Midodi's Ultimate Fruit Salad

Don't you just love/hate to come home and smell BBQ cooking in the air?  I am having a heyday with all the fresh seasonal fruit available.  It seems that almost every night we are having a version of my most favorite of all time fruit salads.  Why is it my favorite?  Because it tastes like fruit candy.  People ask what did you do to this fruit but they are never really sure if you did anything or if they just wandered into fruit nirvana.  

So.  In honor of warm days, pot luck dinners, and reasonless come on overs - here it is.  It is really flexible, so be flexible.  Use what you have or what is on sale.  You will love it!

Midodi's Ultimate Fruit Salad

Brown Sugar (2 T. or less to taste)

almond extract (1/4 t.-1/2 t.)

Combination of fresh fruits like the following:

strawberries

pineapple

bananas

blueberries

peaches

raspberries

grapes

apples

pears

blackberries

kiwis

In a large serving bowl, combine chopped fruit.   Sprinkle with brown sugar and almond extract.  Toss.  Let sit and meld for 5-10 minutes.  Stir again.  If adding bananas or kiwi, add just before serving. 

Obviously, I love you all.

Easter Morning

I stayed up late preparing for our Sunrise Easter Service.  We woke up to inches of new snow.  A sunrise picnic didn't sound so appealing.  Though disapointed for a moment, our breakfast was amazing.  Not the food or ambiance, but the childrens' questions were memorable.  Sunshine asked the most questions.  "Is it hard to die for other people?  Why did they nail Jesus and only tie the other two?"  We were prepared with a lesson to give with our breakfast rolls, but Sunshine took one bite and said, "I know.  This is the cave where they rolled that big stone.  It is empty today.  No one is in it."
"Ah, yeah.  Why don't you just continue your lesson Sunshine?"
So, she did.

Resurrection Rolls

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:
Crescent rolls
Melted butter
Large marshmallows
Cinnamon
Sugar

Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Read Matthew 27:57-61

1. Give each child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus.
2. Have him/her dip the marshmallow in melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming.
3. Now dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represents the spices used to anoint the body.
4. Then wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.

5.  Brush each roll with a bit of milk and sprinkle with sugar. 
6. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (The oven represents the tomb - pretend like it was three days!)
7. Let the rolls cool slightly. The children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN!!!! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)

Now read Matthew 28:5-8

Explain: At the tomb, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary saw an angel, who told them not to be afraid. No one had taken Jesus' body, but He Had risen from the dead! The angel told the women to go and tell the disciples what they had seen, that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were so excited, they ran all the way home to tell the disciples the good news! He is risen from the dead! Alleluia!

After that Jesus appeared in person to Peter, then to the 12 disciples and after that, to more than 500 people. Jesus' appearance to eyewitnesses, those who saw Him with their own eyes, would give support and prove that Jesus rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

By rising from the dead, Jesus proved once and for all that He was the Messiah, the Savior of the World, the Chosen One, and the Lamb of God. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus did what no other had ever done before. As both God and man, He overcame sin, death, and hell. And now because of what Jesus has done, these things no longer have any power over those who believe in Jesus and allow His Spirit to lead and direct them. Rather than being slaves to sin and death, Christians ( those who love and believe in Jesus) are free to obey God and do good ( Romans 6:17-18). The Bible says in John 8:36, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."

However, we will only obey God if we listen to the Holy Ghost our helper. He enables believers in Jesus to do the right thing. It is important that we read the scriptures because one of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us obey God is by reminding us of what He says to us in His Word.  In fact, when we read God's Word, we are listening to the Holy Spirit. Of course, you won't always do the right thing; the Bible says this ) 1 John 1:5-10). But that is why we need to continue to confess our sins knowing that God forgives us, based on what Jesus did on the cross. This is also a reason we need to spend time with other believers in Christ so they can encourage us in our faith.
 

Hope you all had a blessed and meaningful Easter!

Valentines Day

Valentine's Day.  

"Let's make a pact honey.  Let's never go out to eat again on Valentine's Day.  We can go out the week before or the week after."

