Rich Bread Machine Rolls
Recipes

Rich Bread Machine Rolls

Sarah

The boys prefer rolls to bread for lunches, so I often try new recipes. These rolls are enriched with butter and egg, giving a rich roll.

Rich Bread Machine Rolls

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced
  • 1 egg
  • 400 grams all-purpose flour + more as needed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp dry active yeast

Directions:

Add ingredients in the order listed to the Zojirushi bread machine or as directed for other bread machines. (Zoji machines have a warming cycle; if using a brand that doesn’t use a room-temperature egg, use water at the temperature called for and melt the butter.)

Select the dough cycle. During the first kneading, check the dough for wetness. If necessary, add a bit more flour. The dough cycle on Zojirushi machines takes 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Near the end of the time, preheat a heating pad to medium. Lightly oil a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish with avocado or olive oil, and let it warm on the pad.

Lightly flour a work surface. Punch the dough out and shape it into a rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Cut dough into 14 to 15 pieces, gently shape into balls, and place in the baking dish.

Spritz a piece of plastic wrap with a bit more oil and cover the rolls.

Let rise for 40 minutes on the heating pad.

In the last 10 minutes, preheat the oven to 375°.

Uncover the rolls, and bake for 15 minutes or until golden on top.

Let cool on a rack, or serve warm. If storing, once fully cooled, stash in a glass container or ziptop bag. Eat within 24 hours for the best taste, or wrap and freeze.

~Sarah

High Protein Low Carb Bacon Egg Bites
Clean Living · Recipes

High Protein Low Carb Bacon Egg Bites

Sarah

Once or twice a week, I make Kirk a batch of egg bites to have an easy breakfast or lunch when he breaks his fast.

I had gotten very frustrated using my muffin tins. Even though I would lightly oil them with avocado oil, they would stick to the pans and fried on them. I would have to use a thin silicone spatula to get them out. Then it would take 2 to 3 times washing the tins to get the egg off, fried on so bad I would have to use the dishwasher. I prefer not to use the dishwasher for baking pans, which lowers their lifetime. My main muffin tin is so sad-looking; I will likely toss it soon.

I decided to try disposable pans, even though it bugs me to toss items. (However, if they were washed, I could recycle them, so they sat better.)

I picked up a 20-pack on Amazon for $15.99, making each tray 80 cents. This is far cheaper than the local grocery store, where a 3-pack is nearly $5.

How did they work? Better than I had hoped! After cooling for 10 minutes, the egg bites popped from the sides, and I easily used a small butter knife to pop them out. They did not fall apart, and they were not fried at all to the tins! This was worth it.

On the bacon: Yes, bacon is not healthy food. It is preserved and salty. Usually, I pick better meat choices, but darn it, I wanted bacon this time. I tend to use precooked bacon, as it is considerably less fat and not all greasy. On average, it is 40% less! I much prefer that.

You can, of course, cook up a rack of uncured bacon till crispy, then blot the fat off and chop it up.

High Protein Low Carb Bacon Egg Bites

Ingredients:

  • 6 large eggs
  • 3 cups egg whites
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 bag chopped bacon (used 2.8 ounces)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil 3 6-count muffin tins with avocado oil and place them on rimmed baking sheets.

Whisk the eggs and egg whites together.

Divide the cheese between the tins.

Pour the egg mixture over it, about a ¼ cup per tin.

Sprinkle the bacon on top.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until set. Remove, let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, and then pop out.

Chill uncovered in storage containers, then cover tightly.

3 egg bites in a serving, reheat in the microwave for about a minute.

Makes 18 egg bites.

~Sarah

Buying Seeds For The New Year
Gardening · Homesteading

Buying Seeds For The New Year

Sarah

As winter hangs on deeply in much of the United States, and February stares at us directly, just around the corner, the answer is always…buy seeds!

I would argue that buying seeds is one of the best things we can do. It helps us drive away cabin fever and lets us dream of what will be. When the sun returns, it’s almost warm outside. It gives us time to plan what we will grow this coming year.

A post we wrote on buying seeds to check out.

To keep from going stir-crazy, you can also stock up on seed starter pots and trays, make your potting mix, and set up the area where you will start seeds (be it inside or in a greenhouse). If you use grow lights, ensure they work (so you have time to budget and order new ones). And order your fertilizer, etc., that you might need in late winter/early spring. If you have a greenhouse, this is the time to do a deep clean. Toss cracked pots, sweep out, and tidy the greenhouse up. It’s warm there when it is daylight, so enjoy it!

Puttering helps one feel like they are getting ready, even if the actual seeding time is still 1 to 2 months away.

It is—that excitement when you open a package from the mailbox and see nasturtiums, peas, and tomatoes—all those colorful packets.

My first seeds from Baker Creeks Seeds will arrive in a few days. I will slowly add more from other companies. I know I have time, and there is no rush, but I might as well get going, no?

You can start the first seeds in a month. These are cold-weather crops that can handle a bit of cold, especially if you have a greenhouse or frost tunnels outside (that said, your ground isn’t frozen solid). I call it Fake Spring planting when we get that hint of warmth right before it gets cold again, often in February. In the PNW, this is very common. In the rest of the US, where everything is frozen, it may be awhile.

