Whole Wheat Bread and Oatmeal Muffins

Every family has recipes that are favorites. The two recipes that I would like to share with you have been passed down from older relatives. The recipe for Whole Wheat Bread is one that my grandmother had given to her by her mother-in-law. My grandmother, Nana, was 92 years old when she died in 1999, so this recipe has been around for many years! If you don't like to knead bread this is the perfect recipe for you. It's a heavy bread, delicious when toasted. The recipe makes two large loaves of bread. It is a very simple bread to make and bake. Since it is so simple, it would be a great recipe to have children help you with.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

7 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons dry yeast
3 1/2 - 4 Cups warm water
2 Tablespoons honey
4 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons salt (I use a little less)

Put whole wheat flour in a metal or glass bowl. Set oven temperature on the lowest temp. Put bowl of flour into over for 20 minutes.

Dissolve dry yeast in 1 Cup of warm water. Add honey. Set aside.

Dissolve molasses in 1 Cup of water. Set aside.

When flour is warm, combine yeast and molasses mixtures. Add to whole wheat flour with the salt. Stir well -DO NOT KNEAD. Slowly add enough water to make a very sticky dough.

Oil pans with canola or vegetable oil. Fill pans 1/2 to 1/3 full. Let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 35 - 40 minutes. Cool bread for 20 minutes in pans. ENJOY!

The second recipe I would like to share with you is one given to me by my husband's grandmother. It's another old recipe that has been handed down and enjoyed by family members. These are very good! And they are healthy, too.

OATMEAL MUFFINS

1 Cup quick oats
1 Cup sour milk - If you don't want to buy sour milk, you can make your own. Just add one Tablespoon of lemon juice to one cup of whole milk and let stand until it looks curdled.
1 egg
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup melted shortening - cool
1 Cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda

Soak oatmeal in the sour milk for one hour. Add egg and beat well. Next, add the sugar and mix. Add the cooled shortening, flour, salt, baking powder and soda.

Bake in greased muffin pans in hot oven, 400 degrees F, for 15 to 20 minutes.

These "old" recipes are much more wholesome than many of the recipes we commonly use today. I hope you enjoy the healthy taste of both of them!