Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover

Category Archives: Homemade


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Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread Recipe

Yummy Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Last week our cupboards resembled Old Mother Hubbard’s.

Yet I adamantly resisted going grocery shopping. Because it is not my favorite thing to do. You can read the post here.

Bread was in zero supply, so I looked in the cupboard and we had yeast packets! I decided to make bread. I know, lots of work. But anything to avoid hitting the supermarket aisles.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water

2 cups lukewarm milk (scalded and cooled)

1/4 cup honey

3 T. shortening

1 tsp. salt

4-5 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups white flour

3/4 cup chopped sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and almond flour (mixed together)

1/2 cup oatmeal (lightly ground in coffee grinder)

softened butter

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, honey, shortening, salt, white flour, and 2 cups whole wheat flour. Mix together.

Add oatmeal and grains plus enough whole wheat flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough out onto floured counter. Knead about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Roll into a ball. Put in a shortening greased bowl, turning once to cover all sides with shortening. Cover. Set bowl in warm spot and let rise until double (about 1 hour).

Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half out into a rectangle. Tightly (but gently) roll the dough into a loaf and place seam-side down in a greased loaf pan. Repeat with second loaf. Lightly brush tops with butter. Cover and let rise for another hour, or until doubled.

Heat oven to 425 and put oven racks on a lower setting so the bread tops rest in the center of the oven. Bake until loaves are toasty brown and sound hollow when thumped, about 30 minutes.

Remove loaves from pans, place on cooling racks, and spread butter on top. Cool and enjoy!

My well-loved and much used pre-marriage cookbook

The original recipe came from my Betty Crocker’s Cookbook (Golden, New and Revised Edition) that I’ve had since before I was married (pre-1985). The name inscribed on the inside front cover is Angie Hill.

In fact, there is no title page, as it has fallen out during some previous cooking escapade. We now start things off on page 7 and discuss how to care for and prepare meat.

***My recipe for Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread has been adjusted and adapted to our tastes – less salt, more grains, and a mix of whole wheat and white flour.


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Stars ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Stars

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Stars

By Mary Lyn Ray

Illustrated by Marla Frazee

(Beach Lane Books, 2011)

I love shapes! Stars are one of the first shapes that children learn to identify. Stars and hearts.

This beautiful picture book is about stars.

Stars tells about stars – the shape, the stars in the sky, the stars in your hand, and the way stars can be used to have fun. A star can make you a sheriff, a princess, or a magical fairy with a wand.

But what about other stars? Flower stars that become favorite fruits, frozen stars that give us snow, and paper stars that mark special days are all different kinds of stars that mean something wonderful is going to happen!

Readers will love the creative imagination and ideas about stars they find in Stars.

KID KANDY:

Make Stars

Stars are sort of difficult to make, but once you learn how, they are fun and easy.

Materials: paper, scissors, markers, glitter glue, scrap paper, sticks, tape, ribbon

Here is how you draw a star.

How to draw a 5-pointed star

Or you can cut out 2 triangles, put one upside down on the other, and make a different star!

How to make a 6-pointed star with 2 triangles

Cut out and decorate your star. I always love to add glitter glue to make things sparkle and shine!

What can you do with a star?

– Tape your star to a stick for a wand or decoration.

– Display your star on the fridge.

– Give your star to a friend.

– Make a hat or crown with your star.

– Put your star on the calendar to mark a special day (your birthday?).

– Hang several stars on ribbon to make a wall decoration.

Have a starry day!


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Decorated Metal Tins ~ How to Use Those Empty Altoid and Ice Chip Tins

The top cover of my decorated tin

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

I joined a group of ladies to make these pretty prayer boxes last weekend.

I recently attended the Columbia Basin Baptist Association’s Annual Women and Teenage Girls’ Retreat at Camp Touchet, just outside of Dayton, Washington. What a beautiful, if somewhat remote and out of cell coverage zone, location!

Much fun was had Friday night when our craft lady and photographer shared her idea and supplies with us. We made these fun prayer boxes!

