• Waterfall Chasing

    April 13, 2022

    I love waterfalls. I love being in the forest. Last week, we traveled to the Kentucky border to get the new puppy. We decided to make a day of it and find a really cool state park to hike. We watched as the forecast got colder and colder. Then, snow was forecasted. We didn’t care. We didn’t leave quite as early as planned, but we hit the trail and hiked three miles with flakes of snow falling.

    We went to Ferne Clyffe State Park, which is within Shawnee National Forest. Southern Illinois is really beautiful. I didn’t want to leave. I stacked a bunch of rocks to prop my phone up to get the above picture. It was worth it.

    The trail was rocky and slick from the rain and snow. I would say it was the most difficult one that we’ve done with the kids. We gained over three hundred feet in elevation, which isn’t the most we’ve gained. It is certainly more than we gain here in flat central IL.

    This trail definitely scratched my itch for adventure. I’ve been checking out so many travel books from the library in an effort to escape.

    I highly recommend visiting this area. We hiked the Waterfall trail and Hawk’s Cave Trail. The waterfall trail was not marked well at all. We actually ended up off course, but quickly realized it. Turns out, we were supposed to turn left and climb a rock wall to stay on our trail. I climbed to the top to make sure that it was, in fact, a trail. It was such a blast. Good shoes are also needed with the way the Waterfall trail is. It’s not a smooth dirt trail. It was a lot of rock and climbing.

    I hope you get out and explore. Nature is the best therapist.

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  • Our New Farmily Member

    April 12, 2022

    We have a new member of our farmily. Meet Ranger, an 8 week old Australian Shepherd.

    He is energetic, playful, and loving. The girls are smitten with him. Puppies are so exhausting, but he’s going to be such an awesome adventure buddy once he is trained.

    I always said that I would never do the puppy phase again, yet here we are. Someone guessed that we were getting a goat. That would be fun, too. But, we are limited on what farm animals we can get here. I think we COULD do a pig in a pen here that ate all of our food scraps and turned them into bacon. But, that isn’t anywhere in the plans right now.

    Happy April, friends!!

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  • Life Lately

    April 5, 2022

    Hello, friends! I’ve been a little quiet over here again. Not much outside of the ordinary has been happening on the homestead. Basically, it’s been a lot of the above… Sweet family time playing games and reading books. I’ve also been chauffeuring my kids and their friends to birthday parties and dance classes. This phase of parenting is so wild, but so fun. They can make their own breakfasts and do their own laundry. These little ladies are so incredible, and I’m so blessed to be their mama.

    We had a raccoon get INTO the chicken coop one night when we were at the library. Thankfully, it only killed one chicken, and it won’t bother anyone again. We think it slipped between our electric netting and the run and didn’t care that it got shocked. Electric poultry netting has been a newer addition to the homestead. I was sick of chickens pooping all over the front porch, but still wanted some free ranging. This gives the best of both worlds. We can rotate where the chickens “pasture” is so that they always have fresh grass and bugs while still keeping them off of the porch. We are up to our eyeballs in eggs, so if you are local and love organic farm fresh eggs, come see us!

    This time of year is always such a struggle. My mood really plummets. The days are longer, but it has still been cold and so rainy ALL. THE. TIME. I have been really down. I want to start the garden, but I can’t. We have started onion, pepper, and cabbage seeds so far. I’m itching for soil on my hands and under my nails. I can’t wait to pull a fresh carrot from the dirt.

    Current world circumstances are also overwhelming. The cost of everything is starting to get a bit alarming. We have been in some very difficult situations in the past, and God never let us down then. None of what is happening is a surprise to Him. I keep reminding myself of this scripture, and I hope that it encourages you also:


    “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:25-34

    We do have some really fun stuff coming up for our family, and it will be fun to share all of that soon!!

    Happy Tuesday! I hope you have more beautiful weather where you are than we do. 😉

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  • I Will Sing of the Goodness of God

    March 7, 2022

    Yesterday, Harper had a very important eye appointment. We’ve been waiting seven months for this.

