Family of 5 'shop from home'food storage challenge...

kethry

Yategirl wrote: »

oh stop it!!!!! 3 weeks tomorrow :eek: I know it... ds1 tells me at every opportunity but :eek: :eek: :rotfl:

Kethry - I have the dough in pans on a second rise... it seems very heavy. I actually mixed the flour and the water and bringing it together to make a dough when I remembered the butter (actually it teaches me a lesson to write the recipe out proper instead of a scrappy bit of paper - I made myself a lovely gorgeous recipe box... and I am still using scrappy paper :rolleyes: )... ah well... we'll see what happens! Excellent news on the card sales! What about seeing if your mum could take a regular batch of birthday (and other) cards in - more sales

Yategirl: it is heavier than shop bought bread, what you have to remember is that shop bought uses a lot more yeast in their bread in order to get it risen in the shortest amount of time. I've missed out the butter completely before now, it does make it heavier, and doesn't keep as long. it should work okay though, you may get spots where there's either a large hole in the loaf, or you get greasy spots, if the butter hasn't worked through the whole dough. Chalk it up to experience - i bet you won't forget again. Also, try halving the amount of butter used (I never measure it, to be honest, just cut a chunk off, but then i've been doing it a while), microwaving it so its melted, then mix with an equal amount (volume wise) of veg oil. Then slowly dribble the butter/oil over the flour while flicking it through the flour with a spoon, so its all properly mixed in. I find that works better than rubbing it in, and the oil makes it very light, and you still get the flavour from the butter.

I know what you mean about the scrappy paper. that's my failing habit as well. I've a pile of them - need to punch holes in them and get them into an A5 file in order.. argh!

as for the cards - i have to be careful with this as i'm on benefits, so i am restricted as to what i can do. A friend suggested i look at carrying on with the cards and selling on ebay after christmas, so i'm going to talk to DWP about how much i can do without losing my benefits (on disability benefits). Its so much fun i don't want to stop, really. Got my own christmas cards to make now - i brought 8 home with me, which leaves about 20 to make and get sent off! Should be fun!

hope the bread comes out alright - let me know how you get on!

*dances off singing "three weeks to christmas, three weeks to christmas", then dodges the cushions being thrown at her*

keth
xx

Yategirl

*throws cushions at Kethry*

I used to make my own bread but dh moaned and moaned that he didn't like it for sandwiches etc etc etc and so I gave up... but the ds's love fresh bread (admittedly so do I but I am trying so hard not to eat so much!).. Could I make the dough in the evening and then come down and knock back... probably not as it would grow so big! anyhow.. it's rising next to the fan of the pc... so warm!

I really must make some christmas cards... just can't get motivated..... cooking yes! scrapbooking yes-ish but cards... no Am doing a christmas journal so really ought to be a little more motivated!

kethry

Yategirl wrote: »

*throws cushions at Kethry*

I used to make my own bread but dh moaned and moaned that he didn't like it for sandwiches etc etc etc and so I gave up... but the ds's love fresh bread (admittedly so do I but I am trying so hard not to eat so much!).. Could I make the dough in the evening and then come down and knock back... probably not as it would grow so big! anyhow.. it's rising next to the fan of the pc... so warm!

I really must make some christmas cards... just can't get motivated..... cooking yes! scrapbooking yes-ish but cards... no Am doing a christmas journal so really ought to be a little more motivated!

Yes you can make the dough in the evening.. you need to leave it in a slightly cooler place though, because otherwise the yeast will exhaust itself. some people swear by leaving it in the fridge, which didn't work for me the one time i tried it but might be okay for you. the other time i left it to rise (first proving) overnight was in a cold bedroom - we prefer our bedroom to be cool, 15-18*C, to give you some idea of temps. you can then knock back in the morning, prepare for the pans and leave in a warm place to rise then. When my Grandfather did it (its his recipe, the original), he would get up at around 5.30 am and make the bread, put it to rise in the (warm) airing cupboard, do the ironing and so on and have it all baked to make fresh bread soldiers and boiled egg for breakfast for my grannie, in bed for around 10am. He was the original new man!

I can't get on with scrapbooking.. i prefer things that are short, quick to make - the kind of thing that takes months to do, i'm hopeless with, unless it can be broken into short bits or left for a few weeks at a time, like the garden. thats why cards are so ideal for me, i can do a couple a day and do quite well instead of scrapbooking i write my blog!

let me know how it goes.. (the bread)

keth
xx

JAMIEDODGER

kethry - i am loving the bread i have made with your recipe!!!

Dee - he isnt my OH, but my ex:) but he was an angel and waited around to take me to collect dd from nursery. as i thought though...car is dead!

we will be walking from tomorrow!

JAMIEDODGER

oh and pagham is just up the road from me, and yes, everything is too far spread out!

kethry

oooh Jamiedodger - i'm glad the bread turned out well!!! re: the car - can you not get a bus?

keth
xx

Yategirl

kethry wrote: »

I can't get on with scrapbooking.. i prefer things that are short, quick to make - the kind of thing that takes months to do, i'm hopeless with, unless it can be broken into short bits or left for a few weeks at a time, like the garden. thats why cards are so ideal for me, i can do a couple a day and do quite well instead of scrapbooking i write my blog!

let me know how it goes.. (the bread)

keth
xx

I might try the bread overnight... but 10am is a bit late for breakfast here :rotfl:

one loaf is out of the oven and looks fine... the other is nearly ready to come out... I will taste that one but it does have a crease in the bottom lol!

scrapbooking - have a look at Shimelle.com - I have done a few of her real-life classes and am doing the christmas journal this year... she aims to do a page within 45minutes and reckons if a page isn't completed by then... then it won't be done and you should forget it... I am trying very hard to follow Shim's example as I found that if I do a "challenge" then I get a lo done much quicker and I like it but if I do it "at my pace" then it takes forever!

Yategirl

that is a pain Jamie - do you have public transport close by?

Yategirl

mmhhhh *bec mumbles with mouthful* the bread is delicious!!!!!!!!!! it looks fine and tastes fine yum!!!

JAMIEDODGER

public transport is quite good here, but i have a bike and i dont mind walking!:D