The classic comfort combination of bread with gravy is global. Biscuits with gravy are served all over America now. In our home, the post – Thanksgiving hot turkey sandwich is an institution! For many years I have strived to make the perfect bread. One that is soft and absorbent, yet stands up to piles of turkey and gravy.
Here it is!
I simply call it “Hot sandwich bread.”
Bread machine friendly!
In the baking pan of your bread machine:
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup regular olive oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 & 3/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon bread machine yeast (make a well in the flour for your yeast)
Set the machine to 1 & 1/2 pound loaf. Light crust!
This makes a very soft loaf of bread, with a velvety texture. It holds up to gravy without disintegrating.
This thrifty meal is perfect for busy, chilly, days. Many of us will have the ingredients on hand. I always keep apple juice and sausage in the freezer. And Granny Smith apples in the fridge.
We buy several gallons of apple cider when it is available in the fall, and store it. But apple juice works just fine.
1 lb. Sauerkraut (I only use ALDI German kraut in the glass jar) If you use the ALDI kraut, it does not need rinsing, but rinse and squeeze out other kinds of kraut.
1 lb. Smoked Polish sausage
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. Packed brown sugar
3/4 t. Sea salt
1/8 t. Black pepper
1/2 t. Caraway seeds (necessary IMO)
3/4 c. Apple juice or cider
Spray the inside of crock, and place half the kraut in the bottom, spreading it evenly.
Cut sausage into 2 in. pieces and place in crock. Add the rest of the ingredients, then cover everything with the rest of the kraut.
Do not stir!
Cook on high for 3 to 3 & 1/2 hours, or low, for 6-7 hours.
Normally, I serve rye bread with this savory dish. But since I had the cider…
If you have apple cider, serve your kraut dish with apple cider bread …
The third installment will address the third part of the day. By dividing your day into small but defined segments – you will feel less overwhelmed, and have a series of small successes each day! And really, each small success is a huge triumph, when you consider that you are doing a woman’s most important work – raising Godly children for His honor and glory.
Now that free time is over, if you have older children – they will still be working in required subjects. Various state laws sometimes require that home schools be in session for the same amount of hours that public schools are. Most home schoolers find a way to comply, without chaining their teens and preteens to a desk all day. My kids were in a self directed program for middle and high school, which only required my supervision, not direct teaching.
11. Attend to any remaining subjects after lunch. For us, this was time for history, science and supplemental subjects like health, art and music.
12. Depending on how many kids you have – this could take 1 – 2 hours altogether, with very short breaks.
13. By around 2:30, even the older kids should be finished with everything except what we term as “seatwork.”
14. We would all have a light snack between 2:30 – 3:00.
15. From 3:00 – 5:00 is complete free time. Even for mom. Time to sew, garden, play piano, or – take a nap! Many times we all hit the family room with our afghans and snoozed for varying lengths of time, depending on age. Sometimes a teenager needs a nap more than a toddler! And – because dinner was always in the crock pot, this was very, very stress reducing.
16. Twice a week, during the afternoon free time period, was an outing. One was a necessary grocery shopping trip. The other was for a weekly field trip. This consisted of driving to the library, or park. We varied parks, so there was plenty of free diversion. Even in winter, we loaded sleds into the vehicle and spent a lot of time outdoors.
17. By this time – everyone is ravenous – and the wonderful smell coming from the crock pot is enough to send up a cheer from everyone!
18. After dinner and clean-up, is what I like to call “quiet time.” Quiet playing, reading and studying. Teenagers will have a lot of written work to satisfy diploma requirements. Immediately after dinner was the best time to finish copious amounts of high school work. This is not the time for younger children to be screaming and running around the house. It would be a very good time however, for reading library books, or watching videos. I have very strong objections to exposing kids of any age to television as it is now. There are many options – such as DVDs from the library, or something like Netflix, which gives you complete control.
19. Younger ones gets baths around 7:00 – 8:00. Then, I don’t know about yours – but mine always had to run around after baths! Every night. (usually wanting to be chased ) And, of course, a bed-time snack.
20. After everything settles down, I make dinner in the crock pot for the next day, and put it in the fridge to start in the morning.
Yes, bread machine. Another home school helper extraordinaire. Saves tons of money, especially if you want your family to have pure food. And yes, I load this up at the same time as the crock pot, and set the delay timer. You can not imagine how easy it is to get your family dressed, washed-up, and to the breakfast table when there is the aroma of hot cinnamon raisin bread calling to them.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
The Vine Vigil 
