Some Journey

It's not that ugly. Homemade bread's never all that "purty". Oh, and You Go Girl!

Thanks, Lynnie. Ethan was stealing a piece of a loaf that had just come out of the overn and asked me if I had called you to brag about my bread. He said, "Really, mom. More than anyone else, I think Lynn would be really proud of you." I thought it was an interesting insight into his understanding of you, our relationship, etc.

BTW, I've made two more loaves with that recipe, and 3 loaves of whole wheat bread, all of which looked much better than that first one. My problem in the beginning was that I didn't really understand that bread dough doesn't act like cookie dough in the sense that whatever the dough looks like when you put it in the oven is what your loaf will basically look like when it comes out.

Also, I have a blueberry muffin recipe that I've made a couple of times this week that I'm really happy with. The kids love these muffins (they will pass up banana bread to get the blueberry muffins instead), and they have oats, wheat germ and orange juice in them. A great breakfast for Sam, in particular, who is difficult to feed and is the number one "devour-er" of these muffins.

I really am super proud of you. Doesn't it feel good to eat your own creations? And I'm honored by E's comment.

Mmmm. That looks so delicious. Golden brown, nice split in the top. You should give me a copy of the recipe. Nice job!

It's the variability of homemade bread that makes it so special. We've come up with a whole new vocabulary to describe it: "rock loaf", "crestfallen" (when it fails to rise properly), mutant, etc.

W, thanks for the great Challenge pictures, and your pool comments at our blog.