The Urban Homemaker Blog

Category: Homemaking

  • Snowmen

    I mentioned that we had Mentoring Moms on Monday. It was my turn to teach so I talked about freezer meals and different ways to get your freezer stocked without spending from morning till night and getting exhausted.

    As a group we made a giant batch of Chicken Pot Pie. Everyone got a small casserole dish to take home for that night’s dinner or for their freezer. We actually ended up with extra meals for new mommies and for my freezer!

    We always decorate the tables with a seasonal centerpiece using what’s on hand. My friend Sandy, is an expert at coming up with attractive and creative centerpieces.

    I’m sorry I didn’t think to take pictures of our tables, our cooking time. Sandy has a collection of snowmen, one of each she has made over the years for her craft shows. So snowmen decorated our tables for centerpieces. No expenses. I arranged the snowmen at my house on my table to give you the ideas.

     

    I would love to see what you all are doing to create attractive, seasonal centerpieces from what you have around your home?

  • How do you use your Bosch Universal?

    Here are some ways I use my Bosch Universal other than kneading bread. (This does not include the use of optional attachments.)

    Read all the comments below for countless other way to make use of your Bosch Universal Plus in your kitchen including making playdough!

    You can use a Bosch to:

    • Make your own healthy salad dressings
    • Puree tomatoes
    • Make cookies ( use batter whips, cookie paddles, or dough hook)
    • Mash potatoes
    • Puree cooked beans, lentils and split peas for soups, sauces, and dips.
    • Make bread crumbs
    • Crack Grain
    • Chop up nuts
    • Mix meat loaves (use batter whips or cookie paddles)
    • Prepare pesto
    • Prepare hummus
    • Prepare salsa
    • Mix cakes and quick breads
    • Whip cream fast and easy
    • Beat egg whites to the stiff peaks stage for meringues, etc. (Quick and easy)

  • Bread Baking Problems and Solutions

    Bread Baking Problems and Solutions – Here are pictures of bread baked by me in our 8″ bread pans. It makes excellent sandwiches that hold together. I used Marilyn’s Famous Whole Wheat Bread Recipe.

    Q. How do I get my bread to be suitable for making sandwiches?

    A. There are three basic principles for making bread good enough for sandwiches.

    1. Add 1/3 to ½ cup vital wheat gluten to a 2 loaf batch of bread. Make sure the gluten is fully developed. Vital gluten makes the bread softer, moister and it rises better.

    2. Make sure you don’t add too much flour – this leads to dry, crumbly bread when it cools. The dough should be smooth and elastic and a tiny bit tacky, not dry when shaping your loaves.

    3.Don’t over rise the bread – coarse texture leads to crumbly bread.

    Q. Is it really cheaper to make homemade bread?

    A. Cost isn’t the only factor to consider when determining if bread baking is a good thing for your family. Consider the wonderful aroma in your home from home baking, and the superior nutritional value. I am glad that my homemade bread contains ingredients that I recogzine and I know how to pronounce them. Home baked bread has superior taste, and the fact that home made bread is very easy to incorporate into my routine is an added bonus. It is an added benefit to bless friends and neighbors with home baked bread.

    Q. What is sponging and is it necessary?

    A. Sponging is the process of allowing the yeast, water and a portion of the flour to be mixed together for about 15 minutes to activate the yeast. You could consider sponging a short, first rising. All yeast bread baking is flexible, however, and you can skip sponging and allow the bread to rise once or twice before baking. Be sure to get all the air bubbles out of the dough before shaping the loaves. Bread can rise just once in the pans before baking if you are running out of time. Conversely, bread can rise multiple times before shaping, rising, and the baking. Each rising period will improve flavor and texture. Be flexible and allow baking to fit around your schedule.

    Q. I have some yeast bread recipes that do not call for fresh milled flour. How do I adjust the recipe?

    A. I substitute cup for cup, whole grain hard wheat flour for all purpose flour in yeast bread recipes that appeal to me. The only adjustment I make is adding some vital gluten so the bread will not be too dense or heavy or dry.

