Monthly Baking Routine

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The final product: 3 loaves of bread, 2 dozen muffins, 1 dozen biscuits

In light of my goal to simplify my life (schedule and all!), I have began to complete my baking for the month all at once. I am trying to increase eating whole grains as a more substantial part of our diet. They are so nutritious and filling, so we don’t have to eat as much meat (as grain is an excellent source of protein as well and far cheaper!).

I have set the first weekend of the month to be my baking weekend. Now, I do keep it rather simple. I stick to a batch of bread, muffins, and biscuits. I may throw in a batch of cornbread and pizza crust, but these are less frequently (a batch of these lasts two months normally). This has worked really well for the last two months. I even incorporated the process of soaking my grains in the schedule to increase the nutritional content of the grain and break down the phytates (which makes it difficult to digest). This is an optional step. I start soaking on Friday morning and bake everything on Saturday.

I have found that baking the products and then placing them in the freezer in ziploc bags really makes it easy to just pull something out for breakfast or dinner. I figured out how much we would eat in a month’s time and then made a batch large enough to last that duration. For instance, we eat three loaves of bread, approx. 2 dozen muffins, and 1 dozen biscuits in a months time. I serve biscuits with soups, muffins with smoothies and breakfasts, and bread with everything (well, almost!).

So figure out your family favorites and simplify by making big batches at a scheduled time! That way you aren’t rushing at the last minute…and increase your grain diet at the same time!

My Recipes

I have included my soaking step, but this can be skipped if you like and just combined with the next step. For more on soaking, read here. I also use coconut oil now for greasing all my pans, applying it with my fingers, as it is a solid substance. I just rub it into my hands afterwards because it is so good for your skin! You may want to melt it in a saucepan if you want to use it in the following recipes.

Homemade Bread

Raspberry Muffins or Bread

These are to die for!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use whole wheat pastry)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4  cup sugar (I use rapadura, or another natural sweetener)
1 1/2 cups raspberries, frozen
2 eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup oil, coconut oil preferred

1. SOAKING: Since this recipe does not call for buttermilk or other milk liquids, I simply soak the flour in 2 Tbls of kefir/cultured buttermilk, along with the oil and a bit of water to make it a moist texture. Soak 12-24 hours. After soaking, I add remaining ingredients.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and stir in the undrained raspberries and eggs. Thoroughly mix in oil. Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin tins or 1 loaf pan. Muffin cups will be full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pans.

Makes 1 dozen or 1 -9×5 loaf pan.

Millet Muffins

A fun way to use other grains!

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used 1/4 cup barley, and 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry)
1/3 cup ground millet flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup cultured buttermilk/kefir
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup oil (I used coconut oil, melted)
1/2 cup honey
3 bananas, mashed

1. SOAKING: Combine flour and cultured buttermilk/kefir, honey & oil. Soak 12-24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, millet, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, oil and honey (or combine it all together at once, as I did, since I had already soaked the buttermilk with the flour). Stir buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until evenly moist. Transfer batter to muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes.

Makes 1 dozen

Spelt Biscuits

7 cups spelt flour (or any combination! I use half spelt and half whole wheat pastry flour)
6 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter (or 3/4 c. butter, 3/4 c. coconut oil)
2 cups buttermilk/kefir

1. SOAKING: Soak flour and buttermilk/kefir for 12-24 hours (covered on the counter). I usually include the butter/coconut oil and additional water (about 1/2 cup) in the soaking to maintain a moist dough.
2. Add remaining ingredients to the flour and buttermilk. Put 1/8 cup of olive oil in the bottom of a 13x 9 pan (you will probably need two pans). Pour flour on counter, and pat out 1 inch thick. Cut out with glass cup that is floured. Dip in oil, top and bottom. Put them close together in pan. Bake at 400 for 18 minutes.

Makes 22 biscuits

Here are muffin batches and the biscuits soaking the day before. The bread is pictured below. Notice it is a moist wet dough. Soaking actually just gets you started on the project in advance and is really quite simple!

