More Homemades.....

Okay....I may add to this post as I think of things to add or as I have time (my babies are due up anytime)...
Another Homemade that I do is I don't buy cough syrup. THE BEST cough syrup ever is.....Honey. You will be amazed at just how quick 1 TABLESPOON of honey will cure a cough. Of course, do not give it to an infant under age 1. I use the kind of honey that hasn't had a lot of processing--the kind from a honey farmer is the best (straight from the bee farm). You can check your health foods store or see if you have a honey farm in your area. My dad is my honey farmer, but he doesn't always have honey. :)
Learn to make your own mixes. I never buy boxed Pancake mix. It is a waste of money. You can't go wrong with this recipe.
HOMEMADE PANCAKE MIX
1 cup of AP flour
2 tps of baking power
1 tp of salt (I usually don't measure, but you don't want to add too much salt, pancakes are not to be salty)
MIx and add...
1 cup of Milk
1 egg
I find the consistency is better if I use a mixer for just a few seconds, but most of the time, I don't make the effort and I just whisk really fast with my whisk.If it is too thick, add a little more milk (you can use buttermilk too for yummier pancakes). DO NOT overmix--your pancakes will be tough. Also, if your batter is too thick, your pancakes will be tough.
DON'T buy Pancake Syrup from the store. It is artificially flavored and is just HIGH FRUCTOSE syrup. The best is Pure Maple Syrup, but it is expensive. A good natural alternative is Pure Cane syrup. It is cheaper and is really good.
Okay....next is MAKE YOUR OWN BREAD.
This is the cheapest thing you can do for your grocery budget. Now I have a bread machine (bought by my MIL for $10, I think...check your thrift store or yard sales) that does ALL the work for me and makes really good bread. But the BEST bread is made by hand and it can be really therapeutic to make bread! It takes time, so you will have to do it when the kids are involved in an intensive activity or napping, because you will be in the kitchen for awhile. Making bread can be the most rewarding homemaking thing you can do for your family. Here is my favorite recipe. Although it uses a lot of "White" things (verses wheat, etc), it is still WAY healthier than store bought brands.
For ONE loaf:
3 cups Bread Flour
1 pkg yeast (I use about 3/4 tp..not the whole pkg)
1 & 1/2 tps salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup WARM water
1/2 of 1/4th cup of oil (understand this? )
I think that's it....like I said it's coming from my memory.
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water and let it 'proof'--this means let it get foamy...takes about 10 minutes. Do this is a large bowl, because you will add the other stuff to this bowl. After it proofs, add the oil and the salt and stir lightly. Last you add the flour one cup at a time, stirring after each cup. You want the texture at the end of 3 cups to be really soft, not too sticky, more flour-y than sticky. You may have to add just a little more flour. If so, just throw a little in from your flour bag, until you get the right texture. Knead this mixture for a few minutes--5 or so minutes. To Knead, grab the mixture with your hands and turn it over in the bowl, pressing it down a few times before the next turn. You will get the 'feel' and hang of it. Meanwhile, turn your oven on the lowest setting to get warm. When you are through kneading and the dough has sort of formed a large ball, cover the bowl with a loose towel (can make it damp, in case the dough rises high, it won't stick to the towel) and put into the warm over to rise for about an hour. Don't forget to turn off the oven, you don't want the bread to cook. After an hour, take out the bowl (dough should have risen a pretty good bit), punch down the dough and knead it a few more times. Then in a greased loaf pan (don't forget to grease the sides), put the dough in and sort of shape it to fit the loaf pan. I smooth down the sides and let the middle be higher because I like the look of professional bread, lol. Okay, stick back into the oven , put the cloth back on, and let rise for about 45 more minutes or an hour (until the dough has doubled or risen 1 inch or so over the top of the loaf pan). Last, take out the pan, preheat your oven to 350 and then you're ready to bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy the aroma and watch your bread the last few minutes. Some stoves are different so check it. You don't want it to burn and you don't want it to undercook. Browning on top doesn't always mean it is done in the middle. You will 'get it right' with time. Don't give up if it doesn't turn out as well the first few times.
Let me know if you try this recipe! I hope I didn't leave out anything crucial. Like I said, it's coming from a pretty foggy, prego brain! :o)
Well, I'm off to start a load of the childrens' laundry and to get started on my chores. The children are still sleeping, so I'm going to see what I can get done! :o) I'll try to add more to this blog later on. Hope this helps!