Things I'll Never Buy Again

The sun has been shining and the Roma tomatoes were on sale.  Perfect combination for making homemade sun dried tomatoes.  I decided to do mine in slices.  I laid them all out on the cookie sheets and drizzled them with a little olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of salt.  I covered them with a layer of cheesecloth to keep any bugs or birds away, and then let the sun do the rest.

Since James started eating them like chips, I either had to start whacking his hand with a wooden spoon, or make some more.  Of course, as soon as I had them all cut and on the sheets, the weather took a turn for fall.  With temps in the high 60's the tomatoes weren't drying so fast.  

Into the oven they went.  I set it for my lowest setting (in my oven's case - 170 degrees) and just checked in every now and then.

The other thing I won't buy - salad dressings.  They really are so easy to make, and since I make enough to last just a few meals, I don't have to worry about all the preservatives that I can't pronounce.  We start with balsamic or red wine vinegar, add some garlic, shallots, lemon juice and salt.  If you let it sit for a bit before you add your extra-virgin olive oil, the acid in the vinegar and lemon break down the pungency of the garlic.  You can do it to your own taste but a good start is 1:2.  I put it all in a small Mason jar and when it is time for salad, I just give it a couple good shakes.

I can't believe we never did this before.  I tell you - I won't go back to the processed stuff!

(Homemade sauce will be another day!)

Healthy! Fun! Life!

With the temperatures dropping out of the upper 90s, I was able to give in to my need to bake!   And bake I did.  Once I finished, I realized that my baking actually represented the title of this blog.

First, I made whole wheat bread.  I even dug out the grain mill to grind my own flour.  It has been so long since I have made bread, that I made one mistake and the loaves weren’t as beautiful as normal – but still yummy. 

So, there is the “healthy” part.

The next part was just "fun"!  My kids love cinnamon rolls and usually they are only on a special occasion table – a must for Easter and Christmas mornings! 


And here is the Italian bread I made.


What does bread have to do with “life”?  In the Bible, Jesus says “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst” (John 6:35).    So bread is referred to as a part of our spiritual life.  And in Exodus, when Moses was leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.  They are tired and hungry, and God provides a kind of bread (manna) to sustain them.

For us, this bread represents life as a family.  A time to gather together and connect; to build relationships that will last a lifetime; to eat a meal that not only nourishes our bodies, but our souls as well.

And maybe, just maybe, that is why I am renewed by baking for my friends or family.