Hi, My Name Is McKenna..... But You Can Call Me "The Bread-maker"

Saturday, August 16, 2014



 “Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”    -- James Beard

Well ain't that the truth, James! There is just something special about walking into a home smelling of fresh, homemade bread; hearing the crunch of the crust as you slice your first piece; slathering a square of smooth butter atop it; and taking your first bite while you feel and taste the warmth, the chewiness, the density, and the softness of it's form.  I am grateful to have experienced these moments quite often; I came from a family of fantastic cooks/bakers. 



I have grown up around homemade bread; my mom makes it quite often. However, it never occured to me (until now) that I would someday want to know how to make it for my own children, as well. After bringing up the subject to my Mom one day, she told me I should ask my Aunt Carolyn or my Aunt Mer to teach me before I moved back to Colorado for school. Aunt Carolyn and Aunt Mer have always been the "breadmakers" of the family.  On a side note, I seriously hope that one day I can learn how to garden as well as Aunt Mer does, and crotchet as well as Aunt Carolyn (talented ladies... love them to death). Anyways, we (my grandma, myself, and my mom) were planning on going up to Aunt Mer's soon to have lunch. Well, what better a time to learn how to make homemade bread, right? So, I did. French bread to be exact....






We mixed all the ingredients together in a Bosch. Oh how I would love to have one of these..... guess it's time to start looking at yard sales, because there is no way this (me) college student can afford to buy a new one..... On the other hand, Aunt Mer handed down her old Bosch to my mom, and bought her a new one at a yard sale, sooooo I better just stick to tradition and find one there as well, right? :P


Time to let the bread raise....

Meesha Rae



Mazie
 Meanwhile.... it was photo shoot time with Meesha Rae, and Mazie! :)  Meesha is my older sisters doggie; we were babysitting (dog-sitting) her while Corri was at work. She loves long walks/runs on the road, chewing on her dog bone, digging holes in our yard, playing with Rez (our Boston Terrier), cuddling at night, eating human food (especially Nibs licorice), walking underneath people's feet, acting like a princess, and watching people go to the bathroom (yes.... you cannot go to the bathroom without her staring at you with her cute, beady eyes). Basically, we love Meesha, and all her personality, to death. Mazie is Aunt Mer's dog, and though I don't know as much about her as she probably does, I do know that Mazie is such a good, calm, loving dog.



Then it was back inside to separate the dough into four sections.... 


Next, we rolled out the dough.... Your probably asking yourself, "Is she really using a plastic cup?" Yes, in fact, I am (thanks for the cool tip, Aunt Mer!).




Time to make them fancy-shmancy! Don't they look beautiful? 







Well ladies and gentlemen, there you have it!!! Gorgeous aren't they? I'll bet your mouth is salivating right now, yeah? To make you even more jealous, I'm going to tell you this.... we had these crunchy, crispy, chewy, soft, perfectly seasoned loaves of bread with spaghetti for dinner that night! I couldn't have been more happy with how they turned out, and it's 100 percent thanks to my sweet Aunt Mer. I will always remember and cherish this time with her, and I'm sure my future kids will be super grateful too when they come home from school to a home smelling of freshly baked bread! Thank you a million times Auntie, your the best.

For whoever is reading this, I hope you enjoyed reading about how I became a professional bread-maker (at least I'd like to think I am now), and I hope this inspires you to learn how to make it as well! I promise you, nothing smells or tastes better than a warm slice of homemade bread, especially in the Fall!

Lastly, I want to thank my beautiful mother for taking these pictures. You are amazing, and your work is always stunning. A picture really is worth a thousand words, and I basically have a novel now thanks to you. Muah! For anyone who wants to check out her work, click on the following link: Janece Kenney Photography


And to conclude this post... how about a little Ratatouille? If you haven't seen this movie yet, I promise, you are missing out.

-- McKenna <3


11 comments:

  1. The bread looks delicious and beautiful. Your mother certainly has a great eye for photography--these photos are gorgeous!

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  2. Aww! I love this....what a special memory you will have of them teaching you to make the bread they have made for years :) And it looks delicious...now I am thinking I should give it a shot. (also love the ratatouille reference!!!)

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  3. Beautiful pictures. That bread looks divine.

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  4. There is nothing like fresh, homemade bread!!

    Chels @ Red Velvet Rooster

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  5. That bread looks amazing! My Mom has one of those machines and it's amazing. Too bad they cost so much lol

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    1. Right!? I can't believe how much they are either! All of my favorite machines (Boschs, Bullets, and Keurigs) are way too expensive for me to buy right now (college girl problems) haha!

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  6. Mmm ... that looks so good! There's nothing better than fresh bread.

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    1. I couldn't agree with you more, Ginnie! :) What is your favorite kind to make?

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  7. Looks delicious! I keep meaning to try actually making my own bread, but laziness always wins!

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    1. Crystal, I totally understand that! It is so much easier to go to your local grocery store and grab a loaf of bread! BUT.... I am encouraging you to try making your own eventually :) Nothing in the world beats the taste of homemade bread... :P

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  8. Mmm, freshly baked bread is one of my favourite things! Hope to see again tomorrow at the Coast to Coast Blog Hop Party! xo Margarita - WestCoastMama.net

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