“Baby, Imunna Buttah Yo’ Bread!” Vegan Soaked Whole Wheat Bread!

Allow me to introduce you to my new best friend, saver of my new bread-heavy menu: Soaked Whole Wheat Bread! I got this recipe from The Elliot Homestead, whom I thoroughly recommend for those of you who enjoy REAL food! They are ALL ABOUT non-gmo and organic, whole foods, and home-made! They have been in the blogging world for longer than I have, and I subscribe to all of the same values they hold (plus veganism, but you knew that), so I HIGHLY recommend you check them out for more wholesome and money saving tips! They live in Washington as well, and buy their grains from Azure Standard (lovely source for non-gmo, organic bulk items) too, so they check out as far as authenticity and integrity are concerned!

That being said, I would like to share the veganized version of their recipe for Soaked Whole Wheat Bread! It tastes a bit on the yeasty side, but that makes it delicious, don’t let that deter you. It is the best recipe I have ever found, and that is saying a lot because I used to use my mom’s whole wheat bread recipe! The loaf this recipe produces is light, cuts and has that thin-edged outer shell that is characteristic of store bought, that I have never been able to duplicate until now! I always end up with a thick crust, better for soup, type bread, and EVEN with messing up the first rise, this bread STILL takes the cake!

Vegan Soaked Whole Wheat Bread:

Total Time: 2 Days

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Soak Time: 8+ Hours (The loaf pictured Soaked for 26 hours)

Rise Time: 2.5 Hours

Bake Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients:

7-7 ½ cups sifted Whole Wheat Flour, divided (The Elliot Homestead grinds their own)

3 teaspoons Sea Salt, divided

1 ½ cups Soy Milk

4 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, divided

2 ½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast, divided

1 ½ cups Water

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil (Or shortening has been fine in a pinch)

1/3 cup Sugar

Day 1:

1. Combine 1 ½ cups soy milk with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and set aside.
2. Combine 3 ½ cups of sifted whole wheat flour, (it is important to measure the flour sifted for this part because we are trying to mimic the density of freshly ground flour. Non-sifted will work, it just has a bit more difficulty rising), 1 teaspoon salt, and curdled milk mixture. A wooden spoon works best to mix the ingredients.
3. Cover with a towel and plate or plastic wrap and set in a warm place for the night. This is called the Soaker.
4. Now combine 1 ½ cups water and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and set aside.
5. In a mixer basin or a large bowl combine the rest of the flour (3 ½ cups), 1 teaspoon salt, and water mixture.
6. Mix for 5 minutes on low speed, or by hand.
7. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, before mixing again for 1 more minute.
8. Then towel or plastic wrap it for the night. This one is called the Sponge.

Day 2:

1.  Combine all of the soaker and sponge in your mixer with the rest of the salt (1 tsp), Coconut oil, sugar, and remaining yeast (2 ¼ tsp).
2. Mix for 8 minutes, or 15 minutes by hand, adding flour as necessary. ½ cup is almost always needed, because your soaker and sponge should have been sticky enough to require more flour, this time your flour does not have to be sifted. However, if you are not seeing a need for more flour, don’t force it or scrap it, you will just have a bit denser loaf is all! Your desired consistency should be tacky to the touch but still able to roll out with a pin.
3.  Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and stick in a warm, draft-free place to rise 1 ½ hours.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, and roll out on a lightly floured surface, roll up and tuck the ends. Be careful not to mar the outer shell of the loaf as it will split more as it finishes.
5. Place each loaf into an oiled pan, cover and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until it looks about ¾ of the height of the desired finished product. It will rise the rest of the way in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350 during this step.
6. Bake for 45 minutes, or until they sound completely hollow when tapped with your finger. You can also use a knife to test it.
7. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, then when it is a temperature you are comfortable with handling, slice your bread! It is easiest to slice warm bread.