"But Briz, what about when our kids are grown up?"  

"Ah, who wants to fight the crowds anyway.  I'd rather stay home."

So...

Breakfast consisted of high fiber protein Cranberry Muffins with Struesal Topping, Chilled Stawberry Soup, and Turkey Bacon.  Love notes were waiting for each of my sweeties.   Of course this was done in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep, and the muffins put in the oven on delayed start.

We spread the love with our friends. Two families delivered valentines, hugs, and musical numbers to our local care center  and our two neighborhood widows.  There is nothing like a hug from someone with no family to get you in the giving mood.  

 

We had a simple dinner that felt fancy of Shrimp Bisque, Avacado Salad, Martinellis, and heart shaped ice cream molds with chocolate sauce.  Each darling found a Tiffany style heart locket under their plate.  They feel clever that they can have a "piece of my heart" anywhere they go.

    

I used the loving theme of the evening to present our Family Love Bucket for use throughout the year.

Our family goal for the year is "Love in our hearts, Love in our Home."  The bucket idea is a visual to assist in that goal.  The story available at Amazon, Have You Filled A Bucket Today?, by Carol McCloud and David Messing tells how everyone carries a bucket, whether old, young, parent or child.  Everyone is either a bucket filler or a bucket taker.  Yelling, sarcasm, and unkind words dip from people's bucket leaving them weak and listless.  Thoughtful acts, kind words, and smiles fill others buckets.  Once a month we will fill our bucket up for a family member whose bucket is particularly low and share all the nice things we can think of with them.  After I went to bed, my two youngest rearranged my study and Family Room so they could fill my bucket.  LOVE IN OUR HEARTS, LOVE IN OUR HOME!   Valentine's Mission Accomplished. 

Valentine Strawberry Soup

2 pints strawberries, fresh or frozen

2 cups plain yogurt

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sugar or 1/3 cup agave (we use agave)

1/2 cup water

1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

In a blender, combine the strawberries, yogurt, orange juice, sugar, water, ad cardamom.  Puree until well mixed.  Chill and serve. 

Sun Dried Tomatos

The weather is cool, just enough that lying in the grass is a luxury. The skies are a deep blue, as if to make up for the foliage that is browning. These signs hint of season change, and remind me to run, roll and play and save a bit of sunshine in the soul for winter.

Centuries before canning was invented, Italians laid their tomatoes to dry in the sun, caramelizing their sweetness for use in sauces, pesto, and meat during the cool season.

Chef Tess showed me how easy it is to make sun dried tomatoes... and I am so excited to try something new!

Tomato slices sat in the dehydrator for about 1 day, then turned for an even tan, and gently pressed with a spatula. 8 pints of fresh tomatoes fit into 1 pint jar! Covered with extra virgin olive oil and sharing space with a sprig of rosemary, they will sit in my fridge for months, or my freezer for a year. The oil will taste great on pasta, or pesto!


"Sun . . .abundance . . . laughter . . . bare feet." The jar whispers to me. I take a bite. It explodes with sunshine!

The Secret's in the Crust

Teri,

When I was little I read a book about a really precocious little girl somewhat like myself. She wanted to win a cooking competition with a lemon cream pie. While helping at a church function, she overheard the women complementing Mrs. _____ on her exquisite crust. "The secret is a pinch of baking powder." Mrs. ________ whispered. The little girl decided that if a pinch was good, more would be better so she added quite a bit. The crust was so light and fluffy, while baking with the filling inside, the crust rose to the top of the dessert. She was crushed about her ruined pie.

Though I can't remember the book, I was so impressed by this story and so like this little girl, that I started adding just a pinch of baking powder to my very basic crusts. Anyway, it's foolproof... and the lady was right, it makes an awfully flaky pie crust. So here is the version I created as a child and still use. I hope you have as much luck with it as I have.

