Make some dough!

So... while I would love to mean money, I actually mean dough, as in bread dough. I got interested in making bread last August when I went on a girls-only beach weekend and one of the gals (who I was very close friends with as a child) brought stuff to make bread while we were there. Now, initially I thought "that's nuts!" But I went home and thought about it. A lot. And then I emailed her for her recipe. Bread making is so easy and fundamental (emphasis on "mental") I don't understand why more people don't do it! If you only realize how far that first loaf of bread has taken me!

It's a form of sanity-making therapy. There is something soothing about kneading bread. By hand. Not that I wouldn't mind having a good quality stand mixer, but I'll save that for another time. (Just be sure that I can't wait for my tax return. )

Anyway, if kneading bread is mind-soothing, imagine what eating that first slice of warm, fresh bread does to your soul.

Since that first loaf of bread, which by the way turned out beautiful, I have started making my own laundry soap, scouring powder (think Comet without the green), dishwasher detergent, all-purpose spray cleaner, bread, cinnamon rolls, english muffins, pita bread, granola, soups and lots of other stuff on a regular basis. Homemade stuff is better for you and not difficult to do. Occasionally it can be time consuming, but nothing a few hours on the weekend can't handle.

And the reward is so gratifying.