Thank you Lord for daily bread. Amen.

Bread is my downfall. I LOVE bread. I am romanced by a nearly black loaf of jewish rye (pumpernickle). I am drawn hither by a loaf of puffy, soft yeast bread. I am harkened by sour dough. I am seduced by loaves of crusty french bread where the bread's crumbs burst forth on the first bite and my teeth sink into the soft center. I am comforted by hot biscuits fresh from my momma's oven. I am not a baker. I do not excell in the art of dough. I won't pretend that I do. My daughter is a baker but she doesn't really like to bake. In the winter I do bake. I love the warmth of the kitchen and steam on the windows while the oven is hot and pumping out the perfume of bread which wafts through the house. Most often though I buy bread. I am cheap. Really. I cannot justify buying ingredients and spending hours waiting for a loaf of bread when for a couple of dollars I can buy beautiful loaves of bread that will be exactly the same loaf after loaf. Pumpkin bread, potato bread, raisin bread, cinnamon bread, garlic loaf, rosemary and olive oil bread, ficcacio with tomato and basil ... bread, bread, bread. It is the staff of life! I also like plain white sandwich bread. Little Miss Sunbeam Old Fashioned Round Top loaf bread. Just thinking of biting into a sandwich made with fresh white bread makes my mouth water. You know that first bite when the bread sticks behind your teeth and to the roof of your mouth? There is NOTHING better! I serve my family sandwiches occationally for supper. Layered sandwiches that are full of lovely things: roasted red peppers and feta cheese, olive salad with a little extra olive oil, thinly sliced meats with lettuce and tomato all between layers of different types of bread, made the day before and left to rest and meld overnight in the refrigerator. Lunch is usually a sandwich. Simple samdwiches: peanut butter and jelly, pimento cheese, ham or turkey or chicken salad. In the summer the best part of the day is going out to the garden and plucking a ripe tomato from the vine, slicing it into layers and layers of paper thin pieces and stacking it on white bread with mayonnaise and salt and pepper. Sometimes the variation may include a slice of sweet vidalia onions. (It is pronounced V-eye-dale-ya, thank you very much.) It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Lately I am disgruntled with loaf bread from the grocery store. It seems like every week the price changes. I know the loaves are smaller than they were 10 or 15 years ago too! Maybe I have not adjusted to feeding five people. One sandwich each is 10 slices. That is a half loaf! If Steven has two sandwiches then that is 12 slices. Add toast for breakfast and an entire loaf can be consumed in one day! When I was growing up bread was on the table for every meal. Supper would have cornbread or biscuits or a plate of sliced bread just waiting for the butter. It is a tradition (habit?) that I have continued all my life. The table is not set if there isn't bread on it. If I were to try and give you a recipe for bread I would probably cause you a failure because as I have said I am not a baker. The secret of biscuits cannot be conveyed either. I am one who needs to watch to accomplish the task of mixing dough. I do have 1 recipe to share and I think you will find it simple and an excellent sample of quick breads your family will love. Try this one. I bet you will make it again and again. You can use a biscuit cutter and make gorgeous fresh bread for supper or Sunday brunch. You can pinch it off and roll it in your hands and make little balls of dough that will bake up into perfect little bites to serve at any luncheon or filled with meats or chicken salad for a party tray. Give it a try. 1 cup of sour cream 1 stick of real butter, softened 2 cups of self rising flour (I use King Arthur unbleached flour) Knead with your hands until it forms a ball. Turn out on a floured board and press it out gently to about an inch thickness. Cut with the biscuit cutter and place on a buttered baking sheet. Or roll out balls and drop each one into the cups of a muffin pan that has been buttered. Bake at 375 degrees. Watch them and take them out when the tops are lightly golden brown. Serve with butter and jelly. Fill them with chicken salad or make tiny little sandwiches. Your family will think you are a goddess in the kitchen. They will ask for more. You will be looked at with awe as you serve hot fresh bread with roast beef and gravy. Mmmmmm. Wednesday Evening Supper On The Farm A Menu Slow Cooked Roast Beef
simmered with onions, carrots and garlic Potatoes
with roasted beef gravy Rutabagas
simmered with cured peppered jowl String Beans
blanched and lightly sauteed with butter and lemon juice Potato Bread
with butter Beverage of your choiceP.S. Yes,I cook everyday. A full meal is on the table every evening when Steven comes home from work. I am usually just finishing up as he pulls in. This is how we start our evening. Family supper, kids do dishes, we retire to the living room until bedtime.