Pie Crust (for a double 9" crust)
2 cups flour
1 level teaspoon salt
1 pinch baking powder
3/4 cup shortening
5 tablespoons ice cold water (may need a bit more)

Preheat oven to 425. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shorting with pastry blender till consistency of small peas. Sprinkle water 1 T at a time. Toss with a fork till you form a ball. Press between your hands to form 2 5-6 inch pancakes. If time permits, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If not . . . proceed. I LOVE plastic wrap and use it instead of a floured cloth. I put one sheet on the bottom and one on the top and roll out my dough. I peel one sheet off and pick up the other and position it perfectly over the pan and peel off! Viola! Prick bottom and sides if not baking filling inside to prevent shrinking. Cook till light brown (about 10-15 minutes). If filled, bake 30 minutes.

Mint Ice Cream

I have a love affair with homemade ice cream. I sneak off at the most inopportune moments to buy cream (the only item I don't keep regularly in the house). After indulging, I suffer the pains of the lactose intolerant and swear I'll never do it again. But then . . . another flavor calls.

I love my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I keep a bowl in the freezer at all times, so homemade ice cream is never more than 20 minutes away.


Today, the heat reached 90 degrees. I know. Not hot compared to some places, But I longed for some minty freshness as I walked by my neighbors mint patch. I felt like the father in Rapunzel as I cut some of their mint, although done with permission. Briz, not a mint fan, thought this was the best mint ice cream he had tried.

Mint Ice Cream
1 handful of fresh mint leaves (1/2-1 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy or whipping cream

1. Place mint and sugar in a bowl. With the back of a spoon crush the leaves into the sugar, releasing the oils into the sugar.
2. Add milks and cream to mint mixture and let sit for 1 hour to overnight, depending on the amount of mintyness you like.
3. Strain mixture out into ice cream maker. Add chocolate chunks if desired. I usually leave them out.
4. Freeze according to directions.

Enjoy a bit of minty heaven this 4th of July! It makes me feel a patriotic just thinking about it!

The Pool

Our days at the pool have begun. Splashing, warm, salsa music dancing days where children pop out of slides and I catch them even though I hate water in my face. I look at one flip, another dive, another jump backwards into the pool!

I brought a book to drip on. I pick it up - no, not happening. Two sentences into The Bonds that Make us Free, "I'm hungry, do you have any snacks?" We snack under an umbrella with friends that frequent the same pool. I get some meaningful girl talk in while little ones lay on the cement to warm their little bodies.

There is a new sign posted. "Children under 12 who cannot swim 25 meters unassisted must be supervised by an adult within 10 meters." I stand watch and pace the sides watching my little Sunshine. The reason for the sign is sad really. A teenage friend, Trent, who lifeguards at our fitness center has shared the many times he has plucked a drowning toddler from the water, searched for the mother for ages, only to find her on a back row of pool chairs, top unhooked, drowsily baking.

I love the convenience of our pool, we walk there. But I am saddened by what I show my daughters each time we go. Mothers strut their bronzed bodies barely covered, stick their noses in the air, wave their metalic manicures and pedicures, and exclaim over their cell phones while their children romp. My pale varicose vein covered legs, full coverage suits, baseball or straw hats, and bags full of treats strike an odd comparison. Yet, I am comfortable with who I am and why I am at the pool. I've long given up tans in concern for skin cancer and I rarely carry a cell phone. That way I can go down the tunnel slide and catch Sunshine as she screams down.

"Why do they wear those horrible things?" Ladybug asks speaking of a particularly spangly tiny string bikini. "Oh honey, I don't know. They think they look good and want the attention. I think as moms, they sometimes feel invisible and feel important if they can get people to stare at them. They certainly aren't comfortable. Don't be angry at them dear. I'm a bit sorry for them that they don't feel beautiful and comfortable with who they are." I really don't know what to say to my sweet girls who are surrounded by this type of example of body worship. Oh dear. . .

After our ears are waterlogged and our fingers and toes pruned like an old women, we head home. In our safe haven, messy pony tails and unmanicured toes don't cause a head wave fit for a drill team. Here we find a friend that spurs a dinner (dinner blog). Then we cool off and rest from our exertions . . .


Yogurt Popsicles
Mix 1/3 parts plain or vanilla yogurt
2/3 part yummy juice (strawberry-banana or pine/orange/banana - you know the kind)
Freeze in cute Popsicle holders!!! They taste better that way.

Spiderman Blues

What a day! Usually when I don't post, it is because I my brain is full of frustrated ornery thoughts that I don't want to throw on others. Today was one such day. First, it was a trying day teaching a particularly wiggly music class. One little four year old kept leaping off the sofas onto the other children. "Spiderman. I want to act out Spiderman!"

"I know Spiderman is cool honey, but wait till you hear about Mozart! He wrote the Don Giovanni Opera."

"Hi-Ah!"... he landed in the middle of the cluster of children and sent them flying then engaged one in battle."

"Ah, but Don Giovanni was a wicked criminal. Did you know he killed someone? Oh, wait till you hear about the ghost!" I had him now. The attention lasted till it was time to learn about crescendos.

Later... leaping and karate kicking with his ribbon streamer, "Gotcha! I'm Spiderman!" Little girls cry as their streamers get yanked and their shins get kicked. Sunshine pouts and runs upstairs because she doesn't get the pink streamer. Little Mother has friends over and decides we are too boring and goes in and out, causing the class to chase to the door and ask to go out to join the fascinating world of the big kids. Some little children run into the road with their streamers, others try to get the dogs to chase them and eat their streamers.

"We are moving our streamers in legato, not staccato. Smoothly class. Show me legato!"

After such brain drain, I forgot a dress rehearsal for one of my daughters. As I rushed into Kingsbury Hall one hour late with my daughters, one half dressed, and all looking like orphans, the director chastised me for my general ineptness. Meanwhile one of my children pulled the door stops from all the doors leading to another chastening from another venerable artisan. I drove home in rush hour traffic to no dinner... literally growling as I slammed on and off the brakes. I walked straight in the house, upstairs to my deck and breathed in and out and tried to meditate.

Happily, my sweetheart read the signs of an impending volcano and offered to make dinner, which is a rare occasion at the castle. As I vented my frustrations on the weeds, my sister-in-law, Becky arrived, full of help and happiness. Becky is funny, animated, caring and totally sweet. The best thing about her is the way she makes me feel. When she leaves, I feel like a really neat and interesting person. I once heard that a truly beautiful woman is not the one that you notice when she walks in the room, it is the one who notices you. I buy it. One hundred percent. Becky couldn't have looked more beautiful.

Between my husband and Becky, I prepare for bed a happy woman. To celebrate my happiness, I want to share my favorite desert for this time of year, Sticky Rice with Mangos from my favorite Thai restaurant. I wait for the Champagne Mangos to come to Costco, then I feast on sticky rice until I am sick. So here is to helping others through their ornery days. May we all do it with sticky rice.

Sticky Rice with Mangos

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 mangos, peeled and sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the rice and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While the rice cooks, mix together 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil; remove from heat and set aside. Stir the cooked rice into the coconut milk mixture; cover. Allow to cool for 1 hour.
3. Make a sauce by mixing together 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook till thickened
   
4. Place the sticky rice on a serving dish. Arrange the mangos on top of the rice. Pour the sauce over the mangos and rice.

Dreams of a Bluebird Chocolate Soda

Briz and I attended a university located in the quaint mountain-top town I grew up in. When pressures mounted and we felt drab and ho-hum, we counted our change and went to the Bluebird.

For our type of fix, we sat at the long mirrored marble bar, lined with covered glass tiers of pies, cakes and other delicacies. Behind us was the chocolate display where bins of hand dipped chocolates and confections were displayed for purchase. Seated on twisty bar stools , we watched as the soda fountain attendant mixed our Chocolate Sodas.

After the whipped cream was squirted on and the cherry placed on top, I'd sip and dream. In a place like this, it is easy to imagine oneself in a poodle skirt with a high pony tail. I'd look over and flirt a little with my husband, imagining that we were on a first high school date or meeting after the big game. While I was at it, I imagined my parents, who were high school sweethearts, sitting at this same bar, in this same town, drinking my beloved sodas. The Bluebird was around when my grandparents dated so I imagined them as well. My soda always disappeared too quickly, and we were too poor to buy another. I suppose it was just as well because the soda remained special.

I just lay with Sunshine till I heard the sucking of her finger subside. Delirious with excitement, I tiptoed downstairs to have a few moments of peace and maybe a dream or two.With my soda, I sat on my porch with a bit of reading inspiration. Nostalgia and happy dreams of hope and youth once again filled my head. Here is the recipe as I watched them make it.

Bluebird Chocolate Soda
2-3 Tbs chocolate syrup
vanilla ice cream
1 1/4 cup seltzer water
3 Tbs. milk
Squirt of fresh lemon juice (optional: I add but never saw the Bluebird do this.)

In a tall glass mix chocolate syrup, 1 miniature scoop of ice cream, and the milk. Pour seltzer water down the side of the glass until 2 inches from the top. Plop a large scoop of ice cream or maybe more if you want it into the soda. A squirt of whipped cream and a cherry make it the to die for!

Lucious Lemonade

While in California, my darling brother Mychal picked a box of lemons for me from off his tree. I carried the precious cargo home determined to satiate my craving for fresh lemonade. Now, though always a lemonade lover, my many trips to Mexico have shown me that there is a superior way to make it. Someone on line has to know how.

I set to work trying various recipes. The one from Martha Stewart sounded the most promising as it was the most complicated. I figured that it must take a lot of work to make lemonade so amazing. It called for roasting sugared lemons for an hour and adding a bit of vanilla. Ooooh. How can anything with vanilla be bad? WRONG! Disgusting! Now I know how they make those horrible expensive bottled bitter sparkling lemonades I have purchased in search of my lemonade fix. Note, not even my children would drink it for lunch.

So, on to round 2 and then round 3. Finally in desperation, I tried one of the simplest recipes I could find. SUCCESS! O.K., not total Mexican perfection, but pretty darn close. Fresh tasting, tart, not too sweet, and sparkly. I used club soda though the bar tender in Mexico told me he used mineral water. I'll try that next time. Floating strawberries in it made it Sooo much better. I am happy. I just wish I had a lemon tree so I could" do the twist" more often.

Sparkling Lemonade

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

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• 2 cups cold water
• 1 1/2 cups lemon juice
• 1 cup fruit sugar or sugar
• 1 (750 ml) bottle soda water

garnish

• thin lemon slice
• mint sprig or berries

Directions

1. In a large pitcher, combine cold water, lemon juice and sugar, stir until sugar dissolves.

2. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

3. Just before serving, gradually add soda water down edge of pitcher, stir to mix.

4. Garnish.

5. Pour lemonade over ice cubes in glasses.

6. Garnish each serving with lemon slices and mint sprig or fresh berries.

This Time is Precious

Little Mother is in California visiting her grandparents for two weeks. It is an exciting and heady experience for a little one to have her grandparents to herself, to travel and see the world. Her calls are full of excitement and the joy of feeling loved. In the meantime, it frees my mornings up for 2 weeks, (1 1/2 of which are left). Not that I haven't loved educating her- we have really bonded and I love being the one to waken her excitement on Egypt, Rome, and Igneous Rocks. But in the last year my home has fallen to a sad ruin I never thought possible.


To head off my natural desire to use the free time to sit, read, and dream, I listed a few projects to accomplish during my short hiatus from teacher. I've not made much progress yet, but today I wasn't scheduled to volunteer anywhere, I had no plans to visit anyone, and no company. Today is the DAY!!!

I made a list with Sunshine of the fun things she wanted to do with me and the things I wanted to accomplish today. We planned to alternate fun with work all day. But, once again life happened.

The day was half over and we had not accomplished many things on my list. Together we set the timer and worked on the craft room. The timer went off. AAAA! I've made such little progress. "Mom. It's time to play blocks. We are each going to build our own house this time."
"Honey, why don't we bring your blocks in here and you can build and I'll keep working."
"Mom, you promised. It's time to be together."
I sighed inwardly and whined to myself, "But this time is so precious! I get so very little of it."

