Amish Friendship Bread: keeping friends

I really like Amish Friendship bread and so does my family, however, I have a hard time sending work to other people's houses in the name of friendship every 10 days....
So since I am super slow at math, I enlisted my husband's help to modify things a bit to make only one start instead of 4.

The original recipe I got follows but with the changes for 1 start in parenthesis. These directions assume you got a start from someone else. If you didn't you can find starts online.

Today when I made it Nev and Zurich wanted to help again so I pre-measured everything and let them dump it in. In the picture here, I used pistachio pudding and had the kids add some extra green food coloring for fun. So if it's not that appetizing... sorry. :) Oh, and so far we like Lemon pudding the best.

I label my bag like so:

Amish Friendship Bread 325°F for 1 hour

(Directions for 1 start)

____ do Nothing
____ Mush the bag
____ Mush the bag
____ Mush the bag
____ add 1c flour, 1c sugar, 1c milk & Mush
____ Mush the bag
____ Mush the bag
____ Mush the bag
____ Mush the bag
____ Bake following instructions below

Pour entire contents of the bag into a large non-metal bowl: Add

1 ½ c (3/8 c) flour
1 ½ c (3/8 c) sugar
1 ½ c (3/8 c) milk
Then mix well

Measure out 4 (1) separate batters of 1 cup each into a 1 gallon size ziplock bags. Keep 1 starter for yourself and give the others to friends with a copy of this recipe. Be sure to let them know what step you are on. (2.5c solution to start baking)

Preheat oven to 325°

In a different bowl
3 eggs
1c oil
1c sugar
½ c milk
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 c flour
1 large box of pudding any flavor.
Combine and mix

Grease 2 large bread pans or a large bar pan. In a separate bowl mix ½ c sugar, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon. Dust the pans with the mixture. Pour the batter into pans evenly. Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the mix in the pans. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool until bread separates from the pans evenly. Serve warm or cold.

Amish Friendship Bread: 1 start modification

And while I was paying bills:

Laugh-- I know I did.

Love is spelled T-I-M-E

...and it is often the hardest thing to give to our kids. Lately, I have had a goal to take more time creatively with the kids, not necessarily in craft, but in doing things that need to be done and making it a positive experience together. Rather than sending them away or telling them no all the time.
Here are a few of the experiences that I call success:

Zurich wanted to help me make bread the other day, bread is a bit more fickle than some baking so it always gets me stressed to have the kids underfoot when I put it together. There have been many experiences in the past during baking or while it is cooling where the kids have had their hands in it... off the top of my head:
a child pushed down the perfectly risen loaves right before they were to be put in the oven
a child filled a hole they had dug out of a cooling loaf and eaten with blue play dough
a child took a bite out of a mini loaf that I had intended for giving away
a child added extra of an ingredient and I couldn't tell which one at the time.... it was salt
a child opened the oven while baking and we ended up with very flat dense bread
a child and accomplice desecrated a cooling loaf with a fork
the adventures continue...

I can't think it is making a good memory for either of us when I get so irritated with their "help". So this time I pre-measured most everything and put it in separate containers. Lifted Zuich and Nev onto the counter and let them dump the things in as I handed to them. This created A LOT of dishes, but did reduce the stress and we had a good time. It's worth it and the bread turned out.

Gary needed to change the tires on the car the other day since he commutes quite a way to work he didn't want to be caught in a snow storm with out snow tires on. He invited all the kids out to the garage with him to do the job. Later we were talking about how he let Zurich help with the lift and screwing the bolts on etc. Gary commented that at one point he realized how the whole job could have been done in 15 mins but they were out there for over an hour, because he took the time to let them help. And they loved it.


I needed to get some projects done in the studio that had been taking up space and had been avoiding it because Zurich often wants to sit on me and that just doesn't work when I need to use hot glue. So I glued his wooden train hitch (that had broken off in play) and the next day had him bring it down to the studio to paint while I worked with hot glue. He was happy with the time together doing separate projects and kept commenting about how he liked to paint his train, and what a good painter he was. He asked questions and told me about painting the buffers and how nice it looked and what it would look like with the rest of the train.

Olea was star student this week and needed to fill out a poster and I needed to get some computer work done so I pulled my laptop down stairs to the kitchen table. We worked on our projects side by side chatting about different things and at one point she said to me, "Thanks Mom, I like chatting with you." ohhh heart melting, and it made it totally worth working on a tiny screen compared to the 24 inches I am used do when doing such a computer project.

Olea got home from school and wanted to run off to the TV, but I had her come paint nails with me instead. When a friend came knocking at the door, she said to them, "I can't play right now, I am doing a special thing with my Mom, but maybe I can play after."

Normally, I would have hurried on home after going to the Chiro to get home in time for Olea but this time I thought we had some time and Zurich had not thrown a 20 minute screaming fit at the Chiro so I took him to "The big tree park" at the mall and let him and Nev play around for a good hour (I had brought my tatting along for my own entertainment) and after a stop in at See's of course (the little stinker got another pre-made, while Nev was happy with the chocolate coins) we headed home.


I am trying to rethink things and relax a little and just let my kids enjoy, and let myself enjoy them more. Some days I experience more success than others (Yesterday, Gary sent me upstairs because I snapped at Zurich after being hit by the ram rod for the 3rd time). Which I am laughing about now, but after a headache all day I wasn't in such a great mood at the time.

Giving Thanks Part 1/3

I think bandwagon or not, this is a good thing to do and to think about as we gear up for the holidays. I chose to not do mine one day at a time because I knew that things I was grateful for that day would share more info than I wanted that particular day, for instance, it's fine with me if you all know that Gary was gone for a week, because he is home now, and I wanted to give some flesh to some of the things I listed.
So here are days 1-10:

1: So thankful for my Marriage. I picked the right guy at the right time and we've worked to keep it right over the years. I am under no delusion that it's "happily ever after" unless we both make it so. I married a guy who understands that and works every day to keep our relationship alive and kicking. There can be no apathy in marriage.


