Is your daddy a baker?

No, but my grandpa was.

That's juC's favorite pickup line on me.  And it's true, my grandfather was a baker.  And although I would never consider myself even close to being a baker, I do have a love for baking.  Because who doesn't love to eat fresh baked goods?!  Ok, it's more than just that.  I really do enjoy baking.  And it can be very therapeutic.

Up until last year, I'd never ventured into bread baking.  But then I came across a recipe for hot bread that looked so simple, I figured even I could do it.  If there's anything about me you should know, it's that I only do things that are simple and doable, so if I could do it, you could do it.

I was nervous, but I tried it, and it was so tasty.  Fresh out of the oven with some honey on it...oh my word, people!  And the fact that the process is easy and not time consuming is a huge bonus.

Make dough and let it rest for a few.

 Let it rise for an hour, or until it reaches the top of the pan,

 Bake 20 minutes to perfection.

 I kid you not, this picture was taken 10 minutes after the bread was taken out of the oven.

 Because, I kid you not, putting some good honey on it is oh so heavenly.

Thank goodness I have this oven because on this particular day I made 3 full loaves and 4 mini loaves and it took no time at all.

Here is the story behind the recipe shared on the blog post I found and the recipe:

Kimmons, who grew up in West Virginia, learned to make bread by watching her grandmother and neighbor.

"Making homemade bread is more about experience than technique", Kimmons said.

“The people who taught me how to bake bread didn’t check the temperature of the water with a thermometer,” she said. If the water is warm on the wrist, it’s the right temperature for proofing the yeast, and that’s something you don’t learn from a book.

“They just knew what bread felt like,” Kimmons said.

“I just love to bake bread. It relaxes me. It reminds me of growing up, and the smell of hot bread smells like home, a cozy home,” she said.

Kimmons’ recipe is simply called “hot bread” and it has only six ingredients and a few lines of instructions.


Hot Bread
Recipe from the Providence Journal – Carla Kimmons.
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for kneading)
1 cup warm water
1 package dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons melted margarine
1 teaspoon salt

Oven to 375. Grease a loaf pan. 

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. (juC about freaked out when he was watching me make it and I didn't let the yeast rise in water first, but that's not necessary for this!)

Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface. It will be sticky. Knead extra flour into the dough until it is no longer sticky. Form into a ball and let rest 10 minutes. Place the dough in the pan. Let sit in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it rises to the top of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.

Try it people.  

One of my fav's!

I'm one of those people that when I find a recipe that I really like, I make it all.the.time. And I'm most especially fond of ones that are super simple and easy to throw together. Actually, I think those are the only ones I even try.

This is one of my most favorites EVER. When my friend asked for the ingredients for it the other day, I realized it had been far too long since I've made it. I don't know what it is about it (because it is so simple) but everyone loves it. juC and I can eat it by ourselves in a matter of days!

Summer Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

--1 box Farfalle pasta (bowtie), cooked per package instructions and run through cold water to cool off

--green grapes, cut into 4ths.

-- diced celery

--cashew halves & pieces

--Marzetti slaw dressing (I'm sure there are other slaw dressings, but this is usually the only one I find and the best I've tried)

--(optional) shredded chicken (When I do the chicken, I cook chicken tenders with some seasoning in the slow cooker for a few hours until it's super tender then shred it. Otherwise, we do grilled chicken on the side)

Mix all ingredients in the desired amounts, mixing in the slaw dressing last to get the desired consistency you want. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

See, amazingly simple, and just amazing. Hopefully I don't eat it all before juC gets home for dinner.

A family secret

(If I'm remembering this story correctly...) When my parents were first married, my mom made my dad a grilled cheese sandwich and she got in trouble for missing a key ingredient. A key ingredient she had no idea belonged in a grilled cheese sandwich. But according to my dad, a grilled cheese sandwich isn't a grilled cheese sandwich without sugar.

Yep, that's right. Sugar.

So from then until forever more, grilled cheese sandwiches were made in their household with a heaping spoon of sugar spread between the bread and cheese. I really don't know if this is a southern thing (my dad was born and raised in South Carolina) or a "my dad" thing. Either way, it's the best way to make and eat a grilled cheese sandwich. And it's come back to life in my house now that I have found that it's something my 3 and a half year old will actually eat. (He is absolutely the pickiest eater, alongside my daughter). So now that I have another lunch option for him, I'm slightly more than happy.

If you'd to try our families "Perfectly Sweet Grilled Cheese Sandwich", all you need is:

-2 pieces of bread

-spreadable Country Crock (or whatever is your brand of choice)

-slice of cheddar cheese

-a spoon FULL o' sugar

Make sure your pan is heated, and assemble your sandwich as your normally would for grilled cheese, but spreading the sugar to the inside of the bread that will be cooking first. After cooking, enjoy it's sweet cheesy goodness. I know it might sound simple (or to some even gross) but I promise...you'll thank me later.