Easy French Bread Recipe

Easy French Bread

Easy French Bread Printable Recipe
Makes one loaf

2 1/4-2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pkg (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (120°F)

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 1.5 cups flour with the salt, sugar, and yeast.

Add water and beat for 3 minutes.

Beat in enough additional flour to make a soft but kneadable dough.

Turn dough out onto floured surface…

and knead for 3-5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.

Place in bowl, cover with tea towel, and let rise 45 minutes (an hour if your house is cold).
Punch dough down and roll into a long rectangular shape. Starting from the long end, roll up jelly-roll style.

Place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet, cover with a wet tea towel, and let rise 30-45 minutes, or until doubled. How long this takes will depend on the climate of your house.

(The loaves below are obviously not risen yet).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. A hot, fully-preheated oven is key for a brown crust, so don’t be tempted to default to 350°F and do wait patiently for your oven to get to temperature.

This next stop is optional…it just makes for a shinier crust:

Whisk one egg white with one tablespoon of water until slightly foamy. Using a pastry brush, gently brush beaten egg white onto loaves.

Using a sharp knife, make 3-4 diagonal slashes on top of the loaf.

These loaves are a bit over-risen…I got busy doing something else and forgot about them. Oops.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on a wire rack.

recipe source here

Do You Remember this

This song was first shared with the world on March 21st 1994. Shared in the movie Philadelphia What a wonderful song and one of my favorite singers. He can bring impact to any matter and share it in a song. What do you think??

Happy Birthday Bach

Happy Birthday, Johann Sebastian Bach!

Bach was born in the same year as his baroque counterpart Handel. March 21st 1685 is the date of one of the best musicians that of Johann Sebastian Bach. A mater of keyboard but Bach was famous for statements like " It's easy to play any musical instrument all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself" 

Today we say Happy Birthday to this man famous for his musical talent that many still admire even today.

carrot cheese ball

• 2- 8 oz. cream cheese blocks, softened
• 4 oz. Garlic & Herb Feta cheese
• 3 c cheddar cheese, shredded (shred this at home it will stick better in the ball)
• 1/4 c green onion, chopped
• 1/4 c. red bell pepper, chopped finely
• 2 cup shredded cheese
• parsey greens

1. beat the cream cheese until fluffy
2. add in feta and cheddar cheese and continue to mixj
3. add in green onion and bell pepper
4. line a large cereal bowl with plastic wrap so that there is extra hanging over
5. put the cheese mixture into the plastic lined bowl and cover
6. place into the fridge and chill for 2 hours or until cold and firm
7. spread out the cheese  onto a cutting board
8. pull the cream cheese out of the bowl using the plastic wrap and form into a ball
9. roll around on the cheese until completely covered put the parsley at the top to make it look like carrot greens
10. place on a cheese board with crackers and serve

Easter Bunny Fritatta

2 cups finely chopped broccoli
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
6 eggs
2 egg whites
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1. Heat the butter and oil in a wide non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes (until the onion begins to soften).
3. Stir in the broccoli, garlic, basil and parsley.
4. Continue cooking, stirring often, for about 3 more minutes (until the broccoli is bright green).
5. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the cheese, salt and pepper.
6. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and egg whites until well blended. Stir in the broccoli mixture.
7. Spray a shallow 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
8. Pour the broccoli mixture into the dish and sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
9. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for about 25-30 minutes (until the frittata is firm in the center when touched).

Servings: 6 at 150 calories each

Resurrection Eggs

Resurrection Eggs

5 plastic eggs of various colors
Picture of a donkey (print one from your computer)
Goldfish cracker, or other cracker your child likes to eat
2 small nails
Small rock (grab one from the yard)

Hopefully you should have most of the items already so if you have to buy the eggs the whole activity should cost around $1.

