Braided Egg Bread {with allergy alternatives}

by Meghan // April 7, 2014 // Comments off

I have had several requests for this recipe, so I want to share it with you!

I know, I made the ropes too long so it is a little wavy …

When I lived in Hot Springs, there was this amazing bakery that everyone in town loved. They had the very best of any baked good you have ever eaten- cakes, cookies, bars, and bread!

My mother-in-law always had a loaf of their braided egg bread on the table. When we moved to Nebraska, I had no idea where I could get (and still don’t) a loaf of that amazing bread. So I did a huge search, far and wide, to find a recipe.

I am pretty sure this bread was the first thing I baked in our oven in Nebraska.

Just a fair warning- if you aren’t a bread baker (and I am not) this may look intimidating. I promise it is really hard to mess this bread up! It is the first real bread I ever made in my whole life and turned out perfectly the first time, after several mistakes! Yes, it requires a few rises, and kneading but it is still easy. I usually start it while the kids eat lunch, finish it during nap time, and we enjoy it for snack and with dinner. =)

Also, it doesn’t have a very strong flavor. It is a very subtle, light bread that is so yummy with butter and soup or salad.

Braided Egg Bread {with allergy alternatives}

2 hours

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Braided Egg Bread {with allergy alternatives}

Ingredients

4 1/2 to 5 1/4 cups of flour (you can use whole wheat or all purpose)
1 package (or 2.25 tsp) of active dry yeast
1 1/3c milk (for dairy allergies use coconut or rice milk)
3 tbsp sugar (I use sucanat for a wholesome, real food sweetener)
3 tbsp butter (or coconut oil for dairy alternative)
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, plus one egg yolk
*you will need an electric mixer

Instructions

Please don't be intimidated by the kneading and rising times. I promise- this bread is so easy and delicious.
In your mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of your flour and the yeast
In a medium saucepan heat the milk, sugar, butter/oil, and salt until just warm (about 130* using a food thermometer-any warmer and you can kill your yeast = no bueno!)
Add the warm milk mixture to your flour
Add the 2 whole eggs
Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds
Scrape the sides of bowl really well, and then mix on high speed for 3 minutes- set the microwave timer and load the dishwasher while you wait =)
Scrape down the sides, add in about 2 more cups of flour, a cup at a time, and mix until well combine (just a minute or so-don't over mix! That makes your bread tough = no bueno!)
Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface, and flour your hands
Your dough is probably pretty sticky, go ahead and add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup more flour
This should make your dough pretty stiff, but still elastic. That's what you want
Knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes (again, set the timer)
Spray the bottom of a bowl with a little Pam. Add the ball of dough, turn once to coat with oil
Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour
Punch down dough, divide into three balls and let rest 10 minutes
Roll each third out into an 18" rope. Place ropes on a large cookie sheet and begin braiding.
Let rise 30 minutes.
Preheat oven
Brush braid with 1 beaten egg yolk (that's what gives it the pretty brown sheen)
Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 or until bread sounds hollow when you tap on the top

If you try it, please let me know what you think!

{healthy} Whole Wheat, Dairy & refined-sugar-free, chocolate cake

by Meghan // February 24, 2014 // Comments off

Say that 5xs fast!

Yesterday, we made this ah-mazing cake. Oh my goodness, really. It is so good. And much healthier than your average homemade of boxed cake.

It doesn’t take long, and makes either two round cakes, or one 9×13 cake.

Whole Wheat, Dairy-and-refined-sugar-free chocolate cake {with Marriage and Menu Monday linky}

20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Garden chocolate cake recipe
3/4 c coconut oil (not melted)
3 eggs
2 cups of whole wheat flour
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking sode
3/4 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp real salt
2 c sucanat
2 tsp real, organic vanilla (or homemade)
1 1/2 c rice milk (or you choice of non dairy milk)

Instructions

Grease your 2 round, or 1 9x13 pan(s)
In a medium bowl stir together: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt- set aside
Preheat oven to 350*
In a large mixing bowl beat coconut oil on med-high speed for 30 seconds
Gradually add sucanat 1/4c at a time, beating at med speed until well combined
Scrape side of bowl; beat 2 minutes
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition (trust me, it makes a difference)
Beat in vanilla
Now, Alternately add flour mixture and rice milk to coconut oil mixture, beating on low speed until combined
Beat on medium to high speed 20 seconds more
Spread into pans
Bake 30-40 minutes, check doneness with a toothpick in center.

