Homemade Dandelion Bread #recipe

My kids are hungry all the time. They are a big judgy with food. The just don't like that I'm on a binge of making so many things with dandelions. It's the season. Dandelions are free. Travis isn't working right now, nor is the unemployment money coming in. I think they are good!

Today I made bread. The first thing Mica asked, "Are dandelions in there?" I lied and said, "No! Of course not." I think my nose grew like Pinocchio's. He had it, and it won him over.

It is really easy to make! I'm always suspicious when it comes to making dough rise. in the past bread was a pain to rise, for me. I decided to try it. 

Pick lots of pesticide free dandelions. I had Isaak do this, and Mica pulled on the rest of the plant, or what some might call weed. 

Wash the flowers well, trim them off the pedals with a kitchen shears. You need 1/3 cup! That's a lot of dandelions. I had them actually pick more, for me to make Dandelion Jelly - coming up, so stay tuned. 

Heat up 1 cup of milk on the stove in a small pot. I used 2%, but I think any milk will do. Add in the dandelions. Whisk, until it is almost at a boil. Then let cool, for a few minutes. 

While you are waiting for the milk and dandelions to come to a slight boil, get out a medium sized mixing bowl. Put in 1 packet of yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, 1/4 honey. Mix, and let set until it foams. That means the yeast is active. 

Add in 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 cup softened butter (I just microwave it for 30 seconds), 2 eggs, and the milk mixture. Mix! Start adding in the flour, 1 cup at a time. I use bread flour, but all purpose would do. It will get sticky. Keep adding a cup at a time, until you have added 5 cups. 

Put on a floured surface, and knead. Keep adding flour, and kneading until it's elastic and not that sticky. You will need more than the 5 cups of flour. 

Put in a large sprayed bowl, for 90 minutes or until it's doubled in size. I lay a damp tea towel over the bowl.

It happened! I doubled in size!

Split in 1/2, put it in 2 sprayed bread pans, I sprinkled the bottom of my pans with the flour on the surface that wasn't used. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick is poked in, and comes clean! 

Let the bread cool. Slice and eat. 

I put a little honey on the boy's. It can be used for sandwiches, toast, or plain. 

Here's a downloadable recipe with the instructions: 

Homemade Dandelion Bread by AlissaSpiehs-Apel on Scribd

Have you ever ate dandelions before? 

What ways are you trying to save during this pandemic?

Random Tid Bits

1. I decided to get a bunch of design things done, that I wanted to get done. Now my scratch disk is full. I've even deleted a bunch of other things off.
   


2. All my students have been good through all this COVID-19 stuff, except for 2. I have had others not participate much. That's to be expected. I'm talking attitude.
   
   I had one tell me I wasn't a good person because I didn't grade her boyfriend's stuff. I missed his attachment entirely. I counted...that day I had 42 emails from the students. I apologized to him. Explained I'm human, and that it would help if he worked in the order of the assignment. Then I emailed the girlfriend telling her that I'm human, and it's not really her business. If he has a problem, he should contact me.
   
   I had another student that's having web issues. She keeps giving me her old file. Somehow that's my problem, not hers. She's had issues all through school. When the Director told me that she's had issues with the online learning, I think she just has issues in general.
   
3.  It snowed 6 inches last week. Now it's in the 60s. Hello Nebraska! What's the weather like where you live?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. I've messed with our weatherman some more. I really like him, so it's all for fun. He was talking about it being cloudy. I asked, "Is it cloudy with the chance of meatballs?" That was a few weeks ago.
   
   This week he kept saying his favorite word, "Spectacular". I told him the boys were outside digging in the "Spectacular" dirt. He reads the comments out loud, and often chuckles with mine. 
   
   

   

   
   
5. Isaak has a group chat with 3 or 4 girls. It makes him happy. Mica cracks up over it. Says he has too much drama in his life. 

Get Dressed Up With KIS

Typically during this time I'd be off to many different stores to find a dress, or skirt for my college's graduation.

Right now it is a great time to shop online!

• Avoid the crowds of people.
• Skip the time it takes to try many things on. 
• Find the styles you like pretty fast. 
• Get the size you need. 
• Find the right color. 
• Know the cost upfront. I hate trying to figure out discounts in my head. 

Like many schools, we have moved to having the school's graduation online via zoom. Not quite the same thing. I'm thinking when this is all over with I should have a party, for my students that I won't be teaching anymore. There are still questions, like will social distancing still be in order? It seems like COVID-19 won't let up any time soon.

It's important to still dress up. I don't know about you, but I enjoy looking good, for myself and for my family. Even if it's just looking good from the top up for a zoom video. Ha!

Skirts and dresses are comfortable! I love a break from pants. I just started getting hot in Nebraska. Finally our air conditioning is on. You can call it spring, but I call it dress and skirt season. KIS has this really cute off the shoulder dress casual. It works for special occasions, yet still comfortable in a quarantine.

KIS also has this new dress long sleeve v-neck skirt that is Christmas themed, but I'd wear it anytime of the year. Why not throw people off during the spring with something Christmas themed? If you wanted to wear it during Christmas time, it could easily be paired up with some tights to keep your legs warm.

KIS has affordable dress websites. Some dresses are up to 50% off! Certainly a great way to go. 

They have all kinds of dresses. 

• Want something relaxed? They have it. 
• Want something with a lot of pattern? They have that too. 
• What something sexy? Why of course they have it.

 Disclaimer: There may be affiliate links within this post. All opinions are my own.

Sunny Cuddles

We have a bit of a problem...

Isaak might be allergic to Sunny, the Gecko. I'm hoping it's his food he could be allergic to. We hold him in the evening because he's nocturnal. Once Isaak's eyes swelled up like crazy afterwards. Another time his lip looked all puffy afterwards. He needs to wash his hands no matter if he's allergic to him, or not. But it could Sunny be a problem, for him?