Scriptures to go with each egg

Open the blue egg. 
Let the child hold the picture of the donkey
Read Matthew 21:1-9 Jesus was coming to Jerusalem for Passover. Some people cut palm branches from trees and handed them out for people to wave. Some people laid their coats on the street like a carpet. Jesus rode into the city on a donkey. “Hosanna! ” the people cheered as they waved their palm branches. Some people cheered, “Hail to our King!” Jesus rode through the town on a donkey because when a king rode on a donkey it meant he would bring peace. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to set us free and bring us peace.

Open the purple egg. 
Let the children eat the piece of cracker. (Use a gold fish, a ritz bitz, or any cracker your child likes) Matthew 26:17-19, 26-30. Jesus and His disciples (the 12 men who helped Jesus tell others about God) celebrated Passover together. They went upstairs to a room in a house in Jerusalem. Jesus washed His disciples’ feet to remind them that they were to care for others. Then Jesus and the disciples shared a special meal. Jesus knew it would be His last meal with His friends. Jesus knew He had to follow God’s plan for His life and die for our sins.

Open the yellow egg. 
Let the children hold the nails. (Show them how to make the 2 nails into a cross.)
John 19:16-22 Jesus had to be nailed to the cross to die for our sins because it was God’s plan. The people who loved Jesus were very sad. Jesus did not deserve to be punished. He had not done anything. Jesus died so that we could be forgiven. The Bible says in John 3:16,”For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

Open the green egg.
Let the children hold the rock. (Use a rock from your yard)
Matthew 28:1-2 After Jesus died one of his followers wrapped Jesus’ body in cloth and put it in a tomb. The tomb was a special tomb cut into the rock in a hillside.. A big stone was rolled in front of the tomb to close the entrance. Guards were posted to guard the tomb. Jesus followers were very sad that Jesus had died.

Open the orange egg. 
It is empty.
Matthew 28:5-8 Early the next morning a lady named Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb. When she came to the tomb the big rock had been rolled away. The tomb was empty. It was good news! Jesus was alive! Jesus went to heaven to be with God. Jesus was punished for our sins so that some day we will get to go to heaven to be with God and Jesus.

shared at
social butterfly sunday

ABC eggs

I love the sales after the holidays. The discounts off the candy, deorations and other supplies are always great to get. If you have a little learner one thing to keep in mind when shopping after Easter supplies are those little plastic eggs.

These little eggs can be used to help educate our children. Seperate the halves of eggs and marke one end of the egg with a capital letter and the other with a lower case letter. Match them up lower case to capital letter. One fun way to do this is to place them together while singingthe ABC song.

I believe that lessons that are fun and children want to do are the ones that stay with them the longest. Have fun

Downy Wrinkle Re-leaser Plus

The weather is getting warmer and the itching to get out and about has started. We are currently in the plans for our spring trip. I am sure there are many others ready to get out and about as well. Packing everything is the challenge and keeping it all looking fresh and nice is important. One product that I found that can help do this is Down Wrinkle Releaser.

Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus comes in a travel friendly bottle that will travel well where ever you go. No need to worry about traveling on an airline as the 3 ounce travel size meets airline standards. So not only does it fit nicely in your carry on or travel bag but will be there to save the day if need be.

Whether you are traveling for recreation or work you can trust your clothes to be wrinkle free, odor free and static free in just minutes using Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus. You simply have to spray, tug, smooth and hang to be ready to go in no time. There is no iron necessary.

Will you be leaving on a jet airplane?? Do you know what you will be wearing?? If you have not yet decided may I offer you some ideas

So by now I am sure that you have decided that you will be going to have a bit of fun. Did you know that March 21st was the day designated to Act Happy?? Well, I am sure many of you would agree when you are heading on your trip if there was a guide to packing your suitcase. Well, guess what you can be happy as Downy has created a guide to pack for your trip

Now get out there as I am sure that you are no longer worried about your clothes with Downy in charge who would be.