Notes

**If you want the healthy recipe but don't mind the dairy, replace the coconut oil with butter and the rice milk with cow's milk. 1:1

Favorite Dairy Alternative: Coconut Products {week 1}

by Meghan // January 16, 2014 // Comments off

I am joining a “52 weeks of favorites” Link up hosted by a fellow blogger. I am beginning a few weeks, late so I will have more like 49 weeks. =)

I will begin with something my family could not live without- dairy alternatives.

My first pick for a dairy alternative, is coconut oil and milk. Coconut is a powerhouse of essential fats and nutrients.

Although coconut milk has a coconut flavor, the flavor doesn’t show much in things like muffins and other baked goods. I don’t think I would bake a chocolate cake with it …. but then again, that might be really good!

Coconut oil is a must have in our home, because the kids can’t have butter. I use Tropical Traditions coconut oil for all my cooking needs, instead of unhealthy vegetable oils. I trust Tropical Traditions, their standards are above all others, and they offer amazing sales.

I looove sales, and nutritious food! *Win*

For coconut milk, we buy Native Forest Organic Classic Coconut Milk from Amazon. Using Amazon Prime, we get free 2-day shipping, and a great value on real, organic coconut milk. This is what I use to make Mister’s coconut milk tonic. You can read more about it by clicking on that link.

My husband and I eat butter and use milk for our toast and coffee. But when it comes to baking and cooking for the entire family, I use these non dairy alternatives because I know they are healthy for my family, and are a great value!

You can replace any oil or butter in any recipe with expeller pressed coconut oil, with no coconut flavor. Expeller pressed coconut oil from Tropical Traditions is gently refined, so there is no coconut-y flavor to your food. Although, I have used regular virgin coconut oil, (which does have coconut flavor), and we didn’t notice any coconut coconut in our food. So, I really just use what I have on hand now.

We add it to smoothies, sautee our veggies in it, and use it on diaper rashes and cuts. Really, there are endless ways to use coconut oil!

Strawberry Allergy

by Meghan // November 14, 2013 // Comments off

Last week we discovered Lexie has a strawberry allergy.

So here’s the thing … Lexie constantly has an eczema-type break out on her face (which we know is allergy related). When she has too much dairy, or really acidic foods like tomatoes, the rash becomes actual fluid/puss filled sores that hurt. Because of this, we water her milk down- half water, half milk- and limit her dairy intake. The break out is always there, but doesn’t flare up like it used to. (we had to completely stop grilled cheese made with Kraft singles- it always triggered a bad flare up).

So after she ate the strawberries, within 20 minutes her face was broken out all over. We gave her benadryl, she took a nap, and when she woke up her face was COMPLETELY CLEAR. The constant breakout/eczema she always has on her face (which again, we are sure is dairy), was gone too! This tells me something she always eats/drinks is causing that breakout on her cheeks.

So, I think this week we are going to wean her onto almond milk and see if her face improves completely. By the evening that same day, after having had milk after nap and with dinner, the eczema type breakout was back, and has been there since. She tested positive at the chiropractor for dairy allergy, so we know she has it. It just isn’t as intense as Mister’s, so we were letting her have the raw milk, but now my gut just tells me we need to stop cow’s milk completely. Having your body constantly fighting like that is not good.

The challenge will be to get her to stop drinking cow’s milk… she does not like Max’s coconut milk, so I am not even going to try to get her to drink that. We will try almond I guess? and see what happens. I hope her face improves!

This post may contain affiliate links.

Dairy Allergy Alternative for Weaning Baby: Coconut Milk Tonic

by Meghan // October 3, 2013 // Comments off

If you have a baby with dairy protein allergy and ready to wean from breastmilk or formula, you are probably looking for a healthy alternative to cow’s milk.

We were in the same situation about two months ago; I tried reintroducing cow’s milk and the result was
Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon.

I am in no way a medical professional, and you should talk with your doctor before trying something new. This is what has worked for our family.

I wasn’t happy with the amount of fats and nutrients in almond milk, rice milk, etc for a young baby.

