And now for something completely different...
I decided, for the new year, that I would make bread from scratch once a week, rain or shine, busy or not! So far, I have managed to not only manage this each week, but I have also managed to improve steadily over time!
I am really pleased by this as I absolutely LOVE to bake... there is just something refreshing about making something with your own two hands and providing somethign for not only yourself, but for those around you. The recipe that I am using comes from a cookbook that my Mom had, and before that, my Grandma had. It is just a simple "Five Roses" cookbook, but it has so many wonderful recipes!
The recipe makes four loaves of bread (but this week I only made two as I only have two loaf pans and, as I found out last week (when my dough was FINALLY rising correctly) that when it says that it needs the extra hour to rise IN the pan, it really does need to rise IN the pan.
Yeah - two really nice loaves and two falen loaves later, this lesson was learnt. So, half baches till I get off my butt and go buy some more pans!
This means that Derek and I will probably be the only recipients of bread this week - I have been giving away the extra loaves to friends and family as there is no way that D and I would go through that much bread.
Again, it is just nice to be able to bake, and to have something that I can do regularly that is not a chore! *grins*
So, life is full of bready goodness (today is brought to you by a whole wheat herb loaf) and smiles!
I hope that everyone is doing well! Miss you all!
I am really pleased by this as I absolutely LOVE to bake... there is just something refreshing about making something with your own two hands and providing somethign for not only yourself, but for those around you. The recipe that I am using comes from a cookbook that my Mom had, and before that, my Grandma had. It is just a simple "Five Roses" cookbook, but it has so many wonderful recipes!
The recipe makes four loaves of bread (but this week I only made two as I only have two loaf pans and, as I found out last week (when my dough was FINALLY rising correctly) that when it says that it needs the extra hour to rise IN the pan, it really does need to rise IN the pan.
Yeah - two really nice loaves and two falen loaves later, this lesson was learnt. So, half baches till I get off my butt and go buy some more pans!
This means that Derek and I will probably be the only recipients of bread this week - I have been giving away the extra loaves to friends and family as there is no way that D and I would go through that much bread.
Again, it is just nice to be able to bake, and to have something that I can do regularly that is not a chore! *grins*
So, life is full of bready goodness (today is brought to you by a whole wheat herb loaf) and smiles!
I hope that everyone is doing well! Miss you all!