Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making Reveiw and Giveaway!

I've been hanging out with the West Ladies again this evening as I watched The Art of Bread Making (for the third time).   They are so talented when it comes to kitchen wisdom!

They showed me how to make homemade bread from scratch, a sour dough starter, cornbread, CINNAMON ROLLS and a meal in a loaf!  I know, I know, I am getting hungry just typing! 

I decided to make their recipe for homemade bread.  I have made my own bread before but only in my bread machine.  I have heard that there is an art to making bread and have never felt confident enough to try it on my own in the oven, until now.

Here is what I did...

In a large bowl I mixed 2 1/2 cups of Warm Water (not hot) and 2 cups of Wheat Flour.  After mixing the four and water together I added 1 tsp of Salt, 1/2 cup of Honey, 1/2 cup of Oil and 1 Tbsp of Yeast. I made sure that I mixed everything together really well. 

Then I added 3 more Cups of Flour.  I mixed and kneaded the dough with my hands, for about 5 minutes (or until the dough is formed and nice and soft).

I put a little bit of oil in the bottom of my bowl, sat the dough back inside and covered with a towel.  I left it to rise at room temperature for an hour and a half. 

We punched it down a bit and kneaded the dough a bit more. 

2 

We separated the dough into two parts and then placed them in our oiled loaf pans.   Once we formed them nice,and poked a few holes in them with a fork they sat in the oven to rise foer another hour.

As you can see, after rising for a second time the dough is really starting to look like bread.

After baking the bread at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, this is what we ended up with.  The bread smelled so good!! 

This bread tastes great!  It is a bit more hearty and filling then store bought bread, in my opinion.  It made a great tomato and humus sandwich.  The hardest thing about this recipe was waiting for the bread come out of the oven to taste it!

You can purchase Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making from Franklin Springs, which is currently on sale, for only $12.00.

Franklin Springs Family Media is allowing me to GIVEAWAY 3 of the Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making Videos to 3 LSG Followers! 
 
Please leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each way that you enter and PLEASE DO NOT FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!  The giveaway is going to run until October 29, 2010.  Here is how you can enter to win Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making:

• You must be a Follower of LSG to Win!  Please leave me a comment and let me that you do.
• If you have just become a new Follower, please tell me how you heard about this giveaway.
• SPREAD THE WORD!  If you blog about this contest please come back and leave me a link to you post.
• Please visit the Franklin Springs website, let me know which other Homestead Blessings videos you would be interested in.
• Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and leave me a comment to let me know about it.
• Like Franklin Springs Family Media on Facebook.
• Like Homestead Blessings on Facebook.

We received these products free of charge, from Franklin Springs Family Media, for review purposes. The opinions stated in this review are our own and we were not paid in any way.



The See It & Sign It Game Winner is..........

Shanna said...


I 'liked' PlayAbility on FB.



Thanks to everyone that entered!  Sorry for being a day late, I lost track of time : )

The Hubs Dream Come True.... Homemade Hamburger Helper!!

If you have ever read any of my menu plans you probably have read how The Hubs LOVES Hamburger Helper.  While I do aim to please my husband's palate I just can't bring myself to buy a helper in a box mix, much less make one.  Again, not to offend anyone but it grosses me out!  I am also not a food snob, I just try to made things minus all the preservatives, additives and funky stuff that manufacturers feel so inclined to add to their foods.

The other night while I was menu planning I decided to Google  Homemade Hamburger Helpers and I was very excited with the results.  I came across another blogger who came up with a recipe, well several, "homemade helpers."  Don't you just love Blog World!! 

So, tonight for din din I made the Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper and as Paul Tripp says, Wowy Zowy!!  The Hubs gave it a 10.5!!  The only other recipe that has earned a 10.5 in the LSG house is the Crockpot Sloppy Joe's. 

TOS Crew: Talking Fingers

We were given the opportunity to review Read, Write and Type by Talking Fingers from the TOS Crew.  This program, as the title implies, teaches child not only to type but to read and write as well. 

At first I thought this program would be only for Computer Girl (7) and maybe Alpha Boy (4) but The Lil Chef (9) seems to really enjoy it as well.  While the children have played the games on Read, Write and Type I have been off to the side watching them.  What I have noticed is, they really enjoy the program and they are learning! 

With fun games and an adorable cast of characters the children are learning how to read and type.  The phonetic sounds that they already know are being reinforced.  So far, the children have been working on the individual letters, one by one they are taught the sound of each letter and it's placement on the keyboard.  Then they take a fun trip to the park for some typing fun, Computer Girl says this is her favorite part. 

As they learn each letter stories are also formed, for instance after learning the letters F,A, J, T and C they were taught a story about a fat cat.  As the story was told the kids had to type out parts of the story.  Two of the characters in the game are Lefty and Right way, these helping hands assist the children along the way by showing them which fingers to use to type each key.

I would recommend this program as a phonics supplement and a typing program.  Even if one were only looking for a phonics program, why not get the added benefit of the typing program along with it or vice versa.  You can purchase the Read, Write and Type Home Edition two ways, the CD version is $79.00 or the online yearly subscription ranges from $33.00 to $100 depending on how many students you have.

Please check out what some of my other crew members are saying about Talking Fingers.

This product was provided to us free of charge to review for the TOS Crew.  I was not paid in any way and the opinions expressed here are my own.

In The Garden

by C. Austin Miles

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

Refrain

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

Refrain

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

Refrain


This song was sung at our wedding almost 13 years ago by some dear friends in the Lord.   It is such a beautiful song.  You can listen to it here. 

I have a picture hanging in our foyer that has the words to this song with a really pretty garden scene.  See, check it out....