    Q. Can I use my fresh ground flour for cookies, pancakes and muffins?

    A. Use freshly milled soft wheat flour or pastry wheat for any baked goods that do not contain yeast.
    Remember freshly milled pastry flour must be packed like brown sugar for accurate measurements. You can obtain more information about ingredients and how to use them.

    Q. My bread doesn’t rise very well.

    A. Whole grain bread will not rise as well as white bread, but if you have waited several hours and the bread hasn’t doubled in size, the problem most likely is the use of low protein wheat. Low protein means low gluten content. All wheat is not created equal, and premium wheat will have a higher protein content than less expensive wheat.

    Use 1 Tbsp. vital gluten per cup of flour as a starting place.

    Q. I have some older yeast and I don’t know if it is still good. What do I do?

    A. Proofing the yeast is a way to determine if your yeast is still good. If it isn’t, your bread may not rise well. If you suspect your yeast is out of date or old, here is how to proof (test) the yeast:

    Add 1 tsp. yeast, with 1/2 cup warm water (85°F) and 1 tsp. sugar. If the yeast isn’t bubbling up to the top of the cup within 10 minutes, replace the yeast.

    Be sure to store yeast cool and dry. Use moisture/vapor proof containers.

    The above information has been excerpted from A Beginner’s Guide to Baking Bread ebook by Marilyn Moll.
    Click Here to purchase this ebook for $9.95. You may also obtain this book complimentary with any purchase of $75.00 or more by request.

    This ebook Includes:

    * How to Select Ingredients
    * Selecting a Grain Mill
    * Selecting A Mixer
    * Step-by-Step Mixing Instructions
    * How to Develop the Gluten
    * Tips for the Best Bread
    * Lots of Bread and Roll Recipes
    * Troubleshooting Guide
    * The Two-Stage Process
    Item #6059 $9.95

    Step by step cinnamon Roll tutorial

  • Cold and Flu Remedies

    When we get sick around here with the latest cold or flu we drink peppermint tea, ginger tea, and eat Mommy’s Homemade Chicken Soup for colds and flus. The chicken soup recipe is basically my very popular, Chicken Barley Soup recipe with extra garlic, cayenne, and ginger to get the lymph glands flowing! I use fresh ginger and lemon juice for ginger tea and the soup. Here is how I make the teas and soup:

    Ginger Tea

    Chop up coarsely about 3-4 inch piece of fresh, peeled ginger. Simmer for 10-15 minutes in 3 cups of pure water or bring up to full pressure in a pressure cooker for 3-5 minutes and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Take 1/4 – 1/2 cup “ginger concentrate”, add hot water, honey, and a squeeze of lemon to taste. Drink lots!

    Peppermint Tea

    We make peppermint tea using the cut leaves, about 1-2 tsp leaves infused with each cup of water. Add lemon and honey to taste, if desired . Drink Lots. We also make lots of hot boiling water in our air pot so we can keep making hot fresh cups of tea all day without reheating the tea kettle. You can also buy peppermint tea in bag form, but when we are sick we go through so much peppermint tea that purchasing the leaves in bulk is much more cost effective. I store loose peppermint in canning jars. One quart jar of bulk peppermint leaves costs about $3.00 in a health food store and makes lots of tea.

    Chicken Soup for Colds and Flus
    An effective traditional home remedy for colds and flus. I make a large pot of this chicken soup when we get sick. Garlic, ginger, and cayenne stimulate the immune system. Use as many of the ingredients as you have.

    6 cup chicken stock (homemade bone broth is best)
    2 cup diced chicken or turkey pieces, (optional)
    5 or more gloves garlic, crushed
    1/2 – 1 cup chopped onion
    1″ piece or larger of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
    2 cup carrot rounds
    1 cup celery, chopped
    1 cup rice or noodles, cooked
    1/3 cup flour
    1/8 – 1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)
    1 tsp. thyme (optional)
    1 tsp. savory (optional)
    1 C. peas
    salt and pepper to taste

    Saute the onion and celery in 2 Tbsp olive oil until softened, add the garlic and ginger and saute another 1-2 minutes. Add the stock or broth, and the carrots and simmer until the carrots are tender – 15 to 20 minutes or 2- 3 minutes in a Duromatic at full pressure. Add salt and herbs. Mix 1/3 Cup flour with 1 cup cold water thoroughly so there are no lumps. Bring the soup to a boil, slowly add the water flour mixture while stirring constantly to lightly thicken the soup. Add cooked rice or noodles, and peas, adjust seasonings to taste. This soup is the perfect thing for helping to recover from colds and flus.

