OK, here goes! When it comes to almost any kind of bread, count me in! I have never found a type of bread I couldn’t eat. OK, I do draw the line at store-bought white sandwich bread (you know the one I mean), but that’s about it! But homemade bread of any kind or most breads served in good restaurants, I’m the first one to dive in.

But before I go any farther, I need to rant a bit about a problem I see happening all over America. The exorbitant price of edible groceries, including artisan bread. Terrible. I agree. But if someone starts ranting while I am standing behind them in line at the grocery store, and their cart is full of pre-packaged meals, packaged cookies, expensive bakery style bread, canned chili, canned soup, etc., they have immediately lost my sympathy. They aren’t buying items to make food; they are buying PACKAGED PRODUCTS! And you simply have to pay more for packaged items. Duh! So, what I really want to say to these shoppers – try cooking and baking dishes from scratch and see how bloody much you save on groceries! Harrumph!! However, if a cart contains fresh veggies, lean meat, all-purpose flour, butter, sharp cheddar cheese, and chocolate chips, I will gladly hear that person’s concern. And join them in their tirade! Fair is fair after all! OK, I feel better now. Thanks for listening. And back to the real reason for this post.

The first time I realized I liked to mix things together was when I was about 4. I would sneak flour and eggs from our kitchen, go outside, and mix them with sand and dirt. I don’t think I actually ate any of my mixtures, but how could I remember that far back? At least I hope I didn’t eat any of my first culinary attempts. But as soon as my mom discovered what I was up to, she put a stop to the sand and dirt part and let me help her bake cookies. And I have yet to stop loving to make a mess in my kitchen. (Or anyone else’s kitchen for that matter!)

Now, I do realize, not everyone has my passion for building food from scratch. But even if you aren’t as crazy as I am, this list might help you narrow down your choices when it comes time to bake a loaf of bread or a batch of muffins for a special occasion.

Well, enough for today. I currently have a mini concert going on in my living room. Mr. C. on piano, along with a violinist and violist playing chamber music. I am such a lucky person to have such beautiful music coming from my living room.

And to say thank you to all three of them, I am serving a luncheon of soup and homemade rolls. So, farewell for now. Time to make like a cook.

As always, peace and love to all.       

MY FAVORITE YEAST BREADS, QUICK BREADS, ROLLS, MUFFINS, PANCAKES, ETC.

Baked English Muffins

Banana Bread

Beer Bread

Brioche Dinner Rolls

Buttermilk “Everything” Seasoned English Muffins

Caribbean Cornbread

Challah

Cheddar and Chive Cornmeal Biscuits

Chewy Sourdough Baguettes

Cinnamon Sugar Quick Bread

Crumble Topped Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Walnuts

Crusty Sourdough Rye Bread

Date-Nut Bread with Coffee and Jack Daniels

Dilly Casserole Bread

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits

Easy Dinner Rolls

Easy Overnight Chewy Bread (no knead)

Easy Overnight Chewy Dinner Rolls (no knead)  

Easy Overnight Focaccia Two Ways

Frosted Maple Pecan Scones

GF (Gluten Free) Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

GF Sandwich Bread

Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Bread

Light Rye Bread

New York Style Bagels

Oatmeal Pancakes

Onion Dill Bread

Overnight Brioche Rolls

Overnight Chewy Artisan-Style White Bread

Overnight Italian Bread

Overnight Pain de Campagne (French Sourdough Bread)

Overnight Soft Herb Rolls

Overnight Sourdough Discard Bâtard (great for making crostini)

Picnic Buns

Refrigerator Whole Wheat Rolls AKA Honey Buns

Rosemary Olive Bread

Rhubarb, Orange, and Walnut Quick Bread

Rustic Italian Bread

Rustic Sourdough Boules

Savory Green Chili, Parmesan, and Green Onion Cornbread

Simple Sourdough Boule

Sour Cream and Chive Crescent Rolls

Sourdough Waffles or Pancakes

Zucchini Seed and Nut Bread (a quick bread)