A Windfall & A Wild Hare

The is one thing that has been seriously lacking around here:  Bread.  Not just any old bread.  Bread made from my mother's Very Best Bread recipe.  (Something I've written about several times before but, no, I haven't given the recipe and I'm just not ready to do so.)  And, yes, there is a huge difference between bread and Bread.  My mother's Bread is dense and slightly sweet and (important for a vegetarian like me) a complete protein.

We didn't buy store bread.  Mother made this Bread every week ever since I can remember, and I only took over the baking when she became too weak to knead.  Since I've been on my own, I've been lax about making Bread because it generally seems too foolish to do for just one person.  (It's not a small task:  it takes a full 5 pound bag of flour and makes 6 loaves.)  But, lately, I've been hungry and not just because of Zero Food Budget.  I've been hungry for Bread.  When I want Bread, there's just no substitute.  And nothing is quite right without Bread.....but Only this particular Bread.

Today while I was searching for something else, I found a windfall.  It wasn't much:  a few rolls of coins.  But when you've got a windfall, it seems only fair to spend it!  I was planning to be sensible:  I needed dish soap so I'd just buy that and nothing else. 

But when I was standing in that store, all I could think of was Bread.  My mother's Bread; I had everything I needed to make it except milk.  I didn't have to think twice.  I went to the dairy case and then quickly to the checkout before I could change my mind.  When I got home, I paused only long enough to pat poor old Daisy-Cat and change my blouse.

Even though it was 90 degrees outside, I was gonna leave the central AC off so the dough would rise properly--a small price to pay for Bread.  Even though it was already 3 PM and there would be hours of work and waiting ahead, I was gonna bake Bread. 

And bake I have.  6 loaves.  It's in the oven even as I type.  And I know that the world will right itself on its axis because there's Bread for supper. 

Life is very, very good.

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....editing to add:  this was the scene just after 7:30.  Heavenly.