Being Productive

I LOVE when I have been productive. As I type:

*My tea is brewing.

*I have high-fiber oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes for Mufin's (Emily) breakfast tomorrow cooling on a rack. (Wednesdays are pancake/waffle day.)

*I started a batch of whole wheat sourdough starter to make the Ultimate Amazing Bread that Candy from Keeping the Home makes (see link to her blog on my sidebar). *I have Oatmeal bread dough going in my bread maker. I only use my maker to do the dough. I then remove it into a regular loaf pan for the second rise and bake a traditionally shaped loaf. I just don't like the shape of the pan in my breadmarker nor do I like having a hole in my loaf from the mixer paddle.

*Dinner is planned and thawing. Today's menu is grilled pork steaks, tater tot bake and probably steamed cabbage. Dessert/snack will be fresh fruit. Sidenote: I got a great deal on meat at Cub Foods last weekend. Ended up being about $1.41 per MEAL! Woohoo!

I've been making my own bread again for a couple of weeks now. I'm just starting to have a need to know what is going into the food I am putting into my family's bodies and making an effort to make from scratch anything that I can.

I spoke with Bob and mom yesterday about plans for a garden this year. I told Bob that I want him to teach me how to can as my birthday gift. I'm not sure exactly what will be in the garden but I know that tomatoes, green beans and turnips will most likely make the list. I would also like to try growing dried beans.

Must scoot, bread will be ready any minute for transfer to pans.

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Later that day....

Ready for the rise: Heading to the oven:

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, can you smell it? Fresh baked bread. The loaves in the picture look a little dark and they are somewhat but they aren't burnt. The recipe that I am using has molasses in it so it is a darker bread. Now, this batch was kind of an experiment. The recipe calls for 3 cups of bread flour and I substituted 1 cup of whole wheat flour for 1 of the cups of bread flour. Haven't cut into it yet but we'll see how much of a difference it made texture wise. The last loaf I made was soft & fluffy. This one may be more dense. Have a blessed day,