion. A little dab will do you! But it is wonderful for the skin and hair. I apply it directly to my hair as a conditioner of sorts after getting out of the shower. In eating, I use it to stir-fry, grease my pans (as it is a more solid substance), throw it in smoothies, use it in replacement of oil or butter at times in my baking (usually half and half) and whatever else I can think of! Today I made pancakes and applied it liberally on the pan (more than usual) to prevent sticking…it added a wonderful flavor. Aaron loved it! Normally, you can hardly taste a difference, that is why it works so well!
One of the challenges with eating a healthier diet is that desserts have to go out the window. So I thought. White sugar and white flour are the main ingredients of most of those delicious desserts you see all over the place. As I have been eliminating these two ingredients over the last year or so, I have been on the hunt for making nutritious desserts that you cannot even tell are healthy. That’s what I always hated about healthy desserts…they just looked overly healthy and tasted so as well, and they incorporated expensive ingredients. I am here to say that it is possible!
The smell of homemade bread is intoxicating for me! A fresh slice from the oven with a little butter on the top is like a taste of heaven! Especially when this bread comes from your very own oven and is made from quality ingredients, no additives, and soaked for the highest nutritional benefit! Who can ask for better? The question is not whether it will save you money to make your own bread (which I am sure it will all the same), but rather you will know exactly what is being put into your bread! It is all about quality and freshness! Making homemade bread was one of my jobs growing up where it was rather of a burden than a joy to complete, but now that I am married and raising a family, I have come to realize the real value of developing this art!
When possible, use fresh home-milled flour. This will have the highest nutritional content, and the best baking characteristics for higher rising loaves. If this is not possible, store good quality flour in your freezer, but bring it to room temperature before using for the best results.
Use high quality yeast such as SAF Instant Dry Yeast. This is available in quantity at Costco for a good price. Store in the freezer. It will last 2 years or more. If your yeast does not proof, then it is too old!
Remember to proof your yeast! Add your yeast to warm water (between 100-115 degrees) with 1 tsp of honey. This will prepare it for action!
Remember that less flour is best! You should only add just enough flour until the beaters in your mixing bowl are scraping the sides of the bowl clean. If you add too much flour, your bread will be crumbly. Dough should still be slightly sticky before kneading.
Develop the gluten thoroughly. When dough is properly kneaded it will be smooth and elastic. A quick test for sufficient kneading is to take a golfball-sized portion of dough; stretch it between the thumb and index finger of both hands to determine if the gluten is fully developed. The dough should stretch out thin and not tear readily.
Make sure to give your dough two risings! The additional rising will develop flavor, gluten framework and make more fluffy loaves. It is optional, if you are in a hurry.
Only let rise till doubled before baking! This is the mistake I make too often. 30 minutes is a good length of time. If they rise too long the structure of the loaf will become weak and it will sink or fall completely during baking.
11 cups of ground whole wheat flour (you can replace 1 or 2 cups with unbleached white flour for a lighter end result)
1 cup acid medium (kefir, cultured buttermilk, or whey; for dairy intolerant you can substitute with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and 3/4 cup water)
3 cups of warm filtered water
2 cups oats
1 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil, or butter melted
1/4 cup raw millet, optional
1/4 cup flax seed, optional
1/2 cup water
1 tsp honey
2 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
2-4 Tbsp dough enhancer (I highly recommend this dough enhancer, as it works very well, but you can also replace with any combination of the following: 3 table spoons vital wheat gluten, 1/2 tea spoon soy lecithin, a pinch of citric acid (use sparingly!), and a sprinkling of ginger)
1 cup unbleached white flour or sprouted flour, if necessary
Sunflower seeds, if desired
Directions:
Combine the flour, acid medium, oats, honey, melted oil, millet and flax seeds, and 3 cups of filtered water. Cover and soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
After soaking, in a separate small bowl, combine yeast, 1 tsp of honey, and 1/2 cup warm filtered water. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, until fully proofed.
Combine the yeast mixture, soaked flour mixture, and all the rest of the ingredients in your mixer. You may need to add an additional 1-2 cups of flour. Dough should clean the sides of the mixer.
Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the gluten is fully developed.
Remove to a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let sit until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down, turn dough over, and allow to rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes. (OPTIONAL, but preferred for best results)
Punch down dough and divide into 4 loaves. Roll out with a rolling pin into a rectangle and roll up into a loaf (this makes the perfectly shaped loaves).
Place in greased bread bans and rise again until doubled, about 30-45 minutes minutes (the best place is the oven! Just turn it on low 150-170 degrees till heated and then turn it off, prior to putting the loaves in).
Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 30-45 minutes. Bread is done when it is fully browned on all sides! Remove from oven, rest in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Yield: 4 loaves.
If you do not desire to soak your flour, follow these instructions:
You have the option of replacing the 1 cup acid medium with water in the recipe above, so you have a total of 4 1/2 cups of water, or you can use the acid medium and just skip the soaking and proceed as described here.
Combine yeast, 1 tsp of honey, and 1/2 cup of the total water required. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, until fully proofed.
Combine the yeast mixture, remaining 4 cups of water (or 1 cup acid medium & 3 cups water), and all the rest of the ingredients in your mixer. Only add as much flour until it cleans the sides of the bowl.
Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the gluten is fully developed.
Remove to a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let sit until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down and divide into 4 loaves. Roll out with a rolling pin into a rectangle and roll up into a loaf (this makes the perfectly shaped loaves).
Place in greased bread bans and rise again until doubled, about 30-45 minutes minutes (the best place is the oven! Just turn it on low 150-170 degrees till heated and then turn it off, prior to putting the loaves in).
Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 30-45 minutes. Bread is done when it is fully browned on all sides! Remove from oven, rest in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Further Resources
A few excellent articles and tips on making your own homemade bread! Urban Homemaker has an abundance of resources on this topic!