About the Product

Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus is an easy to use wrinkle spray that reduces wrinkles and helps keep your clothes looking neat without the hassle of ironing. There is so much greatness that comes along with Downy Wrinkle Releaser: 

• Wrinkle Spray
• Odor Eliminator
• Fabric Refresher
• Static Remover
• Ironing Aid
• Wrinkle Remover
• Great for Travel

Want more great ideas use downy wrinkle releaser on curtains, pillow cases and other linens

Find a great coupon for Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus

 Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus Coupons and Special Offers: http://www.downywrinklereleaserplus.com/coupons-special-offers/

connect with downy wrinkler releaser plus at these socia networks

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Single Parent Day

Parenting can be one of the hardest jobs that can be found. It is a 24 hour job 7 days a week. With a partner the job can be a bit easier. When you are the sole player of the game, a singe parent then everything is your responsibility. I honor those single parents that I know they are wonderful parents, take their job seriously and many have full time jobs outside of the home as well.

March 21st is a day to honor Single Parents. It is a day set aside to honor and applaud the hard working single parents. The vice president of International Parents Without Partners states that single parent's day is a day for "honoring the single parent who is basically doing double duty" and "giving them some respect"

Single Parents Day first took place in 1984. Janice Moglen a divorced mother of two wrote an article concerning recognizing single parent families just like Mother's day and Father's day is recognized. The date of March 21st was chosen to recognize the day as it is the same day that Parents without Partners began in 1957. 

So many may wonder why have a special day for single parents. After all, there is all ready both a mothers day and a father's day. A single parents day would be so much more because it would recognize the sacrifices that these parents do to provide for needs, collaborate with one another and maintain a stable home environment where the children can thrive. It would also be a boost of self esteem for single parents , a chance to feel good about what they do. 

There are 14 million plus single parents who are raising children in the U.S. today. Many parents want their children to not be left out and want to provide the same as double parent families can do. There is much work as well as joy in watching their children welcome the opportunities of life that they can provide. We need to applaud these tired working parents rather than judge them negatively. 

You can help support single parent day. Start by requesting that both local and national leaders issue a proclamation in support of single parents day to occur on March 21st

• E-mail the White House.
• Contact your local governor.

• If you are the child of a single parent or you are a friend who is a singe parent call them up tell them that you cherish them and thank them for working as hard as they do and how well you think they are a doing as a single parent. .

helpful resource about.com

Poultry Day

March 19th is a day for the chickens. Yes we understand it is a fowl day. We also know many ways in how to prepare poultry. Poultry is raised for its meat and eggs. Today is a day to contemplate on all the holiday dinners where Turkey has been served, the many times that the wishbone has been fought over or the delicious breakfast that would not have been prepared if poultry had not been here. 

4 small to medium chicken fillets
half a lemon
0.5 tsp salt
0.25 tsp black pepper
1 egg
6 Tbsp plain flour
3 Tbsp sesame seeds
3 Tbsp breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying

Flatten the chicken fillets slightly by placing them between two sheets of clingfilm and gently beating them with a rolling pin. Place in a large shallow dish, season with salt, pepper and lemon juice on all sides. Cover and leave to marinate for half an hour in a fridge.
Break the egg into a soup plate, whisking it a little.
Place flour into another plate.
Mix sesame seeds and breadcrumbs on the third plate.
When ready to cook, toss the chicken fillets, one after another, in the flour, then quickly dip into the egg, and finally press into the sesame seed mixture, to ensure they're covered evenly.
Heat oil in a large skillet/frying pan over moderate heat, and cook the chicken fillets on both sides until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve with lemon slices, steamed rice and some steamed broccoli or other vegetables. Or simly with some dressed salad leaves.

shared at
raising samuels

National Corndog Day

National Corndog Day is a celebration concerning basketball. A corn dog is normally a hot dog sausage coated in a thick cornmeal batter. The first celebration of National Corn Dog day took place in 1992. It involved both corndogs and basketball. It has since grown to also include tater tots and beer. Currently National Corn Dog day is sponsored by Foster Farms a California based poultry producer.

