Honey Whole Wheat (almost) Bread

I'm reading this book right now called "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt. It is a memoir about his life growing up in Ireland: very poor. It's a heart wrenchingly sad book and I'm not sure why I'm compelled to keep reading. Maybe it's to broaden my horizons about what life is like for others, to have more compassion for the world outside of my small view of things in happyville.

The reason I bring this book up is that this family struggles daily for food, coal to boil water, and every necessity in life. (Partly because his father likes to drink the pints.) Anyways, Little Franky was given a few pennies and bought a "sweet" for himself and he savored every moment it was in his mouth. What would that be like?

We have ease and luxury at every fingertip. Even as I type this post. I have in my view a digital camera, a cell phone, a cordless phone, and a computer. And I think we are broke!! We have gotten SO used to the easiness of life that we think it's actually HARD!

I'm just as guilty. I raised my kids on chicken dinos, mac n cheese, and fishey crackers. And now I balk at them when they turn their noses up at a kidney bean. In an attempt to make life "easier" we have actually made it harder. Our kids aren't satisfied with simple these days. They want physodellic fruity puffs, chocolatey gramwacked squares, and IPODS, PDAS and IMACS. Believe me, I do too.

But I can't help but think, what if we ever have to go through a real depression? I guess we will learn all too quickly what REAL problems are.

But there are times, especially lately, that I want my life, my cooking, my happyville to be simpler. Like on Little House, when the kids would jump for joy if their Pa brought home a piece of honey candy, one for each. I think that's why I bake bread. I feel connected to the past. Connected to Ma and Pa and to the simple times when you went to bed at sundown and you rose with the crow of the rooster.

I love it when the kids come home from school and get excited about the loaves of homemade bread on the counter, hot from the oven. I feel like I'm nourishing their souls.

...just somethings I think about when I'm baking bread. (click for my recipe)