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About Lindsay

Lindsay Edmonds is first a lover of Jesus, wife, mother of four, homemaker, and writer. She loves inspiring women around the world toward simple, natural, and intentional living for the glory of God.

99 Responses to Monthly Baking Routine

  1. Kathleen February 27, 2013 at 10:37 am #

    Do you add the egg(s) before or after soaking?

  2. KC February 5, 2013 at 6:32 am #

    Hi, I just tried to make your raspberry muffins. It’s the first time I’ve tried soaking with anything. When you say add “a bit of water to make it a moist texture”, how much is a bit?:) I added the kefir and coconut oil and enough water to make it moist, and left it to soak overnight. This morning, it is hard as a rock! I’m not sure what I did wrong. Apparently I don’t understand how this soaking thing works.:) Also, is there any way to salvage this particular batch? I hate to waste it. And I definitely don’t want to attempt it again until I understand what went wrong. Thanks!

  3. Rebekka December 12, 2012 at 1:46 pm #

    Hi Lindsy – I really resonate with your lifestyle ethic! I love the way you approach everything with such reverence and joy – I have just discovered your blog and find it very inspiring. I’ve been trying for some time to fit into a bi-monthly baking routine, but I’m afraid that the more I bake, the more my family eats! we are a homeschooling family of 7, so I have to bake approximately your months supply for each week, and even then we sometimes use it up before the weekend. I suppose its because my kids are older (just one teenage boy is equivalent to at least 3 people when you calculate portions!) I just find I can’t keep up with the demand, and I am thinking of switching to baking just one thing every 2nd morning while the house is still asleep – but so far, I’ve been struggling so much with energy… I’ve recently aquired some Kiefer and some kombucha, which I’m excited about, and am terribly interested in learning more about soaking grains and producing as much I can from home in terms of organic vegies and home made cheeses etc. I’ve been experimenting and making things as a sort of a fun activity for a few years now, but not really enough to say that its a regular part of our diet. I’d like to get to the stage where we no longer buy bread from the store due to all the unhealthy aditives. Thanks for sharing your ideas and experiences with us! God Bless. R

  4. Kayla September 11, 2012 at 7:23 am #

    Lindsay, I just tried the banana millet muffins for the first time today and I used cultured organic valley buttermilk for soaking. Usually when I do soaking I use water/vinegar because I always have that on hand, plus I have been seeing research that the calcium in dairy inhibits some of the phytic acid breakdown in soaking and other acid mediums are more effective. Anyway, for the sake of muffins I figured they would taste better with buttermilk so I followed the recipe. My question is, is it normal to have a slight “rotten” aftertaste? I know its not actually rotten but fermented or cultured, but that is how it tastes to me. I am pregnant so its very possible that I’m just more sensitive to the fermented taste. Just wondering if you have noticed it with this or if thats just part of soaking with buttermilk? Thanks!

  5. chelsea July 16, 2012 at 1:29 pm #

    Hi! I’m going to try the spelt biscuit recipe today! So excited. Wondering if I can replace the sucanat/sugar with honey, in the raspberry muffin recipe? I’ve made them before with sucanat and they were delicious! Thank you!

  6. Ariana July 1, 2012 at 2:49 pm #

    Thank you for yet another terrific recipe. The Millet Muffins were excellent and really wowed my husband. Seems every recipe I make of your is truly wonderful and a blessing!!

  7. Lisa @ Bright Mama June 3, 2011 at 10:54 am #

    These biscuits are so awesome!

  8. amber May 12, 2011 at 11:21 am #

    I just found your site and I love all the great resources! I wondered if I can use a bread baking machine for the loaves? Also cultured coconut milk for soaking? Anyone ever tried that?

    • Lindsay May 12, 2011 at 1:53 pm #

      If you check out my recipe for the whole grain bread you will find a link to an adaption suitable for the bread machine. Yes, you can use cultured coconut milk for soaking.

