currently I'm...

...loving the book that Ava made for me this morning called "Mama is Sick." 4 and already an author many times over. It's about a little girl who gets in bed with her mama and loves on her while they watch a doctor show. Yep, that's what we did yesterday afternoon.



...not loving the fact that it took quite a few pounds of elbow grease to get the "washable" marker off the wall...Thanks Emily. You were quite busy while Mama was in the bathroom.



...Itching to sew this top for summer...Have fabric and everything. Must get TIME and oh yeah, energy. And also sunshine.



...thinking that these quilts made from repurposed men's dress shirts are quite beautiful. But I'm leaving the quilting to my mother in law - she's WAY more talented than I will ever be!



...indulging in some serious chicken envy, thanks to Taegan and Karli.



...loving this post from Simple Mom about letting go when playing with your children. I definitely suffer from "older sister syndrome," and I find that when I do let go, the girls are able to be much more creative.



...drinking the last cup of tea in the house...how did I get so low on tea?!?!?! What to do? At least I've got my warm bread and butter to go with it. Mmmmmm...



Speaking of, can I remind you all how yummy this bread is:

Amish White Bread



INGREDIENTS

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups bread flour



DIRECTIONS



In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.



Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.



Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

***NOTES*** I made two loaves this morning using white whole wheat flour and man, is it yummy. You get the taste of whole wheat, but the texture of white bread. YUM!