I’ve been searching for the perfect bread – not a baguette, not a super-soft hoagie, but that Subway or Quiznos-style bread. My looks at local groceries was met with bummer after bummer, so I did what I do? I did it myself. And with just three ingredients – bread flour, yeast, and sugar – my pocketbook remained untapped. Thanks to a helpful TikTok video, the journey to creating the sun-kissed loaves was only semi-painful, while greatly elevating my baking game.
Currently cooling on the stove are the not-so-perfectly shaped buns (fear not, a wavy, metal bread pan is en route from Amazon as I type). A taste test involving Dave and me resulted in unison head nods and “Yums.” Their delightful crunch with a soft interior was my goal, and the actual test awaits tomorrow when I slam prosciutto, cheese, hot banana peppers, lettuce, extra mayonnaise, salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar on them. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
Christmas present wrapping was a success, and I’m giddy about one I’m most excited to give – my teen niece’s Kindle. First things first, I’m scouring the internet for books to load onto it so she’s able to pick it up and dive in. Given her love for horror and suspense, Jurassic Park and Coraline have already made the cut, and I’m on the lookout for more.
If you have any recommendations, let me know!
Recently, I decided to buy a size up for a pair of pants, and with them on now, I feel so much more comfortable. I recall a conversation with an older, wiser cousin years ago when I fretted about gaining a few pounds. Her simple yet mind-blowing advice was, “Well, sometimes you need to buy larger clothes.” Having learned to love and criticize my body based on its size, her matter-of-fact, “It happens,” was a much gentler and kinder approach to body fluctuations.
Evelyn’s usual 7 am entrance into the bedroom with Archie enthusiastically thumping his tail against the wall did not occur today. Instead, at 8 am, I quietly slipped into her dimly lit room, pleasantly surprised to find her still asleep. Well, not really. Beneath a blanket, the glow of her kid laptop caught my eye, and I remembered I had given her permission to use it the night before. A similar plan is in place for tomorrow, meaning I’ll get to sleep until I naturally wake up. Isn’t that just the best?
A book at the top of my reading list finally became available at the library. Although I’m not even twenty pages in, I anticipate losing myself in the story for the next few weeks. It’s called “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” if you’re interested.
Alright, it’s time to tackle my nightly duty of starting the dishwasher before heading upstairs for pajamas and reading. I hope your weekend is going as well as mine.
Later! Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 