Miriam Borsella will be teaching us how to cut boys hair for Aprils Provident Living Workshop.
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Today I came across an article written by Luke V. Erickson, a personal and family finance educator. In it he gives a simple explanation of how the "Debt-Snowball" method eliminates debt.
Here is the article, it's a good read. https://www.lds.org/ensign/2011/07/getting-out-of-debt-for-good?lang=eng Wow, what a fun adventure this has been! Let me first warn you that this post was written over several weeks. Hope it isn't too disjointed! The first yeast start I tried is the recipe below. It has been setting on my counter for a few weeks now, getting fed every 12 hours...if it's lucky :). I was real religious about feeding it at first but the last week has been real crazy, and I have found myself glancing sadly at the yeast as I rush through my kitchen. Each time I pass by, watching it raise to its optimal point to be used, then watching it slowly begin to fall because the poor yeast runs out of food. When I finally do get a minute, I scoop half a cup out, feed it, then throw the rest away. I wanted to take the challenge of keeping a yeast alive on my counter with out having to refrigerate it. Turns out it is quite a challenge. A person has to bake a lot in order to keep up with a healthy yeast. I have been doing a combination of dumping the extra start down the drain and baking when I have time. I know it's wasteful but I'm trying to learn this stuff in a hurry, and it takes too long to bring a refrigerated start back up to its optimal active point before baking. Everlasting Yeast (Josaphine)1 quart warm potato water 1 tsp. salt 2 cups white Or whole wheat flour 1/2 yeast cake Or 1/2 Tbsp. dry yeast 2 Tbsp. sugar Stir all ingredients together. Place mixture in a warm place to raise until ready to mix for baking. Leave a small amount of everlasting yeast for a start for next time. Between uses, keep in covered jar in refrigerator until a few hours before ready to use again. Do not use metal utensils while making yeast. Add same ingredients, except yeast, to everlasting yeast start for the next baking. By keeping the everlasting yeast start and remaking some each time, yeast can be kept on hand indefinitely. TO "SET A SPONGE" (OR STARTER) FOR A RECIPE:In other words, how to feed it. Since I kept my starters out on the counter they were almost always ready to use. When it was time to feed this one, I would add the ingredients below, use the discarded portion in my baking, and even be able to use it again in another two to four hours if I needed to. If you refrigerate your starter you would need to let it set out longer to become active and possibly feed several times before using it. The "Maintaining Your Sourdough" or "How to Feed a Sourdough Starter" links below have more information, including how to revive a dormant or neglected starter. This is if you have refrigerated your starter. About 12 hours before planning to mix a recipe, mix in a bowl 1/2 cup starter, 2 cups flour, 2 cups liquid (water, milk or water drained from cooked potatoes). Cover bowl with cheesecloth and put it in a warm draft-free place. Just before mixing the recipe, take 1 cup of batter to replenish starter in your crock. Use the balance in your recipe. My First Starter is Ready to Use!The first day my start was ready to use we were having stew for dinner, it was a perfect opportunity to make Sourdough Biscuits. They were easy to make and I enjoyed the flavor, but the we were hungry, so I didn't let them raise long enough. They are a bit flat and hockey puck-ish. I'll make them again and allow them to raise the full hour next time and see how they do. The next time I had a few minutes to bake I wanted to try making Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies. I went on line and found a recipe that, with a few alterations would work for me. I hate complicated recipes, the simpler the better! The recipe I found called for coconut oil (I used shortening), rapadura or Sucanat (I used brown sugar) and organic chocolate chips (I used Nestle). I thought the cookies were a bit dry. But my family didn't spit them out. 100% Hydration refers to the baker's percentage of water in the starter, i.e. the water in the starter is 100% of the weight of the flour in the starter. I have been doing some research on 100% hydration starts and will be making one soon. Looks like if you have a 100% hydration starter it is easier to balance the moisture levels in your baking. ![]() One day there were some sad looking bananas wasting on my counter begging me to mash them up and use them in Sourdough Banana Muffins. I was excited until I read the recipe and it told me to combine the sourdough starter and flour at least 12 hours before I wanted to bake the muffins. I broke the news to the bananas, happily mixed the flour with the starter and then feed the extra starter to keep it satisfied for the time being. Before I tell you how the Sourdough Banana Muffins turned out, let me take you back a few days earlier.