  9. Carrie April 29, 2011 at 3:17 pm #

    Perhaps I’m reading this wrong but want o double check: for the millet muffins I am confused with the flour amount, since you say 2 1/2 cups ww flour but then you say you used 1/4 c barley and 1 1/4 c ww pastry (which equals only 1 1/2 cups). Could you clarify this? Thanks Lindsay for these great recipes!! :)

  10. Debbie December 18, 2010 at 9:12 am #

    I don’t have a way to grind my own flour (yet) though I know nutritiously it is so much better. I try to get my flour from the bulk bins at the health food store but it is pretty far from my house and it all adds up to more expense. I love the idea of baking for the month or even just the week at one time. Any suggestions for an economical and reliable grinder?

  11. robot cuisine December 2, 2010 at 5:54 pm #

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  12. Chariti November 13, 2010 at 7:11 am #

    Hi there,

    Do you think the biscuits would turn out okay using all whole wheat flour?

    • Lindsay November 13, 2010 at 8:05 am #

      Definitely!

  13. Lorie October 8, 2010 at 12:42 pm #

    Made the raspberry bread, baked it for 20 minutes and when I shook the pan, the middle moved around, I tried baking it longer but it didn’t do anything. I’m not a big bread baker so I can’t figure out why this hapened, maybe it’s better in muffin form. Did you melt your coconut oil first?

    • Lindsay October 11, 2010 at 8:14 pm #

      Sorry…bread will take 45 min to 1 hour to bake since it is more dense. Is that not included above? I’ll have to update that. Yes, I did melt the coconut oil first.

      • Lorie October 24, 2010 at 6:00 am #

        Nope all I see is bake 20 minutes – that’s ok, I still have raspberries, I’ll try it again! ;)

  14. Robin August 25, 2010 at 11:12 am #

    Made the raspberry muffins with fresh blackberries and put some blackberries on the bottom of the muffin liners. These were DELICIOUS! Like little blackberry cobblers! So tasty! My 10 month old bit right into his 4yr old brothers! Thanks for the recipe!

  15. Corinne July 12, 2010 at 6:09 pm #

    Hi Lindsay,
    Great website – been browsing off and on for the last few weeks – so much great info!
    Question about Kefir – I’ve recently become lactose intolerant (operation, extended hospital stay, much antibiotics!!). I’ve read that kefir feeds off of the lactose in milk. Would that make the kefir lactose free since it’s used the lactose for food? I’d really love to be making foods like cornbread etc again!

  16. Misty June 21, 2010 at 4:14 pm #

    Love the raspberry muffins, we have also used blueberry and really like them as well. Thanks for the great recipes.

  17. Catherine Ward April 26, 2010 at 9:39 pm #

    I made your delicious Raspberry Muffin recipe today. I was hestitant when they seemed crumbly but I thought that when the coconut oil would melt in oven they would hopefully come together. I added some lemon zest and the juice from one lemon. They turned out fantastic! Thank you so much for your ministry through this blog! I am truly grateful for all I learn from you. It's nice to share this journey with someone- even if you don't know me!

  18. AnneandJen April 24, 2010 at 5:34 pm #

    My sons and I made theses biscuits this morning and everyone loved them. I rolled them a little too thin but they were still wonderful. I'll know better next time. We buy the already sprouted flour so we didn't soak. Other than that we made the recipie just as it shows. Thanks for making them available to our family.

  19. Navine April 7, 2010 at 9:11 pm #

    I have bieng trying to figure out how to soak my flour to make quickbreads especially for muffins. My daughter has milk and wheat allergry so I decided to try barley as a white flour substitue. She does not have a gluten allergry. How much liquid should I soak the barley flour in if it calls for 1 cup milk. Do i need to add another to the barley or can I use it straight.

    • Rachel June 7, 2010 at 7:40 pm #

      I’m not sure about the barley question, but thought I’d mention that my son and my niece have milk allergies and we have been able to soak things using kefir and buttermilk and it hasn’t seemed to affect them. My niece would go into anaphylactic shock if she had milk products. My mom accidentally gave her some bread that I’d made by soaking with buttermilk and it didn’t bother her at all.

