The Domestic Artist: Homemade Bread Recipe

Our dear contributor, Miss Jen, who writes for our Domestic Artist category, just got a new blog design makeover--hope on over and visit to take a peek:

Blessed Femina

And today she is sharing her favorite Homemade Bread recipe:

 
Homemade Bread

“Good bread is the most fundamentally
satisfying of all foods.....”
~James Beard

This is my favorite homemade bread.... ever since having
it when I was a wee one at my dear friends the Swanson's
home, I have been a big fan. Mrs.Swanson usually
has some loaves in the oven and all who partake
of her delicious bread are very satisfied, indeed!!!
Last year Mrs. Swanson graciously gave
me a long awaited "bread lesson"
as well as her wonderful recipe to go along with it.
I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do...

Is there anything so wonderful as fresh
bread baking in the oven?!
The aroma in my opinion is simply marvelous!!

 
The Happy Bread Maker....

Awww....

"Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?"

~ Sense and Sensibility

The recipe...

Mrs.Swanson's
Homemade Bread
3 1/2 cups Warm Liquid~
Such as any of these...
Milk, Cooked Pureed Squash,
Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Sour Cream,
Cottage Cheese or Water etc... Be creative :)*I normally like to do about half milk and
half cooked pureed white squash.*
The liquid should be warm to the wrist but
not hot... about 110 degrees or so.

1 Tablespoon Yeast
1 Tablespoon~
Sugar, Honey or Molasses
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Salt
About 8 cups~ Flour

~Egg Wash~1 egg + 1 T. water
Beat together... until smooth

In a kitchen aid mixer bowl...
combine 3 1/2 cups warm liquid, and 1 T. yeast.
swiftly combine and set aside covered with
towel for about 3-5 minutes... till it is
frothy, and about doubled.
Meanwhile in a separate bowl...
combine~ Sugar, Oil & Salt
Combine into the liquid yeast mixture.
Then with your dough hook attached
slowly pour in your flour and let dough hook
kneed for about 3-4 minutes until...
the dough is soft & has elasticity.

Pour dough into a greased bowl and let rise
in a warm place for about
1-2 hours till doubled.
( I normally turn my oven on to the lowest temp....
then turn it off, then place the bread
bowl with dough in the warm oven to rise)
Punch dough down with fist to deflate air...
Divided dough in half and shape into
2 braided loaves or simply place in 2 greased
loaf pans...cover with cloth and let rise
till the dough is doubled.
Lightly and gently brush egg wash on bread
and sprinkle with rolled oats
or poppy seeds if desired.
Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for
approximately~ 55-60 minutes.
Enjoy!!!

A Fresh Loaf...

“Good bread is the great need in poor homes, and
oftentimes the best appreciated
luxury in the homes of the very rich.”
~A Book for A Cook

Hope you all are having a most Lovely,
Pleasant and Blessed Week!!!
Many Blessings!!

"For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands:
happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee."
-Psalm 128:2

Having just turned 21, Jen finds great joy in serving her family from home. She firmly believes that the home is a beautiful canvas for biblical hospitality, servanthood and discipleship.  All aspects of homemaking are on her list of interests including gourmet cooking, baking, calligraphy, sewing and embroidery. She is also inspired by photography, music, theology and biblical womanhood. Miss Jen blogs at Blessed Femina, which she founded in the fall of 2008 to document her blessed life as a daughter/homemaker-in- training and to encourage other women in Biblical femininity. Happily residing in sunny northern California with her parents, it is her greatest desire to live a life depicted in I Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

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Easy No Bake Dessert Recipes and Wise Woman Link-Up!

The weather is warming up and in our home and that means relying on easier recipes that won't heat up the kitchen and the house.  I found some great recipes that you will just love--check out this Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Bars recipe from Six Sister's Stuff.

They also have a No Bake Strawberry Icebox cake that looks delectable...

And an Easy and Delicious Fruit Dip that boasts only two ingredients!

Check out their slow cooker recipes too.

Now onto our linkup:

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home is a place to be encouraged in your high and noble calling of role of wife and mother and daughter to the King and we want to encourage each and every single reader out there to build up strong Christian homes to the glory of God.

We would love for you to link up with us---share your posts on  building up your home, homemaking, character, hospitality, femininity, family, tea, recipes, parenting, marriage, etc. we would love to have you share it with us!

If you link up here please use the image below or link back to let others know that you have linked up here so that they might join in the fun and be encouraged as well:

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Note: While we do link to outside link from time to time, we do not always endorse everything at the sites. Please be discerning!

Blessed Femina

Our dear Domestic Artist contributor, Miss Jen, is celebrating her 3 year blogging anniversary and having a delightful giveaway from my favorite soap company and sponsor, 

Victorian Rose Soap Company! 

Stop by her encouraging blog,

Blessed Femina

  to congratulate her and to enter to win!


Have nothing planned this weekend?


Come and join us!

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Scrumptious Chocolate Truffles

The lovely Miss Jen is sharing an exquisite chocolate recipe with us today...

Chocolate Truffles

Rich, semi.. bittersweet chocolate truffles

are rolled in creamy scrumptious milk chocolate

and topped with a

special sprinkling of gourmet salt.

Sounds too adventurous?...