Now, fast forward, maybe fourteen hours from the moment the bananas began calling out to me. I have now made two days worth of the No Knead Bread. Day three of this bread should be ready to shape into loaves. The flour and starter have been combined for at least 12 hours and is now ready to be made into sourdough banana muffins. And my starter who I am beginning to affectionately call Josephine, is feeding happily in her jar on my counter. One would think all is well...it wasn't! This was the day of Luke's surgery. I had it all planned out, up at 3:30 a.m., be at the hospital in Pocatello to check Luke in by 5:00 a.m., surgery at 7:00 a.m, hang with Luke in recovery around 9ish, be home by noon. Plenty of time to feed Josephine before she gets saggy, bake the bread and make the muffins, perfect plan! Well, lets just say the time line was the only thing that turned out. The Night Before Luke's SurgeryI must deviate, for only a moment, from my sourdough adventure, in order to help you understand my fragile state of mind that tragic afternoon. The night before the surgery turned out being a late night of getting many last minute things wrapped up. We were surprised to find baby dairy goat twins in the barn yard when the kids fed that night. We weren't expecting these babies to be born quite yet. No one slept well, and three thirty came way too soon. All went as planned at the hospital in regards to Luke's surgery, but on the home front all was not well. Shortly after six o'clock I received a phone call from Grant. Him and Hannah were charged with the massive effort of doing morning chores. I knew something was wrong right away. With out going into any details, let me say that one of the Boer does had given birth some time during the night. One of her babies was laying dead in the straw and the other was breach, only partially born and it was obvious the doe needed assistance. Knowing Grant had never pulled a baby before I started to panic! I'm half listening to the nurse prep Luke for surgery while trying to explain to Grant how to help the doe. When I finally hang up the phone I say out loud, " Well, the good new is after we get through this barn yard mess we will be done with birthing for another season." It has been a season of unfortunate losses. Anyway, I then begin texting Cammie, hoping she has her phone turned on. Thank goodness she does and I'm happy to find out she is already on her way to help. (She told me later that the split second she realized the hour, and who was calling she was wide awake with both feet on the ground.) This from the girl who has answered the phone groggily at noon before! Once I knew she had gone to Grants rescue I was able to relax. Thank you Cammie! Luke is now being wheeled away and Steve and I stumble down to the cafeteria to get a bite to eat before we snatch a few minutes of shut eye in the waiting room. While eating my cold hospital eggs, I check my phone and find a text from Hannah that includes a picture of one of the dead twins. Then Cammie calls and gives me a detailed account of how things went. I wasn't really that hungry anyway. Steve and I finish breakfast, go back to the waiting room and lay down on the couches to try to nap for a few minutes. But instead there is a sweet young wife, who I have named Chatty Matty, laying on one of the other couches, waiting for her husband to get out of treatment. She continues to talk to us until the nurse calls Steve and I back to recovery. ![]() Now I'm home, Luke is laying on the couch in the family room, happily drugged, Steve is napping on the Lazy Boy and I'm rolling up my sleeves, finally getting to that sourdough baking moment I had been waiting for. First I open up the bucket of dough, it smells funny, I brush the thought that it has gone bad aside, form it into loaves and put it in the oven to proof. I proceed to try to clean up my messy house while the bread raises. But I don't realize how tired I am and all I'm really doing is treading water. The timer goes off, the bread hasn't raised much, no worries. One thing I have learned is that things take longer to raise using starters. I set the timer again and "clean" some more, then set the timer a third time. Now the stress of the last 48 hours and lack of sleep is starting to catch up to me, the timer goes off...no change in the bread. I proceed either out of pure exhaustion or wishful thinking to re-warm the oven and set the timer another two times. The timer goes off, this time I open the oven door and the smell of alcohol about knocks me off my feet! I gag a few times, pull the bread out of the oven and proceed to pre-heat the oven to bake the bread. Yes, I realize that I am crazy. I do stupid things like this when I am too tired to think. I bake the bread, well actually, they are more like bricks when