  20. Natalie March 22, 2010 at 11:16 am #

    Hi — I tried making the raspberry muffins this morning, but I must have done something wrong. I soaked the flour, kefir and coconut oil overnight, but in the morning the mixture was like cement. The coconut oil really hardened up. Is that normal? I noticed the mixture was really dry and crumbly so I threw it away, but after reading some the comments maybe that is how it is??? Thoughts on anything I might have done wrong?

    • Lindsay March 22, 2010 at 12:37 pm #

      Yes, the raspberry muffins will definitely be more of a solid substance the next day that you have to work at a bit. I always add a bit more liquids (say 1/4-1/2 cup kefir or water) in the first step to keep it moist, but since there is no liquids called for in the original recipe, this recipe just takes a little extra arm muscle when you add the remaining ingredients. It works. I have done it many times now.

  21. Tanya March 18, 2010 at 7:18 pm #

    Hi. I appreciate all the work you’ve put into the website. I enjoy checking for new recipes, etc. I do have a quick question. When you talk about whole wheat pastry flour, are you grinding your own soft wheat? I’ve just recently begun grinding my own grains for flour (and soaking), so I am a bit confused by what you mean by whole wheat pastry flour. Thanks.

    • Lindsay March 19, 2010 at 8:37 am #

      Yes, whole wheat pastry flour is ground soft spring wheat.

  22. florinda October 3, 2009 at 2:30 pm #

    Hello and thanks for your great comments and recipes. I am wondering if you have ever tried soaking flour for cakes. I am tempted to make my grandaughters birthday cake by soaking the flour first. have you tried this?

    • Lindsay October 5, 2009 at 2:10 pm #

      I have only soaked flours for basic coffee cakes as you can see on my recipes page. If you want something healthy but free of phytates, try a coconut flour recipe, like Kimi’s Coconut Flour Cake.

  23. Annie Anderson June 16, 2009 at 7:58 pm #

    Lindsay,

    I just found your website and am really enjoying all of your recipes/information. This is great! Thanks!

    I’m definitely going to add this recipe to my baking list. And as soon as I buy a good stand mixer, I’m going to start a similar monthly baking plan. I think it would work really well for our family. I usually buy a months worth of bread at a time and freeze it anyway so this is a great idea.

    And I love raspberries! So these are getting made very soon!

    Do you notice any difference in texture or flavor when using the spelt? I’ve not tried it before and have been thinking of doing so but am worried about it being different enough that my kids won’t touch it.

    Thanks again,
    ~Annie

    • Annie Anderson June 16, 2009 at 8:07 pm #

      And by the way -

      My family and I live in Washington as well – a few hours North of you, just above Seattle. ;-)

    • Lindsay June 17, 2009 at 6:12 am #

      Annie, Thanks for visiting! Spelt really does not taste any different than wheat in my oppinion. It actually produces a lighter texture, as I have experienced when making my biscuits. I usually use half spelt and half whole wheat pastry for those and it is wonderful! If they like wheat, you will be totally fine with any of these other whole grains!

  24. Jennifer S May 1, 2009 at 7:16 am #

    The raspberry muffins are fantastic!! I sprinkled slivered almonds on top of mine before baking.

  25. Sherree March 28, 2009 at 6:53 am #

    Lindsay,
    I just made your raspberry muffins this morning and they are SCRUMPTOUS! My question – do you ever substitute different flours for the whole wheat flour and how does it turn out?
    By they way – I just found your website yesterday when googling to find more information about soaking grains/flours. I am delighted to have found you! You have done a most impressive job of presenting so much high-quality, helpful information. And the website is extremely professional. Very impressive indeed.

    • Lindsay March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm #

      Sherree, thank you for visiting and for your sweet and thoughtful comments. I am glad to hear you enjoyed the muffins. I have not tried any other flours with this recipe on their own. I have done a combination of whole wheat and spelt with great success. This goes for most all of my baking.

