Delicious Banana Bread

Ah, bread. I have developed an obsession with making bread. If someone offered me the chance to open my own bread shop, I would do it immediately. It has become one of my favorite parts of this "homesteading" and homemaking experience. It is just SO good. Besides banana bread, I have experimented with sourdough, beer bread, and German pretzel bites. I will have to share my recipes with you all, but first let's talk about this yummy loaf that could double as a dessert or a side dish.

First things first, you need the ingredients. A few of them will depend on your allergies.. I totally go for the walnuts, but if that's not your thing then please don't add them! I also mix a little of honey and lemon into the dough to add even more sweetness. My coworkers loved this! Also, you can experiment with adding dried fruits, cinnamon and other spices, but that's not really my type of thing. I love to keep it pretty simple.

Making Your Own French Fries

One of the best things you could ever do to promote independence and revolution against the modern world is to "do-it-yourself" as much as you possibly can. We have developed a culture where everything is convenient and easy. It's so easy to go to the grocery store and buy ready-made meals or go through a drive through. So what in order to promote a life of slow-living, I am going to go back to blogging weekly with a DIY tip aimed at people in their early 20's.

Today I want to share one of my favorite food-preps: making homemade french fries! This is so great. I want you to think of the prices you pay for the bags of french fries in the freezer sections at your local corporate versus a bag of potatoes and how long the bag would last you if cut the entire bag into fries. I can make mine last quite a while -- for now, it is just my husband and I. Obviously DIY was the best choice for us. The flavor is also so much better... you can add seasoning, just salt, or just leave them plain (my preference). The sky is the limit!

The Working Woman

When I expressed to my female higher-up at work that I wanted to be a stay-at-home once my husband and I were ready to start our family and after our home was purchased, I was met with a lot of ridicule and basically told to shut up. After I expressed that I wasn't the working type of woman, especially not in customer service (I would love my job completely and could get it done in way shorter time, leaving me more time to enjoy life if I never had to deal with patients), she told me to suck it up and accused me of having "problems at home", and that I could never stay at home because my husband was "unreliable at work" (he switched jobs to make more money to provide for us, not sure how that is unreliable since he works 10 more hours and for quite a few more dollars per hour than before, but, okay). Now, this woman has helped me out substantially in my career, and I could not be more grateful. My plan has to always keep up with keeping my licenses and certifications up to date so that I could return to work part-time (yes, only part time, to her disapproval) when the kids go to school or find a pharmacy to work for when shit hits the fan. However, when she said these things, my not-so-easily offended self couldn't help but be offended, hurt, angry, and confused all in one.

Ideas for Rebuilding Communities

If your community is anything like mine, the party mindset has taken over all young people. Or illegal drugs. It's sad that after only graduating 6 years ago {not even, actually, but pretty close},  I have several classmates who have died, a handful who are in prison or jail, many who have gotten their kids taken away, and lots who are still stuck in the days of getting high day in and day out with out a worry in the world. I'm certainly no perfect angel... I used to smoke occasionally and have been to a few house parties. One thing I have prided myself in, though, is that I never let it take over my life. It blows my mind that people could even do that, but maybe I'm just different from everyone else. Or maybe my mindset is. I really truly don't know. Now I am sober as ever and would never look back. No thank you! Red velvet cake and the smell of bread baking in the oven gives me a better high than any substance in this world ever could. Well, maybe, but I'm not willing to try it. I'm perfectly content.

Embracing Womanhood

As controversial as this may sound, I have come to believe in and respect gender roles, especially those of Western value. I certainly wasn't always this way -- for a few years, I slowly became an ugly sjw type who believed women should have high end careers and that the thought of staying home with children was weak. However, growing up I desperately wanted to be married with children. It seemed like the highest calling of a woman, a role so taken for granted. I have come full circle to believe in this again. As a mature adult, I KNOW that my place is as a wife, and a mother if circumstances allow. My career is not who I am. It's only a small factor.

For two years, I put a lot of stock into my job. I both regret it and appreciate it. For one, the stress has taken major toll on my body, but at the same time the work was something I was good at and that I could be proud of. Let me make it clear that I have nothing against women wanting to have a career (because sometimes staying home, especially before you have kids or after they are grown up can be extremely BORING). I just don't think that it should be expected or treated as something extra special.

Homemade Beer Bread!

There is something special about homemade bread; it tastes delicious, smells heavenly, and gives you a sense of pride as you pull it out of the oven. One of the great things about making something with your own hands is that you can tailor it to suit your needs, wants, and to use what you have in your kitchen-- fast food joints aren't the only places where you can "have it your way".

Take beer bread, for example. Are you wanting to do a sweet dessert bread? Try a warm, delicious vanilla ale with brown sugar. Or, try a light beer and add in cheese, onions, and peppers and make a delicious side for your dinners {or spice up a sandwich!}. I am sharing with you the base recipe here for the bread, and I encourage you to add in your favorites and make it your own!