I Could Eat It For Every Meal. Or Just All the Time Without Even Stopping.

Saturday was a pretty freaking busy day for me.  I went to the eye doctor.  I finally got some more contacts.  All I have to say about that is:  I LOOK LIKE ME AGAIN!  Yeah.  I was pretty excited.  Then, I had to run to the store to pick up some things to help Zach with a school project.  I'll talk about that more in a second.  I dragged (drug?) Kurtis to the craft store with me to see if I could find something to get/make my grandma for her birthday.  The result is in the previous post.  It turned out adorable.  I love it.  Too bad her party the next day was canceled. :(  Then we ran to the grocery store to get some cookies and a brownie mix for Grandma's party, some yeast for Zach's project, and some bread flour.  That's right.  I said bread flour.
After we got home, I had time to eat lunch, and then I had to run off to rehearsal for like five hours.  It was seven o'clock when I got home that evening.  I ate some dinner, sent off my email reminder for everyone to come to Church Choir, and then Zach and I commenced with his project.  It is due tomorrow, but I have known about it since sometime in January.  Needless to say, I've been putting this one off.
For Zachary's fourth grade class, they are studying Utah history.  I didn't study that until 7th grade, and because I don't volunteer in their classrooms very much (I can't.  I'm babysitting three days a week, and would like the other two for some me time.), I really had no idea they were studying that at all.  Until he came home with a list of things he could choose from for his project about the pioneers.  He said he wanted to make a wagon.  I just looked at him, and said, "Out of what?"  I guess he thought I meant it would be better if he picked something else.  Which I kind of did.  It sounded really involved, and with rehearsals and my new scouts calling, I just couldn't handle that.  He chose making bread instead.
Uh-oh.  I frowned and felt sad inside for a bit, but vowed to find and easy recipe online somewhere.  I have never had much desire to make bread.  I have friends with bread machines, and they say they love making bread.  It is so much fun.  Sure.  If all you have to do is put the ingredients in this awesome invention, and let it do the rest!  Why not?  I have no bread machine.  I haven't ever really wanted one, either.  But Zach's project had rules.  You were not allowed to use a bread machine or an electric mixer.  When we started, he said, "We have to do this using no electricity."  "What?"  "Except the oven!  Except the oven!"  Hee hee!
Don't get me wrong.  I have tried making bread/rolls many times before, and they didn't rise, or they didn't turn out the way I was hoping.  And I would tell my friends this when I was explaining why I didn't make bread, and they would look at me like I was from another planet.  They would always say, "Oh, your kitchen just wasn't warm enough."  Or, "You need to use fresher yeast."  I would just roll my eyes and say, "Why should I make bread?  I can just go buy a loaf at the store for like a dollar."  This is not the way Mormons are supposed to think, though.  We are supposed to be self-sufficient, and not need to rely on others for things.  That's why they encourage us to plant gardens and have food storage.  All wonderful ideas.
But I never felt this desire to learn to make bread, or bake cupcakes from scratch.  I just want it to be simple.  Please?  My friends would tell me I needed to keep trying, and that I would get used to it.  But why?  That's like when people would tell me beer was an acquired taste.  All I could think was, "Well, if it's gross when you first taste it, why do you keep drinking it?"  Or like telling me if I keep eating brussell sprouts I will like them.  No, I won't.  They are gross.  Why would I want to keep trying to make bread when I suck at it.
But Zach and I made bread on Saturday night.  We were up until midnight (because dough has to rise).  But I did not fail this time.  Zach must be my good luck charm because we kicked that bread recipe's butt.  It was pretty dang tasty bread, too.  He took some to his teacher today.  His project is done, and one day early, too!  He thought making bread was cool, and that punching the dough down between risings was fun.  Kurtis wants me to make more.  But, oh no!  We are out of yeast.  Whatever will I do? ;)  I will probably make it again another day, but not for awhile.  I'd rather be on stage.

 You can find the recipe here.

 Zachary shaped this loaf.  I love the way it turned out.

We don't believe in perfection in this house!  :)