5 Mintue Artisan Bread

Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cup water
3 1/4 cup unbleached flour (you can replace up to half a cup with whole grain flour)
Corn meal

1. In a large bowl mix yeast, salt and water. Add flour and stir to combine.

2. Let dough rise in a warm place for at least two hours, until it rises and collapses (or even overnight won’t hurt it). The dough may be baked at this point, or refrigerated for later use.

3. To refigerate: cover dough, but make sure it is not airtight, and place in fridge.

4. When you want to make bread throw a handful of flour on top of the dough. Shape the dough in your hands by turning the dough in your hands, stretch the surface of the dough and tuck under (to make the surface smooth).

5. Generously dust a pizza peel (or any flat surface – I use a bamboo cutting board) with cornmeal. You can use flour instead, but you’ll need to use a very generous dusting.

6. Allow dough to rest in a warm place for 40 minutes – longer (up to an hour and a half) if you use some whole wheat flour in place of the white.

7. 20 minutes before baking preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with a baking stone (or over turned baking sheet) on the middle rack and a shallow pan (empty) on the bottom rack.
NOTE: DO NOT USE A GLASS PAN (not even Pyrex) when you pour cold water into it, it is likely to break. Use a shallow metal pan.

8. Throw flour on the top of your loaf and slash 2 to 4 times.

9. Slide the loaf onto the baking stone.

10. Pour 1-2 cups of tap water into the shallow dish and immediately close the oven door to trap the steam.

11. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is well browned and bread sounds hollow when you knock on the bottom.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

8 cups broccoli florets

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.

3. In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving Calories: 207 | Total Fat: 12.4g | Cholesterol: 32mg

Bloody good chocolate cake

Mix in order -

2c sugar,

2 eggs,

1c yoghurt( any flavour),

3/4c cocoa,

200g melted butter

2t baking soda,

1 1/2 t vanilla ess,

1/4 t salt,

3 c self raising flour ( or 3c flour and 3 t BP)

1c black coffee.

Mix all together , makes 2 round cakes or a roasting tray full ,

Bake at 180*c till knife comes out clean when tested ( about 30 mins).

Butter cream icing.

110g butter,
110g Kremelta,
1/4 cup milk,
600g icing sugar,
Essence for flavouring.

Soften butter & Kremelta (make sure Kremelta is soft all the way through or the lump get stuck in the piping nozzle) …. Beat the Bejeezes out of it in a big phat mixer.
Stores in the fridge for 2 weeks

Cupcake recipe

1cup caster sugar, 100g butter softened, 1tsp vanilla essence, 2 eggs, 2cups self raising flour, 1cup milk. Preheat oven to 200`c and line a tin with patty cases. Beat sugar and butter together until fluffy. Add vanilla and stir. Add eggs one at a time beating after each. Add flour and milk then stir till all smooth and mixed. Fill patty cases 3/4 full and bake for about 15mins. Cool on cake rack and then we iced them with a butter icing (about 30g butter, 1tsp vanilla, icing sugar to make to consistency) we than sprinkled with hundreds and thousands and miss4 is ever so happy.

Stripping cloth nappies

Stripping Diapers There are three basic ways to strip diapers. Try one
method. If it doesn’t work, try the next. Always start with clean diapers.

1. Wash on hot with no detergent. Watch for bubbles during the agitating cycle. Continue doing hot
washes until there are no more bubbles. This method is good for curing
detergent buildup.

2. Wash on hot with a squirt of Dawn. I’ve heard that Dawn works the best. Follow with several
rinses until the bubbles are gone. This method is especially good for rash
cream buildup.

3. Wash on hot with two scoops of Baby Oxyclean. I have used both Baby and Original and find that
Baby works best on baby stains. I’ve heard it suggested to add a pot of boiling water to the load if you’re using the Oxy. Again, follow with several rinses.

4. If you only need to strip hemp inserts, you can boil them on the stove. Boil for 20 minutes.

Getting rid of Ammonia in Cloth Nappies

Regular wash routine with cold prewash, but add bleach to it (I did 1/2 C),

extra rinse.

Warm soak with a TON of vinegar (At least 3 cups)

Lots of Play dough recipes!

Edible Play dough

1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C honey
1 C powdered milk

Just throw it all together and mush it up with your hands until its fairly smooth. The oils from the peanut butter will keep it from sticking to the table and the kids’ hands.

