JUST LIKE MOM

Applause! Applause!

Yes, (virtual bow) I did it! I baked a perfect loaf of bread!

If this sounds trivial, then you haven't eaten any of my prior loaves. If you had, you would remember the heavy lump in the pit of your stomach. Oh, how many times I pulled down my trusty Betty Crocker Cook Book, sweated and slaved over a ball of sticky dough only to end up with a crusty brown brick in the end. I followed directions exactly! But either the dough wouldn't rise enough, or the flavor was too bland, or whatever. My dogs were well fed at least (they never complained about the crust being too crunchy.)

When I was a girl, I often came home from school to the smell of bread baking in the oven. Mom ground her own wheat and made our sandwiches from homemade bread baked in a tin can. (I always thought that was so cool!) Mom's bread was so yummy I preferred it to the flimsy, nothing-but-air bread from the grocery store (the stuff my own kids beg me for now).

Baking bread isn't the only talent of Mom's that somehow didn't make it into my genes. Mom could sew, too. Anything! Curtains, halloween costumes, pants, shirts, business suits, and even bathing suits! (Her best friend sewed her daughters' underwear. I'm grateful Mom never did that!) I even still have the collection of dolls she sewed me every year for Christmas.

And did I mention that Mom can reupholster furniture? And repair large appliances. And rewire lighting. And grow all kinds of vegetables. And build fences. And strike up conversations with literally anyone! She even helped build a log house. Whew! Let's just say that I am nothing like Mom, though I've spent my whole life wishing I were.

Well, back to the bread thing...

I bought this really awesome book called "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day" by Jeff Hertzberg, and what do you know! It's true! No more aching muscles from kneading bread dough. No more waiting and waiting and waiting for the dough to rise. I just threw four ingredients together, let it sit a while, formed my loaf, tossed it in the oven, and BINGO! Out came the most beautiful, most delicious loaf of bread I've ever seen or tasted. (I just love my new book!) Even my six-year-old said, "This tastes good!" What higher compliment could I receive than that.

I can't wait to bake another loaf tomorrow. Yum! Maybe I'm not so different from Mom afterall.