      • Sherree March 29, 2009 at 2:15 pm #

        Thank you Lindsay – I will be experimenting because our daughter has so many food alllergies and she has to be on a rotation diet, eating no single food more frequently than every 4 days. I’ll let you know about what works and what doesn’t.

  26. cheri March 17, 2009 at 3:59 am #

    i forgot to tell you i lowered the oven to 350 and cooked them for 25 min..perfection and so yum thanks hon

  27. cheri March 16, 2009 at 5:56 am #

    lindsay…okay this is what i did last night…i 4 times the batch, i ground millet 1/3 and ground 2 cps buckwheat, 1 cp soft white and 7 cp red hard, in my bosch i mixed it with the dough hook and omitted the honey because i wanted rapadura…this morning i switched to the cookie paddles otherwise it would not mix…i added 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla per batch (so 4 tsp total) and i added the crispy walnuts (nour.trad.)chopped, i also added the banana at the end, i had to cook them about 12 minutes longer…and i use ‘if you care’ natural baking cups so i can reuse my pans right away without washing…they turned out wonderful…this is similar to my banana bread recipe that i messaged you about up there…this is the flavor i was looking for…thanks girlie..i have 5 little munchkins that love muffins that is why so much :)

  28. cheri March 16, 2009 at 5:02 am #

    lindsay i am assuming you add the bananas with the wet stuff in the millet muffins…i read and reread and reread and it does not say…..

    • Lindsay March 16, 2009 at 1:18 pm #

      Yes, I add the bananas after soaking with the remaining ingredients.

  29. Kristina Mattson February 23, 2009 at 8:03 pm #

    update on your banana millet muffins

    So I tweeked your recipe a little and thought you may be interested in my additions.

    I added 4 bananas and decreased the oil by 1/4c
    I Sub’d rice syrup for honey
    I added ground approx 1/8c ground flax seed, 1 TBSP ground chia seed, and 1 TBSP brewers or nutritional yeast.
    I have tried soaking but it makes for a really rubbery muffin in my experience. (the extra mixing required for incorperating the egg, etc…) Though I do like the texture better with the soaking.

    These were lower fat and super delish!

  30. SarahMichelle February 19, 2009 at 2:00 pm #

    I just pulled a batch of your raspberry muffins out of the oven and they are sooooo good. Granted, I didn’t wait for them to cool – 21 weeks pregnant, hungry all the time ;) - so it kind of fell apart on me while I was eating it, but I can guarantee that these are going to become part of my regular baking routine. Thanks!

  31. Janette February 12, 2009 at 3:22 pm #

    Hi. I am wondering what you use for making muffins as far as do you use paper liners or what kind of muffin tins etc. Also do you know anything about the silicone baking cups? I am wondering if they are safe to use? I enjoy your blog and have learned so much. Thanks for all the work you put into it.

    • Lindsay February 12, 2009 at 6:17 pm #

      Funny that you should ask. Check out tomorrow (Fri) for a post on safe bakeware options!

  32. Caitlin February 8, 2009 at 8:51 pm #

    Hmmm I will have to make my own kefir then! You dont happen to have a recipe for sourdough and/or spelt english muffins do you? I looked online and all the recipes I find are full of white flower and sugar :(

    • Lindsay February 8, 2009 at 11:01 pm #

      I know that Sue Gregg has a sourdough English muffin recipe in her Breakfast cookbook, but I have yet to try it. That is a very useful cookbook though!

  33. Caitlin February 6, 2009 at 7:03 pm #

    Sorry I meant kefir!! do you make your kefir or buy it? Thanks for answering my question about buttermilk :)

    • Lindsay February 7, 2009 at 9:11 am #

      That’s funny…I do make my own kefir as it is so cheap. It is really quite easy. You can learn how here.

  34. Caitlin February 6, 2009 at 7:02 pm #

    Hi there,

    Do you make your own buttermilk or do you buy it? I love your site!!

  35. Caitlin February 5, 2009 at 3:49 pm #

    Hi there,

    This all sounds so yummy! Do you make your own cultured buttermilk or do you buy it?
    Thanks

    • Lindsay February 5, 2009 at 6:01 pm #

      Actually, I just use kefir for all my soaking. I always have it on hand and the nutrional value is superior, but you definitely can use buttermilk.