Of course, the boxes could be used for anything, but we were at a retreat that featured prayer, so our boxes were prayer themed.

So make use of those empty Altoid or Ice Chip metal tins and create to your hearts’ content.

The top and bottom of my tin

Decorated Metal Tins

Materials:

empty metal tins

spray paint

decorated scrap paper

scissors

pencils

thin-tipped permanent markers

craft glue

washi tape

buttons, ribbon, stickers, gems, glitter glue, and assorted embellishments

1. In advance, spray paint the outside of the tin, including top, bottom, and sides. Let dry.

2. Trace the tin bottom on decorated scrap paper. Cut it out and trim to fit. You can use this as a template for the bottom, top, and inside top of the tin. Glue in place with craft glue.

3. I loved the look of the washi tape, so I edged the top and bottom with washi. It doesn’t stick very well around the corners by itself, so I need to glue down the corners.

4. Add buttons, butterflies, stickers, or any embellishments you want. Make a decorated label for the lid to tell what the tin is for. Glue to top.

5. I also decorated the inside of the lid. You can see the little poem that we included in our lids.

6. I left the bottom empty, but added small pieces of paper for notes and a short pencil (our craft person found them on Amazon – just search for mini mechanical pencils).

The inside poem, note paper, and pencil

Et voila! You are ready to take notes, write down thoughts, pen tiny masterpieces, or scribe prayers.

How are you going to use this craft idea? I think it would be great for a camp project!

 


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Unexpected Gift Perfectly Suits

A purrfect gift. @AngieQuantrell

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell 

We were recently given a handmade gift that perfectly suited our family.

As we served an appreciation luncheon for co-workers, a certain woman, well-known for her hospitality and kindness, walked up to me and delivered a gift.

Since this luncheon was for them, I was not expecting a gift. We were doing the giving. But in her thoughtfulness, she remembered us with a hostess treasure.

When time allowed, I dug into the package and discovered a large, white hand-embroidered dish towel. Beautiful!

The homemade varieties are the best sort, are they not?

I quickly went to her table to thank her for the thoughtful gift. That was when I discovered four reasons the unexpected gift perfectly suited our family.

1. We are facing a shortage of decent dish towels. I prefer to use them until they are rags. We are breathing down the neck of the rag stage.

2. The embroidery neatley featured a cat. We love cats and have two terrorist cats of our own.

3. The embroidered cat was gray. Aha! Both of our monsters are affectionately called the Gray Girls.

4. The towel design included a cat clock of the old fashioned sort. We have a cat clock, of the new fashioned type.

 

I decided to use the dish towel as a mini-tablecloth. For now. @AngieQuantrell

A simple dish towel delivered true joy and pleasure for the one who was trying to give appreciation.

Have you ever received a perfect, unexpected gift?


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The Inaugural Run

The inaugrual clothesline run. Success!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

It was a successful inaugural run…for my brand new recycled clothesline.

Until now, several factors have discouraged this celebratory occasion.

 

We have a tiny backyard.

The project resisted efforts towards completion.

Time kept on slipping, slipping, slipping.

Do you know how hard it is to find poles for clotheslines?

 

Today, may I introduce you to my tiny yard, brand new, recycled clothesline?

Pleased to meet you.

Our son had an old clothesline pole hanging out on their property. This treasure came complete with a cross bar (which my husband dropped on his head; his next gift is going to be a safety helmet – and I am not kidding) and rings for the lines.

We had to anchor the opposite side of the clothesline to the garage which required us to angle the entire clothesline. Do you now how hard it was to make it NOT square and straight? Using the garage as the second pole was due to lack of a second clothesline pole and a lack of space.

Our one available section of yard is only about 6 feet wide. It hides behind the garden shed and is almost beneath, gasp, the powerlines. Where the birds sit.

In spite of the challenges and possible necessity of rewashing bird-soiled items, I am so pleased and excited to use the clothesline.

Hurray for fresh air, crunchy clothes, and a lower gas bill.

Our angled clothesline connected between a pole and the garage.

Do you have a clothesline? What are your tricks for getting the cleanest and softest clothes?


