Bread and Other Obessions

I awoke today with bread on my brain. Actually, I take that back, I woke up because I heard my dog make a retching noise as she puked on my comforter. *sigh* But after that rude and slightly disgusting awakening I made my morning smoothie of banana, chocolate protein powder, white chocolate peanut butter, and matcha powder. Weird combo, I know, but it is one of my favorite breakfasts and it really gives me energy. Anyways, I wandered around the house wondering what to do with myself and that was when I remembered that I had eaten the last slice of my whole wheat sourdough bread yesterday. Which I have to say, it turned out to be the best sourdough bread I have made ever. So now I had my mission.  Bread is a staple that must constantly be in our house due to that fact that I eat peanut butter on toast religously. Seriously, literally, honestly....I eat it EVERY day. I get this weird craving that comes on where I just have to have what I call healthified peanut butter cup toast. I swear, Dark Chocolate Dreams chocolate peanut butter by Peanut Butter & Co. is a gift from the heavens that makes my mouth water everytime I think of it. I use this AND Jif peanut butter along with a  good sprinkling of milled golden flaxseed and chia seeds and I go to my happy place located in front of the computer stairing at foodgawker.com while I thank the inventor of the pb and chocolate combination while I eat it. Yes, I like to look at food while I eat food. Wow, I got way side tracked. This post was supposed to be about bread. Ok so I threw together another whole wheat sourdough bread with the same starter I used last time except I used rye flour to change things up because I rarely make the same bread twice. That went into my bread machine. Then I got the urge to make bread by hand too, so I began browsing foodgawker.com and I found a good looking yeasted pumpkin bread from meringuedesserts.com. The pumpkin bread is rising as I type this. As I was kneading the gorgeous orange dough, I started thinking and getting inspired (because this is what a good kneading does to me). I wanted to share a poem. I assume that most bloggers share the same love of writing that I do.

Bread

a poem by Hannah Turner

I open my eyes before the morning has dawned

It is early yet I am filled with energy

The urge to create has consumed me

I step dreamily into the heart of my house

The place where my inspiration takes a physical form

The place where love and warmth take over and worry and fear get lost in a sea of flour
I gather my arsenal of ingredients and watch starry-eyed as the yeast foams and mingles with honey
Alone they are mere ingredients, but together they create magic
My hands, which usually cramp with hours of long writing, are strong as they knead the dough with ease
I inhale the yeasty aroma and almost regret not waking earlier
Then I sit back and gather all of my patience to let the yeast take over on its own
you can do it little molecules of life, miniscule bacteria that hold so much power
When my dough has doubled and my oven has heated
In goes my flour child and all in a well-anticipated moment
My beautiful bread emerges