Fresh Recipe: Organic White Wheat Bread (Breadmaker recipe)

I have been thinking about making my own bread for awhile now and to stop buying the processed bread at the store but I was worried it was going to be too difficult so I kept putting it off.  The first thing I needed to do was find a good place to purchase my organic white wheat flour from and a friend of mine pointed me in the direction of a lady that sells her goods at the Lansing City Market.  She was fabulous.  She explained to me the many reasons why it's so important to make your own bread and be aware of what you are using to make it with.  She explained to me that not even a cockroach would touch the white flour we purchase from the grocery store but yet we are all still filling our bodies with it.  Anyway, she has helped me on my road to breadmaking and the first thing I told her was, "I know that the best way to make bread is to use the breadmaking hands God has given me but that with 3 young kids and a house to keep up and homeschooling, I really need to use my breadmaker." She assured me that this was not cheating and that she would often use a breadmaker as well, phew! that made me feel a whole lot better :)  So I started playing around and just recently I got the perfect and yummiest bread and so I wanted to share my recipe here.  I have also included a link below for The Grain Market, which is where I purchase my organic flour from, $5.50 for 5 lbs.

This recipe is for a 2lb loaf

Ingredients:
1 and 3/8 cups water
2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons raw milk
1 and 3/4 teaspoons salt
4 cups organic whole hard white wheat flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1.) Measure and add liquid ingredients to the bread pan
2.) Measure and add dry ingredients except yeast to the bread pan
3.) use your finger to make a well in the flour where you will pour the yeast.  Yeast must NEVER come into contact with a liquid when you are adding ingredients.  Measure the yeast and carefully pour it into the well.
4.) snap the baking pan into the breadmaker and close the lid
5.) choose the basic bread setting on your breadmaker
6.) choose the crust you prefer ( I used the light crust setting)
7.) press the start button

www.TheGrainMarket.com

Fresh Recipe: Salsa

I recently took a trip to the farmers market and there was a booth that was selling "salsa in a bag."  In the bag had every ingredient you need to make fresh salsa and it turned out FABULOUS so I wanted to share the recipe here :)

Ingredients:
2 Roma tomatoes
1 yellow banana pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
1 small white onion
2 green onions
2 T. chopped cilantro
3 garlic cloves
1 small green pepper

Chop up all ingredients to your liking.  I actually put the roma tomatoes in a blender to start and then chopped up the large pieces that were left unblended.  And that's it :)  Yummy easy, fresh salsa at a cost of around $5.

Frugal Recipes: Window Cleaner

• 1/2 cup ammonia
• 2 cups rubbing alcohol
• 1 teaspoon dishwashing soap
• 1 gallon water
Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together, adding just enough water to reach the 1 gallon mark, and divide up into spray bottles for all bathrooms.
2. Can also be used to clean exterior windows. (haven't tried it outside but look forward to in the Spring) If doing a big job like that, make sure the water is hot. That will help to dissolve the dirt

*I poured the mixture in an old gallon milk jug and then poured what I needed into spray bottles.

* This averages .50 cents for a 32 oz. bottle.  Meijer brand glass cleaner is 1.99 so you are saving 1.50 :)

Frugal Recipes: Laundry Soap

4  Cups - hot tap water

1  Fels-Naptha soap bar

1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*

½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

*Just a reminder-  This is a non sudsing soap so don't be alarmed if you don't see suds, it's still working :)

The cost per load is less than a penny :)

On The Road To A Healthy/frugal Life: Raw Milk

What is raw milk?
     It is a natural, unaltered milk from cows, goats and sheep.  

