November 13th Pumkin Bread in the Bread Machine

I know this is not diapering but I have been looking for something to journal about and I will share some of it here. I am choosing to journal about recipes and cooking. I only sell diapers now and I do not have to use them on my son anymore so I would like to have more of a purpose for this blog then just business announcements.

Here is a recipe that I found at Bread-Making.org

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Pumpkin bread ingredients

Makes a 1 ½ lb Loaf 16 servings	Ingredient
⅔ cup	Warm water (110oF/45oC) *
¼ cup	Brown sugar (packed)
2 ¼ teaspoons	Bread machine (dry fast action) yeast
3 tablespoons	Dry milk powder (non-fat)
2 ¾ cups	Bread flour
¼ cup	Butter
½ cup	Pumpkin puree (canned or Fresh Cooked)
1 teaspoon	Ground cinammon
1 teaspoon	Ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon	Ground ginger
1 teaspoon	Salt

* Ideally, use an instant read thermometer to check the water temperature accurately. If you don't have one, it's best to play safe and use cooler water. Having the water too cool will just slow down the yeast's action, but too hot will kill it. Place a drop of the water on the inside of your wrist. If it feels neutral or just slightly warm on your skin, it will not harm the yeast.

Pumpkin bread method (bread machine)

This recipe will work if you use the ingredients in the order suggested by your bread machine manufacturer (add the pumpkin puree along with the water and the spices in with the flour. Then just set the machine to a basic white loaf setting and press start.

Alternatively, for an even better tasting loaf try ignoring your machine's instructions and use the following method (unsuitable for timer use)

• Put the warm water, pumpkin puree, sugar and yeast into the bread machine pan
• Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon - the yeast should dissolve and begin to froth and foam
• Leave it for ten minutes
• Add the flour, dried milk and spices, butter and finally the salt
• Set your bread machine to basic white bread and press start

What attracted me to it is that it is Pumpkin which I love and also uses my bread machine I am not a huge fan of baking bread on my own. More details on how it turns out later. The machine is doing its stuff now. I can not wait to try it.

Delay in this weeks winner

We have a delay in announcing this weeks winner because I did not hear back from the person who was drawn and I gave them until Monday am. A new person has been drawn and once they confirm the winning email I will publish their name I did not want you to think I was forgetting.

This weeks winner will receive the 10%off Discount link for www.monkeytoediapers.com

I will be announcing soon,
Susan



Cloth diapers the simple choice. You can feel good about doing laundry but do you really feel good about taking out the trash?

Our Web Sites

All of our sites.

ok we are amassing some web sites and I guess I just wanted to make a central list so here it goes:


Our main store and web site the place you will find most of our information and store.


This is a Diaper Brand I own and really need to do more with this site and it is one of my goals to improve on this site in the future. This site needs major updating and that is a big thing for me for 2009.


We have taken a stab at a local diaper service and have chosen not to pursue this. But we are still working on expanding our wash your own rental packages.


Our discount and discontinued items site

We are starting some mini sites as to help promote more of our products and here is the first 1 I put together.

Updates to our Prefold and Cover Packages

As a smart minded parent you want to be able to be good to your babies future with protecting the environment and save some money. Well you will get that here.

Well I have been busy this week re-working the Prefold/Cover Package deals. I want to give you more affordable options and an easier way to shop the packages.

1. With all of the Economy Prefold and Cover Packages I made an individual listing for each of the 4 prefold sizes. Newborn, Infant, Premium and Toddler. All of these packages are Diaper Service Quality Indian Cotton Prefold from Baby Textiles and you can have your choice of Dappi Diaper Pants(Yes the traditional dreaded plastic pants but you really can not beat the cost at $5.99 a 3 pack.), ProRap Diaper Covers or Thirsties Diaper covers. All of these packages are 10% off the MSRP and most will qualify for Free Shipping.
   
2. I revamped the Mega Prefold Packages making the Large size covers optional instead part of the packages. Babies just sometimes do not get that big.
3. I have also added a new Mega Prefold and cover Package. This package consist of Diaper Service Quality Chinese Cotton Prefolds and Kushies Premium Diaper Wraps at this time this is the only package we are offering with the DSQ Chinese Cotton Prefold.
   