But for now, open your paper catalogs, go online, or stand around in the local feed/hardware store and daydream. Think about the fun you will have in the coming months. Seeds are relatively inexpensive, so even if you overbuy, or only use 5 seeds in a packet, it is affordable.

And…buy that crazy plant you always wanted to try. It might cost you $3, and if you fail at it? Not a big loss. But chances are, you will be successful and might become an expert at it. That was how I became so adept at growing heirloom alpine strawberries.

My last piece of advice is to buy the best brands. Don’t just buy it because a brand is the cheapest. If seeds are from your region, they will grow most often, as they have been bred for your climate. Look for heirloom types that you can save seeds from later in the year. I usually buy 10 to 12 brands over the winter to get varieties I know and trust will grow well. Some are well-known; others are tiny growers who I found online.

Let us not forget that knowing how to garden and grow food is a life skill. It pays off with a delicious summer and fall. If you believe this year will lead to higher produce cost, because of tariffs, from imported produce, you need to get planning. The more you grow, the less you will spend in stores in 6 months time. And frankly, relying less on imported goods is a solid thing to do. Then, you don’t need to worry about crop failures in Mexico or Peru, should they occur (and yes, it happens every few years).

~Sarah

The First Trimester Of Dietary Change
Clean Living

The First Trimester Of Dietary Change

Sarah

In late October, Kirk asked if we’d change how we ate. I am not going to lie and say it has been easy. With teens at home, I have to work around them as well. But as we enter the Second Trimester, I have learned a lot this time about what works for us and what doesn’t.

When we started in earnest in November, I was committed to making high-protein/low-carb dinners but wasn’t quite ready to give up carbs. I made bread and rolls quite often and made a carb side for the boys with dinner. I started to see results, which made me realize we could go further.

That we went pretty hardcore at it this time:

  • High-protein
  • Low-Carb
  • Lots of vegetables
  • Fresh fruit
  • No seed oils
  • No processed food
  • No added sugar/sweetener
  • All cooking is done from scratch with base ingredients

I saw this comment a while back, and it hit home about my daily decisions. I don’t always have to remove “x” from my diet, but I must be mindful. Sugar is one area I have real issues with, though. Consuming it awakens something profound in my body, and I cannot stop my craving for it. So if I go without, it is that much better.

I took my middle son to Mexican the other week, and I had my meal without tortillas and avoided the tortilla chips. I realized I have little self-control once I start noshing on salty snacks. One chip becomes 40 chips. I enjoyed the carb with lunch, which was rice, and I felt no guilt over that because I had made a choice. I didn’t feel bloated and tired after lunch, so it was worth it—one carb, not three separate ones.

The first trimester is always one of change. You have to see what works for everyone, and it is more complicated with children involved, especially if they are teenagers. I still make them bread for their lunches, but I have noticed that one of them is becoming interested in increasing his protein/lower carbs so that he gains muscle (he is built like his Dad, so he will have no issues putting on muscle). I have watched them get excited about vegetables, which they always ate, but now are happy to see them. I prepare them in different ways, and this makes them eat more.

The other is I forced myself to get on the scale and see where I was about 2 weeks back. I do not have a positive relationship with weight scales, going back to being a child. When I was in 6th grade, our teacher had public weigh-ins weekly, where the popular girls did the weighing – and loudly called out their weight to embarrass the bigger girls. I had hit puberty in 5th grade, far ahead of most of the girls. I’ve always been “bigger,” even at my skinniest in college. The number wasn’t as bad as I feared, and I was only 5 pounds over the weight I would claim on the paperwork medically. I could deal with that. I am now down to that number. It’s not a specific goal; I have to be a certain number. But it does help to know where I am and where I need to get to. For now, it’s weekly weigh-ins to monitor whether our eating is helping.

Solidly in the second trimester, I am learning more about what to eat and when, and I am experiencing the feeling of hunger. I realized I used to feel hungry rarely. Eating on a schedule, true hunger didn’t have time to show up. I also find I get full faster, as our food is denser.

~Sarah

Protein Egg Bites
Clean Living · Recipes

Protein Egg Bites

Sarah

I revisited Kirk’s daily egg bites by adding Greek yogurt for more protein. The bites are low-carb and -high-protein, with an egg souffle texture.

These bites are vegetarian as prepared; feel free to use them as a base and sprinkle them on the top before baking finely chopped cooked meats or roasted vegetables for more depth.

Protein Egg Bites

Ingredients:

  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup egg whites
  • ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly oil a 12-count muffin tin with avocado oil.

Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.

Divide between the cups.

Bake for about 25 minutes.

Let cool a bit before sliding out with a thin spatula.

Keep refrigerated and reheat for about a minute in the microwave.

Makes 12 egg bites.

Nutritional Stats, based on three egg bites as a serving:

193 Calories / 14 grams Fat / 21 grams Protein / .5 gram Sugar

~Sarah