So here’s what happened. In my endless and wasted hours of research on making sourdough starter (yes, I’m still mad! 😖) I saw one comment saying that the starter might not work as well with organic whole wheat flour. So I bought a bag of regular whole wheat flour and it started going well for a few days and then failed, just like all my other sourdough fiascos. (…still mad…) But that comment made me wonder… would plain whole wheat flour work better in my no knead bread? I think it did.
My whole wheat Dutch oven bread was always delicious but never as tall and airy as the plain white bread flour version. I already had the non-organic whole wheat flour so I decided to try it. Look at the result! ⤴ It was almost double the height of my usual loaves. And look at that crackly, crispy, crust! Maybe it’s a flook, I thought… a mere coincidence. I finished the loaf and made another one with the non-organic flour. Same thing. Beautifully big and lofty. And shouldn’t your bread reflect your goals in life? Big and lofty? 👍
It’s my belief that non-organic whole wheat flour makes a better loaf of no knead bread and that’s why I’m sharing it here. I use a lot of organic products when possible, but if the lettuce is wilted and sad and looks like it’s trying to talk, saying “I know. I wouldn’t buy me either,” then I buy non-organic. It’s the same with this bread. I wouldn’t buy my old whole wheat bread at the bakery, so I am switching to non-organic flour. If my old loaf could talk, it would say, “I’ll miss you, Jenny, but I’m not here to judge. I know in my heart that relationships don’t always last. I wish you and that non-organic whole wheat whore the best.” 😲
I was born in 1946. My parents were Polish refugees. They came to Canada with their own history and experiences, trying to make a new life and raise their two daughters. They were doing the best they knew how… ❤️
THEN: As children, to keep us from getting sick, my sister and I were given sugar cubes soaked in naphtha. I still remember the awful aftertaste. Naphthalene, which is highly flammable, is processed from crude oil and is used to make gasoline, solvents, and paint.
NOW: We just eat right.
THEN:One of our lunches as kids was a sugar sandwich. It was on Wonder bread of course, and here’s the recipe: Slather the bread with butter and top it with lots of sugar. What kid wouldn’t love that?
NOW: A salmon sandwich on whole wheat bread.
THEN:If we got sick, we ate a big raw clove of garlic followed by a piece of bread. I don’t know what the bread was for. Just so you know, raw garlic is hot, spicy, and burns when you eat it, nothing like when it’s cooked.
NOW:We cook with garlic for its antibiotic properties.
THEN: When we cut ourselves, the treatment was usually more painful than the cut. Mercurochrome! Yes, there’s nothing like a burning dose of mercury on an open wound! It was either mercurochrome or iodine, which was equally painful. After applying it, my mother would blow on it to cool down the burn! 🔥
NOW: Luckily, we have antibiotic creams with pain medicine added.
THEN: Zimne Nogi. ⬆ That’s Polish for “cold legs” and it was my dad’s specialty. He cooked a big pot of pigs feet and other ingredients for hours on the stove and wound up with a gelatinous glob that I could barely look at, and definitely not eat. He called it Galaretka. He loved it but I saw it as pigs in aspic and just couldn’t even try it.
NOW:Still no.
