My Christmas Bread - It's pretty simple

6 cups white flour
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons Soft butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup oat meal
2 cups boiling water
2 packages dry yeast
1/3 cup lukewarm water

1. Soak oats in boiling water for 30 min.
2. While oats are soaking, soak yeast in lukewarm water.
3. After 30 min., mix salt, butter, honey into oats.
4. Add yeast. Stir to mix.
5. Stir in 2 c flour
6. Stir in next 2 c flour. This will be more difficult.
7. Knead in last 2 c. flour.
8. Cover with towel and let rise til double.
9. Punch down and let rise again.
10. Punch down and put in pans and let rise again.
11. Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 min.
12. Remove from pans immediately and butter tops.
Variations:
1. 1 c. seedless raisins

Family favorite/tradition. Must use real butter for best result.
Makes 2 large loaves.

Mary, sounds good!! Question: Are the oats like 5 minutes Mother's Oats, or the instant oats?

Mary, I cannot work with yeast. I don't know what I do wrong, but nothing ever turns out right. I know the water can't be too hot or too cold, and sometimes I even use a thermometer, but it doesn't help. My mother was really good at working with yeast but I didn't inherit that trait. LOL

The receipe does sound good!

Pretty quiet here today. Last night dh's temp was up but he may have just got too warm. He wears layers and also usually has a blanket over him in his recliner in the eve plus has one of those heater fans directed at him plus the regular furnace at 73. During the day I try to keep the furnace about 71 but he likes it higher. Anyway his temp dropped to almost normal before bed and today he says he feels fine. He has not had any pain so far today so it's a good day. I got a lot done yesterday ...even cleaned the carpet in the hall. Other rooms need it too but the hall was really getting to me. It's not perfect (let it go too long) but looks and smells better. Speaking of smell, Halo is smelling better since we started the frequent shampoos with the dermatologic shampoo...funny thing I thought it was a flea shampoo, but finally read the bottle and realized it is for the skin. I remember now, the vet thought she might have allergies and they could be contributing to her odor. She has to be bathed again tonight and hoping ds will do it again.

Today I have weekly cleaned the kitchen. Hope to go to go grocery shopping soon. Also hope to bake some bread and maybe something sweet, but kinda scared to have it around me.

Love2Garden - I use Quakers oats...cant' tell any difference when I make it with either the quick or long cooking type. I think any oats would probably do.
BTW, another version is to add dried herbs you might like...I think they were the kind in Italian seasoning that were mentioned in the original recipe. I don't have the original recipe anymore. I tried using whole wheat but we didn't like it as well. You can also add raisins...it's good that way but it was a bit drier...maybe the raisins soak up the moisture You can also use molasses and the bread will be a little darker in color, but we prefer honey.

Carole Sue - I use lukewarm water to soak the yeast before adding to the mixture. I soak it maybe 5 min or less, it kinda comes to the top of the water, then I give it a quick stir before adding to the mix. The oats are warmed first and that makes it easy to mix everything together. As you can see the flour is added two cups at a time. The first is easy to mix in, but it does get harder after that and you end up kneading in the last cups. Use the amount of flour that seems right...a little more or less doesn't seem to matter. It's pretty easy except the workout of the kneading. Funny thing, my youngest dd, the runner, who is in very good shape, and usually seems to see me in terrible shape, asked me for the recipe a few years ago and after making it once she was tired. She told her dh can you imagine mom used to make two loaves every day up until Christmas?!! LOL Well I did do that. We would keep one loaf out and freeze one most days...we would gobble one down pretty fast...but by the last two on Christmas Eve we still had enough in the freezer to hand out to a few neighbors and have some ourselves on Christmas eve and Christmas. After I went back to work, I still did it for a while and then began to bake fewer loaves and eventually very few. Now I only bake it shortly before the holidays as dh really loves it.

ETA: Another thing that helps with the rising is to have the kitchen warm. If it's pretty cool, I will often heat the oven to make the room nice and warm while it's rising. Be careful though about having it near the open oven door (if you leave it open) because the dough seems to dry out. I cover it with a clean dishtowel while its rising. Once I had to go out for quite a while and didn't want to leave it rising...it was in the pans already..so I just put it covered in the fridge until I got home. That slowed the rising down a bit and it still turned out pretty well..perhaps not quite as attractive a rise but ok.