    First, I’ll back up. She has worn glasses since the age of one. She saw a pediatric ophthalmologist and has had regular eye care from an optometrist ever since then. Everything was great other than she needed corrective lenses to see. Fast forward to 2020, and her eye doctor mentions that he’s noticing one of her eyes pulling in a bit. Nothing to be concerned about, just to watch. Last year, he says we need to start patching because her eyes have gotten worse. He increased her prescription so much that he wanted to see her again in a month to make sure she has adjusted. This has happened for the last several years. At her follow up, I get told that he is going to refer us out to a specialist because her vision is so bad even with glasses. He said “I’m afraid there’s just nothing more I can do from her here.” He said that most believe the eye can be manipulated until the age of 8, but some believe there is more time. She had just turned 7 when he gave us this news, so i felt like time was running out.

    I got in my car and cried… sobbed is more like it. It felt like a gut punch. Her eyes were getting so much worse year after year even though I was told back when she was one that her vision should improve greatly since we caught it so early. I start researching amblyopia and strabismus to see what sort of options the pediatric ophthalmologist may suggest. As I’m reading, everything is saying that if it is not caught early enough, it may cause blindness in that eye. With her eyes having been so weak even through her glasses, I was terrified of this worst case scenario. I looked at books and web sources and they all said the same thing. I was sick to my stomach over it.

    Harper sees a homeopathic chiropractor regularly, and I told her to do whatever she could think of to help her eyes. We did a lot of muscle testing and put her on supplements to help what was lacking. She’s been on a lot of brain support supplements and had a lot of adjustments. It’s been awesome. We had also been regularly patching her eyes, because both eyes needed help– one more than the other. During patching, we were working on a lot of fine motor activities to really force the eyes to work hard. Harper is a trooper. Only recently has she grown tired of the patches, because it amounted to 8 (6 on one eye, and two on the other) of her waking hours.

    Anyway, we went yesterday for a two hour appointment. They checked everything, and we get the greatest news. The stronger eye is where it needs to be and no longer requires patching. Praise God! The other eye is still not where it needs to be, but instead of patching for six hours, we can go down to “at least” two. Her eyes have improved SO much. Her prescription was increased again, but that is to be expected. He explained that just as our foot size gets bigger as we grow, prescriptions get bigger. He said not to think of it as a negative, just as growth.

    When he was done, I asked him the burning question. Could she end up blind in that eye. He said “Well, a meteor could fall from the sky into her eye, and yes, she would be blind. But, from this. No. Not at all.” Y’all! It was like a ten million pound weight was lifted.

    I cannot believe how much improvement has been shown in her eyes. When we get her new prescription, she will actually be able to SEE through it!! Things were still blurry when she got her new prescription last year. I can’t imagine living that way. She is thrilled to get less patching time. I am thrilled that she will be able to see!!

    God is SO good. I know so many were lifting her in your prayers, and I am so grateful.

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  • Support Local Farmers

    February 25, 2022

    Over the past few years, we have really tried to look for ways to source our food locally. Shortening your food chain is so important.

    I know that it is difficult to figure out how to find your local farmers. This has been a process for me as I try to find more sources for what we use. It has taken a lot more work, but it has been so rewarding. I’m going to share some of the ways that we have changed to supporting local farmers instead of big box stores.

    A few years ago, we did a CSA program. You can read about our experience here. We really enjoyed being a part of it. But, then we moved and started our own garden and decided to invest that money into our own crops the following year. Getting connected with a CSA is a great place to start. You can go here to find one local to you. When you do this program, you know that you are putting your dollars directly in the hands of farmers. Which in turn puts money right back into your local economy.

    Eat Wild— This website has lists of many farms in your state that sell food. Most of our listings have meat and eggs. The cost of sourcing your meat directly from a farmer is SO much more affordable than the grocery store. The quality is also much better. Check out your state and see what you can find. We just purchased 1/4 of a cow this month after starting the process in July. It was so much cheaper than what we have been paying per pound of beef.

