There is no such thing as instant results. Even Instant Pudding has to be stirred for 2 minutes then chilled. If you are looking for a fast fix on your weight loss journey, forget it. It's the little, day-to-day changes in habits that end up making a difference over time. This blog is about sharing what I do, what I eat and how I stay healthy. Maybe some of the things I do are worth copying. Jump in and share what works for you, I'd love to hear and so would others! God bless. Elaine
Showing posts with label Breads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Breads. Show all posts

Monday 23 January 2012

Bread machine. You've got one, right?

We love pizza and we eat a lot of it but before talking about the pizza we make, I'd be remiss not to mention our bread machine.

Bread machines were all the rage a number of years ago and if you got one at the time, smart move. If you didn't, chances are good you can find a cheap one at a 2nd hand store or a garage sale. I bought ours for $5 from the lady around the corner at the cottage. Cookbook included. And she could verify it worked.

Some bread machines have a lengthy delay to allow the ingredients in the canister to warm to room temperature before starting. This can be annoying when all you want to make is pizza dough. Thankfully the machine we have doesn't do this and the dough cycle is only 50 minutes. In contrast, my friend's machine takes 2 hours to make the same thing. Not the end of the world but it definitely takes more planning on her part.

I use our bread machine at least once a week. I have a book of recipes and some of the breads are especially good and different enough from the varieties I can get at the local store that they're worth making. It's a nice treat to have a loaf of cornmeal bread at dinner when we're having a heavy soup that night.

Making bread is not about saving money. The local bakery and the whole wheat breads available around here are not expensive. Making bread is all about variety and nothing beats a fresh, warm loaf of sweet bread, not to mention the aroma in the house.

But making pizza dough is about saving money. It's fast, simple, cheap, and it beats paying $2 for a bag of dough at the store that you have to use shortly after buying. And if you make the dough yourself, you can add oregano to the ingredients, or make it with whole wheat flour added. I've never seen whole wheat pizza dough for sale and I'm sure I never will.

So if you don't have a bread machine, I'd highly recommend getting one. Losing weight the simple way and keeping your household healthy has a lot to do with taking control over what you feed yourself and your family. And a bread machine is a good weapon to have in your arsenal.

Sunday 22 January 2012

Bread is in the House

A few years ago when that high protein, low carb diet came out I was devastated. How could anyone be silly enough to cut wonderful foods like bread and potatoes from their daily eating? Madness I tell you, madness!

When I was growing up and bread hit the price of 25 cents a loaf, Mom put her foot down and said that was it, she was going to make bread herself from now on. Our family of 6 kids endured the next year of 'lead bread' before her technique was perfected and each week, huge loaves of fluffy bread would emerge from the oven to see us through another 7 days. Before long it became my responsibility to make the bread and I remember one Saturday when I was in grade 9, being in the bank with my friend and freaking out because I had forgotten the bread I had left in the oven for the second rise.

Despite the lovely taste of soft white bread with no nutritional value, do yourself a favour and switch over to whole wheat or grain breads and let the loaves take over your kitchen counter. If it's the only bread in the house, you and the kids will eat it and get used to it really quickly. I'll admit that my husband will buy white bread on occasion but when the kids want a sandwich or toast they always ask for 'the good bread Mommy, not the white one'.

I eat a lot of bread. And you already know I don't put marg on it... Bread is filling, it's nutritous and toast with honey makes a fantastic snack when you're hungry and want something right away. Whole wheat rolls on the dinner table are easier on the waistline than a second serving of meat. 

Carbs are your friends, and like true friends, they're nice to have around!