  36. Susie Wankerl January 30, 2009 at 9:30 pm #

    Lindsay, I just found your website today and am so impressed! I wanted to comment on a couple of things here. One is that coconut oil is not a solid if it is above about 70 degrees, just in case someone gets some and wonders why it is a liquid at some point — like in a few months from now, or if their kitchen is really warm. I have been using it for about 10 years now, and use it for all baking, cooking, as well as skin care.

    I’ve been wanting to start baking with soaked grains for awhile now but just haven’t taken the time to do it. Even though I have Nourishing Traditions and some information from Sue Gregg’s books, I have had a hard time figuring out how to translate this to my favorite family recipes. Thanks for such good descriptions of how you do it.

    And for those who use lots of bread for your family, when our sons were growing up, I used to bake 16 loaves every other week (freshly ground, whole wheat bread). My husband would slice each loaf after they cooled and we would freeze them. I also often gave a couple of loaves away — people are wild about freshly baked bread! :-) I did buy heavy bread bags and we would double bag them. I think that made a big difference. They were always just like fresh-baked when we thawed them. We don’t go through as much bread now that it’s just the two of us again, so I’d gotten into the habit of buying bread from our whole foods store, but I plan to start baking my own again. It’s just cheaper and so superior!

  37. Danielle Hunt January 24, 2009 at 10:26 pm #

    I made the millet muffins and the rasberry muffins this past week and both of them turned out really well. I added more barley flour in the millet muffins as I didn’t have enough spelt and it was great. I also made a double batch with one batch rasberries and one batch with pureed strawberries. Delish!

  38. Organizing MOmmy (Jena) January 12, 2009 at 5:59 pm #

    That’s about 3-4 days worth of baking for me. I use spelt a lot, but I haven’t heard of the “soaking” method.

  39. Jenny October 30, 2008 at 10:13 am #

    I have just discovered your website and am thrilled with all of your wonderful recipes and homemaking ideas. My sister sent your whole wheat bread recipe to me (how I discovered this site) and I made it the same day- it looked too good to pass up. By far the best luck I have had with risen bread! Am looking forward to substituting coconut oil for veg. oil in my favorite muffin recipe. Thanks for all the great tips!!

  40. Kristina Mattson October 12, 2008 at 8:20 pm #

    I subsituted pumpkin for the banannas in the millet muffins with WONDERFUL results. My husband LOVED them. I also added some pumpkin pie spice to them too. Just thought I would pass this along as pumpkins are in season and are grown locally pretty much everywhere as banannas are not. Blessings and Happy Baking

  41. Erica September 24, 2008 at 3:11 pm #

    This is such a great idea. Thank you for inspiring me. I now have dates on my calendar for the next two months to have a baking day! :)

    What kind of oil do you use in your raspberry muffins? I made them the other day, and I used coconut oil. I really liked them, but my hubby said that it was coconut overload, so I think I’d like to try something else.

    I’m eager to make the millet muffins and the spelt biscuits. I’ll have to do a non-dairy soak though. :( Do you think the taste will be greatly altered by a water/lemon juice soak?

    In Christ,
    Erica

    • Lindsay September 26, 2008 at 7:35 am #

      For the raspberry muffins, I normally use coconut oil or half and half with butter or olive oil.

      I think you should be able to soak the other items just fine with a water/lemon juice soak…just don’t use a lot of lemon juice and you should be fine.

      Enjoy!

  42. Trish September 1, 2008 at 1:54 pm #

    Thanks for sharing these recipes. When you soak the flour in the buttermilk, do you leave it at room temperature or do you put it in the fridge?

    • Lindsay September 1, 2008 at 6:45 pm #

      I leave them covered on the counter or in the cupboard at room temperature. This is necessary to break down the phytates. The refrigerator will slow down the process, as the ingredients are to remain warm.

