Country Livin

We spent the last week in Blackfoot with Robby's folks. We love country living! John loved being about to go outside without supervision. 

He loved eating raspberries straight from the bush. 

Brandon got to try pancakes, carrots, potatoes, waffles, and even sucked on a piece of bacon. 

He just loves big boy foods! 

And Robby and I got to have some time away from the kids. We went and saw Beauty and the Beast at Playmill in West Yellowstone and we floated the Snake River. It was so fun and we hated going home. Hopefully we'll move out there next year!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 pkg Oreos

1/2 Cup Butter

11.5 oz (1 pkg) chocolate chips

2/3 Cup peanut butter

3 Cups heavy cream (separated)

1/4 Cup sugar

Directions:

Pulse Oreos in food processor or blender until they resemble sand

Mix with melted butter and press into greased pie pan

Freeze overnight

In a heat safe bowl, mix 2 cups heavy cream, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. Place over a sauce pan with an inch or 2 of water in it. Heat mixture over Med. High heat until chocolate melts and all ingredients are well incorporated. Place in fridge for 2 hours

Beat 1 cup heavy cream on Med until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold half the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Spoon into frozen pie shell. Top with the rest of the whipped cream. Garnish with shaved chocolate if desired.

Expectation vs Reality

I recently had a friend comment that she likes my blog, especially my "Life Plan" from when I was 4. I reread my life plan from 2011 and while I love what I have, it's very different from what I was hoping. 

Expectation in 2011

• Get new jobs in Twin Falls, Idaho

• Move to Twin this summer

• Have Robby start nursing school this winter

• Robby graduates in 2 years

• Robby finds a good job soon after he graduates

• We start a family

• I quit my job when our first baby comes

• In 3-5 years from now, we have enough saved up to buy a modest house with a big yard (just in time for baby #2)

• We hopefully have somewhere between 4 and 6 kids and add on to our house to accomodate our growing family

• Live happily ever after

Reality in 2014

• We did move to Twin the summer after we got married

• I found a new job at the hospital, Robby wasn't ever able to find a job

• It took 2 years for Robby to start nursing school, but now he only has 2 semesters left

• I found out I was pregnant a month after we moved to Twin

• Since Robby couldn't find a job, I worked until we found out I was pregnant with our second baby

• We're still 5 years or so from buying a house, but at least in a year we're moving out of this crumby apartment

• Since I have to have c-sections for each delivery, we're maxed out at 4 kids, but it could be less depending on how I heal each time

• But happily ever after is still on the table

Hopes for the next 3 years (2017)

• Robby graduated in May 2015
• Robby gets a nursing job somewhere in SouthEast Idaho
• We move to Idaho Falls or somewhere near that
• We rent somewhere that has a yard or is at least on the ground floor and near a playground
• Robby and I go away for a weekend to celebrate
• We pay off student loans and buy a minivan and save up for a down payment on a house
• I get pregnant again in 2016 or 2017
• Maybe we'll be in a house by the time our 3rd baby comes

Well, that's what I'm hoping for at least. I'll have to look back in 3 years and see what actually happens. But it's fun to hope and dream 

Sandwich Bread Recipe

Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients



3 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup sugar
¼ cup honey
3 1/2 cups bread flour plus 1 tablespoon
3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup dry milk
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (available at Smiths: Bob's Red Mill)
1/3 cup oil
2 T lecithin
a cold stick of butter


Instructions




1. Heat water in microwave (30 sec per cup). In your kitchen aid mixer bowl, add warm water, sugar, honey and one tablespoon flour. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add yeast and gently mix in. Let stand 10 minutes. Should become foamy on top, if the yeast was activated.
2. Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, salt, and vital wheat gluten.
3. Mix lecithin, optional, with oil, then add into the yeast/water mixture, or just the oil. Don't stir. Then, stir in flour mixture until combined.
4. Using the bread hook, mix dough on a low setting in Kitchen Aid Mixer for about 10 minutes. Add a little more flour if it's too sticky. Stop and take it off the hook every few minutes to assure it's mixing well. (I do this about 3-4 times.)5. Place in large greased bowl. Turn dough ball around in the bowl to get it greased all around. Then cover the bowl with a smooth dishtowel. Set bowl in a warm place and let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour. I usually preheat my oven to 200 then turn the oven off. 

6. Punch down the dough in the bowl. Then, divide evenly into two equal parts on a lightly floured surface.
7. Roll out each portion of dough with rolling pin to remove air bubbles. Then, roll up each one into a loaf size and put into a greased pan seam-side down.
8. Place loaves in the fridge for your second proof. The slow rise with make your gluten bonds stronger. Usually takes 30 min. Once the bread is nicely domed about an inch above the pan, it's ready to bake. 



9. Place the bread in the oven as you preheat to 375, once the oven reaches 375, reduce to 325 and bake for 22 to 27 min or until tops are golden brown.
10. Brush bread with butter and remove from pans. Let cool completely on a cooling rack