Emilie's Whole Wheat Bread

As I was meandering around Pinterest the other day, I came across a recipe for whole wheat bread. And since I had been entertaining the idea of trying my bread making skills out again, I thought I may as well try this recipe. In the past, I have failed miserably at making bread, so it was with some hesitation that I began to proceed. 


I noticed this recipe called for vital wheat gluten which is supposed to create elasticity in the bread. I happen to have some thanks to a kind family in my ward who gave it to me recently. I have no idea where they got the large cans that they gave me but I have been told that it can be bought at baking stores or Maceys. I have purchased some in smaller quantities at Walmart and have seen it for sale online at Amazon.com. Also, bread flour has vital wheat gluten in it, so if a recipe calls for bread flour, you should get similar results.


My first attempt at making whole wheat bread with this recipe was very successful (and delicious!) I will definitely keep using this recipe! Give it a try for yourself and let me know how it goes!


Source: Dealstomeals.blogspot.com
Makes 4 8/4 inch loaves. If halved, makes 2 loaves. *If you have a smaller Kitchen aid mixer(4qt. bowl), half this recipe. It is a big recipe!

7 c. whole wheat flour (grind your own if you have a wheat grinder)
2/3 c. vital wheat gluten
2 1/2 T. instant yeast

5 c. hot water (120-130 F)

2 T. salt
2/3 c. oil
2/3 c. honey or 1 c. sugar (I like honey the best!)
2 1/2 T. bottled lemon juice

5 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together the first three ingredients in your mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes (this is called sponging). Add salt, oil, honey or sugar, and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This makes very soft dough.

Pre-heat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks. This recipe can be halved to make 2 loaves.

Healthy Homemade Snacks: Homemade Granola Bars

The more my kids grow, the more they eat. Here's a well know fact among all moms: It's hard to keep those little darlings' tummies satisfied for very long and it doesn't get any easier as they grow up. But if your family is like mine, the problem with filling that need is constantly evident in your wallet. Money- or the lack there of.
Plus there is always the worry of whether it's healthy enough for your kid, right? It is a continual struggle for me to find a snack worth buying for its nutritional value but still will not burn a hole in my pocket.
So I have recently turned to homemade recipes. I find they are much healthier because I can control what goes in them and they are also much more economical. My kids LOVE them! Here is one of our new favorites. I will have to continue to add more. We have several favorites now.
(Picture to come soon)
Homemade granola bars  ( I like to double this recipe and make half with one type of mix in and the otehr half with another)
3 1/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup Whole Wheat flour (or all purpose)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 T Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cups "stuff" (chocolate chips and marshmallow; raisins and applesauce and apple pieces; dried cherries and choc.chips; coconut and dried mango or other tropical fruits- the sky is the limit)

Preheat the oven to 335.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour,baking soda,and any spices you want to use.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine vanilla, oil (or applesauce), and honey.
Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir to combine.
Stir in the "stuff" you want to use. Note: If your batter seems a bit dry like it may not hold together, go ahead and add more honey. Sometimes it needs it, sometimes it doesn't, so you'll need to make that call.
Spray an edged cookie sheet or pan with cooking spray. Just like when making rice crispy treats, use a cold hand to press the mixture down very firmly. A 7x11 pan is a great size of pan to use- or two if you're doubling it.
Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes until top is turning golden brown. Remove from oven and firmly press bars down again with a spatula. Allow to cool for only 10 minutes and then cut into bars. They are hard to cut when completely cooled.
Allow to finish cooling before removing them from the pan.
I like to individually wrap mine in wax paper or plastic wrap- whatever you have on hand. Then I stick them in a covered container to save for snack time!