If you find you are having trouble working around all of the rise times, and you are going to mess up a step, choose to prolong the first rise! I recommend just allowing the soaker and sponge to sit longer until you have a block of time to work with, however, I had to abandon the recipe at the first rise in the bowl, and allowed it to rise for 3 extra hours, but the only effect this had was a bread that did not rise so well the second time or in the oven! It still tasted great, and cut magnificently! That is my favorite part about this bread, the skin of it is so thin and the insides don’t crumble when I cut!!!

Thank you Elliott Homestead for the BEST BREAD RECIPE to start from!

All of the ingredients I used total $1.20 to make these two beautiful loaves, which comes out to $0.60 per loaf! How's that for some whole food goodness on a dime?!

ENJOY!

Update 10/9/13:
I was using bulk Bob's Red Mill "Whole Wheat Bread Flour" at 60 cents a pound, not realizing a better option was just All Natural bulk "Whole Wheat Flour" at 40 cents a pound, with a higher protein and fiber content! It brings the loaves down to 50 cents a loaf!!

AND for those of you not grinding your own wheat berries, I found a better measurement to counteract the density of bulk flour:

2 1/2 cups flour for the soaker, 3 cups for the sponge. During final mix add the remaining 1 1/2 - 2 cups of flour!! This replicates the tacky but manageable (barely) consistency which allows for even fluffier, enjoyable, high-rising bread!

Oh, and coconut oil? Definitely adds to the flavor on this one!!!

FALL CLOTHING

School has arrived, and maybe you bought a couple things to send your youngster off, but now the weather is getting colder and you find yourself in need of stocking up on cozy things!

First let me recommend checking out consignment stores in your area…they lend a helping hand for your budget when you’ve forgotten to buy ahead! The two shirts below were purchased for $1.50 a piece!!!

Now that winter is coming up fast, many of the beginning of autumn items are going on sale! Always shop the clearance and discounts! I never pay more than $5 for a shirt and $10 for a pair of jeans! Check out the clearance at Target.com too, because there will be a host of items that you can find to fit the season that are being marked out. While you’re checking Target.com clearance, look through Sears.com clearance as well, they tend to have a few gems, with a bit different style than Target, so it doesn’t look like that’s the only store you can afford to shop at (if that’s your concern).

Remember, when Spring comes around the corner, stock up on the next size up of the last season! So while you’re checking out clearance for longsleeves, look at tanktops too! You’re going to need them next summer, so get them while they are only a buck or two! This shirt from Naartjie was literally $2, and it is GORGEOUS!!

Sign up for the rewards programs at all of your favorite stores: Children’s Place, Sears, StrideRite, Payless…just to name a few. You will get discount coupons that will apply during BOGO sales, and rewards for buying things as you normally would, special sales, and cash during certain rewards times for being a member. All of these savings add up!

If you’re looking for some brand names, first CONSIGNMENT! Then, eBay, and find out special promotions that the stores you like offer. For instance, Naartjie does a “Treasure Tuesday” where they discount select items 40%...which is where we picked up the girls’ SCHOOL PHOTO outfits! We just waited until the one we wanted went on sale! A cute Tunic Shirt/Dress, for the wonderful price of $14, a good price for a special occasion outfit!

Another brand name option is to look into MyHabit on Amazon, they will send you emails of special sales happening on the brand names you say you are particularly interested in. For us it’s Hello Kitty, and I get notified of sales once every couple weeks that involve some new Hello Kitty design. The only drawback is it’s fairly unreliable as to when you can snag some brands, and it’s not always pants and shirts, although pajamas get to be a happenin’ sale, but we don’t NEED brand name pajamas!

KIDS CLOTHES!

Also get your booty into the Outlet Mall! You will get floods of coupons on a regular basis that usually can be combined with member rewards coupons. So you get those $6 SALE shirts for $4.50 with your coupons.

TADA!

Kids Activities (Part 2) EVEN CHEAPER!!

