(My cheerful little 4-year-old who will be helping me in the kitchen today!)
I found this recipe yesterday and it inspired me to have another Baking Day. Our freezer is fairly well-stocked, but since I'm not exactly sure when this baby will be coming, I figured it wouldn't hurt to bake up a few more things to add to our After-The-Baby Freezer Stash or maybe to eat before the baby comes. 🙂
Considering I'm almost 38 weeks pregnant, I'm not planning a long list of baking projects to tackle as I never know when my energy might run out. However, I'm thinking I can manage the following short list today. Or at least try to accomplish it–we'll see how far I get!
To bake today:
Whole-Wheat French Bread Rolls
Super Power Muffins
Banana Pumpkin Muffins
Banana Bread x 2
If I get really ambitious, I might also cook up, chop, and freeze some chicken breasts, too.
Want to join me in the kitchen today? I'll post pictures of our progress throughout the day and will host a Mr. Linky at the conclusion so you can share anything you've baked today, too!
If you're planning to join us, I'd love to hear what's on your list to bake today.
Well, you inspired me and though I’m a day late I will be baking today. I plan to try to rolls you mentioned plus a few other things. My list is at:
http://www.frugalmenumamas.com
If you are having trouble getting your dough to rise – try the microwave.
First, I put a coffee mug or a Pyrex glass measuring cup full of water into the microwave and heat until boiling – that warms up the microwave nicely.
Next, I put the dough into a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray on the underside.
Put the bowl into the microwave – you can leave the hot water in the corner of it too. It makes the microwave moist – like a bakery proofer.
Close the microwave – but not all the way. You want the light bulb to stay on to keep it warm inside. I have found if I put a towel over the door and almost shut it, the door does not swing open.
I have had great success with dough rising this way!
Candace
http://www.frugalindy.com
Louise,
First of all I would only put my bread in the oven with the light on, at least that’s what I have to do here in Indiana. Also, I have had trouble with the towel, so another alternative to the towel is plastic wrap. At the camp where I work we always use plastic wrap plus we also have oil in the pans and on top of the bread. Spray oil works great!
Thanks for linking the recipe for the “super power muffins.” I work full time, but I LOVE to bake, and we had one banana left, so I knew I had to try them when I got home tonight. We had them for dessert and they were a big hit! I will probably use less peanut butter next time, though, and more applesauce.
Your 4-year-old has a very sweet smile…and such lovely curls!
Only a few more days/weeks and your new little baby will arrive! Congrats – I’m so happy for you.
We are having a muffin baking day today! I love to have these in the freezer for homemade snacks and breakfast.
Okay all, I am trying not to cry! I followed the advice about the second rising of the dough. I heated to oven to 150 degrees (the lowest it would allow for). The first rise of the dough was great and I had a damp cloth over the bowl. Now, when it came to letting the 16 portions rise in the oven with a damp towel well that went well too. Until I took the towel off…..some of the dough stuck to the towel and the risen rolls……fell. Please, please advise.
Louise
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Money Saving Mom here: I didn’t let mine rise in the oven. The kitchen was already warm from baking so I just stuck them up on top of the refrigerator for 40 minutes or so.
You could try oiling the tops before sticking a towel on or using a really light tea towel. Usually it won’t stick if you do either of those things.
Those Super Power Muffins sounds delicious! I am having a major protein aversion during my pregnancy but know that I should be getting plenty, especially now that I’m in my 5th month. So I think I’ll make these tonight and add some soy protein powder, too. I can’t have chocolate (NO caffeine whatsoever) during the pregnancy due to a heart tachychardia so maybe I’ll substitute some raisins for the chips.
I baked/cooked today.
I made:
2 pans of King Ranch Chicken casseroles, 2 lasagnas, 2 banana bread loaves, 4 spinach quiches, sweet potato puree for baby food, green bean puree for baby food, pea puree for baby food and carrots puree for baby food.
Your muffins look so yummy if I can mustard up any more energy I think I might makes so of those after dinner tonight!!
Good gracious. At 38 weeks pregnant, all I was doing was laying around moaning! I did work half days still, but I would think having two toddlers would equal at least that in tired-ness!
Whoops, I just saw the ones you posted in your stash post. Any others?
I have been saving all of these. I will desparately need an after the babies come stash of baked goods and dinners. Do you have any recipes to share of dinners or casseroles you’ve prepared for when the baby comes?
Luckily at my church the ladies will help with some trays, but from what I’m hearing, with twins, it will be a long time before I have my evenings free to cook.
Has anyone one used regular flour in place of bread flour? Bread flour is so much more expensive because I can’t buy it in bulk. I was wondering if it comes out the same!
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Money Saving Mom here: I’ve never used bread flour in my life, that I can remember. I always just use regular flour in its place and it works just fine for me. 🙂
This is how I freeze yeast bread before baking, which I got from a King Arthur Flour bread baking class. After the first rise, shape into a loaf and place in a greased baking pan. Put the entire pan in a plastic bag in the freezer for 24 hours. Then take out the loaf, wrap in plastic wrap and foil and put back in the freezer.Then when you want to make it,thaw and let rise and bake as directed. An easy way to have fresh bread whenever you want.
