Homemade Bread...a Labor of Love...

Can you by cheap bread? Yes, but it doesn't taste like this. It doesn't stay with your kids until they come home from school. It doesn't hold your homemade jam the way your homemade bread can. And I love the people I make it for, so it tastes even better.

1/4 cup warm water
1 T yeast
pinch of sugar
Place in small bowl or cup and stir. Leave undisturbed for 10 min while getting other ingredients ready.
3 T honey
3 T melted butter or oil
1 T salt
2 cups very warm water
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 cup of flour
Mix above ingredients in stand mixer until combined well. Add in Yeast mixture. Slowly add 1/2 cup of flour at a time. Add flour until ball of dough forms and no longer sticks to the sides. (about 6 cups of flour in all)Knead for few minutes until an impression of your finger, bounces back. Place in greased bowl and cover with plastic. Let rise in warm spot until doubled. Punch down and divide into two pieces. shape into loaves and place in two greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until they rise at least 1 inch above the lip. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes. The color will be a gorgeous golden color and easily release from the sides. Enjoy!

Harvest Soup

I know it's been forever since I posted on this sight. Not because we haven't been eating, but the energy required to actually remember what I make has been absent for a while. Halloween has been a busy time in our household. We have been eating lots of great things, but unless I write it down, I can't remember what exactly I did to make it so great.
Last night, was a stroke of creative genius that comes only every so often. I usually don't follow a recipe exactly unless it's something I have never tried before. Last night I completely came up with this one on my own...and not a drop was left. Even Anderson ate it!

Harvest Time Soup
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 small sugar pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 can of creamed corn
1 lb of smoked sausage
4 T butter
1 medium onion chopped finely
6 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 chicken bullion cubes
salt to taste

Place butternut squash and pumpkin cubes in a bowl and fill with water to cover. Microwave for 10 to 12 min. Drain 2/3 of water and mash with fork. To large pot, add butter and onion and sausage. Saute until onions are translucent and sausage is browned. Add can of creamed corn, squash mixture, and milk. Next, add chicken bullion, sage, pepper and heat until bubbly. Add salt to taste.

This is sweet and savory at the same time. I served it with a salad, and homemade bread. I didn't have to hide the vegetables in this and my kids loved it and my husband who doesn't like squash or pumpkin, loved it!