The Bread Thread!

[CrealCritter]

Thanks a lot Bee! We are on a low carb, low calorie diet and I miss BREAD! The diet is working, I have lost 14 pounds, veered off, gained a few back and am now back to 138. I don't like this diet, but I don't want to be overweight either. My target is 130.

I miss garlic French bread, peanut butter and my home made jelly sandwiches, pizza crust that is not cauliflower, cinnamon toast, and just fragrant, delicious bread.

138? Geeze... If I were 138 I would have to make sure my pockets were tucked in, else they would become a wind sail and I might be found in the next county.

 

[Beekissed]

What have you done to accomplish this? Details please? I want to lose 20-25 pounds and seem to be stalled, wavering around at 138-142. Besides I want a more sustainable diet, not this almond flour, coconut flour, blah, blah, blah, imitation food.

There's no simple answer for that, Bay, except obedience to the Lord. I had never been on a diet in my life but me and a few members of my family are subject to very slow metabolisms, so we have to work harder and eat less to achieve any wt. loss at all. I knew that much and I knew it was going to be hard work and a long haul to get back to normal.

So, I didn't know exactly how to proceed and asked God how to do so. He brought me through a year's learning on such things until I finally arrived here, where He taught me it's not about a special diet of cutting out this or that and feeling like one is getting cheated of something all the time.

It's all about changing one's relationship to food, which has been deified in our lives to such an extent that it even has a cult following called "foodies", several shows on TV and more starting every day, and food occupies the thoughts of most people more hours a day than it should.

In the Bible it's called idolatry, and I was one who was committing just such a sin. That one and also one called gluttony, wherein one takes in more of something than they really need...one does not gain wt. over the years, however slowly and steadily, unless they are consuming more nutrition than their body really needs.

I've treated food like a best friend, comfort when I'm feeling sad, nervous, lonely or even when I'm feeling joy! God is the only One Who should occupy that space in my heart, He is the One I should be going to for all those emotions and He had to show me that this year.

So, God has been dealing with me on these two sins, for without my breaking them and getting those out of my life, no matter how much wt. I'd lose in some fad diet, I'd gain it back eventually anyway.

All wt. loss thus far have been in response to eating what He says to eat and not eating when He says not to eat, praying for help, guidance, and strength and just....enjoying the ride! I have been having a ball on this diet!! Every day has brought a new thing to learn, an exciting twist in the road and more ideas from the Lord on how to proceed.

The short answer, I guess, would be the God diet.

Right now He's been telling me to turn back the clock to the old ways of eating and living~hard physical labor all year round~which I love anyway, small portions of nutrient rich foods, plenty of fresh foods~vegetables, fruits, home grown or foraged meats on occasion, healthy fats, fermented foods, and just paying attention.

Food is a joyful experience that He has given us so that we will want to put nutrition in our bodies, so I'm to get back to enjoying the preparation of meals, eating at the table instead of in front of a book or computer, eating more with my hands so as to make it a very tactile experience. Everything in moderation, limiting processed foods, eating more from the garden and field and harvesting that each day, eating it freshly harvested.

Going back to how we lived when we were homesteading, basically, when I was fit and lithe. But, with a better mindset about the importance of food in my life...it's going to get its proper place from now on. Once I get my eating routines and supplies established, it will not occupy much of my thoughts at all except for when I'm actually eating it.

Told ya it wasn't a simple answer!

 

[Britesea]

I've heard it said that the first bread was probably a burnt batch of beer, lol

 

[baymule]

Well we sure got our exercise today. We cleaned about 400' of fencerow, on the neighbor's side. Green briar vines were starting to climb the fence, low hanging branches and small trees next to the fence. We machete chopped, pulled, wadded up and pushed away from our fence.

We came in at 1:30, hot and tired. Ate leftovers for lunch, took a nap, then I went back outside. I put insulators on the T-posts, getting ready to run a hot wire. A neighbor came over and we separated lambs for weaning. I caught 10 of them and was out of breath, the neighbor caught one, then Trip walked the last two into the weaning pen. Thanks Trip!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

When ever my GD is here for supper, I have her do most of the cooking. She doesn't get to cook at home. She'll grumble that she's tired after being in school all day. I just give her the "Grammy eye" and tell her how many carrots to peel... And, when the meal is served, she always comments about how tasty it is. I'm hoping that these lessons will carry forward into her adult life.

 

[Beekissed]

Good time to refresh this thread with many areas experiencing shortages...….YEAST is nowhere to be found! I'd sure like to see who's making all this bread! And how'd it taste? I haven't bothered to make bread on a regular basis in a long time but, reconsidered with the sell outs. Now, I don't eat a lot of bread -- except fresh, warm, homemade. Get the drift? I'll smather it with real butter and consume a lot. A whole lot.

So - sourdough starters work for a nice bread if yeast is in short supply where you live. I have time to get one started before I do run out of the yeast I have on hand.

I keep a couple of years worth of vacuum sealed yeast on hand, stored in the freezer. When those packs are opened, I store the yeast in a qt. canning jar in the fridge. That's the beauty of being one of the folks who make bread on a regular basis....we always keep well stocked up on supplies. That comes in handy long about now.

Bought one of those packs for my DIL awhile back, who said she wanted to make bread but then never did, so I have that one at my disposal as well, as well as any flour she has on hand.

I usually make a very large batch of bread, formed into flat buns that can be sliced and used in the toaster, and I freeze them so I can thaw them out a few at a time as Mom and I need them.

Made a pan of focaccia bread for my DIL today when she was visiting so she could take home some fresh bread. I don't mind making bread for her every now and again if I get to keep her yeast and flour.

 

[Mini Horses]

Today, on a whim, I went into a groc store, out of my normal travels. I could not believe it...yeast! Now, only 29 of the 3 pak strips that Fleishman puts out..but I bought 5. With what I have at home I can make some loaves for self & the kiddos....for a treat. Enough for me now. I was on my way to work at a store I don't work often. Sure made my day a little nicer. I'm set for a few months, easily.

People were hawking these on ebay for like $7-9 a pkt. They are $1.79 and not a low priced store PEOPLE -- stop this gouging! By the pound you can get it about $9.

I like focaccia. Have an English muffin recipe I want to try -- some day. LOL Hmmm...I need to order some cheese starters & rennet.
Determined to make some hard cheese types this year.

 

[Mini Horses]

Hey -- bread does not have to look good -- it just tastes good.

Besides, that's an attempt! She'll get better -- I know you will only encourage.

My DD is still working on biscuits!

 

[sumi]

I used to bake bread all the time… Sold most of it, but not a lot, just a loaf or two a day. I made a basic white loaf dough, which I then rolled out to about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Lightly paint with olive oil and then sprinkle a generous mixture of fresh herbs all over that dough before rolling it up into a savoury swiss roll kinda arrangement. Baked and cut, the herbs form a spiral through it. Soaked with butter, warm from the oven… YUM!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Today is a rainy, sleeting, now snowy day....perfect for filling the house with warmth and the smell of baking bread.

Every single time I make bread I get nostalgic and feel so very blessed to be able to do it. It soothes me and gives me peace to rock into that rhythm of kneading that so many people have done since the beginning of time.

Also going to make banana nut bread. Got enough old nanners in the freezer to make a double batch.

If someone is looking for good summer time dog treats, the frozen over the hill bananas are great for that too....dogs love them! Cold, tasty and good for them.