Completely Homemade PB & (Raspberry)J

Remember the other day when we said that we'd found a new friend in HomemadeMothering.com? Well after perusing her site I found a set of recipes that I just had to combine... Now I'm a big grape jelly fan so I may have to keep looking for a grape jam recipe but for now raspberry will work just fine. At any rate, the three recipes I've found are homemade honey wheat bread, raspberry jam (that literally has three ingredients) and finished out with SINGLE ingredient peanut butter! Could you imagine saving that money at the grocery store?



For the past month or so I have been baking bread for my family. I no longer purchase this kitchen staple from the grocery store because homemade tastes so much better, contains no icky ingredients and is a true joy to make. The process of kneading the dough is relaxing and pleasant. It really is a lovely way to spend half an hour by myself. And, the best part? Nothing smells better than baking bread!!

I have been referring to the Honey Whole Wheat recipe in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. The first time I made it, the final product turned out a bit tough. But, every week as I tweak the process it seems to lighten up. While I’m no pro yet, it is nice to see that practice may make perfect some day!

3 1/2 cups warm water, 100 degrees to 110 degrees
3 tablespoons honey
2 packets active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
4 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons salt
Canola oil, for bowls, plastic wrap, and pans

Combine warm water, honey, and yeast in a large liquid-measuring cup. Stir until dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together 4 cups of the bread flour, the whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon, gradually drawing in the flour until well combined.

Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead in the remaining 1/2 cup bread flour a little at a time until dough is smooth and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Transfer to a warm place, and let rise until double its original size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in center. Brush two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with canola oil. Remove the plastic wrap from the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and punch down. Divide dough into two equal pieces. Flatten one piece of dough into an oval, and roll up lengthwise. Place the roll, seam-side down, into a prepared pan. Repeat process with second piece. Cover with oiled plastic wrap. Place the loaves in a warm place, and let rise again until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.

Bake until deep golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes (the loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom). Transfer pans to a rack, and let cool 5 minutes. Invert the loaves onto the rack to cool completely.

My Raspberry Jam Recipe
3 containers fresh raspberries, rinsed
5 tablespoons sugar
juice of half a lemon
Mash raspberries in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar. Bring mixture to a low boil over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, until desired consistency is reached (about 40 minutes). Squeeze in lemon juice and pour into your favorite container. This batch perfectly fits in an old jam jar I had.

Homemade Peanut Butter

This is really the easiest homemade mothering trick yet. And, not only does it help the planet by reducing waste, but it was also cheaper than buying factory-made peanut butter. But, I think the best part is that the only ingredients in my peanut butter are peanuts! Popular peanut butters available at the grocery store also contain sugar, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, and mono and diglycerides. Ick!

I brought a re-used plastic bag to Whole Foods and filled it with a pound of bulk peanuts for $1.99. At home I dropped the nuts into a food processor, pressed “on”, waited 90 seconds, pressed “off”, and poured the homemade peanut butter into an old peanut butter jar. Could not be any easier!!

Now I (ABMS) have not made these recipes so I can't tell you the texture or consistency. However I will be attempting the honey wheat bread recipe very soon. I hate buying bread at the store because the standard length breads are almost too large for my small growing family so I think this will not only save us in the long run but we won't be throwing away nearly as much. Fear not ABMS fans, I will find a grape recipe... And perhaps maybe even a strawberry one for the husband.