I had been hearing a lot of people talking about raw milk lately and so I began to research the benefits to see if this would be a good change for our family.  I was amazed by all the benefits that are in it.  There are higher levels of nutrients in raw milk like calcium, iron and zinc. Did you know that it was used to cure chronic diseases at one point in our past history?  There are a ton of natural antibodies in raw milk as well as a fatty acid that can help fight cancer. I always thought that raw milk would make you sick and that's why everything is pasteurized.  Nope, not true.  There are many other things that you have a higher chance to get a foodborne illness from such as tacos, cheeseburgers, pizza, chicken and produce. The only reason it's pasteurized is to have a longer shelf life for the convenience of grocery stores.  The pasteurization process kills the beneficial bacteria, healthy enzymes and proteins. Two of my children have severe allergies and asthma and I have read in recent studies that raw milk is actually the better choice milk for those with these health concerns and that they will most likely suffer less if drinking it.  A lot of us are so stuck on the low fat milk kick because we think it's healthier and less fattening but we lose all of the great benefits that milk has like, growth, health and development. I also read recently that low fat milk actually makes you gain weight and can also cause fertility problems.  The vitamins A and D that is in the raw milk verses low fat milk is very important in the absorption of calcium and also contains a lot of the fatty acids that help us fight disease.  Some people think they are lactose intolerant but they are actually reacting because the milk is pasteurized.  Another benefit to raw milk as far as saving money goes is that it will never go bad like pasteurized milk.  It will turn sour but when it does this you can still use it in baking where as pasteurized milk would need to be tossed.  And as a side note, it just tastes better :)

A few of the scary things I found out about the milk we buy in the grocery store is that some actually have bleach added in to make it look more white.  A lot of the "grocery store milk" cows need to be fed antibiotics because they are being held in small pens and just being fed a lot of grain.  Ultimately the milk you find in your grocery store can be more harmful than what people think of raw milk because of all the antibiotics and hormones that are given to these factory line cows and then consumed by you and I.

If you begin to search for a place to purchase raw milk, make sure it is grass fed so that you can benefit from more of the nutrients.  You may have a hard time finding a farm to buy raw milk because it is actually illegal in Michigan.  The only way that this is legal is by purchasing a herd share which ranges from $50-$75 that is paid per year.  You will then need to pay boarding fees which is around $20-$40 a month which will get you one gallon of milk per week. One gallon of raw milk, as long as it is stored properly in a cold refrigerator should last up to 2 weeks. I have added a link to help you in your search for raw milk :)

We have decided to make the switch and have really enjoyed it.  I can only hope and pray that some day our government will see the benefits of raw milk and allow it to be legal to sell, but until then we will continue to go "underground" to purchase our milk and will never go back and I believe that if you begin to research like I did you will be doing the same thing.  Raw milk is THE way that God intended us to drink milk :)

www.realmilk.com

All I Need

Last week was the deadline to sign my boys up for soccer in the Fall.  I had put a reminder in my planner so that I would make sure to sign them up and pay for the season.  I kept seeing it creep up closer and closer and started to get nervous as I watched the amount drop in our checking account.  There was no way we would be able to sign them up this season, the money just wasn't there.  I had even contemplated letting the account go negative just so that they would be able to play.  I was having nightmares, the "You are a horrible Mom because you can't even afford soccer for your kids," kind.  As Wednesday came and went I felt so sick.  I would think to myself, "this is horrible, how could I let this happen?"  I dreaded having to tell the boys that they weren't going to be able to play.

This scenario has happened more than once in our household.  With a family of five on one income there is a lot that we just can't add to the pocket book.  I honestly can't remember a time where we haven't struggled financially and it was really starting to get to me.  Why wasn't God letting me sign my kids up for soccer?  Why wasn't God letting us take a family vacation?  Why wasn't God letting us get new windows for the house so that our electric bill would just go down?  Every day my prayer was a cry  out to God basically saying, "It's not enough! YOUR not enough!

Contentment.  This is the word that was constantly being thrown into my brain.  I would hear it as I was washing dishes on only one side of the sink because we hadn't had the money to fix the other side and I sat there grumbling, "if only I could use the other side, dishes would go so much faster."  I would hear it as I watched my younger son riding a bike that is two times too small because I would sit on the porch thinking about spending money on a credit card so that he could at least ride a bike that fit.  I would hear it as sweat throughout my day because we ONLY have a window air conditioner.  All of these things, that's what they are, THINGS!  It's wanting and having and lusting over and desiring.  It's not being content with what God HAS given you, but constantly asking and WANTING more.  This word, contentment had been haunting me for days.  At first I didn't want to listen.  I wanted to have my pity party and whine and complain and pout.  It wasn't fair.  Other people had central air.  Other people can take vacations.  Other people can buy proper fitting riding equipment for their kids.  God didn't stop reminding me.  He kept finding ways to show me ways I could be content and after tugging and pulling, as I usually do when He tries to teach me things, I finally began to give in.