However, coconut milk is full of good fats and nutrition for babies (and adults). So we use this recipe. It is equal to cow’s milk in fat and calcium (per Eat Fat, Lose Fat):

1 can of whole fat Organic Coconut Milk
2 1/4 cups of water (preferably filtered with no chlorine, etc)
2 tablespoons of (organic) Grade B Maple Syrup or a pinch of stevia
1 tsp of vanilla extact
1 tsp of KAL Dolomite (calcium)

I have to label Max’s milk so JTom doesn’t grab it instead of our raw milk =)

I heat all ingredients in a pot until the dolomite powder is dissolved, and then pour it into a glass jar and keep in the fridge. I make this in double batches, and store it in a half gallon mason jar. Shake the jar well before pouring into bottle to warm up, the thick cream will separate from the rest of the milk when chilled.

**Where to get ingredients**
We purchase either Natural Value coconut milk in BPA free cans, or Native Forest organic coconut milk- depending on which is cheaper- through Amazon Prime. So we can do subscribe and save and also get free 2/3 day shipping, which is very convenient. However, I really watch the prices of the milk, because like right now, the organic milk is cheaper than the Natural Value brand.

** What to look for in natural, real ingredients**
Please do not use coconut milk in cartons- they contain very dangerous additives (although the carton may say the milk is organic, the actual ingredients are in fact NOT).

“NO PRESERVATIVES”- no stabilizers, emulsifiers, whiteners, guar gum, and BPA free cans!

Natural Value brand of Coconut Milk

Ingredients: Coconut extract, water

Ingredients: Organic Maple Syrup- that’s IT!

Now, the dolomite powder can be stored in the pantry, but always always keep pure, organic, grade B maple syrup in the fridge or it will go bad! (because, you know. It’s a real food with no additives) And yes, it is pricey, but we just use it sparingly at our house.

Max LOVES this milk, and I feel good about giving it to him. Again, I suggest doing your own research, and taking the recipe, and nutrition information (in the book Eat Fat, Lose Fat) and talk it over with your doctor because I am not a health care professional.

But this is a pure, real food milk recipe for baby, and I feel is much safer than a chemical laden formula alternative for our baby with dairy allergies.

Max is gaining weight and developing great on this formula!

This post contains affiliate links.

Making Lacto-fermented Kraut

by Meghan // September 12, 2013 // Comments off

One of the first lacto-fermented foods I learned to make (with the help of a great friend here in York), was Kraut!

I love making it, and even better, I love eating it.

Even better than that, I love watching my babies (and husband) enjoy it!

So, I hope to share this easy recipe/method with you, so that you may try it for your family!

Lacto fermented foods aren’t like regularly pickled foods- they are raw so they still contain all their original nutrients (and then some). They aren’t cooked or heated.

Laccto-fermented foods are cultured with beneficial bacteria that help preserve it and make it more nutritious. The foods retain their crispness and can be flavored in any number of ways by adding ingredients, such as garlic, spices, onion, fruit, etc.

And even better, they have added benefits for your health.

Some of those benefits include natural probiotics, increased vitamins, healthful enzymes and this natural process makes them more digestible.

On one of my favorite websites, The Nourishing Gourmet, she tells a little more about lacto-fermented foods-

“The health benefits of lacto-fermented fruits and vegetables are wonderful. I think we probably only know a small part of why they are so good for us. For example, unpasteurized sauerkraut and kimchi got a lot of buzz in recent years after some scientists found that birds fed kimchi or sauerkraut would often start recovering from the Avian Bird Flu!”

Not to mention it tastes amazing! It is way better than any store bought sauerkraut you have ever had (especially if you are like me and only eat sauerkraut on reuben sandwiches.)

Lacto-fermented foods are … fizzy. They are tangy, have a little fizz from the natural carbonation that is created during the fermenting process, and they aid in real health.

They date back to the ancient Romans, and are considered a “traditional” food. To learn more about traditional foods, grab a copy of Nourishing Traditionsby Sally Falon.

I will add some great resources at the bottom of this post for your leisurely reading (because we all have SO much time for that ….) that I love.

