The Bread of My Life

So I am on a journey of learning where my food comes from. I am way behind the curve ball on all of you foodies and health nuts, but I have an excuse. I haven't had TV in like two years and I haven't rented movies in a long, long time. It may sound lame, but I swear on a stack of Bibles it is true. Okay, enough of the hand-wringing over my ignorance. I watched the movie "Food Inc." and I was like Snow White when she was kissed by the prince. Poof, I woke up from my food stupor. I may be a decade too late, but I have arrived!

And like the good student I am, I immediately ran my fingers over to amazon.com and ordered the book The Omnivores Dilemma, which I highly recommend. But lest you think I was not serious about the origins of my food and it was just another one of my "phases," I lost never-to-be-found-again hours glued to Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm videos on YouTube and listening to him speak at conferences. I even developed a secret crush on him. I know, I know, he wears funny hats and high-waters. But alas my crush moved on. This time to a really fascinating and scruffy farmer guru on Meet the Farmer TV. I can't say for sure why, but I might would have married him too.

So after a few months of educating myself and trying to buy whole, healthy, and pesticide-free foods that were not genetically engineered, I discovered I was going to have to cook again. I know. I also discovered a great blogger who loves to do things on a budget like moi, check out Hillbilly Housewife. I made her "Beginner's Bread," and it turned out great. My small success has whet my appetite to bake more.

I don't know about you, but I am so ready for fall activities and fall food. Making this bread just makes me want to bake and nest. We have been suffocating from the heat all summer in South Carolina and this past week was the first time you could feel fall stealthily moving in. The morning air had that oh-so subtle change in temperature and the drone of the cicadas has been replaced by the din of the crickets at night. The background music of tree frogs is fading and the dead leaves have been dancing all day as they fall from the trees. This, my friends, is the bread of my life.