Bread

On a mission to get back to the basics, I decided a good, homemade loaf of bread was in order. I was chagrined when my daughter pointed out that technically, the bread I buy isn't even considered real food because of the loooong list of ingredients and preservatives and that's when I realized that I had been cheating my family. Being a stay-home mom is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I have lots of time to keep a clean house, make my kid's lunches, cook dinner every night, get my nails done while my kids are at school...etc. but the flip side of that is because I have lots of free time, I have very high expectations for myself. While I was working 40+ hours and juggling like a mad woman, nobody would question my getting take-out, being tired or letting the kids buy lunch at school. If the house was a mess, my husband was nothing but understanding. I did my best and that was that.
Now that I have time because I'm home all day, I feel this tremendous sense of pressure. There's no good reason that the house shouldn't be spotless at all times, that dinner can't be made every night and laundry isn't folded into neat little piles for each member of our family. Except for the fact that I am, after all, human. I get tired. I get PMS. I don't feel like cooking sometimes and guess what?? I don't like doing dishes! But this is my full-time job. This is what I chose. So to make the best of a very fortunate situation, I've decided that my family deserves better. No, not perfection, but little steps towards bettering our health and ensuring that the COO of this family stays sane.
Baking bread, I have realized, is not only a delicious venture, but a therapeutic one as well. The kneading, rising, baking...the process of it all gives me great joy. And the taste! Well, if you've never tasted fresh from the oven bread with butter and jam, you haven't lived. This small accomplishment motivates me to strive for more. No, I'm not earning a huge bonus at the end of the year or making important business decisions. I no longer earn a paycheck or contribute to a 401-K and we can't afford a home remodel, minivan or fancy vacation.
But what we lack in material things, we make up for vastly with the intangibles. I am there when my kids awaken in the morning and when they go to sleep. I take care of them before and after school. I get to be the first to hear about their day, their struggles and if there is an emergency at school, guess who's the emergency contact?? ME! If they're sick, I don't have to call off work to be with them and if they get an award at school, I get to be there, no matter what. For these things, there is no price tag. I would never go back to a full-time job, no matter how many sacrifices I have to make. So for all the struggle, there is bread. For every tear, there is a homemade cookie and a hug. When my husband has had a long night at work and just needs to vent, I'm all ears, coffee in hand. It's the little comforts of life that keep us feeling loved, warm, safe and secure. The aroma of bread baking in the oven smells like home. Try a loaf today and see where it takes you! Here's the recipe for my tried and true, versatile bread dough:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 packet instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons oil

First, mix warm water and yeast in a bowl and let sit for one minute so yeast can "wake up". Add all the remaining ingredients and then mix well. Transfer to a loaf pan and cover, allowing to rise on your counter at least one hour or until dough has doubled in volume. Once ready, place in a 400 degree oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until browned on top.
This recipe is great because you can easily mix in Italian herbs and brush with garlic and butter at the end or use it as pizza dough. You could also shape into bite sized pieces, bake then coat with melted butter, cinnamon and sugar. Once you've got it down, the possibilities are endless! Enjoy!
How do you make your house a home??

Disconnecting to Reconnect

Sounds a bit like an oxymoron, right?? But I think I need to disconnect to get reconnected...with myself, my family, my husband and my life. OK, so you're probably wondering where this all began. The past few days, I've been feeling a bit restless and honestly, a bit disappointed in myself. I've gotten a little lazy around the house, a little lax with the kids and just a little...dismayed. I wasn't enjoying things like I used to. Then it hit me. When was the last time I made a big, homemade meal? A loaf of bread? Created a photo collage or decorated a room in my home?? Too long ago, that's when. I have a restless, antsy, busybody personality and doing things that are productive, even in small ways (organize a junk drawer to relax, anyone???) keeps me calm, centered.
I LOVE being a stay-home mom, LOVE being with my hubby and kids and love taking care of my family. I just haven't been doing that much to show it. The times we live in contribute to a general malaise that has swept over our country like a bad flu. This 'anything at your fingertips, instant gratification' world we live in has caused an epidemic of selfishness, ingratitude and impatience because we are being bred to believe that we can have it our way, 24 hours a day. I mean, I don't even have to leave my house anymore if I don't want to because Amazon Prime will deliver any item I need overnight--with free shipping!
So recently, I've been on a mission to get out of my doldrums and do you know what the prescription for that is?? Getting busy! You must have a dream to stay hopeful, a purpose to feel purposeful or else...we simply atrophy, concede to the notion that it's just easier to go ahead and get take-out again, to let the kids watch another hour of TV, to zone out on social media and see what our "friends" are up to rather than sit on the porch with our neighbors and actually talk!
Well, I've found that for me, the more there is to distract from the good white meat of life, the more I end up consuming a junk-food diet. But not anymore.
Today, while on errands with my family, my husband received a group text from a co-worker about what he was up to on his day off. My husband and I were befuddled. Why did he feel the need to reach out on his day off to tell the people at work, whom he sees four days a week, what he was up to?? What's wrong with this picture? Why do we feel the need to capture a selfie on our phone of what were doing, eating, playing, just to post on social media instead of just...capturing the moment? So we had a crazy idea. What if we get rid of our cell phones and order up a good 'ole land line?? No more interruptions, no more distractions. Yes, this will make roadside assistance and googling good restaurants on the fly a little more difficult, but maybe it's time to go back to planning ahead, seeing friends face to face and getting more done in a day. I know that when I leave my phone at home, it frees me to notice the small things: the way the breeze rustles the leaves on a tree, the smell of grass in the air, the sounds of birds chirping...all the beautiful music God intended for us to listen to in the first place. Join me. Find ways to disconnect from electronics, social media, screens and reconnect with the things that really matter. I'll let ya know how it goes!