Mary, it sounds like that bread has really become a family tradition. I think it's so nice to have things that remind you of your holidays growing up. I have tried to do that for my step-children, too. My cookies are one of mine, and I also make Pepperoni Bread, which is a long loaf filled with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. One year I decided not to make it and everyone asked for it, so I'm back to making it again. We always went to my MIL's on holidays and she had a lot of Slovak traditions handed down from her mother. I have tried to keep them up now that she's gone. They seem to appreciate it, this German/English girl cooking like a Slovak, but none of the others know how to make these things, so when I'm gone, it will just be a memory for them.

For years I was always the warmest person in the room. I rarely wore sweaters, even with our cold winters, and many times wore short sleeves in the winter. The past year I've changed. I'm always cold. I'm always pulling an afghan over me and have started wearing a shirt under my nightgown at night. But our furnace is never set above 68 degrees. That used to be comfortable for me but not any more.

I guess everyone is busy getting ready for the holidays.

Lucinda, I wanted to wish you a Happy Hanukkah!

Carol Sue, DH designed heating and cooling systems while an Engineer. He always had nursing homes at 76 to 78 degrees because most are sitting or in bed and not active. As we age, our bodies don't maintain heat as well, too. Of course, you have thyroid checked recently, right?

Like you I am German/English plus Irish. My husband's Polish Mom was the world's best cook, especially her soups and breads. I spent one summer with her and learned her way - and I'm so grateful. However, DH & I seem to be the one that kept up the old ways. His 4 sisters didn't seem to pass much on. I have to remember our Son's great job with Polish Dressing at Thanksgiving, and teaching his daughter, our granddaughter how to make Kluski from scratch to go in Chicken Soup.

Dearest 20 month old Anthony here with our grandson for supper last night. DD and I enjoyed the very curious and active little one who discovered new delights in things like the tin canister that held the toy Manger scene. DGS updated our phones, and even brought a new one for DH that has the larger screen and has entertained him this morning.

Time to go to gym. Really having to push myself.

Love2garden, I do have thyroid issues, but the levels fluctuate. A year or so ago I was in the ER because of heart palpitations. Due to my heart issues, I was concerned. They checked out my heart and everything was fine but they told me my TSH was high. I called my PCP and he prescribed the lowest does of thyroid meds. I was fine for a couple weeks, but then the meds drove my thyroid levels the other way and I had to quit taking them. We are still checking my levels every 6 months, and they are inching up again. I have read that this is a sign that eventually I will have hypothyroidism. Right now I am taking Kelp capsules, which are giving me extra iodine, and are helping somewhat, but I wouldn't be surprised if I end up on meds indefinately.

Today I am going to the store to buy my ham, and also the ingredients to make the pepperoni cheese bread. Baking that will take up the next couple days and then all I will have left is cleaning and some baking that has to be done last minute.

On Monday, we will be watching our 6 year old grandson as there is no school. He does not play well alone so we have to entertain him. He would do better if we watched him at his house, but I would like to be here so I can get a few things done, even if it's only laundry.

I will probably not get back to exercising until after Christmas.

Mary, I hope you and Joe are doing well.

We got up really late. I should have stayed up with the dog. She refused to go back to bed so left her in the living room...don't know what's the difference to her, she just went back to sleep on the love seat! Guess she just likes to switch it up. Anyway we slept in til almost 10 and dh was in a lot of pain even though he had taken two oxy at 7. I suspect it made him sleep a while but when he started moving it began to hurt again. Couldn't make it around the bed without stopping and holding on. He can often lay flat or sit still without pain, but if he moves (esp turning) or even takes a deep breath, he gets the pain on the left side. Not so much in the front today, mostly just the side and back but it was more severe apparently. The pulmonary doc hasn't called yet so I called his primary. He wasn't in but they referred it to another doc. She hasn't called yet but the pain has finally eased so maybe he can wait until Friday now and see his regular doc. I tried to call and let her know but they said she'd call and I can tell her then.