National Corndog Day 2016 is coming March 19th. This is a day that your taste buds have waited for. For the past 24 years America has celebrated the corndog. The pairing of sporting and gastronomic achievement seem to go hand in hand. Americans seem to love basketball and meat on sticks and the chance to catch up with friends while enjoying both.

Today Basketball fans have had the chance to enjoy 7 to 8 hours of outstanding hoops from start to finish and without turning the channel. A steady diet of corndogs seems to only make the day better.

Join other corndog and basketball fanatics on twitter and facebook 
.

Chocolate and Caramel Oh So Yummy

Easy Homemade Chocolate Turtle Cake 

1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix without pudding
14 ounces individually wrapped caramels
½ cup evaporated milk
¾ cup butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cup chopped pecans
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9×13 inch pan.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions and pour ½ of the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes.

In a saucepan melt caramels, ¾ cup of the butter or margarine, and evaporated milk, pour over baked cake. Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped pecans over caramel mixture. Pour remaining cake batter on top and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cool and frost.

To Make Frosting: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter or margarine and the unsweetened chocolate together. Remove from heat and add the corn syrup, vanilla, confectioner’s sugar, and milk, mix well and use to frost cooled cake.

shared at
saturday sparks

Lacy Oatmeal Cookies

These delicate, chew, crisp, toffee-like flavor make these cookies irresistible. If you like oatmeal cookies you may just fall in love. The butter and sugar meld together perfectly and help create a dough that is quite like batter. The cookies are dropped onto parchment lined cookie sheet a teaspoon at a time. Yep, they are large cookies that use up small amount of dough. Each cookie will spread out so be sure to offer each space. 

1 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Cover baking sheet with parchment paper
• Combine oats, flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl
• In a large bowl, or stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter
• Beat in egg and vanilla
• Mix in the oat mixture until just combined
• Drop cookie dough 1 teaspoon at a time onto the lined sheet pan
(at least 2 inches apart)
• Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until edges turn golden brown
• Cool
Devour!  

They Obtained Independence

A tiny dutch caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela in South America is a place where many like to head off to rest. With its dry sunny weather, blond beaches and gentle surf it makes for a beach vacation that many love. The constant trade winds keep things cook and cause the trees to slope. It may seem unreal to believe that this little destination was not independent for quite some time. Then one day all things changed. 

March 18th 1948 during the Netherlands-Suriname-Curacao conference in the Hague Aruba would began to reach for a National day of its own. Aruban leader Shon A Eman would present a petition signed by more than 2000 Arubans in favor of independence. 

Thirty years later in 1976 on March 16th the parliamentary session discussed that March 18th would be Aruba's National Day. It would be the day to celebrate Aruba's national anthem and flag and it was celebrated for the first time in 1976. 

In 1986 Aruba would celebrate the achievement of reaching a dream of early leaders. This dream had been in the making for 30 years and now had led to a status Aparte. A monument was inaugurated in rememberance of the 2000+ people who in 1947 and 1948 had signed a petition in favor of Status Aparte.

Sparky The Fire Dog

The official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is Sparky the Fire Dog. Today, March 18th is his birthday and as he turns 65 years old we look back to see where he came from and why he is loved by so many. 

The legend of Sparky is one that many know. Men, Women, boys and girls should all be able to tell you about him or the message that he helps to spread. 

Even before 911 was in existance Sparky the fire dog was loved by many. For more than six decades Sparky has worked hard to make communities safer from fire. It was 1951 that Sparky partnered with fire proffesionals, teachers, civic organizations, corporations and the media to deliver invaluable fire and life safety lessons to adults and children. Books, tip sheets, online resources, videos, apps and NFPA's national public safety campaign, Fire Prevention week have all helped to share safety tips. Messages such as "Stop, drop and roll" "get out, stay out" "Dial 911" and "Know two ways out were ones that Sparky was devoted to share. 

