Wednesday, March 27, 2013

English Muffins


I love english muffins...

They're perfect with jelly and cream cheese for breakfast,
or with meat and lettuce for lunch, 
or slathered with butter and honey for supper.

Although I love the chewy, dry texture of store-bought, homemade are chewy and moist - and so worth the extra effort.  Another bonus is the lack of yucky additives I can't even pronounce... ;-)

I've been doing a lot of experimenting with Einkorn grain recently, and used a good amount of it in this English muffin recipe.  I've never made them with whole wheat, and to ease my way into it I did half WW and half all-purpose unbleached flour.  I was very pleased with the results - yummy, chewy, and moist!

I tend to cook them with heat that's a little too high...I do it on my electric skillet and fiddle with the temp the whole time I'm cooking them.  Some come out perfect and toward the end of the bath can end up a little doughy, but I toast them later anyways, so they get fully cooked at one point or another.  :-)  I need to just find a good temp and stick with it...

Here's the recipe...


Whole Wheat English Muffins

4 cups whole wheat flour, freshly ground, divided
1/2 tsp. Real Salt
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. honey
3 Tbsp. softened butter

cornmeal, for dusting surface


Grind wheat (I have my eyes on a WonderMill...but currently utilize the generosity of friends and family that are willing to grind my wheat berries, which I then keep in the freezer).
Combine 2 cups flour and the next 5 ingredients (salt, yeast, water, milk, and honey).  Mix until combined - the dough should be thin and runny.
Cover and let rise for an hour.
Add remaining 2 cups flour and softened butter - mix to combine.  Turn dough onto surface sprinkled with cornmeal and roll ou to 1/2 inch thickness.  Sprinkle top with cornmeal.  Using a biscuit cutter or a juice glass, cut out rounds from the dough.  Continue until all the dough has been cut.
Let muffins rise until doubled - usually an hour or so (unless it's summer in my sultry, south-facing kitchen...it's amazing how fast bread rises in 90* temps).  Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the English muffins in small batches on each side until golden brown.  
These are amazing right after cooking, toasted, or from the freezer, and they make delicious egg sandwiches!

This recipe based on this one from Baking Whole Grains

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The end justifies the means?


Not very often does the end justify the means...


...but in my opinion, there are times to let messes happen for productivity reasons.


Completely emptying mommy's wallet and diaper bag
 = 
2 trays of dehydrated strawberries, 
emptying and refilling the dishwasher, 
washing what wouldn't fit in the dishwasher, 
and making two jars of raw yogurt. 


Added bonuses:
sweet little fingers learning to dig credit cards from their sleeves,
teething gums feeling the sensation of everything from gift cards to panty liners,
and the ease of cleaning out my wallet when the first step has already been done.

:-)


Friday, June 10, 2011

Bubbie's Birthday


She has many nicknames, but "bubbie" is one of the most-used...

...throughout the day, I was remembering what it was like last year at this time...

...holding brand new life that didn't even know what she'd just been through.

Those first 24 hours were so special. I hardly left our bed, cuddling our little miracle from the Lord. Our lives were forever changed.


I thought I knew how it was going to be.

We would add this new member of our family to our current lives and keep plugging along as we had been, just with a little one in tow.

Ha.

The past year hasn't been a bed of roses...
...but there have been so many special moments given by the Lord...and Lord willing there will be many more to come. Becoming a mom is something I have looked forward to ever since I was little. The Lord was gracious and granted my desire with so much blessing...and so much responsibility.


I hope I can emulate my mom in helping my baby discover the world from the safety of loving, nurturing arms...with true Wisdom from above as we face new seasons and stages.

Happy first birthday, cuddle bug.


Fruit of Labor...

It's strawberry season!

I love summer and the fruit "picking seasons" that come with it!
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and apples.


So many berries...


Lil' Bug was on my back in the mai tei for the first bucket (yikes, was that a workout), but got cranky quick since we didn't eat much before leaving home...

...so back to the van to nurse...


...and then picking and eating some more berries...


...red, white, or covered in dirt - they're all yummy!

10.5 lbs from this trip...most went straight to the freezer for smoothies and ice cream. About a pound is dehydrating, and we ate the best-looking ones fresh.

The next trip will be for jelly and pie. :-)


Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Diaper Duty


It was laundry day after a rainy week...

We were very low on diapers while they hung on the line to dry.

So, enter the "back-ups" (prefolds with diaper covers) - which are unreliable in more ways than one...


...including staying on the designated bum.



But its wearer was more than content to be free of her "baggage"

and quite excited about it.