This batch of kraut produced almost 2 half gallon jars, in the end. I used:

2 heads of green cabbage
1 head of purple cabbage
1-2 sweet white onions (the more onion the spicier the kraut will be- not hot spicey, but like “zingy” spicy)
3+ carrots- I think I used a one pound bag of organic carrots, but we LOVE them in our kraut
3 heaping tablespoons of Real Salt (not that stuff you buy in the grocery store, and not “sea.”
Pure (pink) Himalayan Saltis WONDERFUL!)
3/4 cup of homemade whey (a link to making homemade whey coming soon!)
A big bowl for pounding the cabbage
A fermenting vessel of some sort

Below: chopping cabbage (this batch my food processor had some issues … so some was by hand and some was in the processor)

Into my (antique) crock it all goes-Here is a link to my Dream Crock

Everything in the crock- cabbage, carrots, onion, salt, and whey

This is a jar of Real Salt. If your salt is WHITE, and isn’t pink/gray/brownish, it’s not Real Salt.
You need to get some of this:

Here is my whey

And my baby bug pounding the kraut

Still pounding before gymnastics 😉

There it is:

When your kraut is about ready to jar, there will be several inches of juices in the bowl with the cabbage- it can take quite a while (15+ minutes) to get all the liquid you will need.

We use a meat tenderizer (which was at a friend’s house at the time of this batch) or a potato masher to pound the kraut to extract all the juices. Something a little heavy and good for pounding will work.

Then you add the kraut to your jar/fermenting crock/or other fermenting vessel.

To do this, you add a heaping spoon or two of the cabbage/carrot mix, then press down with one of these:

And poor off the liquid that comes up back into the crock or bowl.

Continue adding kraut, alternating pressing down with the tamper, and pouring off the liquid, until the kraut is about an inch or so below the neck of the jar.

Then spoon some of that liquid you’ve been pouring off, back on top of your kraut. A safe measurement is covered by about an inch, but as long as it is covered it is safe. It’s when the food is exposed to air (ie, not covered with the liquid) that you risk mold.)

This is the kraut just after it has been jarred.

And this is our kraut after a few days of fermenting. It is now ready to be moved to cold storage where it will be good for 6 months, or a little more. (If it lasts that long before we eat it all ….)

If you ferment in glass jars like these, you will need to burp your jars once a day to prevent all the pressure from building up. Once they’re moved to the fridge the fermentation process slows down so you won’t need to burp as often, but it is a good idea to prevent explosions … =)

Isn’t it pretty? I love the purple color!

We put the kraut on hot dogs, burgers, eat it as a side, and I even eat it if my tummy doesn’t feel good, to help queasiness or upset stomach. Those natural probiotics are great for your gut! (remember disease begins in the gut, with the loss of good bacteria, enzymes, etc.).

Here are a few links to wonderful resources on traditional foods and lacto-fermented foods:
GNOWFLIGINS– “God’s natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally, in season”

Weston A. Price- lacto fermentation (Nourishing Traditions)

Nourishing Days

Deliciously Organic- the UNprocessed Kitchen

Simple Bites

Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon

Max Week 32/33 Summary.. and a huge photo bomb!

by Meghan // April 27, 2013 // Comments off

I wrote this entire post, and then it somehow was replaced with a duplicate of another post?! And now I am feeling very frustrated. So it’s going to be an abbreviated version of the original.

Max has just finished his 33rd week of life, and will be 34 weeks old (almost 8 months old) on Sunday.

Eating
He is eating better; I got his medicine flavored differently, and he takes it no problem now. He is eating everything except bananas. They still bother his tummy

Development
Max is standing better, sometimes without holding onto anything, and has become brave enough to take a few steps in the same spot he is standing (in other words, he doesn’t move, just picks up his feet). He has learned to fall onto his booty instead of his back, so there is a lot less crying going on now! Woo hoo

He says dada and has started trying to say mama. But it comes out na-na. He does this especially when he is hungry/while I’m making his bottle or food. Since he has started talking, he has stopped all that screeching. YAY He is still signing for milk, and has not picked up the sign for “more” or “please” yet, but I haven’t been very consistent.

We are in wonder week 37 territory. Naps have been short, but he isn’t too terribly cranky… it could be worse. This is supposedly a tough wonder week, so we will see. After this mental leap he will be able to categorize things in his environment, like milk and oatmeal are foods, jtom, lexie and I are his family at home vs people he doesn’t recognize, etc. He will start practicing crawling sometime after this leap (*edit* during the cat nap he refused this afternoon, he was up on his hands and knees rocking… so I guess the urge to start trying has begun).

