Hello. :)
Hello. :)
I stumbled across this fantastic site today while searching for how to use a lame, and have decided that I don't actually need one, so THANK YOU so much for saving me $10.
I'm a stay at home mom of 4 children (14, 14, 7 and 4) who prefer store bought white bread (rubber bread), and much to their annoyance I persevere in making my own. I have been using a bread machine for 12 years (a Panasonic with yeast dispenser), but recently have discovered the joys of making it all by hand without any machinery (allowing me realize that I have a lot of time during the day).
I've started with bread from "The Tassaraja Bread Book", a wonderful book with a casual approach to making bread- great for a novice bread baker like myself who can get lost and overwhelmed with little details like exact temperature and the need for exotic equipment like baking stones and spray bottles.
I have added to my bread library "The Bread Bible", "The Bread Baker's Apprentice", "200 Fast and Easy Artisan Breads" along with many many photocopies from books I borrowed from the library (did I mention how expensive 4 children can be to feed and clothe?). Added to these are my bread machine recipe books that have recipes easily adapted to hand breadmaking and bought before the 4th expensive child. These are all wonderful and I fully intend to use them once I feel more confident about making bread by hand and can say with pride, "Oh right, I need 7 hours to make Portuguese Sweet Bread? HA!" and go on my merry way.
My late father used to make bread for our family as I was growing up, and like my own brood of children we begged for store bought rubber bread. Unfortunately, eventually my father listened and stopped making bread. I would give a lot for a loaf of his bread, it just goes to show how wrong children are so I don't listen to mine. Ever.
And now I must admit that I caved in and bought a baking stone. Hopefully you can still all respect me enough to share your experience and recipes with me.
And as a drinking game, take a drink each time you read the word bread in this post.
Thanks so much!
welcome!
I just found this site about 2 weeks ago and I am loving it. There is a lot of information here (and I can't find everything yet) but what I find I like.
OMG I love the drinking game!
I admit that I didn't start baking bread till after my son was grown and gone, but I always bought whole grain breads during his childhood. Amazingly, I never once had a request for 'wonder bread', and at 35, he prefers whole grain breads.
This is an awesome site for any baker. Enjoy!
the crux of the biscuit, is the Apostrophe...
Re: drinking game ~ I have a terrible tendancy to reuse the same word frequently in posts, so it's a continous drinking game. Sometimes I'll point out the word, other times I make readers guess. Fun for everyone!
I would like to know how you got your son to eat whole grains, as I have 3 who won't touch them and a 4th who won't eat anything that looks like real food.
Thank you for the warm welcome!!
I look forward to reading all the recipes, complaining about how my bread keeps ripping on the side as it bakes and other things I'm doing totally wrong, and sharing with you all.
I should maybe mention that most of what I generally say is meant with humour, in case someone really thinks I never listen to my kids- I actually *rarely* listen to my kids. :)
CoveredInFlour,
A warm welcome. Like you, I am relatively new to this site, having discovered it about a month ago. When I did discover it, my reaction was similar to seeing my first King Arthur's catalog in the mid 1990's. Like a kid in a candy store. I am constantly impressed by the older hands (and I don't mean age - they have just been here longer and have a lot more experience in breadmaking), on the site and their willingness to share their experience and knowledge and love of their craft with others on the site, whether they be old hands or newcomers.
Oh, and about listening to your children. You have heard that insanity is hereditary, haven't you? You get it from your children.
Again, welcome and have fun. Candango
My picky eater is now 31 and baking her own bread! The way I managed picky eaters was to have nothing in the house I didn't want them to eat and NEVER commenting on what they ate. I never insisted they 'take one bite'. My daughter went through phases. One year I swear she didn't eat anything but soft boiled eggs and apples. My pediatrician assured me that was okay. The point is, I didn't let food choices become a point of contention and they did eventually grow up. And I only listened to them when they were reporting facts or feelings. lol.
good luck!
My youngest one has a severe peanut/tree nut allergy, so we think that it may have coloured the way he tastes things. But he's weird. He won't eat fruit, vegetables, crackers, pretzels, cereal, meat, eggs- you know it would be faster if I just listed what he will eat:
He'll drink juice or milk, but not water.
He is by far the fussiest kid I have ever had. He refused to eat anything solid until he was 14 months, and then it was only baby cereal until he 2 1/2 and I refused to buy it anymore. Did I say he was weird?
Just don't ever feed them anything else. Literally. The only bread he got from day 1 was WW. The only place they would get exposed to white bread is at school, and that's usually stale... by the time mine was grown and did his own taste tests, he called the white stuff "flavorless" (Yay!)
;)
Hope things get better...