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National Garden Week – 2nd Week in April

You have no idea how happy I am to see this many blooms on the blueberry bush! The weight of winter snow broke off at least half of the plant.

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

 

Next week is National Garden Week –

the 2nd week of April.

Fading beauty. I’m so sad to see my tulip season conclude.

I am so onboard for this celebration. It’s time to plant my garden!

The strawberries are looking future-tasty.

Actually, I cheated. I’ve already started to plant seeds, since we are expecting highs in the mid to upper 80’s today, it may be past time for new sprouts. But I think that is a freak of too-hot-too-early weather and it should drop back to the 60-70’s.

Half planted beds. Waiting for seeds.

Here are some National Garden Week photos from my yard.

Garlic, parsley, and sage – all repeat visitors from last year. Plus a cat tail of one who wanted to be featured.

Oh, each new bud, flower, and sprout is so exciting.

We even planted a tree trunk for the cats to scratch and climb. It won’t grow…but it is part of our garden.

I’m already dreaming about tasty blueberries, sweet-tart strawberries, exquisite raspberries, and savory herbs and vegetables.

 

Dabbling to pretty-up a very hot corner of the yard.

Join me. Let’s celebrate our gardens.

 

The dogwood is just beginning to burst into bloom.

 I would love to see photos of your garden.

 

 


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Haricot Verts with Goat Cheese and Almonds

Hi yes, I’m still here, doing fine. Thanks for asking. Just been out of town quite a bit, can’t seem to keep the fridge stocked with two ingredients that make sense together, and where did I put that camera battery charger? So sorry for the long silence, two plus weeks is very unlike me to at […]

Source: Haricot Verts with Goat Cheese and Almonds

I want this for dinner!


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Meet My New Sewing Machine ~ Old Reliable

Meet my new Singer Slant-o-Matic 500

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Meet my new (old) sewing machine.

My old (old) machine, one I’ve had since the early days of our marriage, has finally bit the dust. Kicked the bucket. Is kicking up daisies.

At a loss, and with pressing sewing needs, I borrowed my daughter-in-laws’ machine. It worked great except for one thing. It wasn’t mine and I had to return it.

Back to no-sewing-machine.

And then I remembered the old Singer in the cabinet that we had stored in the garage. At the time of my mother-in-law’s move to a nursing facility, I couldn’t bear to part with it. So there it sat.

Hmmm. Could it be? Would it work or even turn on?

Yes, yes, and yes!

May I introduce you to my Singer Slant-o-Matic 500? Heavy as an elephant and sturdy as rock, this baby can stitch with the best of them.

After a quick online search, the terms antique and vintage were both used. According to the copyright date in one booklet, the latest year of print was 1941. Which would make this machine vintage.

And, oh what a pretty sight, the vision of that vintage Singer Slant-o-Matic 500 whipping through my stitching to beat the band.

Thank you, mom and Singer. Quality lasts.

What make of sewing machine do you have? Have you ever used a Singer?


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Just Because

Just because I appreciate you.

By Angie Quantrell @angiequantrell

Happy April!

appreciation

 

for friends, family, and like

 

thank you, dear heart true

 

~ Angie Quantrell

 

 Thank you for reading, commenting, and following this blog. I appreciate each one of you. Invite your friends and family to join the fun. Thanks!

Have a beautiful first day of April. Just because.

Just Because cards by Angie Quantrell

Note: Here is a list of materials I used when making these greeting cards: cardstock, old fashioned library cards, brads, washi tape, glitter tape and glue, rubber stamps, ink pads, watercolor resevoir paint brush

You can see more card creations and cards I love on my Pinterest Rubber Stamping board. The link will take you right to my board. @AngieQuantrell


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Homemade Lavender DIY Soap

This time I decided to make 3 different lavender soaps at the moment. The recipes are veeery easy but the result of our work turns to be very cute 🙂 Lavender Soap smells fantastic + it is really u…

Source: Homemade Lavender DIY Soap

Cool soap! Just in case I want to make some of my own…