At Home My Way

  February 5, 2026 -  February is cold.   Cold but bright.   It’s pink, white, and red and sweet!   The days are getting longer and the sun is setting later.   February leaves much of the holiday stress behind.   At work, frantic storms of last minute deadlines were potholes to dodge following   December and January and for Doug and I, there were no winter breaks. There was little time to catch our breath before the next storms arrived.   We enjoyed little time to linger.   Exhaustion.   And then an unexpected trip to Florida to check on my parents turned into a blessing of answered prayers with time to sit and wait, to pray, and not do much of anything else.   To catch late night meals, to enjoy Taco Bell and DQ all in the same night with my mom, the queen of healthy and frugal eating.   (She nearly croaked when she saw the price of two small blizzards.   She had never had one!)   Time to talk and reminisce. ...

  Shells & Sauce WWW.AtHomeMyWay.blogspot.com Printable Recipe / HERE RECIPES AT THE TOP - CHIT CHAT AT THE BOTTOM! 1 Pound Ground Beef 3 teaspoons onion powder (or fresh 1/2 of a chopped onion if you don't have picky eaters like me) 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste + 3 cans of water 1 (8 oz) tomato sauce + 1 can of water (I used home canned 16 oz tomato sauce.) 1 teaspoon + 1 Tablespoon garlic powder (divided) 2 teaspoon dried basil  1 teaspoon sugar (optional) 2 dried bay leaves (REMOVE AFTER COOKING, BUT BEFORE EATING - DO NOT EAT THESE) 1 (16 oz) box of pasta shells 1 Tablespoon olive oil (or butter) Salt & Pepper INSTRUCTIONS: Sauce : Add ground beef to a skillet/dutch oven.  Add salt (about 1 teaspoon) and some pepper.  Add the 3 teaspoons onion powder & 1 teaspoon garlic powder to the cooking meat.  (If using fresh onion, cook in a little oil until clear before adding the ground beef to the skillet.) Cook ground beef until no longer pink.  Drain...

Remember in children's book " The Little Red Hen " when she said, "Who will help me carry the wheat to the mill?" and her friends replied, "not I" said the goose; "not I" said the cat; and "not I" said the dog.  Being the city girl that I am, I never fully understood how the heck the Little Red Hen got soft fluffy flour from golden grass-like stalks of wheat. YouTube to the rescue!  Now I know and so can you.  Join me as I begin my journey baking bread with fresh ground wheat AT HOME MY WAY!   Recipes at the Top:  Chit Chat at the Bottom  No Knead Bread  Using Fresh Ground Wheat (Printable View HERE) "No Knead means no kneading!  It means stirring with a spoon like you do a bowl of brownie mix.  That's what I'm talking about!" 3 cups Hard White Wheatberries (wheatberries aren't milled yet)  ( This will make about app. 4 1/2 cups of flour. You only need 3 1/2 cups of freshly milled flour for this recipe .) 2 tea...

  Thin & Crispy Pizzeria Style Pizza  At Home My Way WWW.AtHomeMyWay.blogspot.com (printable view here) Thin & Crispy Pizza  AT HOME MY WAY is perfect for pizza nights at home.  You can have restaurant quality pizza in the time it takes to get pizza delivery.  Crispy pizza at home with some crunch?  Oh yes - that crunch is possible right in your very own kitchen!   Uses regular pizza pan, regular oven, no special equipment needed! Here's how I make Thin & Crispy Pizza AT HOME MY WAY! FIRST THINGS - FIRST: Place your oven rack on the lowest level in the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees while mixing up the crust. Quick Pizza Crust Recipe Crust Recipe: 1/2 cup warm/hot water (like hot bath water - "hot but no hurt") 1 teaspoon active yeast 1 teaspoon sugar (optional) 1 1/2 cup All Purpose flour (unbleached is best) 1 teaspoon table salt 2 teaspoons oil (I used olive oil.) (plus a little more for your hands). Cooking spray or oil to pre...