    Get Raw Milk— This is an awesome resource to help you find local farms to get raw milk for your family. Raw milk still has the probiotics that help your body digest the milk. Pasteurization is why so many people can’t digest dairy anymore. We’ve removed all of the healthy benefits from milk because we are so afraid of the small chance of unwanted bacteria. Raw milk is so much safer than you think. Do the research, don’t just take my word.

    If you don’t want to or can’t buy massive amounts of meat, find your closest store that sells local meats. We have a farm store thats an hour and a half away. I try to go once a month to buy our meat for the month. It is MUCH cheaper than even Aldi prices. Finding stores like this takes much more digging. Ask around and see if anyone knows of a place close by.

    If you drive in rural areas, you can often find “eggs for sale” signs. Farm fresh eggs taste so much better and have much more nutrition than store bought eggs. These same farms will often have produce available during the growing season.

    Search Craigslist. People will post eggs, milk (typically listed as “for animal consumption” due to stupid rules) and extra produce even. Get creative.

    It takes a lot of creativity to find what will work best for your area. Once you have your rhythm down, it becomes pretty smooth sailing. These farmers work tirelessly and put so much love and care into what they do. I love being able to directly support them.

    If you are local to me, here are some sources that we use:
    Kilgus Farmstead— meat, dairy, coffee, soap, honey
    Ropp Jersey Farm— Cheese, milk, and meat (Last time I was there they even had elk.) You can even pet the baby cows. Get the dill cheddar. Yum.
    Graized Beef— obviously, beef
    Janie’s Mill— locally grown and milled flours and grains
    Beachy’s Bulk Food Store– This is an amish store, so there’s no website to link. There are so many bulk spices, grains, etc here. Local meats and cheeses fill the freezers.

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  • Preparedness

    February 14, 2022

    Preparedness is sort of a buzz word these days. I feel like most people think the term “prepper” means we are looking for a zombie apocolypse. That is a myth.

    We have seen, especially over the last two+ years, a major shift in our country. We’ve seen empty shelves and shortages at the grocery store. Limits were placed how many canned goods and packages of toilet paper you could get in a single trip. We have seen our supply chain crumbling. Ships stuck at port. Shortages of truck drivers. It goes on and on. We can point our fingers and blame all kinds of people.

    Really, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We’ve removed ourselves from the work required to provide for our own households. We rely on convenience and don’t want to take personal responsibility. It’s easier to go buy a loaf of bread than put in a little work and bake your own, for example.

    Preparedness also goes so far beyond what is happening in the world. What if you have a natural disaster? What if you lost your job today? How long would you be able to feed your family? What if you get sick and can’t go to the store for a week? Will you have enough food? Do you have the medicines you need now so that you won’t panic if illness does come?

    First, open up your cabinets. Look at what you already use. Those are the items that you want to stock up on for these circumstances. If you lose your job, your family will not appreciate eating freeze dried bananas and beef jerky every day. Buy the cans of vegetables and soup that you already purchase. Look in your freezer. What do you usually cook with?

    Buy an extra __________ each time you go to the store. Are you buying green beans? Grab one more can than you need. Get an extra bottle of ketchup. Throw an extra package of bacon and ground beef in the freezer. You’d be surprised at how quickly these things add up in your cupboards and give you a little bit of security.

    During cold and flu season, make sure your medicine cabinet has what you will need– whether homeophatic, holistic, or allopathic medicines. You do not want to wake up in the middle of the night with a sick child and be unprepared. Know what you will do. If you have to write it all down just to have peace of mind, do it.