all is said and done. That was five days ago. I went out to the chicken coop to gather eggs this afternoon and the two loaves (bricks) are still laying outside in the chicken run. The chickens wont even eat them! Another quick deviation... What I didn't realize is the day of Luke's surgery (Wednesday), was the first day of Grants strep throat. And part of the reason I was so tired was because I was developing a massive sinus infection, among other things. Grant and I went to the doctor Monday, because by Sunday we were too sick to do anything! Back to the sourdough disaster... During my bread/brick obsession, every once in a while I would glance Josephine's way. I pretend not to notice her sad state. While we were busily getting ready for Luke's morning in the hospital, the Blaze King Stove burned unchecked, raising the temperatures in my kitchen to somewhere near 100 degrees I'm guessing, all I know is that I walked in once and it was sweltering. Josephine hadn't fared well. Even so, I finally got around to feeding her and set her aside. I still needed to mix up the Sourdough Banana Muffins, surely they would turn out. One success, only one success, that is all I wanted before I threw my apron in for the day. What could go wrong, they are only muffins after all. The Sourdough Banana Muffin recipe was simple, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the cultured dough. Then gradually add the liquid ingredients, stirring just to combine, easy enough. It was going good, but then I noticed the batter wasn't mixing the way it should. I toss the spoon aside and plunge my hand into the batter and I find a thick, paste/plastic like substance that is not mixing in. I realize at once that there is no way the flour/starter substance that sat out all night is going to mix into the batter. Now remember I'm a bit crazed at this point. Out comes my powerful hand mixer, you guys know the ones, when you turn them on they almost pick the bowl off the counter top because of all the torque. Those of you who bake know that muffins are only suppose to be mixed until ingredients are moistened, no more. I didn't care, I plunged that mixer into that batter, turned the mixer to HI, and kept it in there for a good minute! No, it didn't work. Now I had little bits and big chunks of white paste mixed into obliterated muffin batter. And yes I did bake them! Hannah happened to walk through the kitchen as I was manically slopping the batter into the muffin tins. I think she was afraid to make eye contact with me, I must have looked nuts. To add insult to injury they smelt delicious as they baked and looked pretty good when they came out of the oven. But when you bit into them, you would either get a bite of flour and sourdough start or a bite of spiced muffin. They had a marbled look to them which was nice, that is, if they had tasted good. That days sourdough battle had come to an ended. I had been defeated. The kitchen looked like a war zone. The carnage was tossed into the scrap bowl for the chickens to feast upon. I threw my apron down in disgust, sat down on the couch and stared at the wall. But the war was not over... Meet Frankie, Josephine II and XactoOnce the antibiotics and mega steroids kicked in I was back at it. My kids are beginning to tell me that I care more for my starters than I do for them. I smile, wave them away and charge head long into the next sourdough battle with apron strings flying. Josephine gave up the ghost not long after that sweltering day in the kitchen, so on the stove went a pot of potatoes to boil, it was time to make Josephine II. I have wanted to make cake and brownies but have been worried about using Josephine. I decided it was time to make a 100% hydration starter. I named him Xacto because I made him "exactly" the way the chef explained. Because I am a bit pressed for time and am in need of samples for the Tri Ward Provident Living Night, I decided to make my own creation, Frankie. I weighed out the starter ingredients like one would do when making an 100% hydration start but gave it a boost with a little yeast and sugar. POOF, Frankie was born! ![]() I have managed to successfully produce some good tasting and not to bad looking, Sourdough Banana Muffins since that fateful afternoon. These were made with starter from Josephine II and Frankie. Frankie was really stiff, I hope he looses up with more feedings. The reason I ended up with paste like plastic in my muffins was because my starter and flour didn't need to set for twelve hours like the recipe said. Since my starter is out on the counter it is almost always ready to bake with, lesson learned! Another thing learned is that the muffins look better if let to raise for about twenty minutes even though the recipe doesn't call for it. ![]() The biscuits were made with a fed