As a thank you for Sophia's teachers

...we did some homemade bread and almond butter. I was desperate to try and make my own almond butter after seeing it on Sheena's blog AND getting my first real food processor. It felt like magic to me, watching them go from nuts to creamy butter. I LOVE almond butter.

I used Lizzie's yummy whole-wheat bread recipe... For almost as long as I've known her (8 years?) I've searched her kitchen for some of her homemade bread when I'm at her house. I was always way too intimidated to make it myself, especially because the recipe was so huge. But I finally remembered how to divide by two and went for it.

I'd link you to her blog but she shut it down. A sad day. :) Here it is copied in.

I love how she has it down to such a science so there's not much waiting... it feels so much quicker than most bread. And you don't need a bread machine.

Lizzie’s Whole Wheat Bread

6 2/3 C hot water

3 T yeast

2/3 C honey

2/3 C butter (I use olive oil because Tanner and Kate can't eat dairy)

2 T salt

2 C flour

1/2 C wheat gluten

2 C oat flour (or grind up oatmeal in your blender)

14-16 C whole wheat flour (we use half hard red wheat and half hard white wheat)

Mix water, honey yeast. Let proof. Add white flour, oat flour, gluten and half of the whole wheat flour. Mix. Add salt and butter/oil. Mix. Add the rest of the flour until it barely cleans the upper half of the bowl when mixer is running. Knead for 10 minutes in mixer. Dough should be smooth and elastic, but sticky. Let rest 10-20 minutes. Set oven to 170 degrees. Spray Pam on your hands and shape into 4 loaves. Put in oven and immediately turn OFF oven. Let rise in oven for 22 minutes then turn oven to 350 degrees and cook 28-30 minutes. Immediately turn out onto cooling racks.

*The amount of whole wheat flour you use will just depend on how dry your wheat kernels are and how humid it is where you live. For example, here in California I add almost a full 2 cups LESS than my Mom does in Oregon because it is a lot drier here.

*This batch is made in a Bosch. If you have a Kitchen Aid, halve the recipe. If you don't have a mixer, ask my Mom how to do it by hand.