THEN: When my boobs didn’t grow by 14, my parents were not happy. They had ideas. My dad said to try ice water on my chest and to drink wine to stimulate my appetite to eat more, hoping if I gained weight, it would all go to my chest. My mother bought me falsies and ordered a Mark Eden bust developer from the back of a magazine. ⬇
While the Super Bowl was on, I made spaghetti. Here’s what I cooked this week:
Spaghetti & meatballs with salad and breadsticks
Chicken noodle soup
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Vegetable stir fry with cashews (recipe coming)
Tortillas
Vegetable soup with cannellini beans
70% Dark chocolate cashew clusters
Spinach fried rice with Asian salad
Whole wheat bread
Rigatoni with meat sauce + salad
Granola bars
Butterscotch pudding
I tried AGAIN to make sourdough starter this week. It was the fourth and LAST time. I failed every time and I am done! Please don’t tell me how easy it is because it’s not! If it actually was easy, then I’d be having sourdough bread tonight with my spaghetti. The one thing that goes well with carbs… is more carbs! 😋 I may have over estimated my abilities in the kitchen. 👨🍳
I am not an adventurous eater and have a problem with squishy food. That includes mushrooms. I love the flavor but not the squish factor so I always chop them up small. Here’s what I cooked this week:
Chicken & mushrooms with steamed carrots + cucumber slices
No knead whole wheat bread
Chicken stock
Dark chocolate fudge/walnut brownies
Vegetable fried rice with Asian salad
Tortillas
Custard pudding
Chicken & spinach skillet pasta with steamed yellow beets
Lemon blueberry loaf cake
Sweet & sour cabbage soup
Taco casserole the lots of tomatoes and shredded iceberg lettuce
Dark chocolate dipped coconut macaroons
We love beets! Whenever I make borscht, my husband always says, “You can’t beet soup!” 😀
I’m not sure how helpful my skincare notes will be since I don’t really do a lot, but I’m consistent so that makes a difference. Anyway, here I go with my first skincare notes:
MORNING: First thing I do after brushing my teeth is apply lip balm and spray my face with a facial spray. The cool blast helps me wake up and provides a little immediate moisture while I have my green tea.
Ready to start the day, I wash my face using an unscented cream cleanser and a warm (cheap) washcloth. For years I used Cetaphil cleanser but they changed the formula and now I use Avene because it’s similar and unscented. I am bothered by perfumes and scents – an allergy I think – so all my home cleaning and laundry products are “free and clear.” (Windex makes me gag but that’s for another time! 🤢) Anyway, back to the face. I let the cleanser “melt’ for a minute and then run a washcloth under warm, not hot water. At 79, my skin is thinner and drier and hot water strips the skin’s natural oils. I wipe off the cleanser with the washcloth and let the skin dry for a minute.
Cheap washcloths are my preference. Mine come in a stack at Target and they are anything but soft and that’s the point. Every time I wash my face, I get a very gentle exfoliating from these “grainy” washcloths. After many many uses, they soften up so I buy a new stack and keep the old, soft ones for cleaning.
When my face is dry, I apply a serum and let it set for a couple of minutes. I follow that with a moisturizer on my face and neck. I wait a bit for the moisturizer to absorb and follow with sunscreen on my face, neck, and the back of my hands.
THROUGHOUT THE DAY: There is water and lip balm everywhere – at my desk, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, by the sofa, and in my car. My skin benefits greatly from sipping water all day long. I drink before I get thirsty because if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. At 79, our lips get dry easily so I apply lip balm whenever needed.
NIGHTTIME: My face washing is the same, using the cleanser and washcloth, but about every 3rd day, I use a gentle scrub instead of the cleanser. Mature skin doesn’t need harsh grainy scrubs so I use a very fine, gentle exfoliating scrub, using that warm washcloth to remove it. Once the skin is dry, I apply a serum, let it set for a couple of minutes and follow with a moisturizer.
BRANDS I LIKE: Avene, EltaMD (sunscreen), Laroche-Posay, Dr. Dennis Gross, SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, Rilastil, and Natura Bissa ⬅ Sticker Shock on this one! 💰💰 (I never do paid endorsements – just sharing here in case someone is interested.)
HUMIDITY: I run humidifiers in the winter. Even in California, when the heat comes on, it dries the air and that is bad for your skin. (Dry air also increases your chances of getting sick but that’s for another time.) We have two humidifiers that need constant filling and occasional cleaning but I do the work because it’s worth it. I keep hygrometers around and can see that with the humidifier tanks running constantly, the humidity stays above 40%. If you get sparks when you touch things, your air it too dry – and so is your skin and cuticles, too. When I’m someplace else where the air is really dry, I use lots of hand cream and I put Vaseline in my nose.👃
NO MAKEUP: I don’t wear makeup. That may be why my skin glows because the pores don’t get clogged up with foundation and the skin can breathe. I had to wear lots of makeup on TV with even more touchups between shows, and I couldn’t wait to wash it off as soon as I could. It felt like a heavy mask but now I’m free so… no makeup!