Now for the EVEN CHEAPER way to do classes! Sure you can scout living social, amazon local, and groupon, even scoring some pretty sweet deals for your tots, or you can create your own class!

Little Gym and Gymboree both offer free trial classes, for every avenue, be it music, art or dance...so eat those up! All of these little cell-phone snapshots are from free classes at the Little Gym and Gymboree!

Then Gymagine offers Preschool OPEN PLAY! $6 a pop (5.50 with a punch card...5 if you buy during cash discount weeks), and the open play lasts for 45 mins, which is 15 minutes longer than their AcroRoos class for toddlers! Plus it’s also $3 cheaper each child, every time! Then start your own routine! We signed up for classes at first with Kaylee Autumn, which was helpful to me when I had my hands tied up with River Evelyn, infant at the time. This was helpful, because we figured out the coaching routine! At the toddler age, the coach lets them become familiar with the gym equipment at their own pace. So, be a smart parent and do the same! Mimic the coach’s lesson plan:

1. Have your child grab a stuffed animal beanie toy, and try to balance it on their head as they walk to the ladders.
2. Stick their toy at the top of the ladder and encourage them to retrieve it! To climb a ladder: Hand, Hand, Foot, Foot! When they get to the top, have them rescue their animal and drop it to the ground...most will want to chuck it, this is all right for the age. Now climb back down: Foot, Foot, Hand, Hand! Try not to help them unless they get stuck or fall. Some hands on directing to teach them the Hand, Hand, Foot, Foot concept is vital the first few times, but after they have learned, however kludgy they seem, let them sort it out. You are there mainly to “spot” them so they don’t fall off the ladder! Don’t be discouraged if it takes much longer to climb down, children learn this concept slower, especially since there is no toy motivation!
3. Repeat 3 times.
4. Now walk over to the foam block pit and toss those toy animals! Ready, Set, DIVE! Bring the animals back to safety! Gymagine just got a new foam block set, with fun colors to dive into...super snazzy!
5. Repeat 3 times.
6. TRY OUT THAT BALANCE BEAM!! It might take twice, or it might take 2 years for them to be comfortable with the balance beam, but they will let you know when they are ready to let go...an EXHILARATING day to say the least!
7. Time to practice some forward rolls! (Also known as somersaults) There is a trampoline ramp that is perfect for teaching. Have your child climb up. Now hands in the air! Lightly grab their waste, and tell them to plant their hands on the ground in front of them with an, “OKAY, Hands Down!” (you will have to show them what you mean the first couple times)... “And TUCK your head!” Your hands show them where they are supposed to bend, not in the back, but bend at the hips. Plus you are set up for the last step. Use your hands to lift their cutie-butt into a roll! After 1 year of this, my almost-3-year-old can do it perfectly by herself!
8. Use the rest of the ramp to jump with both feet, while hands are in the air! Jump into the pit at the end!!
9. For the rest of the free play time, let them choose what they do! There are ramps, trampolines, bars, batons, pieces for obstacle courses, and balance improving stuff! The monitoring coaches also like to set up things for the children, so they’re always being enriched and growing their skills!

Another do-it-yourself class that is EASY PEASY, is SWIMMING!!

Again, grab a pass! You get at least an hour in the pool, usually more depending on your facility, for the sweet price of $5! I like Lynnwood pool, personally, because the water is the warmest I’ve found, and they have a lovely slide set for younger children, plus a whole slew of water park-like toys that come on halfway through our swim session! Fun activities like this are a great way to get them used to the water on their own terms. There’s walls for holding onto and kicking. There’s a shallow end to sit in and watch themselves kick that water! Blow bubbles in the water! Float on your back! Lay on your tummy in the shallow end! Use the slide to introduce dunking, then try it out for realsies with mom after a while!

Your child will be worn out by the time you’re ready to go, and frankly so will you! It’s a great mom-and-me workout!

