Growing up things were not easy in our home, and much of the time, it was filled with turmoil. However, there were some good things too and I try to focus on those. One of these was homemade bread. I remember my mother and my amazing aunts making homemade bread every week.

They put the ingredients into the hand-crank mixer, and in a few hours there were 6-8 loaves of homemade bread cooling on the counter.

This bread had to raise 2-3 times, and the metal lid was placed over the top to aid in the raising process, keeping the warmth inside the mixer.

I remember dreaming of having my own fancy hand-crank mixer one day. We didn’t have fancy KitchenAid or Bosch mixers back then, it was all done by hand with strong arm muscles. One of my favorite things was to get a slice of warm bread and slather it with butter.

We rarely had store-bought bread, and I always felt envious of the kids who brought home lunch with sandwiches made on “Wonder Bread”. It made the BEST dough balls when you wadded it up, and I loved to eat little nibbles off it to make it last longer. My favorite field trip of the year was going to the Wonder Bread Factory in Salt Lake. You could smell that delicious aroma a mile away. And after the tour of the factory, they always gave us a little baby loaf of Wonder Bread to take home. It was the BEST day EVER!!! I laugh now when I remember telling myself when I grew up, I would only buy Wonder Bread! Now look at me, my favorite kind of bread is back to the basics, homemade, sometimes mixed in my Bosch mixer, and sometimes using my Food Nanny dough tool mixed by hand. I have to admit, I still like a good store-bought-bread-dough-ball every now and then.

A few weeks ago, I was recovering from a bad cold. It wasn’t Covid, but I was really sick. Ron was out of town with work, and I was home alone. My sweet friend knew I hadn’t been feeling well, and dropped off a small loaf of homemade bread. I can’t tell you how much this brightened my day! I quickly cut a couple pieces and popped them in the toaster, then slathered them with butter savoring every bite. There’s something about fresh home-made bread that makes you feel good.

The next week she brought me two more, in addition to a lovely French wicker shopping bag filled with everything I needed to make my own Food Nanny Kamut flour bread! Ron was out of town this week as well. I’m embarrassed to say, I didn’t share one piece of that soul-healing bread with him . . . sorry Ronnie. :) I put the other loaf in the freezer to save for later.

My friend called and asked if I needed anything from the Food Nanny store in Salt Lake the following week. I eagerly asked if she would pick me up a 25 pound bag of flour, in addition to a container of the special salt they bring in from France. It really does make all the difference in the taste! In addition to the flour and salt, she brought me yet again two more loaves of bread. Once again, one loaf went in the freezer for later. They say that man cannot live on bread alone, but honestly I think I could! Well maybe bread and Diet Coke. :) Breakfast of champions!

I mentioned how I always put the extra loaf in the freezer to save for later. These loaves were small, the perfect size for one or two people. I ate two of those little loaves every week for three weeks!!! You can’t even tell they had been frozen. After they thaw, they are as fresh as when they were made.

I’m excited to learn how to make this new bread recipe. The flour is made from Kamut, which is an ancient type of wheat. It is so pure, many people who suffer from celiac disease can even tolerate it. I have issues with whole wheat bread at times, and wondered how my body would react to this new type of wheat flour, which actually cooks up to be white in color. I’m happy to say, not only did my body tolerate it, but I actually felt better after eating it for three weeks straight.

So in this month of thanksgiving, I am grateful for friends who come to my rescue when I’m down. The light they bring into my life shines brighter than the sun! I feel so blessed to have them in my life. So this week, go out and find someone to serve, thank, or show gratitude to. It will fill your soul with light! And then check out the Food Nanny’s bread recipe, your family will love you!!! You can order online, or go to their store in Salt Lake City if you’re here in Utah. Have a great week!

Love Ya, Les :)

Serve

There’s Nothing Quite Like A Warm Slice Of Homemade Bread