my bread recipe

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

Yield: 2 loaves (8.5″x4.5″ loaf pan)

2 cups Hot water

1/4 cup vegetable (canola) oil

1 1/3 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbls Vital Wheat Gluten

2 tsp. Dough Enhancer

2 tsp Sea Salt

5-6 cups Freshly Milled Hard Wheat Flour

4 tsp SAF Instant Yeast

1. Measure ingredients into bowl, liquids first, then dry ingredients, but use only half the flour and add the yeast last, on top of flour.

2. Mix gently until the flour is moistened. Continue mixing, adding flour until the dough cleans the sides and bottom of the bowl.

3. Knead according machine.

4. Optional Rise of 15 minutes or more, or skip this step.

5. Dive dough into two portions.

6. Deflate the dough by slamming on counter or rolling out.

7. Shape into loaves and place in greased pans.

8. Rise uncovered about 25-30 minutes, until doubled or 1″ over pan.

9. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until bread is 190 with meat thermometer. (I have a digital probe that plugs into my oven, so I can check my temp easily as it bakes.)

10.   Remove from pan.  Cool fifteen minutes before slicing.

I got this recipe from Lori Viets book, No More Bricks, Successful Whole Grain Bread. I am very pleased with my bread. Often, I don’t even use a full five cups of flour.   I highly recommend this book.  It is full of information about grains, baking procedures, recipes, etc, but easy to understand.  Plus, I met the gal at the homeschool conference and she was great in person as well.  She emails answers to my questions and shipped my order out immediately.  It came the next day! How’s that for customer service?

Let me know if you make this bread.  I really like adding the oats, so this is the reciped I use most often.

my pregnant life

I’ve just set my bread out to rise, so I’ve go 30 minutes to fill ya in on the happenings of my pregnant life.

All is well, but I gotta tell ya, having a fourth baby at 33 is taking its toll.  Nothing serious going on, but at nearly 22 weeks pregnant, I’m already feeling all those aches and pains that don’t show up until the third trimester.  I’ve been having calf cramps in the early, early morning. OUCH! I wake up several times a night already in back and hip pain, which makes me groggy when those other little ones are up at 6 am. I’ve got that pelvic discomfort (enough said).  And to top it off, I’m measuring 1 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule (at my ultrasound, baby was measuring in the 86th percentile. My experience with Jesse was that the ultrasound completely underestimated how big he was).  But here’s the good news– my blood pressure is great, I’m still exercising, and my weight gain has been slow and steady.

Instead of walking I’ve been using the Fit Mama DVD.  I LOVE it! (Thanks Bryn!) It starts with 22 minutes of salsa dancing, 20 minutes of yoga, and 15 minutes of stretching and kegels. It is very revitalizing and hip! Plus, I get to stand under my ceiling fan in the a.c., instead of sweating it out in that humid, humid heat.  We put up our pool this weekend, so I hope to include some water exercise as well.  That water is very, very chilly right now, but also very refreshing.

Here’s my biggest news–I switched from my family practitioner to a nurse midwife. After discussing  with my doctor my desire for an unmedicated birth, I felt she wasn’t as supportive as I would have liked.  So, remembering that I’m the consumer here (thanks, Jill!) I started shopping around until I found what I wanted! After several phone calls and some research, I’ve ended up at the For Women Only practice near Overland Park Regional. They have two nurse midwives and two obs.  Plus, they have an office in my home town!!! So now I only drive 2 miles for my monthly checkups.  I am so thrilled.  I met the midwife who will probably deliver me (Lindsay) and she was great.  AND young!  I’m talking young, young . . . like late 20s.  But she’s delivered babies for several years and has birthed her own, so I felt confident with her. She was not nearly as concerned with my having a supersized baby or gaining more than 20 pounds.  I am feeling quite confidant now with my medical care.

Well that’s about it and I hear my timer calling me to check my bread! More later on other stuff!