Speaking of mom-and-me workouts, YOGA is a wonderful thing to do with your children that doesn’t cost any money at all! Here are a couple of nice videos that are free and help you connect with your child, even as young as 6 months old! Even for older children, yoga is great for balance, flexibility, exercise, and disciplined nature.

There you have it! An onslaught of ideas for doing your own classes! The only exception I have ever made is for ballet, but it is entirely for fun, and though useful in reinforcing following directions, not necessary to their development like any of the other DIY classes you can enrich your child with!

Kids Activities (Part 1)

About once every couple of months I find myself re-evaluating baby/toddler classes for my girls. I sit there weighing the pros and cons, trying to determine if I feel they are ready for a super structured environment, but in the end I end up deciding to wait. Instead of weekly classes where I am chasing my toddler, trying to get her to follow the group, follow the group, follow the group, I opt for “open play” where she learns through self-exploration.

(I apologize for poor pictures, I don't bring my DSLR to class!)

First off, let me just say that each child is different, but our family had decided to wait until the toddler was 3 before settling into hard structured classes, like ballet. However, there have been a few options that worked for her that were in a classroom setting.

At the top of the list, there is Gymboree Play and Learn, where they have classes separated into gym time, music, and art. They even have the option for a family gym class so siblings can play at the same time! We were able to get 5 weeks worth of classes for $40 through online deals...browse and wait, because they always come around again.

Then there is Gymagine, which offers classes for toddlers 18 months and older, but will accept kids into their programs as soon as they can walk steadily. A 30 minute session, once a week will run you $48 a month (plus an annual $27-38 depending on the age of your child), or $40 a month if you purchase 12 weeks worth at a time, plus they have discounts running all the time with pre-registering, and paying with cash. You don’t know it’s coming until it’s posted on the door, but I allot 40 dollars a month for classes per child, so the discount just gives us more money for classes later!

Another popular place to go for classes for your youngster is The Little Gym, however their fees will run you upwards of $100 a month, plus a $40 membership fee. I have heard raving reviews, but have never been able to cough up that insane amount of cash for children’s playtime.

Other places offer homeschool discounts, and paying ahead discounts!! Sometimes, if you pay for a full year, you get 15% off! I have not checked into homeschool rates yet, as we are just starting Montessori at our house this year, some advertise and some don't, but it NEVER hurts to call and ASK!!

One last option is your city’s rec center. Although we don’t live in Kirkland, we use their rec center for classes (although there is an additional fee for being a non-resident), because Everett does not have a very broad spectrum for classes for wee ones. Because rec centers are on city websites, they are generally easy to find, and Kirkland has a beautiful seasonal catalog that offers multiple classes per age group, featuring a variety of activities, with focal points in music, arts, and wiggly exploration! It is great because you can typically find something to fit into your schedule, for around $40 a month without the annual fee!

We are currently signed up for Miss Tiffany Shelford’s Baby Ballet, at Elegance Dance studio! We chose this class because of an online Living Social deal, that made classes only $30 per child and waived registration fees! We were able to stick both girls in the same class, so I thought we would try it out, and it is perfect! Beginning structure, but not regimented like some of the gym classes have to be, a good size group of friends, and a thoroughly enthusiastic and energetic teacher. Plus, you drop off your child for half an hour, as the instructor insists that parents can be a big distraction, and I whole-heartedly agree, unless your child is crying, in which case you can go in and redirect their focus. There is a viewing window so you can always see your child, but they won’t be distracted by you! Added bonus is there is a sibling discount! This keeps my cost under $40 per child per month, and she just recently started offering prepay options for 3 months of lessons, which also lends a discount for those who only have one dancer! Then there are parent viewing days, where you get to sit in class and watch their progress, and a performance at the end of the school year!

We just recently started ballet, because I consider it a steal as far as a semi-structured environment, playtime and learning goes. But if you don’t mind a little less structure in your child’s environment, stay tuned for the Autumn Evelyn version of tot classes! We did classes a little differently before ballet, and we will continue when ballet is over, and when we need a little more activity in our schedule during the rainy season!

