You may recall THIS post in which I listed my 11 things to do in 2011. Learning to bake bread using wheat and my new wheat grinder was on the list. Well, 4 months later I did it! I unwrapped my (apparently top of the line, thanks Mom and Dad!) food mill, managed (with help) to open the pail of hard white wheat I bought for our food storage over a year ago, and got my first glimpse of what wheat looks like! Sad, right? My sweet friend and bread tutor, Alison, was kind enough to not laugh at me. We ground 12 cups of wheat and made enough wheat flour for a batch of bread plus a gallon Ziploc full for my pantry. I felt so wholesome. :) I remarked that the wheat smelled like a farm, (aka dirt) but not in a bad way, in an earthy way.
Alison mixed up the water, honey, and oil while I fed Miss Talia, who had NOT been a fan of the noise of the wheat grinding. I was an active participant in the rest of the bread making process. We ended up kneading it by hand because we weren't sure if the recipe would fit into my Kitchen Aid. It would have. I was still glad that we kneaded by hand. It felt so domestic I could hardly stand it. Alison and I chatted while we took turns kneading and keeping the chaos of 5 kids at bay (thank you Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). We shaped 3 loaves and a pan of rolls and left them to rise. I put the kids down for naps and cleaned up the kitchen, then decided it was time to bake! The bread all turned out fabulous! It tastes great and smelled even better. I am so glad that I took the leap and made it. I couldn't/probably wouldn't have done it without Alison's help, so I definitely give her a ton of credit, but I feel so accomplished.
Having freshly baked bread on the counter made me want to have a clean house. What a great motivator. I was more productive today than this entire past week. I dusted the house, swept the kitchen (twice . . . it was a messy kitchen day), did a load of laundry, washed all the bread dishes, and vacuumed the floors. Lest you think I am Superwoman or something . . . we had Taco Bell tacos for dinner. It's Cinco de Mayo and I was out of tortillas and tired of doing dishes.
Ian came home a little early and we all went to the park to enjoy our gorgeous 70 degree day! We brought the kids' bikes too. Weston hasn't had a chance to practice riding his new bike since he got it for his birthday in January, so he was really excited. He did great too! He is going to be pro by the end of the summer. It was so nice to get to play outside. It was so nice to have Ian with us. It was a good day.
As I finish writing this I can't help but be grateful for all the blessings in my life. Especially my family, my home, lovely weather (it's important), good friends, good health, and the peace that living the gospel brings.
11 comments:
Way to go with the bread making! I totally know what you mean by being scared of certain "domestic" things. I still have never made bread, despite the fact that I have a bread maker that I got for my birthday last year. Someday. Someday :).
Amazing! Way to go. I thought I was the only that had never made bread before. Maybe there are more of us out there!
And if it takes us being at 100F to finally get you guys up to 70F, then it's worth it to see your little guy finally get to ride his bike :)
I have always wanted to bake homemade bread too!!! Awesome! My mum makes it and I love it. It tastes healthier and feels lighter in your stomach too. Weston looked so proud on his bike! Adorable
I want homemade bread! I"ll have to once life get's less hectic. And again, your kids are so stinkin' cute!
Wohoo!!! What fun. It always helps to tackle a big project with a friend. I never would have canned without a support group right there with me and it was the same with bread for the first time. The wheat grinder is pretty cool, huh?
Love the park pictures too. Weston looks like a big boy next to his bike. :)
I'm impressed by your domesticity. We have homemade bread all the time here--but that's only because Eli bought me a bread machine. :) So I just have to measure and dump. I don't even push the button--Ivy does that for me.
I made my first homemade freezer jam yesterday, so I was feeling pretty domestic myself. We'll have to see if it turns out.
Your mom told me about your accomplishment at our quilt night! You're very fortunate to have a friend show you the ropes. I had to learn on my own & I baked enough "bricks" to build a house! Finally got it down & I guess I'm better for the experience =)
True story: When Matt was about 3, he saw his first Wonder Bread commercial. When they got to the part where a little boy said, "it's better than whole wheat!" Matt replied, "but I LIKE whole wheat!"
Happy Mother's Day!!
there is nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread in your house. mmmmmm. good for you! :)
My mouth is watering just reading your post. My mom was good about making homemade bread. There's nothing like fresh, warm bread spread with butter and honey...yum! I, however, have not been brave enough bake bread myself. It seems so daunting. You're my hero for tackling that project :)
There's something so refreshing/relaxing about getting outside as a family. Glad you guys had some nice weather to enjoy!
It looks so yummy. I love the smell of fresh baked bread.
Go you!! I am totally impressed. Love the park pictures too
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