Just~One~Donna

Soft Wheat Bread in a Bread Machine If you've tried making wheat bread but ended up with a heavy, dense loaf, this recipe is for you. I use a simple 50/50 blend of whole wheat flour and bread flour to make a loaf that's hearty enough to have that familiar wheat flavor, yet soft and tender enough for everyday sandwiches. (This post contains affiliate links.  I may receive compensation if you shop using these links.) The bread machine does all the mixing, kneading, and first rise using the Dough cycle. I simply shape the loaf, let it rise one more time, and bake it in a regular loaf pan. The result is a soft sandwich loaf with a nicely browned crust—and all the convenience of the bread machine. If you've been disappointed by dense whole wheat bread, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by this recipe. Why You'll Love This Wheat Bread Jump to Recipe Soft Textur...

Summertime Cucumber Salad the Way You Like It There’s something about summertime and cucumbers. By August, gardens and farmers’ markets are overflowing with them, and if you grow your own, you may be wondering what to do with all those cucumbers. Cucumber salad is an easy answer, but only if you like cucumber salad. Maybe you don’t like all the seeds. Maybe you’ve made cucumber salad that turned out watery. Or perhaps you’ve tasted versions that were so bland you wondered why you bothered making them in the first place. This is my summertime cucumber salad the way I like it: crisp cucumbers, thinly sliced red onion, a creamy dressing with just enough tang and sweetness, and dill for that classic summer flavor. And because we all have different ideas about what makes a good cucumber salad, I’ll show you a few simple ways to adjust it so you can make it the way you like it, too.

One of my favorite ways to unwind has nothing to do with cooking. On a warm morning, you'll often find me with a cup of coffee in hand, looking out the window to see who's visiting the bird baths. Some birds stop in for a quick drink. Others seem determined to splash every drop of water over the edge before they leave! Watching them has become one of the simple pleasures of enjoying my backyard. The Biggest Bird Bath Mistakes Homeowners Make (And How to Avoid Them) This post contains affiliate links. Keeping birds happy doesn't require an elaborate garden or expensive equipment. A simple bird bath can provide birds with a dependable source of fresh water for drinking, bathing, and cooling off. But I've learned that a few common mistakes can make a bird bath less inviting, or even shorten its life. I've been enjoying backyard bird baths for years, and I'm still learning new tricks from fellow bird lovers.

How to Freeze Chicken the Right Way (Save Money and Make Meal Prep Easier) Buying chicken in bulk is one of the easiest ways to save money on groceries—but only if you freeze it the right way. Quick Answer The best way to freeze chicken is to trim it, divide it into meal-sized portions, wrap it tightly, place it in freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, label each package with the date, and freeze immediately. I never put a family pack of chicken directly into the freezer. Instead, I spend about 20 minutes trimming, portioning, and packaging it so it's ready for quick weeknight meals. That one habit saves me time, reduces waste, and makes meal planning much easier. The secret isn't just buying more chicken; it's preparing it properly before it goes into the freezer. This simple habit has saved me countless hours in the kitchen and helped reduce food waste. Spending about 20 minutes today means you'll have meal...