I looked up the word content in the dictionary.  Those of you who have read my blog in the past know how much I LOVE the meanings of words :)  The meaning for content is satisfied.  I definitely was not satisfied.  God then showed me a few verses:
     Proverbs 17:1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
     Proverbs 30:8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;  give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me        only my daily bread.
     Ecclesiastes 3:13  That everyone might eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil-This is the gift of God.
There are many other verses but these were my favorite.  My house was definitely not peaceful and quiet when it came to the complaints on what I wanted.  My satisfaction level was way below zero.  These verses were actually telling me that contentment and satisfaction were a gift from God.  God had been trying to give me this gift and instead I was screaming and yelling and demanding what he wasn't giving to me.  I finally sat down, sat, not standing up and screaming and threw my hands up and said, "God, YOU are all I need.  YOU are the one that satisfies me.  YOU are the one that can give me peace and contentment in life.  Lord, I no longer want for THINGS but want YOU"

So my boys won't be playing soccer on a team in the fall but we will be basking in God's glory and running around in the beautiful green grass of our own backyard kicking a ball around with the people we love.  God has given us a gift if we are willing to take it.  He WILL give us all we need and if we focus on Him and be satisfied with the life and things He has given us than our lives will feel blessed.  YOU God are my everything!

Why We Chose Natural Family Planning

Here's my birth controlled background:  I first started taking some form of prescribed birth control when I was 19 years old.  My husband and I were engaged and I remember looking at a list I had created on what I needed to do before the big day and on that list was, start birth control.  I honestly just thought, that is what you do.  You get engaged, you start birth control.  Everyone would tell me how important it was to start the pill before the wedding day so that we wouldn't have to worry about the chance of ever getting pregnant.  I would hear things like, "make sure you wait a few years to have fun together before kids," or "kids change everything so make sure your bank account is ready."  As a young 19 year old, I listened and made the decision that the pill was the "only" option.  I never was myself after that day.  I had this little pill that controlled my menstrual cycle, my emotions, body type and my level of intimacy with my husband.  After each one of my children I was put back on some form of birth control at my six week check up because I was told, this is what you do.  Many selfish reasons make us turn to the use of birth controls and I urge you to look into your own lives, as I have, to make the choice that God has designed for us and our families.

I have always hated any prescribed birth control, which is why I have changed my mind on what type I would use so many times.  I am tired of having this "thing" control my body for the last 11 years.  I honestly remember the first time I heard the phrase "Natural Family Planning."  I remember the chuckle that my husband and I had in the car.  "That sounds nuts," we would say to each other.  I mean God created sex and he created babies.  What comes with sex with no protection is babies.  We told each other as we have often said this phrase to each other, "we will never do that."  It's amazing how God never lets things go.  He has been nudging me about this for the past 11 years and so I finally decided to listen.  I began to research 2 months ago because I had scheduled my yearly appointment with my OB doctor and as always I wanted to speak with him about my birth control method.  I was horrified by what I found when I began to dig into the lies of birth control methods.  The first group of articles I found were about how many prescribed birth control methods would allow the egg and sperm to meet but it would not be able to find a place to fertilize and so in turn, I would miscarry.  I would go about my every day life and maybe just have a heavier period but really it was because I had miscarried.  I was actually aborting babies.  Ending a pregnancy before I would ever know I was pregnant.  I was ruining the creation that God has intended.  I was also reading more into the side effects of my specific birth control, an IUD.  Side effects were things like, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic pain, sepsis, migrains, acne, depression and the list goes on and on.  Why do we as women need to be on birth control? because we listen to the media biases? because our doctor said we should?  I then started researching biblically.  I wanted to dig into God's word to see what He wants as I always do when I make decisions like this.  There is no verse that specifically says, birth control is bad but as I read verses that discussed faith, babies and our responsibility as Christians, I was amazed by what God revealed to me.

