Home Repairs, Breadmaking and Shopping

Fall has been busy! We have been having some repairs done on our roof. I'm not talking about reshingling, which we also had to do. This was serious stuff! We had some cracked rafters which needed replacing. Some previously poor construction caused this problem. While we were having this done we also had our kitchen ceiling raised and straightened. It had started sagging because of improper support. Now if you came for a visit, you would not be able to tell that a thing had been done but I am happy as ever because now when Honey and I are old we can sit in our rockers and know that we've got a good roof over our heads!!

Often, either Monday or Tuesday, I make bread. Breadmaking is something I love. I've made bread from the time I was in my early 20's and single. The smell of fresh loaves baking in the oven is a homey comfortable smell. I know on cold days that a pot of homemade soup and fresh made bread thrills my family, especially the ones who have been out all day.

Today I ground my wheat and made 4 loaves of whole wheat bread. I also made cornbread from cornmeal and whole wheat flours. Not everyone in my family likes the cornbread since it is heavier than store bought cornbread and not as sweet. We also made store bought cornbread from a mix. I did this for a very specific reason! On Tuesday nights we bring some dinner to share with our "Growing Kids God's Way" class. My friend Suzanne and I plan a week ahead and split what we are making. She made a wonderful pot of vegetable-beef soup and I provided the bread. Since I knew not everyone would love corn/wheat bread, we made the boxed kind to take along.

It seems that in the fall and winter, I do more bread baking. It serves a dual purpose--the house gets a bit warmer and it smells yummy! I've been having a growing interest in fermented foods and I think I will try to make some sourdough starter. I will blog more about this later and let you know how this venture turns out!

I buy my wheat in 50 lbs bags about twice a year. Just a few days ago, I looked at an order I placed for wheat in 1995--that's 13 years ago. The price of a 50 lb. bag of wheat was 12.95. My wheat that should be arriving this week is selling for 32.00 a bag. Same company, same product!!

Tomorrow, the younger girls and I will finish (we hope) our shopping for recital/Christmas performance outfits. Sweet Pea (the younger) was able to find something today but Sunshine (the older) still has not found that something special! I sure do love those girls! They are a joy to me!