How to Fill Your Time When You All of a Sudden Have Lots of It Because You're Not Homeschooling Anymore

You make a bread recipe takes 5 hours.  That's what I did one day last week.  I think I had been reading Soule Mama's blog and she mentioned a bread recipe from one of Peter Reinhart's cookbooks.  So I requested one of his cookbook's through our library's inter-library loan program.

This one.

Oh, my.

Not just a cookbook,

but an education on the finer points of bread making.

Way beyond my and my kitchen's current abilities.

But, I found one recipe that I thought we
(my kitchen and I)
could conquer.

And we did.

And it was so good.

(A relief since I invested a good portion of my day and baking ingredients into it.)

Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Walnuts.

See the cinnamon swirl in there?

That's an advanced technique.

It made two loaves.

We enjoyed it warm and fresh,

then the next morning I made French Toast with it.

Oh yum.

With fresh pear and strawberries.

The remaining loaf is sliced and frozen so we can pull a piece out and toast as desired.

Interesting thing about this Peter Reinhart is that he's from Santa Rosa, California.  He's traveled the world and is a champion bread maker/artisan/professor and he started in Santa Rosa.  So we bonded.  Although he's not really aware of me so much, I feel like he's an extended family member who's gone out into the world and done something super neat.

Equal, perhaps, to being inducted into Chapman University's Athletic Hall of Fame.

Or, becoming a Master Brewer and founding a unique brewery in So. Cal.

Or, having crazy professional motocross skills placing 3rd in the X Games.

Seriously, Bennetts, Cooks, and Bashes... How neat that I get to call you family.

But, back to simpler things like bread...  If you're looking to expand your bread knowledge exponentially and you've got some time, I'd recommend one of Peter's books.   It's interesting reading even if you never bake anything.

Peter.  What a nice name.