They say, if at first you don’t succeed, try it over and over and over again and eventually the law of averages will work in your favor!

I love cooking. I do. I love to make special dishes, pies, cookies, some pastries…cupcakes – I know my limits, I’m not the person to ask for a birthday cake.

But one thing has eluded me, baking bread. My entire life, when I make bread…well it can be used a weapon. I have tried many methods, all of them ending in abject failure.

When I moved to Colorado, the higher elevation added a new challenge to baking. Adjusting butter and sugar and adding more flour, buying special flour, metal pan vs. glass pan vs. cast iron…you name it, I made the adjustment. The last loaf of bread I made was 2 inches tall and weighed about 7 pounds. I could have knocked someone out if I swung that loaf of bread!

Last week, in my pneumonia stupor of coughing and choking, I started looking for a bread machine. I had put this off because I felt like it was quitting. There is something to be said about sitting propped up in your bed, swaddled in all the covers, surrounded by used tissues and cough drops wrappers that makes you not care about being a quitter.

So I started my search.

I found a “lightening deal” on Amazon and my new bread maker was on its way! As a bonus, it came with mini loaf pans, just in time for the holidays.

Today, was the perfect day to try this out. I’m on the last doses of meds and no more fever.

I loaded the ingredients into the pan, in the machine. I added them in the correct order and then plugged it in and pressed the buttons. (I forgot to take a picture of this part). But once it was all mixed and started to rise, it looked promising.

Once we got thru the kneading and rising, kneading and rising and the third pass of that, I realized I did not pull out the paddle part of the machine. 🙄

My house was smelling good just from the rising dough. Once it got to baking, oh my word! Incredible! Heavenly! I set out butter to soften to slather on that first slice.

When I pulled it out of the machine, it took all of my strength to not just bit right into the loaf. I restrained myself, barely, but I resisted.

It had a lovely color, it didn’t weight 22 pounds, and it wasn’t shot thru with holes and tunnels. The knife cut right thru it, and I couldn’t even wait for butter!

Anyone else, instantly transported to another time when they take a bite of certain things? I was instantly at a kitchen table and smelled homemade jam as I took another big bite of the bread.

This was a whole new experience for me! A bread machine, and successful bread! I didn’t think I could ever do it. A funny little lesson I learned with this process, take out the little paddle part before all the rising takes place. Or the “butt” of the bread will indeed look like a butt,

The goal is 60 new things before I turn 60 and I have 23 more to go and I can’t wait!