  • 10 Fun and Frugal Things to Do Before Christmas

    1. Read one Christmas, holiday, or winter-themed book each day for the week leading up to Christmas. You could wrap the books up, in tissue and have one child unwrap one book per day starting around December 17th. The same books can be re-wrapped from year to year. This tradition can be expanded by borrowing library books or purchasing Christmas books at thrift stores.

    Our favorite Christmas stories are The Night Before Christmas, The Legend of the Candy Cane, The Story of Holly & Ivy, The Real 12 Days of Christmas- The story behind the Song and A Little House Christmas Volume 11 which contains the Christmas stories from the original books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My favorite Little House Picture Books with wintery and Christmas Themes are Christmas in the Big Woods, Sugar Snow, and Winter Days in the Big Woods. I think any of these books are available in the library.

    2. Pray for friends, neighbors, or relatives you have received Christmas Cards from or whom you will be sending cards to. A good time to do this is during devotions or Jesse Tree Devotions.

    3. Attend a Christmas Cantata, Parades of Lights, or Christmas Eve Service in your community. Check your local paper for details. Then drive around the neighborhoods to view Christmas lights and well decorated homes on your way home. In our area, the addresses of the best lit homes are organized by neighborhoods and listed in the newspaper. When you get home have hot chocolate and home made cookies.

    4. Have a family slumber party or movie marathon in the family room or living room. Pull out sleeping bags. blankets, afghans, pillows. Turn out the lights except for Christmas lights or candles. Enjoy popcorn or a snack with a Bible story, book or Christmas movie. Our favorite Christmas movies are The Nativity Story, Christmas with the Kranks, and The Christmas Story.

    5. Make package opening time special by allowing only one gift to be opened at a time. Start by having the children give out their gifts first.

    6. Set up a card table or coffee table to do a jigsaw puzzle together during the holidays. Work at it every now and then with family, relatives or neighbors until it’s done. Do a different puzzle every year. Inexpensive puzzles can be found in thrift stores.

    7. Bake rolled out sugar cookies cut into Christmas shapes and decorate. My children, now older, still enjoy making sugar cookies together every year without my help. OR make candy. Our favorites are fudge, peanut brittle, and toffee. OR make a Gingerbread House. Kits are inexpensive in craft stores. I usually buy one in the after Christmas sales for the next year.

    8. Cut your own Christmas tree. In Colorado you can buy a permit to go to a designated place in the forest to cut a tree for $8.00. My children absolutely insist on having a real, live tree preferably one they cut themselves with Dad every year. The oldest is now 23!

    9. With small children you can make a paper chain with colored construction paper to count the days until Christmas. Alternate green and red construction paper. Take a link off the chain each night before bed time.

    10. Hold a Holiday Open House or invite some friends or family over for dinner. My favorite company recipe is Beef Burgundy. Your event can be simple and casual. Have everyone bring a dish or appetizer to share. Enjoy the company and tell about favorite family traditions or memories.

    I think my favorite memory was the year we gave the two younger children a trampoline and rolled it down the road Christmas Eve from the neighbor’s house to our yard. The expressions of surprise and excitement from the children are priceless memories for the whole family.

    BONUS IDEA: Make a special Christmas breakfast with homemade Pecan Sticky Cinnamon Rolls. You won’t even need to get up early to do it. All the Christmas breakfast recipes and stress free instructions are complimentary.

    Remember to slow down, enjoy the season, take lots of pictures and enjoy the memories.