  43. laura April 19, 2008 at 10:07 pm #

    i am so glad i found this site. ive just heard about this soaking wheat and i was wondering do you soak it at room temp or in the refrigerator?

    • Lindsay September 1, 2008 at 6:45 pm #

      See below.

  44. Judi March 19, 2008 at 11:47 am #

    Thanks for these recipes. I couldn’t limit myself to baking just once a month, however, because we all love the way house smells when I’ve baked something.

  45. Mom to 2 Boys March 16, 2008 at 12:24 pm #

    You have totally inspired me also. I have been staying at home for almost two years now. I have always made meals from scratch but now that my boys are getting a little older it is so hard for me to keep up with them and still get everything done every day. Baking 1-2 times per month is such a great idea! I’ve even incorporated using a meal plan for breakfast & lunch. Thanks again for all the ideas!

  46. Steph Garvey February 26, 2008 at 6:20 pm #

    I just made the millet muffins, they are SO good. I didn’t put bananas in because I didn’t have any, but they were still really moist. Thanks for sharing your recipes!

  47. Jamie February 8, 2008 at 7:25 pm #

    Wow I am totally inspired! I wish I had a big freezer! I have a little side by side fridge/freezer and it just doesn’t hold too much!

  48. Jasmine31 February 7, 2008 at 11:03 am #

    That is great you have a system down that works for you. I normally cook or bake in batches. like yesterday I made 6 dozen corn muffins. We can freeze what we don’t eat and have it later. or I make 4 lasagnas or 4 enchiladas at one time and eat one that night and freeze 3 for later.

  49. K February 7, 2008 at 8:03 am #

    When you make your pizza crust ahead of time do you just make the dough or actually cook it? I think that would help me so much if i could make it ahead of time, but I’m kind of clueless on how to do it (I’m new to the whole freezing thing).

    • Lindsay February 7, 2008 at 11:00 am #

      K, I posted a link to my pizza crust recipe above. It makes 4 crusts at a time. I freeze the dough individually in ziploc bags. They will rise and expand in the freezer, but that is fine. I just use one at a time and pull it out in the morning when I plan to make it for dinner, to let it defrost. Then I roll it out and put all the toppings on and bake. So no pre-baking is necessary before freezing. It makes pizza nights so much easier to have the crusts already made this way!

  50. Heather - Doodle Acres February 7, 2008 at 5:57 am #

    Lindsay:
    I made the raspberry muffins this morning (except that I used blueberries instead). We loved them. Do you defrost your raspberries or put them in frozen?
    I used frozen blueberries and I thought the batter seemed a bit dry although the muffins were not dry at all once they were cooked.

    Also, I have to agree with Nicole. It took me nearly 20 years to become a proficient homemaker. It is wonderful to see a young lady who has been so well trained. You should give your mother a big hug!!!

    Love,
    Heather – Doodle Acres

    • Lindsay February 7, 2008 at 10:56 am #

      Heather,

      I use a partially defrosted berry for the muffins. If they are completely defrosted, the muffin will be really runny. I throw them in mostly frozen and just mash it around a bit until the berries are broken down, not completely though. This recipe does make a drier mix, I have noticed as well, but it always turns out great and moist.

      Thanks Nicole and Heather for your sweet comments. I feel far from having it all together, but I am definitely blessed with a mother who taught me well.

  51. Nicole February 7, 2008 at 4:26 am #

    We need one loaf a day…
    One day, who knows …we might need one a week , when we are only two of us left at home!

  52. Mrs. Taft February 6, 2008 at 5:54 pm #

    I don’t like the way bread tastes after it’s been in the freezer, but I find that the fridge will keep bread a little longer than room temperature. Weekly baking works for me, but I think I could incorporate the monthly baking idea with some of the muffins we eat. Thanks for the handy tip and the recipes :)

    • Lindsay February 6, 2008 at 9:40 pm #

      I used to store my bread in the refrigerator, but it always dried out the bread and made it more dense in texture. Do you experience this? If I freeze it, and then defrost and store at room temperature until we eat the whole loaf, it maintains its more tender and fluffy texture.

