No, the children are not out of school for the summer yet, (not till next week!) but this is a Sunday-after-church photo of dear Grace, wearing her new long dress from Old Navy and holding a kitten.
And then she took a picture of me, holding the same kitten. Don’t you just love the new maxi-dress styles? The stripes were a daring decision. A older man at church (the teasing type) saw me walking Sarah to her Sunday school class and called after me, “Did they just let you out of jail, Shanda?” And then, David leaned over upstairs during the message and whispered, “Mom. You look just like a zebra today. Did you do that on purpose?”
Did he HONESTLY think I would make a decision like that?
THEN, Caleb brought home an invitation to a birthday party and said, “Mom, it’s a good thing you bought that new dress!” It’s a ZEBRA party! Whoever wears the most stripes gets a prize. Astounding.
I love my new dress! It makes me laugh.
It was a good morning to bake bread. It was raining outside and we needed bread. No way was I going to go to the store! I mixed up a big batch of dough with Seth and Sarah “helping” and kittens attacking my feet.
They love to eat a little bit of raw dough……..
I get feelings of joy and pride when I see a bowl of risen dough. “It’s growing so nicely!”
I formed three loaves, a dozen rolls for sandwiches, and a small pan of caramel cinnamon rolls.
My mother is my inspiration, she bakes all her own bread. I just do it as a treat now and then.
FRESH FROM THE OVEN:
freshly baked rolls
sky high bread
caramel cinnamon rolls
a view from above
on this rainy morning, the house is warm and filled with the scent of homemade bread
I love working on my journals, but tend to go at spurts. I’m currently in a productive spurt….I glued in a letter than I got yesterday from cherylyn, and added a few more pictures (cut from magazines) and quotes from the devotional books I’m reading.
Such as:
“The more you realize your self, the less you will seek God.” Oswald Chambers
and,
“It is a privilege to be chosen. He has called you by your name. You belong to Him in a special way. You are precious to Him because He loves you and He has poured love into your heart to be able for you to give that love to others.” Mother Teresa
A story of mischief.
Yesterday, Sarah woke up from her nap before Seth did. She was playing quietly and as Seth was still napping, I was not suspicious, because they tend to find trouble only when they are TOGETHER and alone, but Sarah usually plays in solitude like a perfect angel. She was out of my sight and when I finally went to check on her, the scent of nail polish almost overwhelmed me.
She had painted her leg all the way up and over the knee (front only).
Why?
“I started to paint my nails …. but then I painted my leg!” she chirped.
I had to take her to the tub and scrub it off with nail polish remover.
And then I had go get Jacob from school.
But first I went to Rite Aid to buy a couple pretty cards to send to friends.
And then I got Jacob. But I was late.
And then we went back home to start dinner. We had homemade Salisbury steak, parsley potatoes, and cucumber salad.
Then it was time to clean the kitchen.
And then, and then, and then……..
it was a good morning to bake bread!
Life is good.
Good to be Home 
Thankfully Sarah’s nail polish was light and not a deep red! ;)I wish there was smell-a-vision with those bread pictures! All looked YUMMO!
I laughed out loud. 🙂 I think you and Grace look beautiful in your gorgeous maxi dresses…stripes and all! Oh my…bread, salisbury steak, parlsey potatoes, cucumber salad…so much deliciousness in one post. Wish I had eaten at your house! Your bread and rolls look so professional! That bowl must go to your mixer, but I love it!Love the quotes, too!
The things they say just crack me up! So now you’re officially the zebra lady;) looks beautiful on you by the way. What a cute little kitten and I can almost smell the scent of your fresh bread!!! I purchased a mixer from a friend for $75!!! It’s a kitchen aid. Can’t wait to use it… Now you have inspired me!!!
That bread all looks amazing. You have inspired me to make our own bread. Do you have any recipes you could share? The dresses are both beautiful. Prettiest zebra I have ever seen ;).
@LovingMyLittles – http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amish-White-Bread/Detail.aspxThis is the recipe that both my mom and I use. We put half the sugar amount in. You can also use maple syrup or honey instead of white sugar.Thank you for saying I make a pretty zebra. Ha ha ha ha……hugs.@celebratinglifeandmotherhood – That is a really good deal on a kitchen aid, my friend! I use mine constantly!@littlehouseintheozarks – Glad you laughed! xoxo
What a good idea, to make rolls instead of/in addition to loaves! I made bread for a while, a few years ago, but it wasn’t very good for sandwiches. The rolls would work though! I’m getting hungry…lol.
Loved reading about your peaceful morning baking bread..the smell must have been amazing! I loved reading that you made Salisbury steak..I made it Sunday for dinner using a recipe from Paula Dean..so yummy and no butter :). Just also wanted to know if you had plans for your blog if Xanga shuts down?
Love both Maxi dresses! They both remind me of wearing maxi’s in the 70’s, so glad they are in. I think Nautical when I see the stripes, but laughed at the comments ;-0You astound me with all the homemade breads. wow. Something my mom never made, so usually I just do quick breads, as my yeast ones do not turn out so well. I need to get over that so I can try to make some good GF ones…which is even more of a challenge, but something David needs. Love the home feel of these photos.
@ABAHM – Gluten free breadmaking is not very easy!! Now I am going to have to do it for THREE of us in the family. So if I learn anything new I will pass it on to you! Are you also egg and dairy free?