    New Contest: I would love for you to post some of your family’s most favorite holiday traditions or memories at my blog to encourage other families to build up memories and traditions. Three winners will get a copy of The Wise Woman’s Guide to Blessing Her Husband’s Vision and three winners will get a copy of Continuing Education for Moms- Volume 1 which contains over 12 hours of listening. If your favorite tradition or memory revolves around a recipe, be sure to include the recipe to be considered in the judging!

    You must also leave an email contact to be considered in this contest.

    Announcing the contest winners: 1-7-08

    The following ladies won a copy of Continuing Education for Moms – Volume 1 –  Tina in Alabama, Lydi, Lora, and Michelle Johnson.
    The following ladies won A Wise Woman’s Guide to Blessing Her Husband’s Vision by Doug Phillips:  Amanda Robinson, Donna Jackson and Debbie Sifford.

  • The Meaning of the Christmas Wreath

    “A Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2: 11

    Every Christmas wreath is more than just a decoration…it’s a special reminder of Jesus, the reason for our celebration. The circle of a Christmas wreath is a never-ending ring, a reminder of eternal love from our Lord and King. The Christmas wreath is a sign of welcome, inviting all to enter in…a reminder of Christ’s invitation for all to come to Him. The middle of a Christmas wreath is a bare and empty space, a reminder of what life would be without Christ’s love and grace. So each time you see a Christmas wreath hanging from a door, may your heart rejoice in the One that Christmas is truly for!

    CLICK HERE For instructions for making a simple Christmas wreath.

  • Life is Fragile, Count your blessings…

    I was reminded about how fragile life can be again this morning. I received an email from a friend telling me about a homeschool mom of seven, a friend I had lost touch with, who suddenly had a heart attack and died two weeks after the birth of her 7th child. This dear momma has left a huge hole in the hearts of a family in Brighton, Colorado. I know her church family is there for her family, but my heart is broken, thinking about a newborn baby girl who will never know her momma.

    In our small church congregation this past Sunday, a young mom of three (4 year old twin boys and a 2 year old) tearfully announced that she had just gained guardianship of her two nephews. This dear mom and her sexually abused nephews lost her brother and their dad to drug abuse and a lengthy prison sentence. Her family has been permanently broken by a different type of tragedy as well.

    As she and her husband became parents of five boys overnight, they are desperately and humbly aware of their need for the wisdom of God and help from the body of Christ. I could not hold back the tears as I listened to her tragic story.

    These two tragedies not only underline just how fragile life can be, but highlight the many blessings we often take for granted. With the Christmas holiday about three weeks away, I hope you and your family will continue to focus on your many blessings apart from material gifts.

    I also hope and pray you will take time to look around you and see where you can serve your friends, neighbors, relatives and those in difficult circumstances. We serve an awesome and mighty God who is fully aware of how these events are tragedies to us.

    I won’t lie, getting a meal for seven ready to take to our church family tonight is a sacrifice for me, but how can I complain? I have taken many, many meals to those in need this past year from our very small church family, and often somewhat resentfully. God has shown me that one of my ministries and services to him, is the humble ministry of cooking for others.

    Perhaps you who are reading this message are in need of someone to care enough to encourage you in a tangible way. Or maybe you are wondering what act of service you and your family could even supply. I pray for the Lord Almighty to open all our hearts to recognize the many needs around us and enable us to do our small part to help those in need.

    If you can post a comment with a story about how you and your family have met the needs of someone in need in the last month or two, I would like to share a complimentary copy of The Power Of Motherhood by Nancy Campbell. (A $20.00 value) You must include your name and mailing address so I know where to send the gifts. I have three copies to share with winners.

  • Mama’s Apron

    I’ve completed a vintage fabric apron using the pattern found in The Apron Book. I was inspired by both the book and the poem Mama’s Apron reprinted below. This poem captures the essence of a home and family centered life.

    National TIE ONE ON DAY, the brainchild of EllynAnne Geisel, author of The Apron Book, makes its debut on Wednesday, November 21, 2007–the day before Thanksgiving, when “women clad in aprons have traditionally prepared the Thanksgiving meal.”

    EllynAnne, says tomark the new holiday by wrapping a loaf of bread in an apron, along with a written prayer or an encouraging note, and deliver the bundle to someone who needs spiritual or physical sustenance. “No matter which way you turn out your own front door, someone who is deserving of a hug is very close by, she says.