“Play Dough”
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water
Mix well until it forms a ball. Knead add food coloring if desired. If sticky add some flour and if to dry add a small amount of water.

Play dough 2
1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 cup salt
food coloring

Mix all ingredients (add food coloring last). Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan, let cool slightly, and knead until blended and smooth. Store in a plastic bag or airtight container when cooled.

Kool-aid Dough

Flour 3cups
Salt 1 1/2 cups
Water 3 cups
Vegetable Oil 2TB.
Cream of tartar 1TB.
unsweetened “Kool-Aid” 1pkg.

Mix ALL of the ingredients in a large saucepan.
Cook over medium low heat, until the dough comes away
from the edges of the pan and it becomes difficult to move the spoon. Remove from heat. Cool until it can be handled.
Place on counter or wax paper knead 3-4 times.
Store in an air tight container.
Fairy Play Doh (glitter)

You Need
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Food coloring gel (this will make the colors more vibrant)
Glitter
Mix all ingredients with the exception of the glitter in a sauce pan well heat stiring the mix constantly untill it forms a ball remove at once. Add the glitter and knead untill smooth and uniform.Store in a tight sealing container.This mix stores at room temperature.
Rubber Dough
A silly fun texture

You will need
2 cups baking soda
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup cornstarch

Mix every thing into a sauce pan.Boil over medium heat untill the mix is thick. Plop onto a plate cool and play.
Keep it Clay
This mixture dries VERY hard great for making jewerly like beads ect.

1 (1-pound) box baking soda
1 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cups cold water
Food coloring (Gel is best or leave it plain and paint later)

Mix baking soda and cornstarch together then add water. Cook and stir over low heat until consistency of mashed potatoes. Remove the dough from the heat and cover with damp towel until it is cool enough to handle. Use for play dough or jewelry shaping or roll it out and cut with cookie cutter to make decorations.

Sore in an air tight container
———————
Other types of dough and putty

Cinnamon Dough
1 Cup Applesauce
1 Cup Cinnamon
Mix well if sticky add more cinnamon if to dry add more apple sauce …knead well. Cut with cookie cutters to make ornaments let air dry. These may be painted.

Flubber Fun

You will need two bowls
In bowl 1 mix
3/4 cup warm water
1 cup white glue
Food coloring

In bowl 2 mix
2 tsp borax
1/2 a cup warm water

Mix bowl 1 well, Mix bowl two well…Now let the magic begin! pour bowl 1 into bowl two…No need to mix just reach on in and grab your flubber..work it for 3 minutes.

Sawdust Clay

Great for making things and drying to paint

You will need.
Fine grit sand paper
A breezy warm spot
1 cup fine sawdust
1/2 cup flour
water

Mix sawdust and flour well then begin to add water a small amount at a time untill the mix is of clay consistancy. If it becomes to wet add more flour and if it becomes to crumbly add more water and a small amount of flour.
Shape into what ever you desire, dry for 24-48 hours sand and paint with acrylic or tempra paints (Tempra is best for young children but acrylic will cover the best)

Pinwheel Cardigan

by Shelley Mackie

Pinwheel Sweater for Children

One size fits baby to 4 year old

This sweater has several great features: it is knit in the round and has no seams to sew up when finished. It can be worn by a small baby 6-9 months and will fit this child until about 3-4 years. To fit a small baby the sweater can be worn with a large collar which can also double for a hood, as the child grows. To fit a larger child the sweater can be turned around having a smaller collar, this way the sweater fits more like a bolero. The long cuffed sleeves are worn rolled for the baby and unrolled as the child grows.

No-knead Bread

3 cups bread flour (Can substitute some white for wheat)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
Covered pot (five-quart or large casserole dish – something that can go into a 230C oven.)

1. Mix dough:  The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on the bench (I like to cover it with a reusable shower-cap style plastic cover).

2. Shape & preheat:  The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly.  With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface.  Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour.  Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough.  Let it nap for 2 hours.  When you’ve got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 230C

3. Bake:  Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven.  Holding towel, dump wobbly dough into pot.  Doesn’t matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes.  Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 100C.  Remove and let cool on wired rack.  If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 230C oven for 10 minutes. Best way to eat it? Smear a warm slice with some good butter

Found at this wonderful blog, complete with photos of her gorgeous wee boy demonstrating.