Finally!

I've tried to make homemade crackers several times before, and haven't really loved any of the recipes.  Either they tasted like cardboard, or I couldn't get them to roll thin enough, or they were too greasy... you name it.  Today I decided to try THIS RECIPE for Homemade Rosemary Crackers that I pinned awhile back on Pinterest.  We have two beautiful Rosemary plants out in the garden.

I don't usually cook with it.  So I've been at a loss as to how to use it.  A few weeks ago, I made some great potato chips and the kids loved them... which told me they wouldn't complain about the Rosemary in the crackers.

The dough was really easy to mix up with the dough-hook of my mixer.  And better yet, it was also really easy to roll out on the cookie sheet.  Next time, I'll be a little more liberal with the salt.  I played it very safe this time because I didn't want to ruin them!  Also, I used half whole wheat pastry flour.

I am here to tell you that the Rosemary is not at all overpowering (it does get stronger the next day), and these babies are GREAT with cream cheese and homemade pepper jelly!

This is less that half the batch so it does make a decent amount.  Definitely a keeper.

Wholesome Homemade Honey Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe makes 4 loaves at a time, so I decided to try it. After years of making my own bread, I am still looking for "THE ONE." I have stopped purchasing flour and am working on using up my supply. When it's gone, I'm going to start grinding my own from wheat berries. I scored a Nutrimill Grinder this past summer at a thrift store for SEVEN dollars. Since we were in the middle of a PCS (Permanent Change of Station... ie, MOVE), it stayed in the back of the van for the MANY weeks we were living in a hotel room before we could close on our house. I absolutely cannot wait to start using it. But I've got a ways to go... lots of flour to use up first, since I tend to buy everything in bulk.

I had a cup of whey leftover from this week's yogurt batch, so I used that and 3 cups of water for the bread. I had to add in about a cup of wheat germ, because the 10 cups of flour just wasn't enough. I also used brown sugar instead of molasses because I didn't have any.

The Verdict? This was some seriously delish bread. The texture was so soft and amazing (some of that might be because of the whey.)  As you can see, baking at 375 really made them brown up. I had to cut the cooking time if I didn't want them burnt to a crisp. I usually do bread at 350, so the next time, it will be at 350. I also think I'll cut it to 3 loaves instead of 4, since the ones baked in the loaf pans came out smaller than I like, despite having plenty of time to rise and using brand new yeast.