start from Josephine II. I'm not sure I like how she separates, but she works real good. I let them raise for an hour this time and they looked more like biscuits and less like hockey pucks. ![]() Here is my second attempt at making bread in a bucket with the everlasting dough ball for my yeast. I decided to forgo the whole wheat idea this time and try making it with white flour only. The dough was really sticky, I tried to knead some extra flour in but the more I kneaded the stickier it got. This bread took four hours to raise! Once the yeast ball is older and more established the bread is suppose to take less time to raise. Below is the finished product. It's not pretty but I feel it was a success. It is a little heavy, but not too heavy and has a good flavor. I'll mix up batch three tonight and see if the yeast ball still works. ![]() The yeast ball soured again! I will try it again but keep the yeast ball in the refrigerator in stead of on the counter. My house must still be to warm. ![]() We had sourdough pancakes for breakfast, using Josephine as the starter. I would like fluffier pancakes though. If anyone has a fluffy, tried and true sourdough pancake recipe let me know. I would love to have it! ![]() This pumpkin-Maple Cake was one of my favorite things that I made. Sprinkle it with a little powdered sugar before you serve it. I also thought it would be divine as a layered cake with cream cheese frosting. I think I used Frankie in this cake, I honestly can't remember. I was in a baking frenzy. ![]() This is a good looking sourdough surprise, full of chocolate chips, marshmallows and nuts. Next time I would leave the hazel nuts out. I'm not a big fan of them. Frankie was used in this recipe, he worked well. Josephine was used in these sourdough brownies. I had to add an extra 3/4 cup of flour in order to get the batter to a brownie consistency, and I had to bake it much longer than the recipe called for. The picture is of my first attempt that sunk like a gaping volcano when I pulled them out of the oven. The second batch still sunk but not as bad. The Fate of Xacto![]() This is Xacto between 24 and 48 hours old. In hindsight I should have fed him at this moment, but I didn't. I waited 48 hours and then fed him. He had an unusual smell to him, I was a little worried but what was I to do? I fed him and waited to see what would happen. ![]() After being feed nothing much happened, only a small amount of activity. ![]() Twelve hours later I say a short farewell to Xacto as I hold my breath and wash him down the drain. Poor Xacto! What I have Learned... |
When the recipe calls for: 1 cup sifted cake flour 1 cup pastry flour 1 cup self-rising flour 1 cup all-purpose flour | Substitute: 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon pastry flour |
Provident Living Night
Tri-Ward Activity
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Location:
12th Street Chapel
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Come join friends and neighbors as we learn how to be better prepared!
Classes—1st Session
Bread Making—How to get started
72 Hour Car Kits
Raising Poultry in You Little Backyard
Gun Safety in the Home
Classes—2nd Session
How to cook Those Dry Beans
Infant/Child 72-Hour Kits
Living Yeast
HAM Radio (Tentative)
Tri-Ward Activity
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Location:
12th Street Chapel
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Come join friends and neighbors as we learn how to be better prepared!
Classes—1st Session
Bread Making—How to get started
72 Hour Car Kits
Raising Poultry in You Little Backyard
Gun Safety in the Home
Classes—2nd Session
How to cook Those Dry Beans
Infant/Child 72-Hour Kits
Living Yeast
HAM Radio (Tentative)
· Choose one class per session. Each session will be 35 minutes long.
· Please bring samples of your favorite homemade bread, pie, rolls, cookies etc. to share. If you don’t have time, don’t worry about it, come anyway!
· There will be display/demonstration tables ranging from homemade granola to gardening.
· A children’s class will be provided.
· Please bring samples of your favorite homemade bread, pie, rolls, cookies etc. to share. If you don’t have time, don’t worry about it, come anyway!
· There will be display/demonstration tables ranging from homemade granola to gardening.
· A children’s class will be provided.
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"The principle of self-reliance is spiritual as well as temporal. It is not a doomsday program; it is something to be practiced each and every day of our lives."
~Elder L. Tom Perry
Conference Report, Oct. 1991
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Special thanks to Melissa Partridge for talking to us today about budgeting, paying off debt, investing and many other important things.