AND NOW, FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!

We had a TON of entries this time! Thank you for posting on Facebook, your compliments and kind words were received and you were counted in this week’s drawing!

And the winner is…

AUTUMN MEYER!!!

If you didn’t win, thank you for continuing to support this blog, just trying to reach out to those who have need for penny-pinching ideas! Sure we spend 40 a month per child for dance, all paid for with research surveys, etc., but we haven’t always been blessed with a budget to allow lessons like that, and those are the cheapest I can find! Keep reading, because I always have new suggestions, and new giveaways!!!

Fall Decorations: What to do with Pine Cones…

So the cheapest season to decorate for, and most lovely in my humble opinion, is autumn. Seriously, all you have to do is collect a bunch of leaves from outside, and throw them into the corner that runs along the back of your counter top! They dry out, curl up and turn color...voila, free decor! Buuuuut, every year those scrumptious cinnamon pine cones come out and they are 5 dollars a bag! So tempting, but here’s the kicker, you could make them for 1 dollar!!

We went up to Leavenworth with my brother over 4th of July, and stopped by Sugarloaf Mountain, a logging site and campground, and came back with a bucketful of pine cones. To save you the big trip, you could head to a Pine-y park nearby, or make a trek down to St.Edwards State Park! A lovely park for kids of all ages, plus it is surrounded by Pine Trees.

Now you stop by Michael’s with a 40% off coupon (sign up for their email and scout the paper, it’s worth it), I don’t even bother to say if, because I always have one, and pick up a bottle of cinnamon “essential oil.” I found my bottle at their end-of-summer clearance sale, but they always have them on stock, in littler, but more pungent bottles for oil diffusers and oil burner sets.

Take your bucket of cones and douse them with oil! Shake them around, then transfer them to a basket, because whatever bucket you shake them in will get pretty dirty! Tada! Shake them up every couple of weeks to refresh the scent. You can also achieve the same scent with cinnamon sticks, so if you happen to have them on hand, toss a couple in, as their perfume will last much longer than oil. Re-douse yearly!

Another cute project to include the children, as if pouring oil on pine cones wasn’t fun enough!, is to make pine cone bird feeders! You all remember these as a kid, now it’s your kids’ turn. The bag of seed I bought was $7 at Target, and will last for a few years.

Take out some pine cones for the children before you cover them in oil. Put a mat or a piece of newspaper down in front of each child, and allow them to roll their cones in peanut butter, then sprinkle seeds on them. My youngest eats more than she gives to the birds, but I don’t care! Haha, high protein content!

So quick and easy, all you have to do is take a ribbon and tie it around the “petals” of the cone to stick it up in a tree, or on a post, or from your gutter, whatever you have! The ribbon makes it pretty, and the birds don’t care how much is on the pine cone if your children don’t have the best aim with their seeds. If you make your own peanut butter, each pine cone, including ribbon, cost 38 cents to make! If you buy your peanut butter from Fred Meyer, as I do on occasion, it costs 56 cents a piece! Still an awesome project on a dime!

How to Cure Strep Throat! Without Antibiotics…

It gets a little unnerving when you learn that produce growers are allowed to use low doses of antibiotics on their plants to ward off diseases, and still carry the “Organic” title. We work so hard to stay away from antibiotics so that when they are really needed, they succeed! So in order to avoid the standard prescription, you need an arsenal of at-home remedies.

First off, let me just say that Elderberry Syrup is a lovely cure-all just with the sheer amount of antioxidants packed into each spoonful! A naturopath would recommend that when you start to feel crummy, and your immune system is getting kicked in the butt, take Elderberry every 2 hours as needed, and a high dose of vitamin C every 4 hours. It’s like superjuice for your immune system! You can find both of those things at Whole Foods, Super Supplements, or online, but to really save some cash, make it yourself! Mama Cook’s blog tells you how to do it, and I can vouch for it!! So read this post at Cook’s Cottage to learn how to make the syrup!

