Hello, I am delicious

Breadmaking. I've made loaves before, but it has never been a regular occurrence - it has been more like a "scarf it and it's gone" type of situation. But, since we don't know yet if Lincoln has outgrown his milk/soy issues, I decided a little bit ago that it was time I start making some bread... and, well, not buy anymore store bought stuff. In Utah I could find loaves that were basic, homemade recipes. Usually local bakeries made them, but they were carried in Walmart, Target, the local grocery, etc. Apparently there is no such demand here in Tennessee! Have you ever looked at how many ingredients are in the store bought bread? CRAZY. Anyway, we are still buying buns but so far we've made it a month without buying a loaf at the store. We'll see how long I can keep it up!

While scouring the internet for bread recipes and tips, I ran upon the most FANTASTIC pans! They're 12" loaf pans, meaning you get a loaf that is fairly similar to the size you'd buy in store. So great! And as of tonight, I think I've found my favorite wheat recipe (white/wheat... I'm going for sandwich bread) - and by halving it I got two great looking 12" loaves. Triumph! The recipe is compliments of a friend of my friend Faith. Way to network, right? Thanks Faith! I am expert bread maker just yet,... but hopefully I'm on my way.

For those who want it - here is the recipe by the Karoly's via Faith:

WHEAT BREAD

Combine in mixing bowl:

5 cups Water

1 cup Honey

Combine in bowl and let rise:

1 cup Water

4 Tablespoons Yeast

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Add to mixing bowl with water:

6 cups Wheat Flour

2 Tablespoons Lecithin

2 heaping Tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten

2 Tablespoons Salt

Mix Together

Add:

Yeast mixture

2/3 cup Oil

9 - 10 cups White Flour

Let the machine run for 7-8 minutes after all the flour is mixed together.

Add:

2 heaping Tablespoons Dough Enhancer (it is kept in the fridge)

Run Machine another 3 minutes. Let stand while you grease 5 bread pans. Separate dough in to 5 sections, shape and put into greased pans. Cover and rise until almost double. Cook at 350° for 25 minutes. Set on cooling racks after taking out of the oven and Butter the tops of the bread.

*I didnt have any lecithin (soy product), so I omitted it. I halved the recipe and still ended up kneading my dough by hand bc my kitchen aid couldn't handle it (it was climbing up). I might end up looking for a bosch :) Another side note, dough enhancer also has some soy & milk in it but I figured it was a good time to start testing Lincoln on small doses... I still didn't butter the tops though. Still delicious!

**QUESTION: I have noticed that some recipes have two risings, some only have one. It seems that white bread more often has two and wheat often only notates one (but have seen wheat with two). I only let my bread rise once with this recipe and it came out great - when does bread need to be proofed once/twice? Anyone know?

Cute?

I am pretty certain the term "cute" never came to mind when I thought of a bat... until this little guy! We discovered him on my parents porch when we were leaving to head home one evening... he was fuzzy and I kind of just wanted to scoop him up. Kind of.

Side note: why do I think of bats as being only male? Sorry if you're a she-bat little guy.

Fireflies

...or do you call them lightning bugs? Hope you can see them a little bit in these pictures... it is hard to capture them, even when there are a million!

The other night we stopped to show Mason what a firefly is - his very first encounter (why didn't we do this sooner?). He is ENTRANCED! It is adorable. The next day he actually ended up getting a bug cage/catcher set thing (you know what I'm talking about? Mailbox shaped... handle... handy dandy magnifying glass...). For whatever reason, our house/lot has an abundance of fireflies. There is a creek that runs along one side of our lawn and I wonder if they like it because of that... I might have to research. Either way, I love looking out and seeing them all over our lawn - it's magical :)

Happy Father's Day!

Through studying social research in college and observing/experiencing life, my appreciation and gratitude for the good men in our lives has grown and deepened over the years. We all wish the men in our lives a Happy Father's day, but maybe we don't always realize just how great an impact they have on those they love. Simply put, research shows that they are so essential to the development of a healthy child/adult. Here is a snippet from one article from the University of Maryland that popped up when I googled it: "According to the researchers, children who identified a father or father figure scored higher on basic learning skill tests and had a stronger sense of competence and social acceptance compared to children without fathers. Researchers also found that children who viewed their fathers or father figures as supportive had a greater feeling of competence, greater social acceptance, and were less likely to be depressed compared to children who did not view their father or father figure as supportive."

This is just one of dozens of studies done and just barely brushes the surface of the effect of the role of a Father! But you don't have to look at the research - do some of your own observation, you'll readily see the impact of a good/bad Father figure in those around you.

What I am getting at....

I am so, so grateful for the good men in my life who have showed me how to love, how to respect, how to work, built my confidence and showed me what to look for in my own future husband. I love my Dad & Father-in-law and the men they are and am honored to have Matt at my side as my husband and Father of my children.

Happy Father's Day!

Do we love summer?

Yes, yes we do!

.... minus the bugs. Isn't there some way to just kill them all? Trust me, I'm trying.

Happy 6th Anniversary!

This year we spent our anniversary not working on the house (shocker!), no kiddos in tow - just enjoying each others company! We went to Nashville and had GREAT Sushi at a place called Kens. Kens was recommended by a friend I grew up with in Dickson and is this great little joint on the edge of the Vanderbilt campus. We stuffed ourselves and spent $35. That probably sounds like a joke, but we seriously ate a ton and it was delicious, fresh and we ordered good, quality rolls. We'll be going back! We then went to the Nashville Tennessee LDS Temple together, one of our favorite ways to spend our anniversary! Afterwards we went to the nearby Costco and spoiled ourselves with a few purchases - such as a whole flat of strawberries and these delightful chocolates that were in the shape of a potato chip (oh, and that gigantic case of toilet paper... what a luxury item). Matt also spoiled me by sending me a bouquet of roses & calla lilies delivered on Friday.

Happy Anniversary babe!

Mason at 2.5

Ok, so he hit 2.5 at the end of April. Never too late! Back to the post!

Oh, Mason, where to begin! This boy goes, goes, goes and I can't help but smile thinking about what to say/how to describe the little munchkin. He is a character, always pulling some facial expression that cracks you up (oftentimes he is doing it on purpose, sometimes not). He loves to paint pictures, blow bubbles, play in water (outside, thankfully), play with animals, "workout" with his Pop pop, watch movies, anything involving trains, read books, go to the store, go to the library, visit family, and run - run - run. He loves to help me around the house and with Lincoln -he really, really loves Lincoln. He is a stinker when he is tired but is finally much more flexible with sleep than when he was younger (hallelujah!). He is more than happy to go home with/spend time with anyone - he is NOT shy. Talk about needing to keep a close eye on him in public places. He is currently on a kick of using the word "just". Examples: "I'm just full" "I'm just fine" "I'm just awake (not tired)" "I just need < insert some food > " "I just need to < insert some activity > (and not go to bed yet)". He eats great, although still not a fan of casseroles, and LOVES salad (who woulda thought?). And, at this very moment, is calling my name because he just woke up from his nap.

We love our little, big boy! He is growing up so fast!