Louise – I find that if I put rising dough in the oven on warm with a glass dish filled with water on the bottom rack. This seems to help everything go right and control the environment.
This is day #2 for me baking friendship bread. It mulitplies so fast!!! I love it though and can make so many different recipes from it. Also, my cousin is getting married in 2 weeks so all these loaves will provide for needs there. I’m on loaf #11/12 out of 16!!! I’m not going to count up how many starter bags I have in my freezer now! But, that gives me something to pull out and make almost anything out of…bread, cake, brownies, pancakes, waffles, biscuits…the possibilities are almost endless! 🙂
Crystal, you’ve inspired me today. I had some bananas sitting on my counter getting very brown, so I made your banana bread and it is in the oven with ten minutes left to go! I’m also going to try your whole wheat rolls. Thank you for sharing with us!
This sounds like so much fun. I would love to bake some of those french bread rolls – yummy, yum!
I had already planned a Baking Day for today as well. I am on Spring Break and wanted to get ahead on some of our favorite things. I planned to do your recipe of whole-wheat waffles, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, and the sweet potato bake you posted a few months ago. I’m posting my pictures on my blog. Thanks for all of the yummy recipes you always post. We love them!
Oooh – I think we’ll make those Super Power Muffins. Our boys will love them! Question on that recipe – it calls for 1 cup of unpacked brown sugar. How much would that be packed?
I am baking today as well not necessarily to store up for future meals but for a wedding cake! I have a 4 layer wedding cake to make 14,12,10,8 inch layers. And if I can get that done then maybe some baking for supper tonight. I love your baking days, Crystal – wish my oven wasn’t going to be in use all day or I would join in making breads and goodies to freeze!
Oh I wish you had chosen to do this 2 days ago. That was my baking day. Sadly today is a shopping day for me, so I won’t be joining, but I will definitely be watching!
Here in Northern Illinois it is also yucky, cold, and wet. It seems it’s a national epidemic!!
I baked some bread yesterday, so I won’t be doing that today. But, I had planned on making some pound cake as a “tester” for a shower I’m having for a friend in June. So, if baking one thing counts as baking day, I’m in 🙂
Thanks for your inspiration!!
Crystal,
I have been baking bread for months now using your recipe. Here’s my problem: the bread does not seem to rise as high as I’d like 50% of the time on the second rise. I refridgerate the yeast, grind my own flour, and follow the directions from your recipe to a “T”. I do find it hard to find a warm place in the kitchen….it is not that it is drafty, but I have granite countertops and, well, I just have difficulty. Can you offer some advice?
Thanks.
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Money Saving Mom here: From what I’ve heard, bread rises differently in different parts of the country, so that could be the problem. You might try covering it and putting it in a warm oven or letting it rise on the stove top if you’re baking something in the oven. Both of those methods work well for me if the kitchen is drafty.
I’m going to have to have me a baking day in the week between when spring semesters out and when summer starts. I need some easy food to just pull out.
I needed a good roll recipe for company this weekend. Can’t wait to hear how yours turn out.
I have a big baking/cooking evening planned.
Along with dinner, I plan on finishing making baby food (Sweet Potatoes), I baked them last night but need to process them and freeze them tonight.
I am going to make Pumpkin muffins, I am cheating though and using a Pillsbury Quick Bread that I had bought awhile ago.
I am also planning on making up a batch of applesauce muffins.
I had no idea you were baking today, too. How fun! It’s foggy here in San Diego – perfect baking weather. Our list is here: http://www.lifeasmom.com/2009/04/baking-day-plan.html
I love it when you invite us along to bake with you. CUTE, CUTE picture of your daughter!
I did our cooking on Saturday. I am kinda in the mood to bake though because it is super cruddy here. I have to see.
you are going to be so glad that you have this stash in your freezer! my newborn is six weeks old now and between the meals that were brought to us and the stuff i had in the freezer, i am just now planning my first “real” shopping trip that will result in cooking again!
Aww, if only I wasn’t occupied for most of today =/ I’d love to spend the day baking with you. Maybe next time. Good luck and have fun.
I made pancakes yesterday and froze them!! No baking today- but I did blog about it with the recipe this am!!
http://mom-kristi-e.blogspot.com/2009/04/maxs-favorite-breakfast.html
I hope you enjoy the rolls. I love the recipe and have made it many times. I guess it was a good one to share. I hope your baking day goes well.
Thanks for the link Crystal. We have been making these every other day all week, they are so yummy!
Hope you are still feeling great!
Toni
Crystal, I’m curious about your storage methods. With the bread and rolls do you just wrap them in seran wrap and then in foil? I’d love to learn from you since it seems you have good success with freezing your baked goods. Thanks!
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Money Saving Mom here: I don’t freeze that much yeast bread since we like it fresh, but if I do, I just stick in in a plastic freezer bag once its cooled. I freeze lots of muffins, pancakes, etc. this way and so long as you use them within 2 months or so, I’ve never had a problem with freezer burn.
Easiest way for me to cook chicken breasts is to cook them in the crock pot. (Less energy for you to use!)