So, I should introduce myself
So, my name is Melissa and I love to cook! I've been married for 15 years this October and I have two children. A 12 year old (just started 7th grade) and a 3 year old - both boys (and the little boy in the avatar is the 3 year old and that's how I found him when I was putting in laundry... he found th open jar of nutella is big brother left for him! LOL YUM! YUM!)
As I said, I love to cook and everything I make is from scratch and before kids came along, I baked our bread from scratch, and after kids, we used a bread maker for awhile until I got to the point where I really gagged at the texture of it. I eventually gave that bread maker away.
I also decorate cakes for a hobby that pays a little. I'm an oddball in that I try to make cakes healthier by using natural ingredients and not all the fake crud that is out there. I also belong to a cake decorating forum which is great in its own right, but.... not many like-minded people with natural is better.
And then, here I am. I'm trying to start making breads again now that my son is letting me sleep (sometimes) now and I feel a bit more energized. I just can't stomach paying artisan bread prices in our area - $6-$8 a SMALL loaf!!!
I've been searchign the site and reading the lessons, but I have more and more questions the more I read. This site is great and so far everyone has been so great in their welcome and advice! Thank you!
Melissa
Well, hopefully you'll have better sleepers than I had. My first finally slept through the night around 2 years old, but until he was FIVE it was a 1-2 hour going to sleep ritual. He deemed sleep as unnecessary I think.
My second always GOES to sleep well, but until he was 2.5 he woke 5-7 times a night. I finally stopped that and got this "waking for 2-3 hours a night" or "up for good at 4 am" for the next 6 months. Now, at 3 years 4 months, he is giving up the afternoon nap, but sometimes can't make it. IF he takes a nap, he will fight sleep until midnight (we'll put him in bed, but he won't sleep) and once or twice a week he STILL has the "awake for 2-3 hours) thing. We've tried to see if it's a food thing, or lack of activity, or too much activity, etc... there's no rhyme or reason to it.
So, yes, I still have crappy sleep for four years now (as I had problems sleeping during pregnancy too)... don't remind me! LOL
And then people ask if we plan to have another one... NO WAY... I plan to sleep! LOL
Welcome to the forum! I've got five in total with two in grade 7 and three under four (well, one turned four today). I manage to bake bread, so I figure most anyone can! :-) You've come to the right place.
Jane
I never understand how those of you with big broods manage to do anything, quite honestly. I'm in awe. But, then, maybe if I had sleepers, I would get it more. Three kids four and under? You would have to put me in a looney bin! LOL
Bread seems to be the last "frontier" with me in the cooking dept. of doing it regularly and I'm finding it fun to do it. I have two loaves rising as we speak and that's after a night of 5 hours of sleep... so I guess I can manage too... now, who's going to weed that patio area for me today?
Melissa