I would encourage you to try it~

the combination of flavors is simply wonderful.

Oh... the delights of freshly chopped

Chocolate.

Freshly dipped truffles.....*sigh*

Chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt

recipe courtesy~ Tasty Kitchen

8 ounces, weight (up To 9 Oz.) Good Semisweet Chocolate

8 ounces, weight (up To 9 Oz.) Good Bittersweet Chocolate

1 can (14 Oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

8 ounces, weight Meltable Milk Chocolate

Sea Salt, Kosher Salt

or Sparkling Sprinkles

Chop semisweet and bittersweet chocolates.

Heat dark chopped chocolates and condensed milk in a double

boiler over medium low heat until chocolate is melted.

Stir—mixture will have a slight marshmallow texture. Stir in vanilla.

Remove from heat, cover and refrigerate for two hours.

Once chilled, roll in balls, then roll in melted milk chocolate coating.

Place truffles on a sheet of parchment paper.

Sprinkle with salt or other fine, coarse sprinkles.

~Enjoy~

"These are delicious and very easy-to-make chocolate truffles with an

unlikely surprise: a sprinkling of light, fluffly sea salt.

It’s a seemingly unlikely, but absolutely scrumptious and special,

flavor combination that has to be experienced to be believed."

~Mrs. Ree Drummon

There are an endless amount of possibilities

in the ways you can package these goodies for loved ones....

using~ boxes, baggies, ribbons and etc...

I packaged mine in some small clear cellophane bags

and tied them with a crisp red sparkling ribbon.

"There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate,

dark chocolate, white chocolate, and

Chocolate Truffles."

-Anonymous

.....Do Enjoy!

Hope you are having a simply lovely day.

~Many Blessings~

Having just turned 19, Jen finds great joy in serving her family from home. She firmly believes that the home is a beautiful canvas for biblical hospitality, servanthood and discipleship.  All aspects of homemaking are on her list of interests including gourmet cooking, baking, calligraphy, sewing and embroidery. She is also inspired by photography, music, theology and biblical womanhood. Miss Jen blogs at Blessed Femina, which she founded in the fall of 2008 to document her blessed life as a daughter/homemaker-in- training and to encourage other women in Biblical femininity. Happily residing in sunny northern California with her parents, it is her greatest desire to live a life depicted in I Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”



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Down Home Cookin' Recipe Link-Up!

I loved all the posts that were shared on our last link-up on Noble Motherhood---tons of encouragement and lots of wisdom to be shared. Thank you so much ladies for taking the time to share them! Today, I would like to do another topic related link up---this time on some delicious down-to-home-cooking recipes!

I'll go first. This is a favorite recipe at the Fuentes home right now and it is from Paula Deen. Don't you love her cooking? There are so many recipes I can't wait to try from her this summer, I am actually scheduling it into my summer projects so I won't forget to do it! Anyways, the crust on this tart is so deeelish! You have got to try it and it is perfect for summer. Whenever we make this it lasts oh, I would say, a nano second!

Here is the yummy fresh recipe:

Paula Deen's Fresh Fruit Tart

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries

Glaze:

• 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Whipped cream, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the strawberries into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries. Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.

For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.

Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into 8 wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Now we would love it if you shared a recipe!

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Ready, set, GO!

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The Domestic Artist: Loveliness with Paper and Yarn...

Spring is around the corner and our lovely contributor,  Miss Jen of Blessed Femina is sharing a wonderful craft idea that will brighten up your home for the new season:

Alluring rain drops have been falling continually where

we are and I am enjoying these last days

with beautiful music, rich Bible verses and

busy hands.....

I am happily taking up

my crochet hook again...

remembering its many sweet benefits and delights.

A fresh new ball of crisp, silky blue

yarn... put to good use...

Paper Bouquets abound...

Here is a Short Tutorial for the

~Lovely Delights~

~What You Will Need~

-Sharp Scissors

-Beautiful Colored Tissue Paper

-Green Stem Wire or Green Pipe Cleaner

-Green Flower Tape or Satin Ribbon

Cut a few pieces (about 4-6) of tissue paper (crepe paper)

about 8 x 10 inches (the exact size doesn't matter).

Put the paper in a pile and fold it like an accordion.

Cut the edges straight or to add a special touch

scallop the edges prettily. ;)

Tie the center of the folded paper with green stem wire,

green pipe cleaner (or twist tie).

Gently pull each piece of paper towards the top center of the flower,

separating each sheet of paper from the others (forming the petals of the flower).

Once you have made your desired amount of flowers (4-6)

simply clump into a bouquet and wrap with green flower tape

and a satin ribbon (if desired)

And...

...you have just made a Lovely Paper Flower

Arrangement indeed!

Enjoy your....

Bouquet!

These lovely paper flower

arrangements are ideal for...
 

Table centerpieces, festive parties,

wedding~rehearsal bouquets, ;)

and gorgeous atop special presents.

Hope all of you are having a Beautiful Week...

~Many Blessings~

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever

you do, do it all for the glory of God"

-I Corinthians 10:31

Are you encouraged here? I personally invite you to subscribe and get the latest posts sent to your inbox or RSS feed! Also, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter and get updates that are not posted here on the blog.