    It’s also time to skill up! We need to go back to our roots and cook from scratch again. I saw something recently that stuck with me. It said “I used to joke that I had grandma hobbies. Now I realize it’s because those skills weren’t passed on to the younger generation.” So, here is Grandma Ashley encouraging you to start learning some of these skills. Bread baking is not that complicated. Yes, it takes a lot of practice, and there will be mistakes. But, be willing to be bad at something before you get good at it. Make your soup from scratch instead of a can. It’s much more cost effective and much healthier for you. You can make a double batch of soup and freeze the other half. This also comes in very handy if you get sick.

    Learn how to hunt. Jill Winger just did an amazing podcast with Stacy Lynn Harris about hunting that will give you so much good information.

    Grow your food. Not everyone has the space for a full garden, but a potted herb on your kitchen windowsill is a start. I started out with a few potted plants when we couldn’t have a garden. It made such a difference. If you can’t grow your own, find a local farmer to support. There are many of us out there.

    Homesteading is a different life. I’m aware of that. I’m aware of the blood and sweat we have put into what we’ve built. We sacrifice in many areas of our life to build what we have. This life is prepping in its own way. The goal is to put up food from the garden to last through the winter into the next garden season. It’s a lot of work, and I’ve not been successful in reaching that goal yet outside of garlic. But, it is a goal. And it’s not for everyone. I get that.

    Your family is your responsibility. It is no one’s job to bail you out should any of these scenarios come to pass. Yes, community is great and we should be willing to help others if we are able. I have been on the receiving end of so much kindness when our lives crumbled. So. Much. Kindness. But, refusing to do the work and expecting others to carry your weight is unacceptable. Do what you can with where you are at.

    I know that this often brings the question of “where will I store this extra?” Do you have space under your beds? Boxes or tubs of canned goods can fit underneath. A little bit of space in a closet? Maybe you have a bunch of junk that you don’t actually want anymore. Get rid of it and use that space for storage.

    Rotate through your stock so that nothing expires. I refill my cabinets from our extra stock, and put new groceries away with the stock. That way, ideally, nothing slips through the cracks and gets wasted. Find a system that works well for you.

    Everyone can do something. I’m not saying to go out and panic buy. That is also irresponsible and puts a strain on things. Just buy a little extra here and there. I challenge you to learn one new skill this month. Learn how to make scrambled eggs. Bake a loaf of bread. Cook one meal from scratch. Just do something. I encourage everyone to give themselves a bit of food security. It will help you to feel much less panicked if you go to the store and see bare shelves. At least give yourself the extra security in case of a layoff or job loss. I cannot stress that enough, friends.

    I am curious what the stores are like where you are. I have noticed that meat seems to be the tricky spot for us. I have to grab meat if I see it because chances are good that I may not see it next time. I should also say that I do not go to the grocery store very often, so what I see may be skewed. We do one big trip a month and then the occasional trip to grab more milk or something I forgot or couldn’t find. Let me know in the comments below.

    _______________________________________________________________

    If you are wanting to do a long term food storage situation, this brand has had a lot of sales lately. I personally would rather not spend my money on those things outside of a couple of things that I couldn’t grow or make myself should calamity come. Things that may be a treat and make the struggle more bearable. (Brown sugar, honey powder, and chocolate milk for example.) But, it may be the easiest thing for others.

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  • All About Thrift Books

    January 6, 2022

    I love books. I love reading them. I love flipping through the pages. I love seeing them lined up on my shelves. I just love them.

    When I was an education major, I started collecting children’s books. This obviously exploded during my year of teaching, and has grown even more absurd since becoming a mother. Throw in homeschooling, and our home looks like a library. There are shelves of books everywhere. It’s a vicious cycle.

    We have tons of educational books to go along with various units for school. Dictionaries, atlases, thesauruses, etc. line our shelves.

    I have been collecting homesteading books on all sorts of topics that we need or may one day need to have. With the wild ways of censorship taking over the internet, I want to make sure that we have the information needed when we need it. I’ll slap that tin foil hat on proudly.. but that’s another subject for a different day..

    I also love a good fiction read. Escaping into a different world is a lovely way to pass the time. I love opening a book into Narnia, listening to the trees talk. I can sit next to Laura Ingalls while Pa plays the fiddle.

