The Baker in Me

I cook almost every night, but baking is something I only dabble in here and there. So in my quest to improve Conley's intake of fruits and vegetables now that he prefers finger foods - and for the most part bread, bread and more bread (and the occasional shred of cheese or piece of chicken or meat) - I decided to bake my own bread with some fruits and veggies mixed in. I bought a pretty green Le Creuset bread pan this past weekend that matches our green teapot and scanned the aisles of Central Market and Whole Foods the past couple days for an easy, organic bread mix. Not as easy as I thought it would be. I was not wanting to venture into the true bread-making arena just yet - one that involves yeast and letting bread rise and scary things like that. I thought I could just find an "add water and mix" type of thing - I see them all the time for muffins, cookies, etc but turns out there aren't many out there for breads (organic, at least). Luckily, I ran into a friend in the baking aisle at Whole Foods today who happens to make great gluten-free baked goods (among other yummy treats) and she pointed me to some Red Mill flours to pick from, baking soda and baking powder and when I got home I did a google search for easy, yeast free breads - and voila! My first batch of fresh-baked bread for Conley!

I chose amaranth flour as my whole grain mix-in and apparently it's one of the healthiest whole grains with lots of great nutrients - unfortunately it doesn't smell or taste too good! I added some carrots, bell peppers and pears (odd mix, I know) to my bread and I have to say - it doesn't taste that great. I think it's that amaranth flour. So, we shall see what the little guy has to say tomorrow - or if I get the closed lips and head shaking no. I won't be surprised - but I will not despair! Next time I will make it minus the stinky flour and maybe a better selection of fruits and vegetables while I'm at it. I also included shots of the pretty hydrangea and a daffodil I found this weekend at Central Market as part of my weekend Cure homework. For my next baking adventure I think I'll make something for me!

The infamous Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie