Bread

Even though our week in Salt Lake seemed booked, I still had enough time to pick and bottle apricots and plums, and made jams, juice, and pie filling! I didn't particularly like helping my mom bottle fruit and make pie fillings and jams. Actually, I vividly remember spending most of a Saturday peeling apples and wishing I could go play. I dreamt of peeling apples that night. After I moved out I tried the store bought variety and they were never as good. I missed the rows and rows of colorful bottles of fruit in our basement growing up. I love the idea that I can save a little bit of summer in a bottle and eat it later when the landscape has lost all color. Nothing is better than homemade jam. Seriously. You name a flavor and it's better homemade. I love watching the bubbling pots of color knowing I'll be enjoying the flavors all winter long.

Now I needed some chewy crusty bread to eat with my homemade jam. But good bread is expensive, especially when your husband eats half a loaf in one sitting...okay I do too. For the last week I've scoured the world wide web and found a great recipe for artisan crusty bread that really works! It's super easy too. I failed on my first attempt because I sifted my flour so the dough was much too wet. But my 2nd and 3rd attempts turned out lovely. I can't wait to try adding some flavor to the basic recipe...sourdough, rosemary, kalmata olive...YUM!




*Sigh*

Summer.