Can you guess what I've been up to?

What's inside?

(BTW, feel free to admire the embroidered tortilla cloth... I made it when I was 16, and am still absurdly proud of it)

any ideas yet?

oh, hey, what's peeking out?

BREAD? Homemade, fresh, easy, non-bread-machine BREAD?

yup!

My friend Jon mentioned, off-hand, that he had heard of a bread recipe that was really easy and baked in a dutch oven... hmmm, I have one of those (gotta love the cast iron LODGE dutch oven, like $40 at costco!)...

so I looked it up online, and found this recipe...

ITS SOOOOO GOOOD!!!!!!!!

You have to wait a while, but in terms of "hands on prep time," MAYBE 25 minutes, tops.

then you have a yummy smelling house, and YUMMY BREAD!

we had it warm and plain this morning, and then D had a slice with honey this evening.

It was sooooo good, in fact, that loaf #2 is waiting on the stove for tomorrow.

and I also started making a sourdough starter. We eat SOOOO much sourdough bread, I figure it's probably the most useful... hopefully my starter will be ready in a few days, cause I'm ITCHING to get into this....

secretly, I'm terrified of bread/pastry.... I can bake cakes, no prob, ditto cookies, cupcakes, etc, but bread? rolls? scones? pie dough?

nope. Anxiety, tears, stress. luckily, my husband/knight-in-shining-armour is actually really good at these things, so he usually comes in when I'm about to disintegrate, and finishes my projects.

HOWEVER: it is a new year, and my goal for the year is to face my fears, try new things (or old ones that I haven't mastered), and CONQUER!

so, while I wait for my ukulele instruction books to arrive at the local library, I'm working on my baking skills.

next up (or, on my to do list for this weekend): STICKY BUNS!

I'm so excited.

hopefully all my baking will go as well as this first foray.