Mellow but Exhausting Day, Bread Thoughts.

Even though yesterday was nothing compared to all that went on the day before, it was an exhausting day, and by the time my wife got home, I found myself clinging to consciousness. Brutal. We didn't have much of an agenda, just the way I like it, and yet I think I was on my feet the entire day, doing assorted homeschool and domestic projects. It's the cooking/baking that kills you. Sometimes it's amazing to think of the time and energy you put into making meals, especially when you're leaning towards vegetarianism, all for an activity that takes up less than an hour. I'm not knocking the family meal, and we're not about to change how and what we eat, but it just goes to show you, like a lot of things in life, it's got to be a labor of love. You've got to enjoy the process rather than focusing on the end reward, because not only is the end reward not always what it's cut out to be, but life is really about the process.

Not unlike karate, and pretty much everything in between.

The reward of it all, besides the journey, is when you make something that the entire family loves. We've found a good recipe for raisin bread, and everyone is enjoying it. It was inspired by our friend's visit on St. Pat's, she'd brought some raisin bread and it was really good. And there's nothing like having fresh bread and bagels on hand to eat, something satisfying about having good food in the house. It makes me feel good about being a parent.

It also dawned on me why I was so tired-from the alcohol. I never drink. I love beer, but don't like catching a buzz, and I have a low tolerance for alcohol. Now normally I never even drink a beer, but when we have social occasions find myself drinking them even though I vow not to. Of course, St. Pat's day was no exception, and not only did I have beer, but we drank Guiness that P brought over. The next day, I was tired all day, and I think it was the after effect of the alcohol. I know, it's wimpy of me, and not very real-mannish, but I can't argue with my genes.

Then again, who can? Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Anyway, baking always manages to push me over the edge, not that I'm losing my temper, but it's a load of work, and the mess it makes can bring me to tears. A small price to pay, however, for fresh bagels (not as beautiful as Nanny Oggs!) and raisin bread. We had friends over for dinner the other night and J brought raisin bread over that was killer, so it inspired us to make our own.

Speaking of bread, while our recipe has yet to reach the stratosphere of perfect bread, we've gotten pretty good at making an adequate loaf of healthy, whole grain bread that has the qualities that we look for in a loaf-firm and hopefully crisp crust with a soft and chewy interior with big holes. We've been conferring with many people and the latest incarnation is an amalgm of advice from assorted bread experts. Baking is a soul satifying excursion.

Looking forward to another day in paradise. Until then, thanks for reading.