    All of that to say, I love books.

    But, books can be so expensive.

    That is where Thrift Books comes in. It is, as the name suggests, an online thrift store for books. You can even purchase new books if used isn’t your thing.

    I have several wish lists on my account, and I will get an e-mail if something that I’ve been looking for comes in stock. It is a great place to look for out-of-print books or older editions of books. The prices are so low– unless it is a super-rare book. Then, look out.

    The best part about Thrift Books, aside from the amazing prices, is that you can earn “ReadingRewards” points. Every time you make a purchase, you get points. How many points per dollar spent depends on what level you have achieved. Every 500 points earned gets you a free book under a certain price point ($5-$7). I am “literati” level, which means that I get to choose a book that is $7 or less for free when I get my reward. I just went back through my account and have been able to redeem ELEVEN free books! So many books are within that price range, so your choices are always so good. Be sure to sign up for that!

    They do bonus points throughout the year which can give you a boost when you order.

    If you haven’t looked into Thrift Books before, I encourage you to sign up with this link. If you use my referral link, we both get an extra free book when you’ve spent $30.

    Go to your public library if you don’t have it in your budget to buy used books. I use our library like crazy. But, if you are looking to add a book to your home library, be sure to check Thrift Books first!

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  • Twenty Twenty-Two

    January 4, 2022

    Are you feeling 22?


    I can’t believe it is already a new year. Where did 2021 go?!

    I love to spend time reflecting on the past year. Last year was a roller coaster. We lost all of our animals in February. We lost everything we planted in the garden to a huge, unexpected downpour that drowned all of our little plants. Shortly before Christmas, we had tornadic weather in the area that took out our huge blue spruce tree. It also took half of two other huge pine trees. As far as homesteading goes, it was quite disappointing. All of this could have broken us and caused us to thrown in the towel.

    But, we refused to be discouraged and quit. We got a whole new flock of chickens and added ducks to the mix. We even have regular egg customers, which is so fun. Our garden was replanted, and did decently for how the weather was. A dehydrator was added to our kitchen to help us preserve the harvest in different ways. I’ve been cooking with garlic powder from home-grown and dehydrated garlic. Those little things feel like such huge victories! I’ve learned new skills in the kitchen, allowing us to eat more food from scratch. I got to come home full-time and be with my family. And, the trees that I actually cried over have become firewood and opened up some more sunlight on our garden.

    We are looking forward to what 2022 brings. We more than doubled our garden space. The beds are covered in cover crops and leaves that will break down and feed the soil. We even purchased a small low tunnel and have spinach and arugula growing outside. On NYE, Scott and I stayed up and rang in the new year by spreading all of our seed and hatchery catalogs out with our Homestead Planner. We planned and dreamed what we hope the year looks like here on the homestead.

    With the rising cost of food, we are trying to be especially deliberate in what and how we plant the garden this year. We bought grow lights to make our seeds grow much better. Every year, we put our seed shelf in front of our south facing window. It gets plenty of light, but our plants end up leggy and weak. The lights will help our plants get the strongest start. Here’s to a better tomato harvest in 2022.

    I was looking out over all that we’ve done in the last year, and it astounds me. Where we once had nothing but grass now stands a chicken coop built from the ground up, a duck house and run, and a massive garden. We put in SO MUCH work last year. When I think about all that we achieved in a year, I get really excited to see what can be done this year. If only budgets were limitless. ha!

    I’ve been reading Joel Salatin’s book Polyface Micro, and it’s SO packed full of information. I highly recommend that you get a copy and learn from one of the greats. You can get a copy here. It’s new, so I haven’t seen any used copies yet, but keep checking at Thrift Book. In his book, I learned that the average homestead only lasts six years before discouragement sets in and people quit. Six years. Gosh, that hurts me. I don’t want to be that person. Only if the Lord tells us “enough” will we quit.