It’s funny how different he and Lexie are; at this age she was raring to go, 24/7! She wanted to move, was loud, and wanted to talk to/get attention from everyone she saw. I remember my friend Whitney saying how determined Lexie was, and that’s true to this day. Max is more timid, laid back.. and you could say he is lazy. =) He is getting more and more excited about standing though; it’s really cute when he starts flapping his arms, smiling, and cheering for himself. He’s just a really sweet baby and is sensitive; but I do remember Lexie being sensitive too. She was scared easily by certain toys, noises, or faces. Max is the same in that aspect.

Lexie Raye
I had so many updates on her before I lost the original post, and now I can’t remember any of them! Ugh!

We still have engine friends, though the dinosaurs haven’t been back. She has been showing more interest in dinosaurs, so we may do a unit study on them this summer just for fun. Oh yea- she has finally stopped fighting baths. No more screaming or crying hysteria; and I was able, after many weeks, to convince her washing her hair in the sink would be fun! So now she will lay on the counter and let me wash her hair in the kitchen sink- I told her how my memaw washed my hair like that when I was a little girl. She really liked that and mentions it every time we wash her hair. She also enjoys bath time now; I plugged the hole in all her bath toys with hot glue (pinterest is useful, sometimes!) The black mold that came out of them freaked her out (uh … it would freak me out, too. but there was no way to keep them cleaned out). So, that is no longer a problem.

Mommy and “wittle Baby Essie”

Now I know how my parents felt when I sent my water back 7 times at a restaurant because there were “floaties in it.” She is the same way about anything she deems should not have dirt on/in it. But playing in or throwing dirt outside, laying down in mud, and eating bird seed are all A-Okay!

Suddenly, the crying at bedtime every night stopped. The first night we waited a few hours then went and checked on her. She had climbed into her rocking chair to sleep. We always put her down in her bed, but then she moves to the rocking chair. At bout 8:30 every night I go move her to the bed. I don’t care if she sleeps in the floor, as long as she stays in her room, off the couch, and out of our bed! Anyway, so that’s how she has been falling asleep for the last 2 weeks. Hopefully it is a phase that ends soon, and she will be comfortable falling asleep in her bed again. We don’t know what freaked her out about her bed, suddenly. She has started talking about things getting her. We have prayed with her about it, and emphasize that in our home she is safe; nothing is going to get her and that most of the things she is talking

about are pretend, not real. I’m sure it is part of a developmental phase; she is starting to realize there are real dangers in the world, but doesn’t know how to rationalize that idea yet.

Spring is finally here! YAY! Yesterday we went to the park for a lunch and play date with JTom. After nap we walked to the school and played on the playground there. This morning we went to the library for story time, then after lunch we went for a run. It is the first time I have ran since I was pregnant with Max, so it’s been about 16 months…? Yea. So, my calves were sore 10 minutes after we got back home! But a good sore and I enjoyed every minute of my run. I pushed them in the double jogger. We went to the disc golf park across from the house. There is a wide, paved track that goes all around; it’s very wind-y and has lots of inclines and hills. It was a good workout. We ran/walked 2 miles. My goal is to run 6-8 miles a week, more if weather permits. I love running and it makes me feel good.

proud Mister Bear

Yea, what’s up?

Hey, what’re yooou doing?

Hrm, I landed on my booty … what do I think of this?

Hey, Na-Na… what just happened?

Hrm…

Oh well, I’ll just rest my eyes a bit

Ha- just kidding!

putting her engines to night-night in their “hallway bed Tidmouth Sheds”

patting them and tucking them in to bed

night night engine!

“are you still in there?”

oh there you are!

Are you ready for wake up time?

upside down- washing her hair in the sink

Tomorrow we are going fishing! Woo Hoo! As much as JTom and I LOVE to fish, we have never taken Lexie. So tomorrow is the day! There is a really nice lake on the west side of town, so that’s where we are headed tomorrow. This next week we are going to keep tweaking our routine until we find something that really works best. I’m trying to get up earlier in the mornings to start my day, and be sure everything is picked up and in order before bed (which I’ve always done, but I’ve been slacking lately).

Here are a ton more pictures of our last week or two.