When they want it...

...you gotta give it to them.

HAYES BREAD

2 pkg. yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp. out of a jar)
1/2 cup sugar (or honey)
4 cups warm water (I use purified and warm it up in the microwave)
2/3 cup powdered milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
5 tsp. salt
10-10 1/2 cup flour (3 c. whole wheat and 7 c. white Better for Bread flour)
Crisco (butter flavored) for greasing

In a mixer bowl (Bosch is the best), add yeast, sugar, and warm water. Mix well and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Add powdered milk, oil, and mix. Then slowly add part of the flour and all the salt-- 3 cups whole wheat, 2 cups white, and 5 tsp. salt. Add the rest of the 5 cups slowly and mix all on low for 10 minutes. If it's really sticky, add a little more flour. It should pull away from the bowl as it mixes. If you don't have a mixer, knead by hand for 10 minutes. Take dough out, roll it into a ball, and place it in a lightly greased bowl (put it in upside down and then turn it over so it has a little on top to keep it moist). Cover it with saran wrap and let it double in size (about 1 hour). Take it out on a floured board or counter and divide it into 4 equal sections. Form them into 4 loaves and place into greased glass pans (upside down first then right side up). Cover the loaves with a light, damp towel to rise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours (the loaves should be a little over the top of the pans). Bake them at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When they come out of the oven, rub the tops with a little Crisco.
Thanks, Mom.

I Know You Want a Slice

I just had to talk about our homemade bread because it's the first time it has kind of tasted and resembled my mom's. It's kind of a big deal. Mom is the master bread baker, so I had her tell me what to do every step of the way to get my bread to come out like hers. After a few tries, it finally worked out right! James is a happy boy (as his mom would say). Check out our loaves. Feel free to come over for a slice.

The Many Styles of Mr. Palmer

I've been meaning to cut James's hair for awhile now, but we just haven't gotten to it. It's kind of a long process (probably because I don't know how to do it well), so we keep putting it off. Plus, James likes to grow his hair out and doesn't push for me to cut it. I, on the other hand, prefer it short (see the above picture of him at Sundance), so I guess I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands. In the meantime, we did have time to figure out a way to wear it while it's still long. What do you prefer? Item A, B, C, or D? (James is a little reluctant to have these pictures up, but I think he should be proud of what his hair can do. Not everyone can do these things with their hair.)

Don and the Pope

I love celebrating birthdays. This weekend it was for Don, one of James's best friends. We're all turning 25 this year, and it doesn't feel like it. The waiter at Buca di Beppo guessed that Don was turning 22. I guess that's not so bad, but I know if it were me, he would've guessed maybe 20. I still have a hard time with that because being a teacher, I want to look older. Anyway, we had a fun time at the restaurant for Don's big day, especially because we reserved the party room (which also is the Pope room apparently). Everywhere you looked, you saw the Pope or nuns in pictures. It was great! It brought me back to high school. Plus, the table had the biggest Lazy Susan I've ever seen. I want to get one of those in my future house.

Here's to being a quarter of a century!

The whole clan, or what's left of us.

So, of course James and Clark will take any opportunity to pose, and it so happened that they matched completely that night except Clark is the dark version and James is the light version. Check it out--from head to toe. Impressive.

My New Little Friend

I'm so excited that I finally got to see my friends Michelle and Greg last week! Michelle and I went through the education program together, and we spent a ton of time together. It's been awhile since we've hung out, so it was great to catch up while scarfing down plenty of Olive Garden breadsticks. Yum.
Their baby girl, Ellie, is darling, and it was so fun to play with her for the first time. She won multiple staring contests, and she even let me hold her. I think she knows that her mommy and I were friends before she was born. I hope we get to see a lot more of those 3 before we head to Texas!

I wish Greg was in this picture--Ellie is a perfect mix of her parents.

We could never pass for her parents... I'll have to play as her aunt.