No bread maker required

Once again I am blogging from my phone. This really is getting annoying. I miss adding picture to my posts and typing on real keys instead of the touch pad where I am constantly missing letter and what not. Oh the woes!


For some reason I was in the mood to completely destroy my kitchen this evening, um I mean bake. On our meal list for next week is homemade pizzas which meant that I finally had a good reason to buy some bread flour. Before making pizzas I wanted to try my hand at homemade bread. I found this recipe here http://afoodiestaysfit.com/2011/01/my-moms-famous-white-bread/ and for my first attempt and no stand mixer to use it taste fabulous! I posted a picture on Facebook of my first loaf and I will post an entire post of pictures as soon as I get a computer! My loaf sure doesnt look as pretty as her's do, but practice makes perfect I guess. It also took me longer to make my dough because I am still in need of a stand mixer and was using my hand mixer. It conveniently came with small puney bread hook attachments when we purchased it. Thank goodness or it would have been nearly impossible for me to make. My bread never rose to the top of the pan when I let it sit but I decided to stick it in the over anyways (mainly bc I'm impatient) and it turned out just fine! Okay so yummy bread everyone should try it! I am making whole wheat next time though for a healthier option, and because Stephan prefers it.

After the bread, or actually during the time the bread was rising, I made cookies. Really amazing sugar cookies. I found the recipe for those here http://caleighskitchen.com/2011/07/13/nannys-sugar-cookies.aspx These cookies have one ingredient I never would have thought to add to a sugar cookie and that's the dusting of nutmeg on top right before baking. I honestly almost omitted that all together but I figured why not try. Good decision because they are delicious!! The recipe called for lemon zest in the cookie but we didn't have any lemons and I didn't feel like getting Ephraim in the carseat to go out for one little lemon but the batter tasted a little too bland without it so I added a little vanilla extract, about 2tsp. The vanilla added a little something without overpowering the cookie. Good decision! I baked mine for 9 1/2 mins and they came out perfection! Not too hard but not too soft either. The recipe made 3 dozen so we shared some with the sweet old lady who lives next door! Ephraim loved visiting with her and so did I. I'm thankful for such a sweet neighbor in a neighborhood filled with some crazies!