I hope by reworking these packages that it makes your shopping experience easier and more affordable. Hands down DSQ Prefolds and covers are the most durable, money saving and Go Green way to diaper your child.

It is said that 1 child can make 2 tons of land fill garbage in there 3 years in disposable diapers. Assuming they are in single use diapers for 3 years and your monthly cost of the diapers is at the low end of $50 a month over 3 years that is $1800 you have sent out to the curb to be taken away to the land fills. Keep in mind that they are estimating that is will take 200 to 500 years for 1 diaper to break down.

The Prefold and Cover Packages in most cases can diaper your child from birth to potty learning for $500 or less. I combined the Thirsties Mega Package with the Toddler Economy Package to come up with that number assuming you may have a large baby like I did and need those Toddler size diapers in the future. That means that these diapers will start paying for themselves in 10 months and on top of that you should be able to reuse most of these diaper on a second child which will save you even more money and even less garbage being taken to the curb. Lets feel good about doing laundry, less trash at the curb and more money in our bank accounts.

Wow it is October Already

Can you believe it is October already? I can not. I really want to have so much more done then I have but oh well family does have to come first.

Here is my game plan for the rest of the year:

1. Get all of my book keeping in order.
2. Do Inventory and clearance what we want to get out of.
3. Clean up the web sites

I am sorry I will not really be doing any sewing for the rest of the year. I will however be prepared to be sewing like a mad woman come January. So there will be no new Sugar Plum Baby or Very Baby until 2009.

Do not miss out we are still having our Free Stuff Give Away in October as a treat for you. Please visit our website to find out how you can get a chance to win.

I will be talking to you soon.

Susan Mraz

September Happenings and New Stuff

I am so not able to sew like I plan. I am sorry for that family comes first and sewing comes last but hey that is why I got rid Custom Orders and sew on my time. I do apologize for that.

The good thing about fall and winter coming is Bad weather more time inside means more time to sew. HA I finally found the silver lining for the gloomy Fall and Winter weather of Upstate NY.

Sewing Plans for September:
~This week MMOS
~Week of September 10th Very Baby Hybrids
~Week of September 17th Bamboo diapers in MMOS, Very Baby and Sugar Plum Baby and this will continue into October.

Monkey Toe Diapers will no longer be accepting new Diaper Service accounts. We will honor our existing accounts for as long as they need us. We are stepping aside to allow a better organized group that can handle a larger number of accounts. Please visit Not Your Grandma's Diaper Service to find out more. They are rolling out new to the Greater Rochester Area. Click on this link to find out more:
Not Your Grandma's Diaper Service

Monkey Toe Diapers is proud to be offering some new products:

~Fuzzi Bunz
~Mums Bums Pockets
~Knicker Nappies Disposanat
~All Together Fitted Diaper(will be available for shipping soon)
~Gerber Training Pants(will be available for shipping soon)
~More Cloth Diaper Packages and adding more every week
~Happy Tushies Hanging Pail Liners
~JamTots Eezi-fold Quick-Dry Hemp Fitted Diaper
~Coming Very soon Diaper Service Quality Genuine Chinese Cotton Prefolds.

Thank You for stopping by

Susan

Sewing Update 08/07/2008

Here is a little sewing update:

Ok I am struggling this summer to really find time to sew. But this week I am able to do a little. Right now on the cutting table is Organic Cotton fleece diapers. I kept these simple. There is no prints on them the only embellishment is the lime green snaps I used and the green thread. I just wanted to stock a basic work horse diaper and you really can not get better then Organic cotton fleece. I had the naturalist in mind when I did these diapers.

I will be next week cutting out Organic Cotton Velour diapers.

These are all Sugar Plum Baby Diapers and I am making 2 in each size. XS,S,M,L

But sadly my supplier of Organic Cotton Fleece is no longer carrying this fabric so this will probably be my last round of Organic Cotton diapers. I still have a lot of organic cotton velour and will in the future be making OCV diapers but these will have hemp or bamboo fleece hidden layers instead of organic cotton fleece.

Happy Diapering
Susan
www.monkeytoediapers.com