Yes, I am that Hippie Mom. Sorry.

I like to bake.  Bread specifically.  I don't remember what started me on this journey, but its been darn tasty.  I don't mind baking cakes and sweets when the occasion calls for them, but there is something very viscerally satisfying about sawing through a crusty loaf fresh out of the oven, the steam still rising from the loaf, the yeasty aroma wafting in your face as you inhale.  And then taking that first bite.  The "OMG is it decent?  It smells good, it looks good, but does it TASTE good?" bite.   Crunchy crust, soft creamy crumb, almost melting the mouth, but a decent amount of chew on the back end.  The lovely tang from sourdough?  God I love that.

 I love taking a handful of humble ingredients and elevating them to something approaching art.  I love the tactile sensation of a good dough under your hands.  And the fact that you KNOW its a good dough, just because of how it feels.  I love taking that dough and making something unique and delicious out of it.  I love taking that dough and throwing whatever I have in the pantry freezer or garden and making something completely different.  I love knowing exactly what I'm feeding my kids.  Exactly what goes into this bread, and exactly what does NOT.  I love knowing that Boo knows how much work it is to make bread, and still wants to help.  I love that she will have this to look back on as time with her Momma.  I enjoy finding new recipes to try, and I enjoy making riffs on recipes that I've already done.  I rarely have any loafs that are inedible, and each one is a learning experience.  I love talking with B about what we like and don't like about the various iterations.  I enjoy the fact that we can be so candid about this - without egos or hurt feelings.  This is important for the girls too, to see that something can be talked about in both positive and not so positive terms, and its ok.  Its ok for the bread to be awesome, but its ok for the bread to be not so great, and we can learn from it either way.