NO FACIALS: I stopped doing facials years ago after I got better at my skincare. The last time I did my own facial (about 15 years ago) I did not see any improvement because my skin was in such good condition already.
6 THINGS TO AVOID FOR BEAUTIFUL SKIN: Smoking, alcohol, hot water, the sun, dehydration, and sleep deprivation.
HONORABLE MENTION: With everything above being important, I still believe my diet… what I’m eating/drinking and not eating/drinking… is the biggest contributor to my healthy skin.
Well I hope this is helpful.🙂 Once when my sister was visiting, I convinced her one night to stop wearing (matte!) makeup and just scrub and moisturize, and the next morning at breakfast, her skin was glowing! I remember it to this day. It was an immediate improvement that even I wasn’t expecting. We were both surprised. ❤️ I hope you find yourself pleasantly surprised, too.
DON’T SEE YOUR PHOTO? Be sure to use this LINK ➡➡MyJennyRecipe@gmail.com to send your photo. I love love love seeing my recipes being made all over the world! Please say where you are from. 🌎 🙂 Here’s the link again: MyJennyRecipe@gmail.com
CATHY (from Texas) MADE MY EASTER BREAD
“Hi Jenny, Here is a picture of the wreath I made for Easter. I also make the Christmas one too. My son just loves it. I use a container that had a giant cookie in it. Thank you for your recipes and time and patience. I am in Texas… Have a great weekend and many blessings to you. ~ Cathy A.”
– Cathy, what a beautiful Easter bread! It looks so good and I appreciate your taking time on this holiday to send your photo. Happy Easter to you and your son. 🐣 . – jenny
CAROL MADE MY FASTER NO KNEAD BREAD
“This is the second time I made this. The first time I said how great it was but this time I did do it differently. I put it overnight in the fridge( the dough) and then I made English muffins out of it on the stove griddle. I made the muffins in the morning after letting it rise for an hour or so and warm up. I did not do any extra folding, kneading, or anything . They came out great, thank you! The holes in it are from me poking the thermometer in haha to make sure it’s done.”
– What a great idea to make English muffins out of this dough! I love English muffins and yours look fantastic. Thank you for taking time to send your photos. – jenny
ALEXANDRA MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD
“Hi Jenny, Here’s what I baked today- first time and delicious! I did add a bit more water, proofed for 3 hours and followed all other instructions to a ‘t’! Best wishes, Alexandra.”
– Thank you for these great photos. I would say,”first time and perfect!” That crust is exactly as it should be – perfect! – jenny
AMINA (fromPoland!) MADE MY NO KNEAD CRUSTY ROLLS
“Greeting from Poland. I have never done bread in my life until today thanks to you.”
– Amina, this makes me so happy! 🙂 I’m so excited to see my recipe in Poland, the home country of my parents. 🇵🇱 And your rolls look perfect. Dziękuję bardzo. I życzę wszystkiego najlepszego. – jenny (Janina)
DANIEL K. MADE MY POLISH PĄCZKI
“That is a great recipe. I wanted to make some pączki for Fat Thursday/Tuesday after going to Poland in September. I liked that I didn’t need to fry them. That’s one of my gripes about store bought doughnuts is the fried in oil after taste. It doesn’t take too long to make also. I had fun squirting the raspberry jam in them.”
– Your pączki look fantastic and raspberry filling sounds delicious. Thank you for taking time to send your photos! – jenny
EVE (from Canada) MADE MY LEMON BROWNIES
“Hi Jenny! I’m from Winnipeg and can’t stop baking lately, probably because of the winter weather…you need sugar energy and we do all weather walking to get exercise! Ha! I made your lemon brownies (did them in a round and got f a n c y lol)…I also added some lime zest…had no low fat yogurt and used buttermilk…we are BLOWN AWAY…so goooood…I must add being part polish…the paczki are next (great detail and great recipe as well). All the best to you from me and my partner Jacques in 2026!”