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Melissa suggested every family should have a copy of, "One for the Money a Guide to Family Finance". If you don't have one, you can down load it from lds.org or you can pick one up from the LDS distribution center. Melissa has a few extra copies contact her if you would like one.
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Melissa says there are a few important things to know and do:
- Create a budget. Then use it!
- Talk about and look over your budget once a week with your spouse.
- Know what your resources are and use them wisely.
- Recognize the difference between needs and wants.
Personal Finance and Budget Apps
I am sure there are other ones out there, but these are the ones that were brought up today.
For its members, Beehive Federal Credit Union offers MoneyDesktopTM, a FREE new personal financial management service that allows you to consolidate all of your various financial accounts into one easy to use app.
Financial Calculators
Ever wondered how long it will take to pay off your credit card or if you are saving enough for your retirement? Check out these financial calculators on lds.org, there are thirteen different ones.
Odds and Ends
Kids and Chores
Amber Coglianese uses the Chore Bot app and likes it.
Amber Coglianese uses the Chore Bot app and likes it.
Melissa told of a fun way to teach your children about doing chores and receiving an allowance.
Have them remember the word CHAIR:
C--chores
H--homework
A--attitude
I--hygiene
R--Respect
Unfortunately I was distracted by another discussion and missed exactly how to use this idea.
Be creative, make up your own way to use CHAIR, or ask Melissa to explain it.
--Sorry! There is a lot going on during these workshops and sometimes my attention is divided :(
Have them remember the word CHAIR:
C--chores
H--homework
A--attitude
I--hygiene
R--Respect
Unfortunately I was distracted by another discussion and missed exactly how to use this idea.
Be creative, make up your own way to use CHAIR, or ask Melissa to explain it.
--Sorry! There is a lot going on during these workshops and sometimes my attention is divided :(
Money Management Tips with Melissa Partridge
Wednesday, February 19th
1:00 p.m.
Sister Holley's Home
Wednesday, February 19th
1:00 p.m.
Sister Holley's Home
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Being provident involves being "wise, frugal, prudent, making provision for the future while attending to immediate needs."
--Barbara B. Smith
A fresh start. This is what January is. It is a month of both reflection and anticipation. We ask ourselves if our goals from the previous year were attained and we look forward to, and some times dread the setting of new ones. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf states, " There is something incredibly hopeful about a fresh start." In January's first presidency message, The Best Time To Plant a Tree, he states, "There is something wonderful and hopeful about the word now. There is something empowering about the fact that if we choose to decide now, we can move forward at this very moment."
I want to encourage you to take a look at your family's financial situation this month. Begin by asking yourselves these questions:
Do you pay your tithes and offerings?
What debt can we start paying off today?
Do you have and do you follow a budget?
Do you have an emergency reserve of money?
Do you pay your tithes and offerings?
What debt can we start paying off today?
Do you have and do you follow a budget?
Do you have an emergency reserve of money?
The above link takes you to an amazing assortment of free financial resources provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
For those of you who are Beehive Federal Credit Union members they offer Dave Ramsey's, Financial Peace University program. Steve and I attended this and it is not only informative but entertaining too! I recommend it to everyone, whether you are in debt or not.
For those of you who are Beehive Federal Credit Union members they offer Dave Ramsey's, Financial Peace University program. Steve and I attended this and it is not only informative but entertaining too! I recommend it to everyone, whether you are in debt or not.
Let January 2014 be the beginning of your families financial security.
Soups with Sister Holley
Wednesday, January 15th
12:00
Sister Holley's Home
Sundays are always busy and there is never enough time to get to know everyone. So, it was nice to be able to get together, enjoy warm soup, fresh bread and new friendships. Thanks to all who came!
In the flurry of making soups, I forgot to take pictures of everyone at today's activity. Next time I'll remember!
In the flurry of making soups, I forgot to take pictures of everyone at today's activity. Next time I'll remember!
Author
Dawn—is a classically eclectic, slightly high strung, Back to Basics mom of four amazing kids. And a Christ-following, homeschooling, cherry cheese cake loving wife to one unbelievably patient husband.
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