    • Mrs. Taft February 8, 2008 at 12:03 am #

      I guess I don’t notice because my breads are already dense? :) I just way prefer the taste of fresh bread to frozen and thawed bread. :)

    • Tia February 9, 2008 at 5:46 am #

      I freeze our breads all the time. We have a deep freezer, so if bread is on sale, I’ll buy an extra loaf or two. I want to start to bake bread. But I came from a family where we bought everything. We didn’t live simply at all. I never kneaded dough in my life. The thought nearly terrifies me! I have thought about getting a bread maker.

    • Samara Root March 14, 2008 at 12:54 pm #

      Hi Tia,

      Just a thought for you…I wouldn’t buy a bread maker till you had at least tried making bread by hand or stand-up mixer. I have a bread maker, but I use my stand up mixer anyways! (Kithen Aid). I make the same sourdough that Amy does (yeah!) (Or I do when I’m not prostrated by morning sickness :-) and the bread machine does not do well with it…anyways, my advice would be to experiment with breadmaking by hand. It is so fun, and you get to know the process and the bread can be REALLY good and also REALLY easy.
      (And there is such a feeling of accomplishment seeing a nice brown loaf rise that you keaded with your own hands! :-)
      Good luck!
      I’d love to hear how your breadmaking goes. E-mail me sometime at [email protected] .

    • Tia March 14, 2008 at 2:45 pm #

      Thanks Samara! I have Kitchen Aid stuff too! LOVE LOVE LOVE my stand up mixer!!! Definitely worth the money!

      I’ve only seen bread kneeded on tv. And then they say to knead for 10 mins, kinda makes my eyes bug out of my head!

      Thanks for the tips…when I breakdown and decide to do it, I’ll let you know!! Thanks again!

  53. Steph Garvey February 6, 2008 at 2:52 pm #

    We’re right there with you, Amy!

    Lindsay, how do you keep them from getting freezer burnt?

    • Lindsay February 6, 2008 at 9:38 pm #

      I don’t have any problem with freezer burn. I slice them and put them in ziploc bags. Freezer burn would only result over a longer period of time.

    • Leah November 3, 2009 at 4:03 pm #

      Actually I’ve heard that freezer burn comes from your freezer not being cold enough, quite often. Which I do have a problem with…which makes sense because my freezers not that great!

  54. Amy Best February 6, 2008 at 2:44 pm #

    Hmmm, I wish we only ate 3 loaves of bread a month. We go through at least 2 loaves a week!! :-)

    • Lindsay February 6, 2008 at 9:36 pm #

      Wow! If you really eat that much bread…I would definitely consider making it yourself, maybe twice a month – 4 loaves. My recipe is actually for 4 loaves, but I like larger loaves, so I condense it into 3 loaves. I remember growing up…it was my task to make bread. I would have to make 4 loaves a week to feed our family of 10! We loved bread, but especially that wonderful flavor that it has just coming out of the oven. One loaf would be gone in a flash!

    • Amy Best February 7, 2008 at 3:07 pm #

      I actually do make my own. My mom and I make sourdough (but we’ve managed to make it not taste sour at all! yes!)- we alternate weeks, so I make four loaves one week and give her two, then she does the same the next week. It works really well- you get a week off from making the bread and from feeding the starter (which happens daily). Yeah, I think it’s a Taylor thing to like bread- Justin just doesn’t get the craze. :-)

      • Daun November 25, 2008 at 6:45 pm #

        What is your secret? How can I make sourdough that doesnt taste sour at all?

  55. Nicole February 6, 2008 at 1:48 pm #

    I am realy impressed but this young mother!!!
    It took me 28 years to be a “good” mother and wife!!!
    How will you be in so many years???a “perfect” mother?!!!
    Congratulations from France!

  56. Lisa February 6, 2008 at 10:30 am #

    This is a great idea. When I bake enough bread to freeze I usually slice it after it is cooled & then freeze it in the bags. Just a suggestion if this isn’t something you do. Lisa

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