    A picture of my recently completed vintage apron followed by the poem Mama’s Apron:

    Mama’s Apron by Author Unknown

    An Apron played a big part in mama’s life. As common to wear as being a housewife. She used it to gather eggs at the end of the day, To gather vegetables to can and put away, To feed the family on a rainy day…

    She used it to pick up chips, To start a fire in the old wood stove. To cook the daily bread, For her main concern was to keep her family fed.

    She folded it around her hands, When at the Table the blessing was said, And wore it in the rain to cover her graying head, She wrapped it around the baby’s legs when it was cold. And Sometimes used it to wipe his lil’ nose.

    It was a faithful servant through sad and lonely years, She even used it to dry away her tears. When the children were tucked in and their prayers were said…She laid out a clean one at the foot of her bed.

    Their job is over now, they did their best. Mama and her apron have been laid to rest. If all is true about Heaven I’ve been told, Mama is now weaving an apron of spun gold…

    Have a great Thanksgiving! If you have time to wrap some bread in an apron to share with someone in need, will you please drop me a note about your experience?

  • Organic or Frozen, Which Turkey is Best?

    My state newspaper, The Denver Post, published an article about Organic, natural birds versus the standard frozen turkeys found in our local grocery stores including the famed Butterball. Which turkey won the judges vote? Is it a no-brainer?

    “The big surprise”, writes food editor Kristen Browning-Blas, “is that the organic and natural birds fared so poorly against the rest of the frozen flock.” I guess enhanced frozen turkey with salt, stock and other flavorings also known as a pre-brined bird, impressed the panel of judges including a food editor and her family, food writers, Denver Post Dining critic, students, business writers and a few others.

    The turkeys tested included Butterball, Jennie-O Oven Ready, King Sopers Private Selection, Honeysuckle White, and Heidi’s Hens and Diestel. They had culinary students at Johnson and Wales University cook all the birds to 170 °F. The turkeys were rated for looks, flavor, texture, and moistness of meat by the esteemed panel of judges.

    Butterball won first place followed by Honeysuckle White, and third place went to King Soopers Private Selection. The judges said the natural and Organic turkeys were dry and stringy.

    So if you haven’t already bought a bird, you can save a bundle, by purchasing an $8.00 bird rather than a $50 -60 Organic/Natural bird. Or you can brine your own natural bird yourself to get moisture and flavor inside the meat. Note, Butterball has a 7 percent solution of salt and “natural flavors”. I believe natural flavors is another word for MSG. According to the article, Honeysuckle White has no MSG.

    I am cooking two huge birds this week end to get a head start on Thanksgiving. We have our all-church Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday, and I’m bringing turkey and gravy. I’m cooking my other turkey ahead so all I have to do is reheat on Thursday.

    My turkeys are King Soopers Private Selection. I’ll let you know how these $8.00 birds fare next week.

  • Do the Next Thing

    I learned years ago from Elisabeth Elliot, that when you are tired, discouraged, exhausted, confused, whatever, to do the next thing.  This simple advise has carried me through many a trial and many difficulties.

    I just learned this phrase is based on a poem by an author unknown.  I found the poem reprinted in Passionate Housewives Desperate for God.   Here it is:

    DO THE NEXT THING

    At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
    There came in the twilight a message to me.
    Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven
    That, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
    And all through the hours the quiet words ring,
    Like a low inspiration, do the next thing.

    Many a questioning, many a fear,
    Many a doubt hath its quieting here.
    Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
    Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
    Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
    Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing.

    Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
    Do it reliantly, casting all care.
    Do it with reverence, tracing His hand,
    Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
    Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
    Leave all results, do the next thing.

    Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
    Working or suffering be thy demeanor;
    In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
    The light of His countenance, be thy psalm,
    Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
    Then, as He beckons, do the next thing.

    If you have not learned this wise counsel previously, I pray do the next thing is just what you need.  If you need encouragement or a vision of what God has for Christian Women, read Passionate Housewives Desperate for God.