– Thank you for this great photo. The fresh berries are a great addition and it looks really delicious! – jenny
DANIEL J. MADE MY POLISH PĄCZKI
“Jenny: I am a type 2 diabetic and you have been so kind and thoughtful in the way you present your videos. Your healthy alternatives such cooking without butter and substitutions have enabled even me to make a version that’s healthy for even me to enjoy. God bless you and thank you.”
– Daniel, you didn’t specify but I assume by seeing the pastry bag that these are pączki. Thank you so much for your photo! – jenny
JESSICA MADE MY YELLOW CAKE
“Jenny, I haven’t used a strip yet, but I love this yellow cake recipe and your chocolate frosting recipe. This is my favorite cake ever and I am so happy to have found a quick and delicious recipe to make for my birthday and any time. I made it into cupcakes and my students loved them. I used a water bath and it made them super moist. I couldn’t find a proper cupcake recipe so I just used your tried and true yellow cake recipe!”
– Jessica, that looks so good! And I agree that chocolate frosting on yellow cake is the best. Thank you for the great photos. – jenny
GREG (from Colorado) MADE MY WAFFLES
“Made your delicious waffles this morning- so good!”
– Now THAT”S the way to serve a waffle! Thank you so much for reminding me how much I love waffles. – jenny
DAVE MADE MY CHICKEN POT PIE
“Came out great, I added 3 sprigs of tarragon that I had from a previous recipe. Thank you Jenny I love your recipes and how you instruct. You are a treasure. I watched for about 3 hours and didn’t realize you were that Jenny. 😂 Thanks again. ~ Dave”
– Dave, what a great way to start these photos off for 2026 – with the best comfort food ever! That crust looks perfect. Thank you so much for taking time to send your pictures. – jenny
I hate it but I do it. I exercise religiously every single day and that is a lie. 🙂 The truth is I do the best I can. What I can’t do is set aside time every day for a 10 or 15 minute workout. I’d rather clean my oven. But the good news is… cleaning your oven counts as exercise! So does vacuuming, dusting, doing laundry, cleaning floors, and gardening… all of which I’d rather be doing than taking laundry off the treadmill to walk on it! By the way, underwear and socks dry beautifully on the treadmill. 🧦🧦🧦🧦 So am I using a treadmill? Yes. 😉 For laundry.
I do walk pretty much every day but to me, it’s fun. I get to see birds and flowers and clouds, and sometimes other people walking, but using headphones and not enjoying nature. I am motivated to walk because there’s always something to experience. You never know when you might see somebody walking a cute dog or teaching a child to ride a bike. So I’m all in on walking.
Here is the best I can do with “exercising.” I work things into my busy day so it doesn’t feel like a chore. I exercise mostly when I’m waiting for something. I do pushups against the kitchen counter while waiting for water to boil. I do reverse pushups on the counter while steeping tea. I do squats while on hold with the phone company – there’s always A LOT of time for squats! I also do reverse lunges, which I highly recommend – that’s gas company time! ⏰ I’ve even done my standing alternate arm & leg raises while waiting for the doctor to come in. I do that for my back.
