Speaking from the Heart

Now here are the rules for this award:

1. Please put the logo on your blog.
2. Place a link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate 3 or more blogs.
4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message on their blogs telling them they've won an award!
6. Start preparing the bread starter

Amish Friendship Bread Starter
It is very important to use plastic or wooden utensils and plastic or glass containers when making this. Do not use metal at all!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110°F)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.

2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.

3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

Amish Friendship Bread Recipe

Day 1: Do nothing (This is the day you receive the batter, but go by the date on the bag).
Day 2: Mush the bag
Day 3: Mush the bag
Day 4: Mush the bag
Day 5: Mush the bag
Day 6: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Mush the bag. Don't worry if the starter smells, it is fermenting.
Day 7: Mush the bag
Day 8: Mush the bag
Day 9: Mush the bag
Day 10: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir. Take out 3 cups and place 1 cup each into three separate plastic containers. Give one cup and a copy of this recipe to three (reality) friends.

To the balance (a little over one cup) of the batter, add the following ingredients and mix well.
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

If you keep a starter for yourself, you will bake every 10 days. The bread is very a good quick bread and makes a great gift.