Baking Day--A Good Change

With this summer come and gone (let's just be honest--it's over, folks) and the first year of vegetable gardening under my belt here, I've started to look around and see what else can we do to make ourselves more of a producer, rather than a consumer family.  How can we expand?  What else can we produce?  I have my own ideas, and plenty of them.  But in my house that can meet with some resistance, so I have to start off slowly.  For example, the homemade laundry detergent I made earlier this year is only used by me, because my husband "doesn't trust it".  Sigh.  But I started making yogurt about 4 months ago and that was a hit, so I went on to making granola bars.  Not too hard either, and yeay!  Everyone liked them. Then that sort of evolved into other baked things as well, and now there is a day for baking at our house.

I've done three Sunday baking days now, and I have to say I really enjoy them.  I usually need a recharge day every week, and instead of sitting around, I bake.  I always did enjoy baking, and have made cookies and pies for the kids (and us) for years.  I now make from-scratch birthday cakes for birthdays.  But I only made bread on occasion, and threw in other things here and there.  I am starting to become more regular in my baking now, and bread is a regular arrival at the party.  I just didn't want the kids eating that air-fluffy corn-syrup laden stuff anymore, not to mention that I didn't want us to pay for it.  Baking our own bread is cheaper, better for us, and more delicious.  And the variety!  So far I've done only white, wheat, and sourdough, but remember, I have to go slowly.  I don't want a rebellion.

Yesterday, being Sunday, was baking day.  I made

Banana bars, packed and ready to be added to lunches.  Snacks are a struggle at my house.  The kids want stuff I don't want them to have.  I am still looking for good alternatives to "the usual".  This one is a trial run.  If anyone has a recipe for a snack for kids that is a hit at their house, I'm open to suggestions.

Granola.  I haven't done this one before, either.  What an easy thing to do, though!

Bread.  Really the whole point of the day.  Two loaves gets us through one week.  My kids LOVE bread.  Now they eat it for anytime!

Pie!!  Didn't think I'd forget, did you?  I love pie.  Ahhhh, pie.  This one is pumpkin custard.  The pumpkin is from last year's pie pumpkins from a local farm. 

And every Sunday includes a cookie of some sort, usually.  This time, gingerbread.  I just really wanted them and I'm SO bored with making chocolate chip.  Probably it's the change in the weather.  They are outrageous!

I am hoping this will become a habit with me.  It shouldn't be a problem all fall and winter, when it's colder, but I know I'll have to curb myself to still do this in the Spring and Summer.  It's so hard to keep myself inside when it's so nice out.  Maybe by the time I have some months under my belt it'll just be second nature.

What other changes to I have in store?  Cloth napkins are up next.  I'm still sewing them and dreading the reception they'll get, but I've got to try.  After that, making maple syrup.  Yep, that's a new one for us, and I have found some spiles and buckets on ebay (LOVE ebay) at a great price, so we'll be trying that one this winter.  Then dairy goats, meat chickens, growing oats or wheat, field corn...the possibilities are endless!


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