Bragging Rights

I can't help it. I'm so proud of my whole wheat bread, and I can't just take a slice of it over to my mom's house for her to try. I've finally found a recipe that works AND tastes great. The bread gets all light and fluffy just like the stuff that you buy at the store.

Just close your eyes and imagine the nice warm smell of baking bread. Imagine the sigh as you think of the light, fluffiness that you are forgoing because you want to be healthy and frugal. You yearn for that frothy, franz, white bread taste. And then, you peer into your bread maker (a must when you are me, since I'm no good at kneading), and your heart takes a leap. There is this HUGE mound in your bread maker. Your dough has tripled in volume. Your pulse speeds up as you watch the timer slowly countdown to zero, and the dome is still there! Excitedly, you open the machine, you grab a towel because you can't find your oven mitt. Ouch! You burn your arm as you pull the little pan out of the bread maker. Oh, don't forget to breathe! And then as the loaf slides out of the silver pan, you shake your head in disbelief. It's so beautiful you feel like crying. Instead, you do the only sensible thing. You grab the bread knife and cut a thin slice of piping hot bread. You put a generous serving of butter on it (so much for it being healthy for you), and as you take your first bite, you inhale deeply. Yes, this is bread. This is what you reverence, yearn for and finally possess.

So, you might be wondering what this last picture is. For the less observant it's me with my new glasses. After all, you have to stay up on what I look like.