    The phrase that keeps coming to me lately is “open hands”. I have said for years that we hold everything with open hands. When the Lord closed the door in Oklahoma and we came back, I was so hurt and confused. If I could have turned my hands inside out, I would have. I didn’t want what He was giving me. But, I listened and my heart softened. I held out my hands, and saw all of the good He was placing in them. It has been so good. But, I can’t close my hands and cling to it. None of it is mine. It all belongs to Him. He gives and takes away, and I will hold my hands open to allow whatever He has for us.

    I hope and pray that your intention for 2022 is the same. Life is meant to be lived, so go LIVE. God delights in us when we enjoy what He has created. Seek His will and follow His leading.

    Happy New Year, friends!

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  • Addi’s Tenth Birthday Interview

    November 22, 2021

    My little old soul, Addi, is ten. I don’t know how it happened, but here we are. She is a lover of all things old fashioned and history. She wanted her birthday party theme to be Civil War this year. Not the war itself, but the time period. Addi, you have the kindest heart. You are such a good sister. I can’t wait to see who you grow up to be.

    1. What is your favorite color?  pink

    2. What is your favorite toy?  I can’t really choose.

    3. What is your favorite fruit?  I like apples.

    4. What is your favorite tv show or movie? I don’t know. I really like the Harry Potter (movies).

    5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  That I can’t choose because I don’t really think about favorite lunches.

    6. What is your favorite game? Hmm.. I have a lot of favorites (name some) I like Clue, Chickapig is also fun. I like Dobble.

    7. What is your favorite snack? I like it when you give us those yogurt covered pretzels. They’re yummy.

    8. What is your favorite animal? hmm I have a lot. I like unicorns and elephants and buffalos. It’s just a lot of favorites.

    9. What is your favorite song?   I think it’s “My Lighthouse”.

    10. What is your favorite book?  That’s really hard because I like so many. There’s a series that I like.. a few actually.. I like the Harry Potter series and the Unicorn Academy series and I also like the Case Closed series and.. the Unicorn Rescue Society.

    11. Who is your best friend?   I have a lot because I have a lot of really good friends.

    12. What is your favorite cereal?   I don’t really think I have one.

    13. What is your favorite thing to do outside? I like to hold chickens.

    14. What is your favorite drink? I like milk and lemonade.

    15. What is your favorite holiday?   Halloween

    16. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? I have a lot of different things I take to bed with me at night. (What is the one thing you grab if you spend the night somewhere?) Normally it’s Fluffy.

    17. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?   I like having your homemade sourdough waffles.

    18. What do you want for dinner on your birthday?  Turkey, cornbread, green beans

    19. What do you want to be when you grow up?  I don’t really know. Sometimes I think I want to be a third grade history teacher and other times I want to be a librarian. There are just a lot of different things I want to be sometimes.

    20. What makes you feel happy?  A lot of different things. I feel happy when I see my friends and when we visit family.

    21. Who is your favorite author? I think it might be JK Rowling because she writes a lot of different books.

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  • Pesto Swirl Bread with Barilla

    October 30, 2021

    It is that wonderful time of year again. The time when the weather is cooling off, and I can bake to my heart’s content to warm the house and our bellies. There is nothing I love eating more than a fresh baked slice (or two) of bread. Just the smell of freshly baking bread brings so much joy and comfort.

    Today, I am partnering with Barilla and Mom’s Meet to share a recipe that I created in the autumn kitchen. I made some pesto swirl bread to go with a pasta dish, and four out of five members of my family LOVED it. One is… well, super picky. She liked it alright, but didn’t love it and go back for more. So, take that as you’d like. My husband, who was honestly really unsure of how good it would be, LOVED it. As Rachel Ray would say, here is our cast of characters:

    I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

    I am going to share the recipe right here, and then move on to some step by step pictures and information. You are welcome.

