Some of my best memories as a child involve well, vacations actually but I will have to post about that another time. My best memories at of us at home involve helping around the house, specifically cooking. I have always enjoyed cooking and I credit much of my love and skill for it to the fact that my mom gave me the chance to DO it. It is so easy as a mom to simply do things myself. It is faster, more efficient, less messy and the job gets done just the way I wanted! But there are times that I need to embrace the mess, the inefficiency, the learning and the memories. Our world is so busy we rarely slow down and take time for memory making. I was reminded of this recently when I allowed the kids to make bread in our bread machine. 
I pre-measured all the ingredients and then let them take turns pouring them in the machine. This was my first time to try it this way and I think it worked really well. They were more independent in putting in each ingredient and I simply helped as needed. As an aside, I think all families should have a bread machine. Especially busy ones. Mine is a West Bend the older model of the one I linked. I have had it for years and it is still going strong. What I love is that you can just put in the ingredients, push start and then go about your business. When it is done = fresh bread!
It can be hard to find good recipes specific to a bread machine and it is disappointing when you go to all that work and then it’s a dud loaf. My favorite cookbook is The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook it has some great recipes – try the Hot Jalapeno bread w/Longhorn Cheese! DELICIOUS! I am not going to say I have never had a dud loaf using one of these recipes but honestly I think it is more likely my fault than the authors as I have had so many good results using her recipes. In this particular instance the kids and I were making the Cottage Cheese Dill Bread. I know, it sounds kind of strange…cottage cheese in bread but it is actually yummy!
Here is the recipe…
Cottage Cheese Dill Bread (from the Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger)
2 lb loaf:
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 1 large shallot, chopped (I didn’t have one that day so I just put a little onion powder)
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 3 1/3 cups bread flour
- 2 TBS sugar (I used honey)
- 1 TBS plus 1 tsp gluten
- 2 1/2 TBS dried dill weed
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the shallot (if using, if not then just skip this step)
Place the ingredients in the bread machine pan according to the order in the manufacturers instructions (honestly, I put them in the order that she has them in the book!) If using, add the shallot with the liquid ingredients. Set crust on dark and program for Basic cycle and 2 lb loaf, press start (or let your child do it!) This recipe is not suitable for use with delay function. The dough ball may look very dry at first as it takes a few minutes to come together. Resist the urge to add liquid. When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place on a cooling rack. Let cool before slicing.
Have your kids help you clean up the kitchen and then enjoy a bread and butter picnic outdoors if it is nice or in the living room if it isn’t. My children loved helping and they were very proud of their loaf at the end. It was also an opportunity to sneak in a little school measuring- math. yeast – science, cleaning – home ec! Yes, it took longer than if I had done it myself and yes there was a bit of a mess but…it was well worth it. I hope you are as blessed by embracing the mess as I was.