I think the most important thing that God revealed to me was that ultimately, I am not in control.  He has also revealed to me that we should be good stewards and be responsible parents.  In 1 Corinthians 6 it starts out with this: "I am allowed to do all things, but not all things are good for me to do.  I am allowed to do all things but I will not let anything make me it's slave."  God "allows" us to choose (free will) but He reminds us that all things are not good for me.  After reading the side effects of prescribed birth control, I can't see what is good for me in that.  He also wants us to not be a slave to anything.  Are we not a slave to our prescribed birth control? Does it not tell us when we will have our period, when we will ovulate, etc. etc.?  Paul then continues on in 1 Corinthians 6 to tell us in the beginning of verse 15, "surely you know that your bodies are parts of Christ himself."  Would Christ want me to be putting something in my body that takes that control away from Him? Definitely not.

I then started to read verses that talk about the beginning of life.  I was drawn to Psalm 139 that we all know so well and in verses 13-16 it says this, "You made my whole being;  you formed me in my mother's body.  I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.  What you have done is wonderful.  I know that full well.  You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body.  When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed.  All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old."  As I read that verse I was reminded of some of the research I found that sometimes, chemical abortions are taking place in our bodies when on birth control.  I believe in life the minute that sperm and egg meet.  I could be ruining God's plan as he begins to knit together and form a new life and as He writes the blueprint for this new child, I am standing behind Him erasing it all.  There are times that women become pregnant while on a prescribed birth control and later have no choice but to end the pregnancy because it has turned into an ectopic pregnancy.  By using Natural Family planning, if by chance, I become pregnant, we can embrace the pregnancy and know that this is God's child, a gift He has begun to form in my womb, a blessing to be loved and cared for.

When I began to ask God to show me if Natural Family Planning was the right choice for us, to be honest, I was a little scared.  I was afraid that He would reveal to me that I should never delay pregnancy and that everyone is called to have a quiver full (in reference to psalm 127).  Amazingly I felt that God was showing me more, the truth about Natural Family Planning.  The key word in NFP is PLANNING.  I found throughout my research that if done correctly and consistently, there is an 85-99% effectiveness.  The same percentage as any chemical birth control.  I found that there is no reason to pump my body with a chemical because God created my body perfect.  He has given us as women a "work like a clock" type of body.  I was actually feeling more empowered as a woman knowing how special my body is.  I also was sad to think that I have never really learned how my body has actually ticked for the past 11 years.  I now know when I am fertile and when to abstain from sex and use harmless forms of contraception such as condoms.  I also am able to enjoy the complete intimacy with my husband without a chemical controlling my emotions and ruining our intimate bond that God describes so well in Genesis 2:25 that says, "so a man will leave his mother and father and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body."  God then led me to 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 which says, "We are allowed to do all things, but not all things are good for us to do.  We are allowed to do all things, but not all things help others grow stronger.  Do not look out only for yourselves.  Look out for the good of others as well."  I read this verse reminded that God has given us free will.  He allows us to make choices in life.  My husband and I may decide that now is not the right time to bring another child into the world because it would not be good for our other children or spouse in our family.  We don't just make this decision on our own, we bring our requests to God and He is the one who will ultimately decide. I feel at peace with the fact that after praying and pondering on the idea of another child, we truly feel like God is saying, "not now!"  With NFP we can safely and biblically delay a pregnancy.  We also know that ultimately God is in control and we are completely open to His plan for us.  If he surprises us with a blessing that we may think, "We are not ready for this," we know that He has already written a blueprint for this child and knit them together in my womb and we will embrace the blessing that he gives us.

I would like to end with a verse from the book of psalms.  I often hear this verse associated with Natural Family Planning all the time.  I read this verse knowing that ultimately my heavenly Father is the one who creates life and when that happens we should rejoice in the blessing and not look at our children as a "mistake" or an "oops" but to look at this child as a child of God, a child that we have the privilege to raise as great warriors for Christ and to be the next generation of Christ followers and leaders.

Psalm 127:3-5
Children are a gift from the Lord;  babies are a reward.  Children who are born to a young man are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.  Happy is the man who has his bag full of arrows.  They will not be defeated when they fight their enemies at the city gate.

For more information on Natural Family Planning, visit these sites below
 www.christianfamilyplanning.org
www.christianitytoday.com
www.silentvoices.org