Or is it just a coincidence, and he has seasonal allergies?

I never thought that allergies to a lizard could be a thing. I'm the queen of allergies, and Sunny is one of the few pets I can actually have.

He usually climbs up on my shoulder, but one night he cuddled up to me, for a long time. I never thought lizards would cuddle ever.

Here's Isaak cuddles:

Here he is in the day time sleeping away, and splooting (laying flat with his arms sprawled out): 

His little claws tickle when he walked on you.

Sometimes when he senses you, while he's sleeping his eyes pop open.

We'll have to keep an eye on Isaak. I'm going to be pretty sad if he is allergic to him. To be honest lizards in my opinion are easier to care for than fish. That is once their setup is established. Their habitat can be a pain to get the way you and they need. Their area has to be cleaned way less than a fish tank. Their food is easy to raise. Cost wise after their tank is established, they are affordable too.

WW: Oreos or Blacktop? {Linky}

Whenever I see a crushed up blacktop think it looks like crushed up Oreos. I'm like, "Dang I'm hungry! Not so much that I want to go to the store just for Oreos, in this pandemic though." Does a crushed up blacktop look like crushed up Oreos to you?

They need to be a little more crushed up, but you get the point.

4 Tips for Guiding Your Teen through Difficult Behavior

There is no escaping the fact that the teenage years can prove especially trying for both the teenager themselves as well as their parents. From peer pressure and experimenting with drugs and alcohol to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, there are likely to be several challenges along the way. The question is, how do you, as a parent, effectively guide your teen through this challenging behavior so that they come out relatively unscathed on the other side? Here are a few tips.

Keep lines of communication open

Your teen will likely start becoming more secretive about their personal lives, the older that they get. Do not pry or try to force them to open up to you. Instead, let them know that your ‘door’ is always open and that you are happy to listen without judgment if ever they need to talk.

Try not to take their behavior personally

The chances are slim that their behavior is the way it is simply to upset you. So, try your best not to take it personally. If you do, you are almost certain to respond in anger, which will only push your teen further away.

Seek help when necessary

It is essential to seek out professional assistance if ever you worry that something is not quite right with your teen. This may mean that you suspect that they are addicted to drugs or alcohol, or that they are suffering from an eating disorder or anxiety and depression. Regardless of the problem at play, the point is that neither you nor your teen will be adequately equipped to ensure a swift and full recovery. The good news is that there are several drug treatment centers for teens in the USA. Ignite Treatment Centers are an excellent example to consider.

Avoid being too restrictive

Almost every teenager will rebel against authority at some point or another. In most cases, this rebellion takes place simply because they want to prove their independence and go against the rules. This is why being too restrictive on their behaviors and lifestyles can have the opposite effect than you intend. By forbidding them from going out with their friends, there is a higher chance that they will sneak out of the house to do so anyway. By banning them from touching alcohol, they are more likely to engage in excessive underage drinking behind your back.

Instead of telling them what not to do, focus your attention on giving them guidance to behave decently. For instance, do not tell them not to go near drugs. Tell them that a clean and sober mind is key to excelling in school and making smart decisions. Instead of telling them that they cannot go out, tell them that you have great trust in them and that you know they will be home by their curfew.

You will be amazed at the difference that this particular approach to controlling your teen has on both your lives.

Implement these tips, and you are sure to have a much easier time in terms of helping your teen to navigate their way through these difficult years. Best of luck.

Nebraska Crossing Outlet Mall #covid19 @nexoutlets

I just want to cry about this. Nebraska reopens an outlet mall in the middle of numbers rising - during a pandemic!

Source

According to our governor Pete Ricketts, the mall was never asked to close in the first place. He of course isn't going to tell them what to do. He just wants us to be mindful, and take precautions. Basically have common sense.

The mall stores will have thermometers, people are asked to wear masks, and only 10 people can come in at a time.

One argument for them - How is this any different than a grocery store being open?

My argument against them - All these stores have online websites. If people want to shop, shop online. I do realize that there are people needed in warehouses, and package deliverers. But it still is less interaction than a variety of people shopping in stores.

Money shouldn't matter more than lives. Our numbers are rising, durning this pandemic. Stay home, if you can.

In the U.S. I feel like too many leaders have the mindset that money matters more than lives. There isn't a lot of talk about the people that suffer, the families that lost a loved one, how fast this is spreading. Instead it's bump in the economy!

This outlet mall opens, so we can conveniently spend our government check! People are bored. Let them be! Find a hobby! The land of the free has become the land of I can do whatever in hell I want to. We have a moral obligation to protect the workers that have to be out, weak, and elderly.

I really felt pissed off when I found out that the owner of the Outlet Mall is Rodney Yates. He's a Trump supporter big time. Ok, support who you want. I don't care what party you are for. It just seems to me that money to all that's mentioned in the post matters more than lives. Trump has backed the way Pete Ricketts has handled Nebraska. "Use your common sense Nebraskans." - Ricketts

Source

Ok, I can back that common sense thing. I have common sense. I will stay home because I now can. I want to protect those that have to work, elderly, pregnant, and sick with something else people. Not everyone is doing that, nor do they have common sense.

What really bugs me is that this outlet mall is case study, for Trump, Ricketts and Yates. Seriously read here.

Look at the history of New York. So many people got the virus because they are in a tight area, where they travel out, and back in. This outlet mall sits in between Omaha and Lincoln. Two of Nebraska's largest cities.

I'm hoping each store chooses to stay closed. I, like many people need to shop. Mica's grew, and his pants look short. I'm holding off, and if I have to I'll shop online.