Cindy's White Bread Recipe for Bread Maker

I love Cindy's homemade rolls and asked her for her recipe so I could make white bread in the bread maker. It turned out great and the bread is awesome even better as toast! Great Recipe!

Cindy’s White Bread Recipe
For Bread Maker

2 Tablespoon Shortening or butter or margarine (I used margarine)
1 ¼ Cup Warm Water
3 Cup Flour
2 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 ¼ Teaspoon Yeast

In a liquid measuring cup, add shortening. Fill water to the level stated above. Add to bread pan. Then put ingredients in the order above in the bread pan. Select cycle. Start. Cindy's takes 3 hours, 40 minutes. Mine takes 2 hours, 20 minutes :)

This is for a 1# loaf.............

From bread

From bread

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Chocolate Cake in the Bread Maker

Another attempt at cooking with chocolate :) It tastes pretty good but I should have left it in there for about another 15-30 minutes. There's always a next time on this recipe!!

Chocolate Cake

1 1/4 c. milk (2% or whole)
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large eggs

Add all of these ingredients into the bread pan as listed, making sure that the melted butter, if hot, does not touch the raw eggs as it could scramble them.

1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBS baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. cocoa powder

(the cocoa powder is an additional ingredient that has been added. At this time, you could also add a 2 TBS of raisins and omit the cocoa, or an additional 2 TBS chocolate chips. I have made it with blueberries, dried cranbrries, changed up the vanilla for banana extract and put bits of banana...the possibilites are ENDLESS)

1 c. white sugar
2 c. all purpose flour

Place the pan into the bread machine & set it on Batter Bread. I set mine on the one pound loaf normal setting for 2 hours 20 minutes but I am going to bake it an extra 15-30 minutes next time.

Press start & close the lid.

The machine does all the work for you. It mixes the batter and then bakes it too.

Remove the pan from the machine and place on a cooling rack for apx. 10 minutes.
Then, turn upside down and the cake should "pop" right out.

Allow the cake to cool completely, or serve warm.
The kids like it served with a dollup of fresh whipped cream or powdered sugar.

*(it can be cooked in a loaf pan in the oven too, on 350 for 20 minutes. Then , if it isn't cooked through, just add additional 5 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean)

From Drop Box

Recipe from another blogger (Debi)

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Chocolate Bread & Chocolate Butter

So, I have been trying to be a little more domestic lately. I found a recipe for "Chocolate Bread". After 20 hours of preparing and rising of the bread, it was ready to bake. It looked awesome! But, once I tried it...it just was not good at all!!

From Drop Box

So, onto my next loaf of "Chocolate Bread" ... this time in the bread maker. This one turned out great and was very sweet. Also, made some Chocolate Butter to go with it. Gave this loaf of bread and chocolate butter to my mom!!

Chocolate Bread with Chocolate Butter

1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups white bread flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Place ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
2. Select Basic or Sweet bread cycle and start machine.

Makes one (2 pound) loaf.

Chocolate Butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1. Cream butter with electric mixer, beat in cooled chocolate until well mixed. Spoon into serving container with lid and chill until firm.
2. Serve with warm Chocolate Bread or other breads such as brioche or croissants.

Makes 3/4 cup.

From Drop Box

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Sassy Frassy in the tree, 4-28-09

Sassy Frassy likes to go outside but sometimes he doesn't want to come back in! He got outside and decided to run up the tree like a Koala Bear!

When he decides he wants back in, he will scratch on the front door...lol :)

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Homemade Moisturizing Liquid Hand Soap

Homemade Moisturizing Liquid Hand Soap

Ingredients
· One bar of your favorite soap (I used Dove)
· 1 cup water
· 1 tablespoon of honey
· 1 tablespoon of olive oil or glycerin (I used Olive Oil)
· Some cold water (I used about 3/4 cup to 1 cup)

Instructions
1. Grate your soap with a kitchen grater and place the shavings into a blender. Alternatively, chop the soap into little pieces.
2. Bring the water to a boil and add it to the grated soap in the blender. LET THIS SIT OVERNIGHT.
3. Set the blender to its "whip" setting, blending the soap and water. Add the honey. Add the olive oil or glycerin and blend the mixture again.
4. Add some cold water until you get the consistency that you want. Blend the mixture one final time.
5. Pour the mixture in a soap dispenser.
6. Shake the dispenser each time before using it.

Makes approx 30 fluid oz depending on how much water to want to use for the consistency you want :) Smells good...works like regular liquid hand soap you buy in the store!! :)

Good luck!

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Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap (grated)

· In a large pot, heat 3 pints or 6 cups of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
· In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart or 4 cups of hot water and add the heated soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
· Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).

Here is a link if you can't find the Fels-Naptha Soap & Borax....they might even sell the Washing Soda but you would have to look: http://doitbest.com/Laundry+Soap+and+Spot+Removers-Dial+Corp.-model-04303-doitbest-sku-632902.dib

20 Mule Team Borax Natural Laundry Booster
4 lbs 12 oz box
I paid $3.36 + tax at Wal*Mart
Located in the regular laundry soap aisle



Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
4 lb box
I paid $2.16 + tax at Wal*Mart
Located in the regular laundry soap aisle



Fels-Naptha Heavy Duty Laundry Bar Soap
Ideal for pre-treating stains
5-1/2 oz bar
I paid $1.29 + tax at Meijer
Located in the regular laundry soap aisle

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Scooby Doo Before & After Hair Cut 4 24 09

I usually give Scooby Doo a bath and cut his hair but decided that he was due for some pampering of his own! He got his hair cut, shampooed and toe nails cut....he also got a nice treat :)

He looks like he has lost half of his weight with all his hair gone! He looks so adorable :)

Location: Our Town

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Easter, 4-12-09

Scooby and I went to celebrate Easter with Cindy & John and family and of course the dogs!

Scooby had a great time with Sadie and Jaxon (the dogs)!

Cindy and I prepared a feast for today...it was awesome and Cindy makes the best homemade rolls!! Her mom also made strawberry shortcake...yum!

What a wonderful day watching the kids find their Easter baskets and eggs, socializing, watching the kids play, and eating!

Location: Cindy & John's Home

PS...also a picture of my puppets :)

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Leaving TX and going back home to MI, 4-7-09

The day started early (6am) and Corey brought me to the San Antonio Airport. From there, I went to Dallas/Fort Worth, TX and then straight to Grand Rapids, MI...then, to Grant to get my car and onto my apt. What a long day of travel!!!

Location: From San Antonio, TX to Grand Rapids, MI

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Jim's Restaurant & Freddy's Frozen Custard, 4-6-09

Jim's Restaurant is comparable to a Russ' Restaurant...we both had Mushroom/Swiss Burgers and fries and I had a slice of strawberry pie...we went here for lunch.

For dinner we went to Freddy's Frozen Custard. I got a burger and a frozen strawberry custard. Decor was great and so was the food!

Location: San Antonio, TX

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