2: I am grateful for Skype and the internet so I could talk and see Gary while he is away.

3: I am grateful for family. My dad came today to help ease the pain and suffering while Gary is gone, the kids really enjoyed him and time outside and I was able to get some shopping done kid free. Other family members have also called to check up on me. In our separation from family we realize just how much we need and appreciate them. It helps us laugh when there is stress and let offenses slide when no offense is intended. It's family relationships that add value and joy to our lives. Each person adds a unique touch and talent.

4: I am grateful for time to put my aching feet up and tat. Finally! (now to not fall asleep, which I also need... hmm)

5: Today I am so grateful it is Friday night! So giddy it is ridiculous! Gary has been gone for work since Sunday afternoon and he comes home just after midnight.

6: Thankful for good company and fun things to do. Attended our ward's Super Saturday today.

Made Nev the cute little leggings and some clips she still can't wear, of course I had to add a little tatting to them, because I had the pieces lying around. :)

7: Grateful for a husband who lovingly helps me see my limits and forced me to take a rest instead of trying to push through and for sharing this talk with me for justification: Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Of Things that Matter Most

8: I am so grateful for chiropractics. I can function today! After the pain I was in yesterday I was not looking forward to the week ahead at all, but after a good adjustment, I am ready for life as a pregnant mother of three again.

9: I am grateful for quiet, low stress, easy days, because today has not been one of them!

10: I am grateful for a spouse who understands me and knows how to talk me though a creative funk, so I can get going on a project.

I Know, Dear, I feel the same way.

My Buttons Mom?

I started this bracelet a while ago at my mother in law's. We'd got shrinky dinks to try and see how it fared on her Cricut. (for the record you have to do a deep cut like 5 times). We decided the punches and Cuttlebug worked better. And you can run it through the cuttlebug embossing folders to get patterns to color in, which is what I did with the flowers. I had some pieces that I hadn't shrunken yet and so when the kids and I did our shrinky-dink buttons I threw mine in too.

I finally assembled the bracelet and matching earrings that day too. I think I'd had the elements lying around for about oh maybe since April. That's life folks, that's life.
If you have a hankering to try something like this... color both sides of the shrinkydinks... I forgot on some of my pieces... and with a twisty bracelet like this, you gotta have all sides covered, which is why I had to do more pieces.

When I wear this set Zurich will unfailingly ask, "These my buttons Mom?" or "Where are my buttons Mom?" I need to do something special with the kid's buttons. They obviously made a lasting impression on the little ones.

My two princesses

Olea and Genève
and for historical purposes:

Olea 2005 Halloween (16 months) Genève 2010 Halloween (18 months)

I made the dress for Olea, didn't use a pattern, it worked anyway.

I was glad it could get some use again. It was hard to get off Nev, she didn't want it off... and she fits it much tighter than Olea did.

These two girls are so different in every way and what an interesting life it makes. They are both so precious to me and I learn so much from and because of them both.

Halloween Spider Costume: Make your own

It's not new, and it's not genius, but it's what I did and it worked out perfectly, so I'm sharing.

Spider Costume for 3 year old
Need
*Black pair of sweats
*Black adult microfiber tights (light weight, and they end up being the right length)
I had a pair lying around that had a hold in the toe, no good to me, perfect for this.
*Crochet cotton size 10 in black preferrably
*8 plastic grocery bags

Take tights and cut them in half at the crotch to waist band

With each separate leg: Serge (with cutter) halfway up the leg to close off the top part (part with the crotch part) and cut into two pieces (leaving the lower toe piece open ended.

Then serge the two parts with the crotch part closed so it makes them into tubes

Put the tube on your arm inside out, grab two plastic bags in your tube covered hand and pull the tights down over them.

Tada! stuffed, just enough, not too heavy.

Then about 2-3 inches from the armpit on the sweater sew the open end of the tube to or into the seam line (I just did it on top since I was in a hurry and it looks fine)
Do the same on the other side on the other arm, it's nice to make sure they are even side to side though.

The pair of sweat pants we had had pockets so I sewed the lower set of legs onto the back side of the pocket opening, leaving the pocket open access.

The legs will flop so grab about 20 inches of crochet cotton in black and thread on a needle tie a double knot and starting on the inside seam of the sleeve go out and catch the fake leg leaving about 3 inches of exposed string, sew and knot a few times to the fake leg that hangs below it. Knot it and cut. Do the same on the other sleeve and fake leg. Using a double knotted thread again sew the lower sweater fake leg to the fake legs on the pants, do on both sides. This moves the legs together-ish and keeps them semi-up. Only leave a few inches of thread between the legs.

All told, it took about an hour, and that was with having to re thread the serger because I ran out of thread, cinching up the waistband on the sweats and other such things.

Zurich was afraid of his costume at first. But after watching a Halloween Super Why episode, me putting on my Fantasia hat and me telling him that he had to wear his spider to go to Olea's school he put it on, tested it out and then said, "I lobe it Mom!"

and later "Can I walk like a spider?"

Sure, kid, break a leg, you got plenty.

The process of Learning and letting them learn.

Good thing we weren't going anywhere this day.
Nev dressed herself.

(Totally a deadpan model expression on her face in this one)
And the process of dressing herself:
Dump out all the clothes,

look through them

find a shirt (one of the first ones pulled out of the bin)
put it on

do the same with pants
But I love this child, because she cleans up when she is done.