Easy Homemade Bread Recipe

I don't know where this recipe came from.  My mother-in-law typed it and printed it onto a blue recipe card for my husband years ago.  I love using this recipe with my Kitchen Aide because it is so simple.  It is still a double rise recipe so it takes some time but it is well worth the effort.  So for all you new Kitchen Aide owners out there (you know who you are), here it is.

Homemade Bread

3 Cups Lukewarm water

2 Tbs yeast granule (or 2 packets)

1/2 cup salad oil, melted butter, or melted shortening (I use oil)

1/2 cup plus 1 tsp white sugar

1 heaping Tbs salt

11 cups all purpose flour (give or take, I ususally use less for a softer bread)

In a large, warmed bowl, pour: 1 cup lukewarm water.  In the water dissolve: 1 tsp. white sugar. Over the water sprinkle: 2 Tblsps yeast granules.  Let stand 10 minutes, then stir until yeast is completly dissolved.  Then stir in: 2 cups lukewarm water, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 heaping Tbs salt, 1/2 cup oil, butter or shortening.  Beat, then stir in 1 cup at a time: about 9 cups all purpose bread flour (the Kitchen Aide makes this easy).  To knead by hand: Scrape the dough onto a well floured surface, sprinkle it with flour and knead it.  Gather the dough together in your hands and push it away from you with your palms.  Fold it in half towards you, then turn 1/4 turn and repeat pushing, folding, and turning, sprinkling flour on the dough to keep it from sticking, this may take up to a cupful more.  Keep kneading for several minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. (or just keep adding dough to Kitchen Aide bowl until it is too big then finnish off kneading by hand.  If dough is sticky you need more flour.)

After kneading, put the dough in a large oiled bowl, and flip to coat both sides with oil. (I just leave it in the Kitchen Aide bowl and cover it with a clean towel)  Loosley cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place, near a woodstove or in an oven that has been preheated for 30 seconds then turned off.  Let rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled.  Punch the dough down to remove air bubbles (this is my favorite part), then divide into 3 parts.  Shape each into a loaf and place into a greased loaf pan.  Cover the loaves with a dish towel and put in a warm place again to rise the second time.  The loaves should double, about 1 hour.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 min.  When bread is golden brown on top and bottom and bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, it's done.

I forgot to take a picture after it was baked as they quickly disappeared to friends and neighbors.  If you have any questions e-mail or leave me a message here.

Being Angry With God

Throughout my life I've always been taught that God was there for me, not as some omnipresent, out of reach entity but as a loving Father in Heaven who knows my triumphs, trials and everyday struggles.  I have always had a relationship with Him that models a typical parent/child relationship.  As such, I seek His counsel often and when I ask Him for something the answer will be Yes, No or Not Right Now.  As most children I would only be immediatly happy with the first answer and have spent a good deal of time angry with Him.  When I was deciding where to attend college the resonse to my first choice was no. 

 

The first time I remember distinctly being angry with God was my Sophmore year in high school.  I had a friend who was passing through a difficult time and was praying for a spiritual confirmation and was horribly discouraged and saddened that he had not recieved an answer.  I spent weeks pleading with the Lord to give him what he was asking for and then became angry and withdrawn for a time before realizing how much I needed to stay close to God.  This would not be my first experience of having a arguement (for lack of a better word) with diety.

 

When I was looking into grad school I felt strongly that I needed to serve a full-time mission for a year and a half.  I fought Him on this point for several months arguing that there was no way I could learn a foreign language and that I had nothing to offer.  Eventually I succumed and had the most trying, amazing, difficult, rewarding experience of my life (apart from raising my children).  Upon returning I met a good man who wanted to marry me and after about a month of dating felt very strongly that I was not to marry him.  I was horribly heart broken.  After college I interviewed for jobs in Houston, Albequerque, Boise and Seattle.  I got the job in Seattle (my least favorite choice) and though I hated the idea of being that far from home felt that is what I should do.  The job was not a good situation for me and I resigned after six months.  All of these experiences were difficult for me and at times I felt very angry that I was not given what I wanted.

 

Looking back, I am sure that the path I am on now is not the path I would have chosen for myself and I am so glad I listened to the impressions I felt in my heart when I searched for guidance through prayer.  I am sure that I will have many more experiences where things happen in my life and I feel I have cause to be angry with God.  My suggestion for you and for myself is to remember that just like a parent God has our best interest at heart and as parents have more life experience than their children He has more experience than us and can put us on the path that is the best for us.  So if you need to be angry with God for a bit, be angry but work to get past that anger quickly so you can get back to having His guidance in your life.

 

 "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."   Luke 11:9

Fear and Faith

With everything that is happening in our world today we have a choice as to how we approach it, with fear or with faith.  There are scary things out there in the world, of this I have no doubt but does the bad outweigh the good?  I honestly believe there is more good in the world than bad.  I am reminded of that everytime a neighbor helps me out or a rough looking stranger opens a door for me or a friend extends a helping hand when I am overwhelmed.