I’ll get more specific about those few things I do, some with weights, but for now these are some basic details. Being active all day is how I have always lived. These days I’m up at 8 and on the go until 8 or 9:00 pm and almost always moving… from cooking, baking, washing dishes, grocery shopping, loading groceries, running errands, walking around Target (that counts), taking out the trash – I believe all that activity is beneficial if only because it’s time not spent sitting down. I walk up and down stairs and escalators. I park far away and walk to my car. We have to move! I told my husband we have to move and he said, “Okay, I’ll start packing boxes!” (more about the funny man I live with later ❤️)
My system is not for everyone but for someone who really does not like to exercise, it works for me. I like being busy so I’m also using my brain all day long. I can barely sit through an hour of television so I am the farthest thing from sedentary. I just find ways to insert some weight-bearing moves throughout my day. I also stretch every night before bed (more on that later). I do not, however, participate in any activity that requires a helmet or getting on the floor. I am NOT getting on the floor! If I do, I’m staying there until help arrives. 😀
Please forgive my imperfect pictures. They are only snapshots taken right before we eat, and I’m usually hungry! I grab one or two shots and then we can eat. But you might as well see what things really look like in this busy kitchen – a bit messy sometimes. Here’s what I cooked this week:
Simple meat sauce over rigatoni + salad
Oatmeal muffins
Almond butter
Plain jambalaya with chicken and shrimp + steamed beets
Taco salad
Spinach pesto – I always make and freeze – so handy for a quick pasta dinner
Beef stew + salad + crispy focaccia from the freezer
Apple pudding, still a work in progress
Lemon chicken cutlets with rice and steamed broccoli
NEW RECIPE: I am done with peanut butter right now. Almond butter is a healthier spread and it tastes so much better, but you have to make your own because store bought spreads will never compare to homemade. All nut butters are easy to make and well worth doing. With almond butter, roasting the nuts is key and don’t be afraid to roast them well. Here is a tray I just took out of my toaster oven. Don’t be afraid to roast them really well but keep an eye on them towards the end.
Ovens are all different so roasting might take longer in a larger oven. That’s why I love my toaster oven – it’s a smaller space for the heat to circulate so things brown faster. When the almonds are done, you can tell by the darker color and especially by the fragrant smell. Nutritionally, almonds provide protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
By the way, it’s a noisy process for a few seconds at the beginning so I always step away from the food processor when it starts. And at the end, it will look smooth but there is always some thicker paste on the bottom of the processor bowl. That’s why I stir it up from the bottom and process it a little more to mix it all together.
If you over-process it, it might be too runny. If you under-process it, it might be grainy, but it will always be delicious! 😋
This is me walking. Big hat, long sleeves, shirt buttoned up, collar up, sunglasses, and sunscreen – sunny or overcast, I do this every time I walk. This is how my skincare starts. Here are some things you may not know:
Did you know that there is no such thing as sunblock? Nothing can block the sun from damaging your skin. They used to call it sunblock but then the FDA got involved so now it’s called sunscreen.
But sunscreen does not block the sun’s damage – it only helps decrease the risk of skin cancer and the aging effects of the sun. The risk is still there. So even with a high SPF, you are only reducing the exposure from dangerous UVA/UVB rays, which is why I always cover up when I’m outside. UVA rays age the skin with wrinkles and spots and UVB rays cause sun burn. Both contribute to skin cancer risk.
Here’s a shocker: On overcast or cloudy days, I’ll bet you didn’t know you’re still getting up to 80% of the sun’s damaging rays. Look it up!
One popular sunscreen has this in their description: “Helps decrease the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun if used with other sun protection measures.” No sunscreen can completely prevent damage.
How about this? Time spent sitting near windows or in a car, also has risks. Glass blocks most UVB rays but UVA rays can pass through glass.
Here’s one more: Those harmful UVA/UVB rays also bounce off of concrete & pavement, water, sand, walls, and snow, with snow being especially dangerous. Skiers know that.
I’m not done yet. Did you know that the sun is also damaging to the eyes? Sunglasses are vital. I asked my eye doctor, “What’s the most important thing to do to protect your eyes?” He said, “Wear sunglasses.” Got it! (He also told me I had the retinas of a 40-year old! 👍) My big sunglasses also have protection on the sides so the rays can’t sneak in when I’m not looking. 👀
I’m old enough to remember not just basking in the sun, but actually applying coconut oil to intensify your tan! With a foil reflector!! 🔥 OMG!! Nobody knew – it was the 1950s. We tanned. We burned. Our shoulders peeled like blistered shishito peppers. 🌶
Too much fun in the sun… And you’ll end up “well done.” 🥵 I’ll shut up now, I made my case. Get some sunscreen and slap it on your face! 😎
p.s. Teresa made a valuable comment below. It’s important to get your skin checked regularly by a dermatologist. During my own screening late last year, the doctor said it was rare to see someone my age without skin cancer. Whew! 👍 I still go every year.