    Pesto Swirl Bread

    1 1/2 cup warm water
    2 teaspoons active dry yeast
    2 teaspoons honey or cane sugar
    1 egg (can sub 1 Tbsp ground flax seed and 3 Tbsp Water)
    1 teaspoon salt
    3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
    4 Tbsp Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto

    1. In the bowl of your mixer, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and allow to sit until foamy.
    2. Add egg and salt- mix until combined.
    3. Add the flour one cup at a time until just combined.
    4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for approximately five minutes. You want your dough to be smooth and not sticky.
    5. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a clean bowl to rise for one hour, or until doubled.
    6. Once doubled, punch the dough down.
    7. Turn the dough onto your lightly floured counter and roll with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 12X17 inches. Eyeball it, it doesn’t have to be specific.
    8. Spread 4 Tablespoons of Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto onto the dough. Starting at one of the short sides, begin rolling into a long cylinder.
    9. Pinch all of your edges together and place seam side down into a bread pan.
    10. Allow the prepared dough to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled.
    11. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

    Here are some of my best bread baking tips. The temperature of your water will make or break your yeast. Too hot, and it will kill your yeast. Too cool and it will not activate. Think of a warm bath. What temperature of bath water would you draw for your children? You want it warm, but not hot. That is the ticket. Once you’ve combined your water, yeast, and honey/sugar, it should get foamy. If it isn’t foamy after 15 minutes, throw it out and start over. It’s better to throw out those ingredients than so many more if your bread doesn’t rise. It also saves you a lot of frustration. If you have a drafty, old kitchen (just me?) that isn’t warm enough for bread to rise, turn your oven light on and place your bowl inside. This will create just enough warmth for your dough to be nice and cozy. Just don’t forget and preheat the oven with it inside.


    It is always so fun to see how much the dough rises!
    Roll out your dough after the first rise

    I know, it does not look very appetizing. Stick with me here. Spread your Creamy Genovese pesto evenly on the rolled out bread and start rolling it up. My father-in-law once told me that he was always amazed at how some of the grossest looking foods could be the best tasting. He was eating green chili chicken enchiladas that I made. He wasn’t wrong.

    Make sure you keep all of the edges all tucked to the bottom so that it will not come undone. Fold all of the edges under and pinch them closed the best that you can.

    Here is the delicious bread after baking. It smells so good. I wish you could scratch and sniff. You are welcome to try, but I don’t think it will work.

    I like to remove my bread from all baking pans after it has cooled for about five minutes. If you leave it in, the bread can get really moist and end up gummy and gross. Pop it out onto a cooling rack or wooden cutting board and cover it with a towel. You can wrap the towel around it completely if you want to keep the bread really soft.

    Roll that beautiful swirl footage.

    We ate this bread as is– just warm and fresh from the oven. It would also be delicious with some butter and garlic toasted in the oven. A creamy pesto swirl garlic bread? Yum.

    Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto is ready to be consumed right from the jar. You don’t have to heat it up at all. You can stir it into fresh pasta, spread it onto sandwiches or toast, marinate meats and vegetables, and use as a dip for veggies and pita chips. It is so versatile.

    Barilla respects the ingredients. It is imported from Parma, Italy. To preserve the color fo the basil and the aroma of the Italian Cheese, Barilla minimizes the handling of ingredients. It is prepared in as little as three hours from start to finish– from ingredient preparation to tightening on the lid. That is awesome.

    Just a little of the pest goes a long way. One jar mixes best with 16 ounces of pasta. (Get the cute little mini bowties!) How fun would this be on spaghetti for halloween with olive eyeballs in your green pesto pasta?!

    You can buy Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto at Target, Publix, Stop & Shop, Meijer, ShopRite, Hy-Vee, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, and more. Visit momsmeet.link/barillalocate to find a store near you.

    Did you know that pesto is usually bought and used in the same day? Sixty-six percent of shoppers consume pesto within three hours of purchasing it. It is so easy to stir into some pasta, serve with some salad and voila! You have a meal.

    If you try this bread, be sure to come back and tell me what you think!

    Happy Baking!

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