Trying to plan out my Christmas Eve and Christmas day menus...Thinking about quiche appetizers, sandwiches (either I make or lay out meat and cheese for them to make), BBQ meat balls (slow cooker), veggie plate and chicken salad with crackers. Then Christmas dinner will be Rib Roast or Prime Rib, little potatoes cooked, then sauteed in a tiny bit of olive oil and garlic, Pan sauce (kinda like Au Jus), brussel sprouts, and whatever cookies, candy and maybe pie I can muster up. We will go to Christmas Eve service and then come home to eat so I want to keep the Christmas Eve meal as simple as I can.

If we don't have to go into doctor's office, we plan to go to Costco for some things and I want to buy my Christmas roast somewhere. I always like to have the meat ahead of time. Otherwise, I'm cleaning and decluttering in the bathroom and living room today. Off to a very late start.

Love2garden - Glad you got to enjoy time with your ggs. So far I have no ggc but I have four gc who are old enough, one is married and one is living wih her bf so it could happen.

Carole Sue - Too bad the other kids didn't learn to cook the recipes too. I hope my children will remember and cook some of the dishes dh and I cook. Right now one does make lumpia, but that's about it.

Mary, I'm sorry to hear that Joe had so much pain again. It's strange how some days he feels fine and other days he has a lot of pain. It will be good to see the doctor and hear what he has to say. Hope it's not bad news.

Today I'm making my pepperoni/cheese bread. I use frozen bread dough. I defrosted it in the refrigerator overnight and it's rising slowly. The house isn't real warm, but I've been turning on the oven occasionally and placing the bowls of dough on top of the stove to get some of the heat. I realize that first the dough has to come to room temperature after being in the refrigerator, then it will start to rise quickly. Then I make 2 rolls from one loaf of bread. Roll out the dough to a rectangle, top with shredded cheese and sliced pepperoni, sprinkle of garlic powder, roll up and bake. A friend made this for a party about 25 years ago. My family liked it and I've been making it ever since, but usually only around Christmas. You can slice it into 1 inch slices for an appetizer, or into larger pieces to eat like a stromboli. I usually make 8 rolls, and each family gets one to take home.

Have you used the grape jelly and BBQ sauce recipe with prefrozen Italian beef meatballs? I see lots of recipes online for this and they say it's great but none say they use "Italian" meatballs. Think it'd make a difference? I want to put them in the slow cooker and have them ready when we get home from the Christmas Eve service. I am baking bread today. It's on it's 3rd rise (in pans) so won't be long. Dh is looking forward to it so hoping he can eat some when it's done.

Dh's pain is less severe right now but still has some shortness of breath. He took some meds earlier when it was worse. He fixed himself some pancakes and eggs (he likes to cook) but only ate about 1/3 of it. He is very tired and is in his recliner now. I called a pulmonary clinic but they said they were not referred from the hospital, they said someone could see him if I get a referral from his primary, but the primary won't give it until they see him and we have an appt for tomorrow. Meantime I also called the pulmonary doctors dept at the hospital as now thinking that was probably where the referral went(clinic within the hospital complex) and left a message. I will take him to whoever I can get him to the soonest. I would think they would have the results of the tests by now, but with the weekend, they probably won't call til next week now. I just notice the discharge note says the pain is resolved (it wasn't completely...it did seem to be but we told them on the last day it was back again) and it says the pulmonary dept is to call in a week or two! That's too long the way he is feeling esp if they have the results from the tests and could get to work on treating the cause.

Carole Sue - Your pepperoni cheese bread sounds delicious. I think I may try that with 1/2 of my dough next time. That would be the same as one loaf. I like Annie's pepperoni pretzels I can buy at the mall and it makes me think of them. Thanks! Put it in my computer recipe program. I think dh's pain is worse because the space has filled up with more fluid and when he moves a certain way it puts pressure on nerves. So if he just lays still or even sometimes walks straight with no turning, he doesn't feel it so much, but more of the time I notice he is short of breath. They need to find the cause if possible and hopefully they can treat it...we are at the point now that we just want that...it will be difficult to face if it is something very bad/can't be treated, but perhaps it will be treatable. Right now I just feel there is an urgency to get him into a pulmonary doctor. The timing seems bad with the weekend and the holiday coming up, but I'm sure it will work out how it is suppose to.