 

On of my favorite scriptures is 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."  This has given me peace when things happen that are beyond my control or when I see someone go through a terrible tragedy.  We can not let fear of the bad that might happen hold us back from doing good.  Satan wants us to be afraid of reaching out to strangers and nieghbors.  I have had so many small encounters with strangers that have lifted my spirits on a hard day because I simply started a conversation or smiled at them.  There is still need for caution but not fear.

 

Another scripture that has helped me is 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear..."  When I feel afraid I try to remember the love that God has for me.  I have confidence that I am here for a purpose and so are my children.  If one of our lives were to be cut short it would be very difficult but I know we would be reunited after this life is over. 

 

I know that God loves us.  Yes, bad things happen sometimes, even horrible things.  God will not take a person's ability to choose away from them, even when they choose to harm others; but that does not change the fact that God loves us.  He weeps for our heartaches and soars in our triumphs, and someday when our lives are over He will hold us in His arms and we will feel His peace. 

 

May we have patience and faith as we face the harships of this life knowing that all wrongs will be made right in the world to come so we must endure for now.  Hold on to the fact that God does love us and it is that love that casts out our fears.

Navigating Life

Last weekend I traveled with my two littles over a snowy mountain pass to attend my niece's birthday.  I was aware that a storm was coming that afternoon and we started out at about 1:00.  The rain started about ten minutes into our drive and was coming down hard.  It was hard off and on for the next half hour; as we gained elevation the rain got slushy and was hail for a while.  It wasn't long before there was a layer of slush on the road and I found myself sliding off the road.  There was a moment before we went into the ditch when I looked back at my kids in the back seat and then we came to a stop.  Long story short, no one was hurt, we didn't even get stuck and now I need a new bumper.  We were lucky, no, not lucky, blessed to come out so well.

 

This experience got me to thinking about life's journey.  I know what my ultimate goal is, and I have tools to help me get there but I rarely anticipate the challenges I will face before I reach my destination.  A large part of my life journey has been seeking the path that God has for me.  I truly belive He has a plan for me and while that plan includes many twists, turns, and surprises along the way it is the best path for me and has brought more joy than I could have imagined.

 

So, you may ask, how did I find this path and how do I know when I'm on the right path.  Just as we are given tools on road trips we are also given tools to help us in life's journey.  When the path isn't clear we are use our winshield wipers, they are like prayer.  They clear our vision and we choose the frequency of our discussions with diety.  When we find ourselves needing light we have headlights, they are like studying the scriptures, doctrine sheds light on our path.  The steering wheel is like the choices we make.  Our choices determine our direction.  Brakes are things that slow us from reaching our destination, uncertainty, trials or distractions that slow our progress.  The accelorator is attending church meetings and having meaningful gospel discussions.  Many times I have had great faith building experiences at church meetings that have propelled me forward on my path.

 

I am so grateful to have turned this frightening experience into a learning expereince.  I guess it's just one of those surprises in my path that the Lord has used to teach and guide me.  I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Christmas season.  Take some time to look for life's lessons in your life today and be extra careful on the roads.

Out Of This World

Kids are strange and there are times when they are really out there and I wonder if they are from some other planet.  Whether it's trying to get out of a chore or working on an art project they dance to the beat of their own drum.  The upside of this is that they force me to see the world from a fresh perspective and that is out of this world.

The Christmas Spirit

After Thanksgiving comes we're in full Christmas mode at our house. By this time I've hopefully gotten any handmade Christmas gifts made (if I wait too long I stress and crafting becomes impossible).  My husband starts playing Christmas songs on the piano...and the radio, we put up the tree, we start making Christmas candy and the shopping begins.  I was having a little trouble getting into the spirit of it all this year and just feeling rushed until one night...

We attended a Nativity exhibit at a church.  Each year they have individuals lend them their nativitys and they display them in the gymnasium.  They have crafts for the kids, live music, a live nativity, a place to dress up and get your picture taken in a stable and we look forward to it every year.  There was such a peaceful feeling when we entered the gym.  The kids walked quietly around with us looking at each version of the Christmas story.  There wer nativities from Honduras, Italy, Africa, and even some made out of legos.  Some were hand sewn, made of metal, paper, cloth, ceramic and wood.  We moved excitedly from one activity to the next and I really felt ready for Christmas.

It is my hope that this year we can focus on the real reason for the season.  I  am so grateful for a God who loved us enough to send His son to live on this earth, suffer and die for each of us.  I know that Christ was rusurrected and because He lived again we will all live again.  This knowledge gives me great peace in my life and hope for a beautiful future.  Merry Christmas!