Sparky has been around for quite some time. He was thought up by adults who created him to draw attention to fire prevention and the kids loved him. 

Here is a story to share with the kids. It shows where sparky the fire dog came from in a short story kids should love. This super cute Sparky the Fire Dog paper craft is easy to make. Construction paper and a black marker is all that is needed. You can make your fire dog any way you choose.

Moments of Infertility

All of my children are raised and left the nest. This should make a mothers job easy but it truly does not. The problems my children face are still issues that I worry about and try to help them solve as well. My middle daughter had a job that she wanted to do all of her life every since she was a little girl. This job is one that many find easy to fill but to her is a job that never seems to come. She dreams of being a mommy. We pray that this will happen one day but while we wait and see doctors it is an issue that she cries over, I cry with her and we pray more. 

While the greek may have prayed to the goddess of fertility I believe we will keep praying our own personal prayers and believing that God will take care of all. 

While others have tried to help us along the battle road and we do listen and try to check out methods that worked for others when ever possible sometimes those methods are of no use to us. We have not given up hope to reach our goal the old fashioned way. As of yet she does not want to even discuss in-virto fertilization or any other artificial reproductive technology. We do have an appointment with a fertility doctor that we hope can give us some answers. 

We do ask that you keep us in your prayers. Our daughter goes to the fertility doctor on April 4th. We look forward and pray for some answers. Keep us in your prayers , please pray that some good news will be offered.

If you have a friend suffering from infertility you can offer them some hope by offering a small note of cheer. Let them know you are praying for them. Note of encouragement to keep going to the goal will help lift up hopes. 

Infertility is a super private matter. The subject matter is one that no one wants to discuss and no one wants to bring up either. Those suffering with infertility may begin to feel alone and is if no one cares. There is lots of chatter about babies but little conversation about the trouble of having one. Remember your friend who would love to get pregnant needs your love and encouragement as much as those with new babies. Remember to include them with the group and invite them .Also remember to forgive them if they pass because they are in a stressed place and young children and new mothers will be present. 

Remember those childless couple on those big days when they may feel a bit sad. Perhaps it is wedding anniversary, mothers day or fathers day. There will be those days when someone can give a bit of encouragement with a simple hug

No Greater Sacrifice

March 18th is Supreme Sacrifice Day. When I think about who has made that supreme sacrifice. I would say there are many that have made sacrifices in their life for me. But, when I think of a Supreme Sacrifice I think of only one.

shared at
soul survivor 
raising samuels 

Sloppy Joes with Corn

Sloppy Joes with Corn

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
24 ounces ground sirloin
6 ounce tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
14 ounces chicken broth
1 - 15 ounce canned corn, rinsed and drained
6 hamburger buns, toasted

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté 3 minutes and add ground sirloin. Cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, and broth. Reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Mix in corn and cook for 2 minutes or until heated through.

Rubber Bands Patented

My name is angie but I answer to mom, nana, wife, CNA, and so many other words. In the like manner an every day rubber band is also known as a binder, elastic band, lackey band, laggy band, gum band or elastic. How many of these terms (given by wikipedia) have you heard a rubber band called? There are just a few of them that made sense to me. No matter what you call it a rubber band is commonly ring shaped and used to hold multiple items together. 

Stephen Perry of England patented the rubber band on March 17, 1845. There were many different groups that made the manufacture of rubber band possible. First it was the Aztecs and Mayans that used natural rubber products around 1600 B.C. Charles Goodyear also helped the cause by developing vulcanization (process used to make rubber) in 1839. 

Most rubber bands are manufactured out of natural rubber and come in a variety of sizes. I can recall using lots of rubber bands as a kid. The reason being was that me and my sister had paper routes. We first had to roll the papers and then place the rubber band around the rolled up newspaper. The papers could then be easily placed into our newspaper bags to be delivered to the houses of our customers. 

What do you use rubber bands for??