messiness

Braden is having a lot of fun eating these days. He is using a spoon and is pretty darn good at it!
He makes a mess of everything, which is really fun. I know most people don't enjoy it when their child has yogurt or applesauce all over themselves and the tray, but I really think it's kind of fun! It seems like there are little things that he is learning all the time and it just makes me happy.

Here's one happy, well-fed boy! Actually, I'm not sure how well-fed he is, because I don't know that he got all that much applesauce in his mouth, but he's happy anyway.

Braden also discovered the joy of flour. I needed a distraction for him while I got some bread ready to put in the oven and he kept pointing to the flour. So I put some by him and he thought it was great! At first he played in it a little bit and then he started eating it. I laughed, thinking he would get a "gross" look on his face, but he didn't. He just kept eating it and really seemed to enjoy it, as strange as that is. By the time he was done he had it all over his face and he looked like he was trying to be Santa Claus.

So, I've been really into making bread recently (there is a WONDERFUL, AMAZING, TO DIE FOR bread recipe down below, just in case you are interested in manna from heaven coming out of your oven. Plus, it's a bread machine recipe, so it's super easy. YES!). I thought I would post this recipe I found on recipezaar.com. It's potato bread, so it's amazingly soft. Originally it was a wheat recipe - and is really good that way - but most often I do it as a white recipe - and it is seriously addicting and delicious that way. Healthy and tasty or indescribably delicious? Hmmm....hard choice. But usually, indescribably delicious wins out.

Heavenly Whole Wheat or White Potato Bread (Bread Machine)

• Ingredients

  1 1/8 cups warm water
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened and cut into pieces
  or 1/4 cup oil
  
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (omit this if doing white bread)
  
• 1 cup bread flour (3 cups if doing white bread - I've also had this turn out fine with just regular flour)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup dry instant potato flakes
  
• (you can also just microwave a potato and mash the insides - put it in with the wet ingredients if you do this. You will need to add a little more flour though, it will make your dough very moist.)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into the bread machine in the order listed or as suggested by the manufacturer.
2. Set the bread machine on the following settings: "basic" bread; "light" crust;
3. "1-1/2 pound" loaf size.
4. NOTE: This bread can be made with the "delay" timer setting.

I usually just put the ingredients in and use the "dough" setting. I like to pull it out, knead it just a little, shape it into 2 circles and let it rise for an hour. Then bake it at 350 for 30 min.
Enjoy!