Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Here's a bread recipe I give out a lot for using home ground wheat. It is the most fail-proof, easiest one I've tried. The vital wheat gluten (found in the bread/baking aisle) helps it rise very well and gives it a good texture.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread
2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup oil
1 Tbsp salt
3 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
about 6 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (approximately 4 cups wheat)

Mix first 6 ingredients, then slowly work in enough flour to make a soft dough that is not sticky but not dry.
Place directly in greased loaf pans (only one rise is needed) and let rise until top is 2 inches or so above rim of pan.
Bake at 325 for about 30 minutes.
Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.
If desired, brush top with butter.
Cool completely before bagging.
Makes 2 hearty healthy loaves.

Mini Banana Bread

No need for a mixer for this recipe. I like to make the mini loaves because, for some reason, they always turn out better for me and cook more evenly than one large loaf.
4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.
Add the flour last, mix.
Pour mixture into a greased 4 mini loaf pan.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.

Easy Americana Flag Decoration

This seriously took me maybe two hours, it's just made of material and buttons, and fabric glue.
You can make any size you want. I made mine to fit an 11X13 frame. I cut the white fabric 10" by 12". Then I cut the blue square to the size I though looked best. Next I just cut the red strips (no need for straight lines). I cut the start out of paper first and then pinned my little template to the fabric to make my star just right. Use fabric glue to put everything together and you're done!

Journaling

I thought this would be a good idea and wanted to share. I realized the other day that since I started blogging, I don't write in my journal very often. So I've gone through every single post on my blog and copied/pasted to Microsoft Word. I am going to print out each post and put them into a binder to serve as a journal and will continue to add to it as long as we keep our blog. Of course you can't put everything on a blog that you would write in a journal, so when I have something to write thats a little personal I'll just go into Microsoft Word and add to it that way.

3 Questions

1. How do you get rid of discoloration spots on your face?
2. Does anyone have any ideas for crafts/projects using baby food jars?
3. Does anyone need cardboard for any projects? I have a ton and hate to through it away.

Mod Podge Serving Plates

This is a fun and simple project and makes a great gift idea. I bought the clear glass plates at Wal-Mart. I think it came in a box of 8 or 12.

Spread Mod Podge underneath bottom of the plate
Place desired fabric over Mod Podge and smooth out, working out bubbles as you go
When it is fairly dry cut the fabric at the edge of the plate (another option is cutting the fabric prior to Mod Podging it, but make sure you get the measurement exactly right before cutting)
Spread more Mod Podge over the fabric and allow it to dry completely

You CANNOT wash these plates in the dishwasher. In fact you don't want to get the back wet if you can help it. They are for serving only. You can make one for every holiday and/or occassion. The one pictured below is a Spring plate. It was my first one, so not exaclty perfect.

Father's Day Cards

These are the Father's Day cards I made with my friend, Mindy's, help and ideas. They're so fun to make and fairly easy. Check out Split Coast Stampers for more cardmaking ideas. All of these cards are made with scrapbooking paper and ribbon.

Homemade Burp Cloths

- Make sure you PREWASH ALL FLANNEL!
- Cut pieces 21 inches, by 31 inches.
- Iron over 1/4 inch on one of the short sides to make the outside finished edge.
- From the other side, measure 9 inches and fold on the line, then fold the finished edge over, overlapping the middle to make a rectangle roughly 21 X 13 inches.
- Top stitch up the finished edge about 1/8 inches in.
- Using the inside edge as a guide, top stitch up the edge of it to hold it in place. You will be able to feel the inside edge, I feel it and line it up with a mark on my sewing machine...This will give the look of thirds. Which is how I fold them.
- To finish the raw edges, cut the ends off so they are even. Then, if you have a surger, use it! If you have a surger stitch on your machine, use that, otherwise use a zigzag stitch barely overlapping the edge.

Firehouse BBQ Grilled Chicken

*From Picky Palate

I'm not going to put a ton of recipes on here, but I made this for dinner last night and it was AMAZING! I served it with Picky Palates roasted garlic parmesean potatoes and roasted vegetables.

6 thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ Cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
¾ Cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
4 Tablespoons melted butter
2 Tablespoons Worstershire sauce

Place all ingredients in a large ziplock bag and marinate for at least an hour.
Preheat stovetop grill pan (this is what I used) or outdoor grill over medium heat.
Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes each side or until chicken is cooked through.

Tag Toy

If your babies are anything like mine then they love tags even more than they love the toys that they're attached to. All this is is ribbon folded over and sewn in between 2 pieces of fabric, similar to tags on a toy. My little girl loves it. And I love it cause I can throw it in the wash after a few slobber sessions.
To add a little more fun to this toy, add crinkle material to the center.