i don't bake...

but i'd like to change that. minor problem, though: no recipes. and when you don't make a habit of baking, you can't really wing it right off the bat.

see, here's the thing. it's not so much the baking i mind. it's the measuring. never tell a formerly messed-up pastor's kid what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and for how long. which is why the rebel in me refused to bake for, um oh, ever!

until now, my friends! but again, you see my problem. i don't bake, so i lack recipes. what to do, what to do?

i want to start with some old-fashioned things that just about everyone i know can bake (ok, so maybe i'm caving in to peer pressure or something, or maybe i want to give my children what i was deprived of: memories of baking with mom. sorry, mom, but i don't remember doing that with you.) anyhoo...

i love the smell of baking bread. at least, i want to love it. i think i've honestly only smelled it a couple of times in my life, but in my soul, i love it. so, i did what any SAHM who spends too much time online does: search the net. stupid, naive me, entered "bread recipes." don't know what i was thinking; there's THOUSANDS of sites out there with bread recipes! yikes! well, i'll admit, i don't scan them all and choose the best. maybe i should, but i don't. i just pick the first one on the list. if it doesn't "speak to me" i move to the second. i don't remember the last time i got to the third link on the list. well, i found this website (allrecipes.com) and it has a whole section on bread! (can you tell i'm new at this? the bread section was a surprise for me! i mean, who knew there were so many recipes for bread? lol) so i printed off 3 recipes:

1. traditional white bread
2. amish white bread
3. simple whole wheat bread

i can't wait to give them a whirl. maybe tomorrow with the kids. we'll learn together. :) (and a quick note about printing the recipes: you can choose the format: full page, 4x6 or 3x5. i chose 3x5, seems like a nice traditional recipe card size [am i wrong? i hope not, i want to do this right, and that means down to these seemingly stupid details. yes, i'm a nerd, but i can't help it. lol] it prints off in 2 small boxes, surrounded by dotted lines which are your guides for cutting it out for real-life recipe cards. can you believe it? i have recipe cards! woohoo! lol)

ok, sorry about that little outburst. i'm just a little excited here. maybe a little too excited. that could be. i'll take a sedative later (ah, the simple life. lol). but wait! it gets better! i found other recipes, and printed them off, too!

1. banana banana bread
2. BASIC PASTA!!!!!!!

oh, i am just too excited about the pasta recipe! i can't wait to try it out! i feel like asher sitting in the grass or bram playing with his trains or blithe looking at anything pink! ok, i should stop writing now, otherwise i'll go on and on and never get any sleep tonight and then tomorrow i'll be tired when i deal with the kiddies and that's no good. i get cranky when i'm tired. but i also have to do a quick sample for my scrappin challenge blog and give asher his meds, so i just need to stop now.