A voice in my head immediately echoed. "Yes. This time is so precious. And you do get so little of it."
Block temples and the "house of Joseph Smith and his barn" were created with great cooperation. After switching laundry loads and mopping up all the spilled dog food in the laundry room it was on to a castle favorite, peanut butter clay.


My sweetheart often asks, "What did you do today?" Friends and family call and ask, "What is new?" I have no answers for either question. What do I do all day? How can I quantify a 4 year old's pleasure and pride, a 7 year old's discoveries, or a 10 year old's creativity?


I look at my craft room once again. After 30 minutes of hard work and a garbage can full of discards, it looks no better. But I can shut the door again, pretend the evil lurking in the basement doesn't exist.

As I prepared dinner, Sunshine said, "This was my favorite day ever. I didn't have school so I got to spend the whole day with Mom." What is a clean craft room to that I ask you? After all, this time is precious and I have very little. One day, she'll be at school, no longer seduced by peanut butter clay and I will open the craft room ... and my mess will be there ... waiting patiently.

For those of you without peanut butter clay... try ours.

Peanut Butter Clay
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 c. powdered milk
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix peanut butter, powdered milk and honey. Add powdered sugar until it is no longer sticky. I set out bowls of small foods to add to the sculptures such as: raisins, nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows, Rice Krispies, cheerios, etc.

Bread Renaissance

We have been having a bread renaissance, a bread revival, a celebration of crusty warm grains fresh from the oven. In the past month I have cooked boules, olive bread, oatmeal bread, baguettes, Challah, french bread, soda bread, shaped bread.... you get the picture. Every night with dinner we've sampled another one of my creations. As a breadophile, I have been in heaven, till my blood sugar recently crashed. I have to go off carbs for awhile to re regulate and regain my energy. But like any self respecting addict, I think about my addiction constantly while drying out.

Since I cannot make it today, I am going to write about my favorite everyday bread, the castle's serf bread. It is perfect for sandwiches, for homemade chokecherry jelly, for toast. Mmmmm.

I went on a search for the perfect every day bread and learned a lot of things like what ingredients make the bread soft, chewy, or light. After sampling dozens of recipes, I found one that was almost perfect at Blue Yonder. I tweaked it a bit for my taste with gluten and the steam method, and found my perfection. Shortening makes it really soft, but is unhealthy. At Wild Oats, and in the health food section of my grocery store I found a shortening product that has 0 trans fats and is non-hydrogenated. Butter flavored would be even better, but I don't have any on shelf currently. Pictures of the steam method are posted on the dinner blog for Soda Bread. I hope someone out there in cyberspace makes this amazing bread and enjoys it for me while I am unable.

The Castle's Serf Bread

2 T warm water
1 1/2 t yeast
1/2 t sugar
1 1/2 cups bread flour
2 c whole wheat flour
3 t vital wheat gluten
1/4 c health food store shortening
1/4 c honey
1 c warm water
1 t salt

In a small cup combine water with yeast and sugar. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Then, in a large bowl pour yeast mixture, water, flours, shortening, honey and salt. Using an electric mixer or food processor, blend until all ingredients are incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

Mix (knead) for 5 minutes. The dough should no longer be sticky, but smooth and elastic. If you push your fingers in, the hole should refill itself quickly.

Remove the dough and place in a clean bowl that has been greased lightly with oil. Turn dough over in bowl. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Punch down to eliminate bubbles. Spray or grease 9x4 or 5 inch loaf pan. Shape dough into a loaf and place in pan. Let rise in warm spot till doubled in size. I usually let it rise for 30-40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a broiler pan on the lowest shelf. When oven is preheated, pour 1 cup of water in the lower pan when you put the bread in. Bake for 30 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped lightly on top.

This recipe makes only 1 loaf so you'd better double or triple it so some is ready in the freezer.