"I'm so tired of store-bought bread, Mom!"
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I post a picture and just a few words.
During the school year, I'm a pretty faithful bread-baker. This is due largely to the fact that a fair amount of staying home is necessary to get our school work done.
And if I'm home, it's not that hard to throw together a batch of bread, especially because a lot of the work can be done here and there in the midst of helping with schoolwork.
But this summer, I was so busy doing projects, decluttering my house, and taking my kids out to do fun stuff, I barely made bread at all.
At first, my kids were sort of ok with this, but by the end of the summer, Zoe was all, "Mommm! I'm so tired of store-bought bread!".
So, she was pleased that last week, when school started, I finally made some loaves of whole wheat bread again.
___________________________
Whole Wheat bread recipe here.
Epic cooling rack here. (Amazon affiliate link)
My favorite bread pans. (not an affiliate link)
That's pretty awesome. And convenient - much better than them clamoring for store-bought food.
Your kids are lucky to have you for their mom! They are learning to like what is good for them while they are young.
I wonder why some of us love to stay home and do things domestic, while others get cabin fever really quickly and love to go out.
It definitely just seems to be a personality thing. Mr. FG loves to go out, while I will find every excuse available to stay home!
And Zoe likes to stay home too, while Sonia takes every opportunity to go out, no matter what it is. (For Zoe to want to go out, the outing has to sound pretty fun.)
I'm with Zoe! There's nothing like homemade bread, even if you're used to eating it every single day. My mom baked bread infrequently when I was growing up, so when she did, and it came out of the oven, we gathered around with the butter, and ate it like a rare treat.... I bake once a week, and it's still a treat! Store bought is so...blah.
A couple times this summer when the weather would break I'd spend the day making several loaves of bread and loading up the chest freezer with it. We also got the long bread pan from Ikea so my wife has been enjoying loaves that come out of that one.
I'm hoping once the kid comes that I'll still be able to keep up with the bread making. At least the KitchenAid does most of the work.
Gail, that's a good question and one that I've pondered. I'm a homebody. I don't hate going places, in fact, I love shopping and running around, but the thought that has occurred to me more than once is, if I could stay in this kitchen and cook forever, I'd be happy. Unfortunately, because I'm a business owner, that's not possible, ( yet) but it's my dream. I was a stay at home mom for 17 years, and every morning I thanked God and my husband that it was possible. I couldn't think of anything more awful than having to get up, get my kids ready and to school, or daycare, or wherever, put on office clothes, and drive downtown or somewhere and stay there for 8 hours. I applaud those who can do this successfully. I'm not one of them! My middle daughter is pregnant with her third child and is a stay at home mom. She has a college degree. She has chosen this and is happy with the decision. A friend of hers, however, publicly declared that after two years she'd had it with being an at-home mom, and the best part of her day now was dropping her kids at daycare. That's when I started thinking about the differences in people, and how there are no wrong choices, just the choice that fits you best.
There is something that grates in me overtime I hear about a SHM who has a college degree. My father, bless his soul, when I was freaking out about getting a job after college told me that one went to college to get educated, not a job. Now, we were rich and I knew that my parents had sacrificed a bit for me to go. But it was wonderful to hear it. I got jobs and I have always supported myself. So no slacking. But college can make one a good and interesting person. Please no slings about the luxury of this.
I am not at all sure what you meant, please clarify...we were not able to send our kids to college without grants, loans and such...but I don't feel I'm addressing your issue with my post. What I meant was, my daughter being a SAHM is a CHOICE she made, even with a college degree she chooses not to work at a paying job. I did not sling anyone. And I'm still confused.
That is so funny because my 7 year old gets excited when I have store bought bread! She is so used to everything being homemade that when it comes from the store she loves it! Lol
Hi Kristin. I think you hit the nail on the head about homemade vs. store bought (or restaurant made). It can be very hard to keep up with everything home/kid/work related and still have time to make wholesome food.
It's something I struggle with. I have 3 kids and am just going back to work part time after staying home for 15 years. Some days I feel like my head is spinning, but most days I feel like I'm staying ahead of everything. It's important to me to provide a home made meal, but sometimes we eat late because of it. My kids would love if I bought them fast food, but I really disdain those types of meals. On the other hand, I believe that we are all doing the best that we can, and everyone makes choices for their family with that idea in mind.
One last thought - I was always busy as a stay at home mom, so I am not implying those parents aren't busy. With working however, I feel like my time isn't my own as much anymore. My schedule is more defined by others now.
Thanks for the food for thought!
Sounds like it's time for her to learn to whip up a loaf herself.
Maybe...although, she's only 9, and I think I'd rather start her on something like cookies first! 😉
Just curious, what kind of bread did you buy this summer? There are so many choices out there today of bread, you can get some pretty tasty ones. However, they are not cheap.
Yeah, if I'd splurged for the pricey stuff, there probably wouldn't have been complaining. But I just bought the basic whole wheat sandwich bread from Aldi.
I'd have to agree with your kids. I regularly buy the whole wheat sandwich bread from Aldi's and it's pretty good for the price. However, homemade bread is usually better than it is.
I can't wait to try your recipe. I got into a good rhythm of baking bread before the baby was born, then things got a little crazy. I'm hoping I can get back into it once things slow down. Then again, do things every slow down with kids? I have a feeling things just keep getting crazier!
So sweet.
I used to make all of our bread when I was homeschooling. Now we're in the empty nest dealing with aging diets & we don't eat bread anymore, except on very special occasions.
I'm so lazy, I use my bread maker! This month I am trying to make all of our bread products myself. It's been money-saving, but a bit of a hassle sometimes.
However, home made bread always tastes nicer, and makes the house smell so nice!
We were in the same boat this summer. My son was really excited when school started again and I made my first loaves in awhile. My girls could go either way, but my son definitely prefers home made.
Also, I'm with you on being a home body. I don't mind running errands but my preference is to stay home. Nothing makes me happier. I used to be really disappointed in myself for feeling that way and tried to pretend I felt differently, but now that I'm older I've come to accept it.
Yep! No sense trying to be someone else, you know? I like to stay home, others like to go out, and that's just how it is. Both varieties of people can learn to grow and be flexible, but to some extent, we are what we are.
Ok, I came across your bread recipe randomly. I thought I'd give it a try. I know my way around the kitchen but I normally don't bake bread. After getting the bread out of the oven and cutting a slice for my 4-year old, with butter, of course. He gave me a big smile, thumbs up and said it was better than stored-bought bread. It made my day I you can guess. I will be baking more often now.
Mine did not rise as much as I was expecting. what's the secret for it? more white flour, more yeast?
And thanks for sharing your baking secrets.
a now-happy baker dad
I use a combo of white and wheat flour-about 50/50.
The most common cause of dense homemade bread is too much flour. If the dough is too stiff, the yeast bubbles have trouble lifting it, and the yeast bubbles are what make bread light. The dough should be soft enough so that if you shape it into a ball and put it on the counter, the ball should flatten out significantly.
I hope that helps!