It looks soooooooooooooo yummy, esp the caramel cinnamon rolls…. you’ve made me so hungry!!! lol I saw in a previous comment the recipe you shared. You use that one recipe to make all those different breads? And what about those caramel rolls??? Do you just roll it out flat, and…??? Can you tell I don’t do a lot of baking? I’ve always wanted to learn how to make bread though and this recipe looks hopeful, like even I could make it….. in theory!! We will see!!THose kittens are too cute and I love your new dress! It didn’t make me think of a zebra at all, though, haha.
Love the smell of bread!! I made strawberry jam today (8 batches 😉 I would have loved to have some bread to eat with it.
@celebratinglifeandmotherhood – I consider you my first source in this effort So thanks for any help. I eat GF too, it is just David needs the calories a lot more than me!
The dresses are both beautiful. I need to make bread again. But did everyone in your house get one of those cinnamon rolls? It worried me that the pan wasn’t big enough. 🙂 Oh….I see there are 9 so that should do it! How can kids stand to eat bread dough like they do? Mine love it! Sending love….
I love baking bread! But, with just the two of us, my recipe can make too much! My freezer is small, so storing big loaves does not work well. I do make cinnamon rolls sometimes for my cell group kids. I make some of my bread into “pizza rounds” and lightly bake them. Then they go into the freezer. They are perfect for a quick meal. We “decorate” them with whatever we have around, and pop them in the oven for ten minutes or so. Yum. I also like to add different kinds of flour to the dough. I love putting sunflower seeds and some grated carrots in. Loved your zebra dress, and your story about Sarah and the nail polish. Grace is getting so tall!
@bamsniko22407 – I used the same dough for everything. For the caramel rolls, yes, you roll the dough thin, add a spread of butter and then some cinnamon sugar. Roll it up, cut it in even slices and then….in a pan, spread a thick layer of brown sugar mixed with butter. Place the rolls on top and after you bake them, you tip the pan upside for the oozy caramel to soak down into the rolls! If you have any more questions, message me. You will LOVE making bread and it isn’t very hard, just give yourself a morning to do it, it takes some time.
@buana – I will probably go to BlogSpot or WordPress if Xanga closes, but I’m hoping it doesn’t shut down! You found a Paula Deen recipe for Salisbury steak that doesn’t call for butter?? This I have to see! I used another recipe on google, from abc.com. It’s a Mr. Food recipe and it was pretty simple and tasty!
@srheam – 8 batches of strawberry jam at your place and homemade bread at my place, if only we were neighbors!!!!!!
Hi Shanda. Wanted to pass along the Salisbury Steak recipe from Paula Dean. http://joyerickson.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/salisbury-steak-from-paula-deen/. Have a blessed day 🙂
Shanda: The rolls( and bread too) look wonderful! My issue is self control. I would eat them all…sigh…so I don’t make them. Shanda I noticed in your outdoor pictures your children don’t seem to have “bites”. Do you have a problem with mosquitoes or tics. When I lived in Illinois, I loved romping the creek and the woods but had to be thoroughly checked when I came home and I was always covered with chigger’s or mosquito bites, almost always had to have tics pulled off me:(. I guess I am wondering if you have a “secret” you would share with us:) I must go hug my children now…your post have inspired me once again!
PS You and grace look absolutely lovely in your dresses!
I love your dress! And, your bread/rolls/cinnamon rolls look delicious! Would you be willing to share the recipe(s)?
I would be interested in your recipe…I never have much success with yeast 😦 and my kids love homemade, soft, warm bread! Your children will have heart-warming, fun memories of their childhood!! Way to go Mom Shanda 🙂
you look so pretty in your stripes – and tiny! my mom made homemade bread all the time growing up.. ground her own wheat and everything. i can still smell it~ 🙂
@sixAs – Hello, friend, I wish I had an answer for you. You sound like a person that the bugs like (Rich is the same way! I do keep OFF bug spray around and we use that when the bugs get really bad (so far they haven’t been too bad). Do people get Lyme disease where you live? It’s one of my fears here, being outside so much. So good hearing from you!@wj3km – The recipe is on allrecipes.com, “Amish White Bread”….but I only put in half the white sugar. I buy yeast in bulk at Costco and keep in in the freezer, it keeps for a long long time that way.
I must try out your homemade bread recipe. Years ago I made ALL of our bread from scratch – although I have not made any in many years. I also weighed more back then I love how you used a glue stick and paste things into your journal. I’m about to take a trip to the northeast and I saw an idea online to keep a travel journal. I may have to do that when I return home. Seems like a great idea to mix writing, and clips of things form here and there! You look wonderful in your ‘zebra dress’ – hahaha. Oh how I love what our little ones come up with!
@buana – Thank you so much! My entire family loves Salisbury steak so I’m def. going to make it. Is this a link to you’re blog or one you read?
I love your stripes. :)The bread looks so good. I usually make bread all of the time, but have been cheating the past couple weeks and buying bread.Homemade tastes so much better, but also takes more time. Your journal is inspiring..I think I may pull my empty ones out and fill them this summer.and Sarah’s leg! So funny.Happy Friday.XxOo
Good Morning. Actually I googled “Salisbury Steak” and this recipe was one of the ones that came up. I have a Xanga blog, however, I haven’t blogged in quite awhile. I love reading Xanga blogs, however, I am not very good at putting my thoughts down on paper, so I just enjoy reading :). I hope Xanga stays, as I love the format much better than the other blog formats. I have connected with some wonderful sisters in Christ here, which have just enhanced my walk with the Lord. Have a blessed day!