Mary, prayers for your husband's issues, may you get the help you need and promptly. Prayers for peace for both of you.

Your plans for Christmas Eve are ambitious, but I remember doing something similar for years. Sure slowed down in past few years.

Carol Sue. Pepperoni rolls sound tasty. What type pepperoni do you use?

LOL I forgot to mention the veggie tray, chicken salad/crackers and appetizers will all come from the store. I will have to heat up the appetizers. The meatballs will be heated in slow cooker and I think I've decided to eliminate the sandwiches. I just hope the little ones will eat some of this. One is very picky (4), don't think other one is except NONE of this family eats veggies!! I'm getting the veggie tray only for me and my older son probably so will try and get a small one. Sometimes though I have used the leftover veggies in stir-fries later on.

Here I am again! LOL but I had to let you know...I finally got an appt with a pulmonologist for dh! They said they called and left a message on dh's phone but he says he never saw/heard it. Anyway it's for tomorrow at 9:15 am and will be a long appt. til at least 10:45. Hoping to learn it's an easily treatable condition but regardless we need to know. If you believe in God and prayer, I'd appreciate your prayers.

Mary, I will be praying that the appointment with the pulmonologist goes well, that they find the cause and can begin treatment.

I first had those meatballs about 30 years ago, Mary, and since then I have made them once. The recipe I had you had to make the meatballs yourself, bake them in the oven, then combine with grape jelly and Heinz Chili Sauce. Since then I have seen many different recipes using frozen meatballs. I don't think they had frozen meatballs that long ago. I think it wouldn't matter what kind of meatballs you used. It's really the sweet and sour of the sauce that makes them. I had forgotten all about that recipe and never think to make it.

I made 6 loaves of the pepperoni bread and DH has one half gone already. Have to get a few in the freezer so I have them for Christmas. He also opened the tin of popcorn I bought and has the caramel corn half gone. I don't want to tell him not to eat it because he really likes his snacks. He probably didn't realize I bought it to put out for Christmas.

With the leftover frozen bread dough I made Bobalky balls. That will probably require some explaining. LOL It is a Slovak dish eaten on Christmas or Christmas Eve. You bake 1 inch balls of bread dough, then let them sit out to dry out. When you are ready to serve it, you put it in a colandar and pour boiling water over them, to soften and moisten a bit. They you mix some butter and onion in a frying pan, add some drained saurkraut and cook for several minutes, then you mix it with the bread balls in a big bowl. There's another way to make it too, instead of using the butter, onion, and sauerkraut, you mix it with poppyseed filling. DH's family didn't make that kind. The tradition from the old country was to take the Bobalky with the poppyseed filling and throw some up on the ceiling. The longer it stuck to the ceiling, the more good luck you would have in the coming year. They sell the baked bread balls in our local super markets, but they charge $8 per pound and that's too expensive. It can be made at home from frozen bread dough, hot roll mix, or Pillsbury refrigerated bread sticks. I make enough balls so I can give some to my step-daughter. That's the only thing she makes from all the Slovak dishes.

Love2garden, I use Bridgford Pepperoni. I buy a long stick of it. I have tried different ones and that one has the strongest taste. If eating pepperoni, I can use any brand, but we like this one the best when mixed in with the cheese and the bread dough. The first time I used it I bought it because it was on sale. Now it is the most expensive one in the store! LOL It's easiest if you buy the presliced pepperoni, but DH likes the Bridgford, and it's difficult to slice it thin enough, but he does the slicing himself.

Well, we were at the pulmonologist for two hours. The news isn't good but we don't really know for sure yet about anything. She thinks it is either caused by scar tissue from a previous infection or cancer. He has a pulmonary function test on Monday and they are arranging an appt with a pulmonary surgeon, hopefully on Tues. They are considering this urgent. Keep the prayers going up. They were surprised how quickly they were able to get him in for the test..I see the hand of God in it. Will try and get back when I can. Too much going on right now.