That recipe is great for the flu, a cold, and general illness, plus speeding up the recovery process. But, if you are getting that sore throat, swollen tonsils, and maybe a little fever to go along with it, you need something specific! Remember, the earlier you catch it, the quicker it goes away!

Strep Throat Paste

1 Tablespoon RAW Honey

¼ - ½ Teaspoon CAYENNE (strong batch the first day, weaker batch okay after that)

3 Raw Minced Cloves of GARLIC

Mix it all together and you have a spicy paste! Take ¼ Teaspoon every HALF HOUR! If you miss a dose, take one as soon as you can, then continue with the half hour increments.

The Cayenne doubles as a numbing agent, and will sooth some aching tonsils in between doses. This paste creates a hostile environment in your throat, which will not allow the strep bacteria to live. It’s an official eviction notice! So drink some RED TEA in between doses to flush out the dying bacteria, and give your immune system some help. Red tea, also known as Rooibos tea comes from an African bush and it’s roots, which have healing properties.

One last piece will kick any unwanted throat visitor out the door--Oil of Oregano! Also at Whole Foods and Super Supplements, take 30 drops in 4 ounces of water every 4-6 hours, up to 4 times a day. Since the strains of diseases are becoming stronger, sometimes you need stronger medicine to combat them. Oil of Oregano is expensive, but will last forever, and is a little easier to give to kids who might cry when consuming the Strep Throat Paste.

I had that tickly throat, and I thought it would go away, stepped up my water intake and thought for sure I would be fine. But on day two I had the chills, a fever, and white spots in my throat, it was quick, and intimidating! Sometimes when you’re sick, you just feel like you’re going to die! I was not about to surrender and go to the doctor though, that’s 20 bucks just to get in the door, and at least 10 for whatever prescription they were going to give me!

Instead, I took the Strep Throat Paste every half hour, up to bedtime, plus a 4 oz tincture and water of Oil of Oregano every 4 hours, and a cup of Red Tea with some Raw Honey to sweeten it, every hour or two! That first day of action I felt horrible, swollen, and had no idea if anything was working, all I knew was that it tasted awful, and stung my tonsils a bit...I dreaded every dose.

Day two was a little better. I noticed that most of the paste was hitting my right tonsil, and coincidentally that side was feeling a little better, but only a little. I tried to even out my swallowing, haha, if that’s even possible, and by the end of the day my right tonsil felt almost completely better!

Day three was just getting my left side into the same condition as my right! I also noticed that the paste and the Oil of Oregano do not sting as much when there is no bacteria present! By the end of day three I was good to go! Maybe only 90% better, but my body could handle the rest!

Let me just say that I started this regimen thinking I was going to have to go to the doctor in the end. I was giving it 3 days to start showing improvement, but I’ve got two girls under age 3 and I’m not allotted sick days! With this pocketfull of remedies I was able to continue taking care of the family, and no one else caught my strep! My hubby had to take the stuff, but only for a couple doses, because we caught his scratchy throat before it turned into a full-blown infection! No little girls got it, and I attribute that to the quick acting remedies!!!

It would take a long time to die from strep, remember that when you’re in the thick of it! If you’re not improving after 5 days (assuming you caught your bug late, and your poor throat is inundated) then go to the doctor. Just give this an honest shot! I would not recommend it if I didn’t have such AMAZING results!!!!

This is what I've found online. Whole Foods 365 Brand was $6 for a 1# jar of Raw Honey! But their Oil of Oregano was $16... and their Red Tea was $1.08 per ounce, so it would be cheaper to get just what you need if you're in a pinch, otherwise it's more economical to get the whole bag on Amazon and save it for the future! This tea should be able to be re-steeped up to 5 times!