On Tuesday...

I did something that I have never done before... I made bread! Yes, I know, every good Mormon girl should have learned to make bread by age 12 and have made it many, many times in her life, right? Especially someone who loves to bake and be in the kitchen. Honestly though, I was always afraid. I must have tried bread once or messed up something with yeast and I have been telling myself ever since that I couldn't do it. I often say to people, "I just can't do yeast." Which I know is not true because I love to make cinnamon rolls, so I must not be completely incapacitated in that arena... Anyway, I decided to try it.



I tried to follow the directions exactly to avoid any catastrophes. I should mention here that I have had to throw away a big glob of flour and yeast before, due to my unsuccessful attempts. An 8 lb ball of undeveloped dough right into the garbage, it's not a pretty sight.

Ashley was a great little helper and I think the bread turned out pretty good! We've been eating it all week long, with honey and jam. It's the Bosch wheat bread recipe, which is not quite as sweet as I usually like it, but I might play with it a little next time. Does anyone out there have a wheat bread recipe they love? Please email it to me if you do. I need to try some more to find one we love.

I took a fresh loaf of bread and went to meet my bookclub friend, Annalisa, for lunch. She wanted to borrow my copy of Revolutionary Road, so we met at The Training Table (I had a serious craving for cheese fries) and chatted while our girls played and talked. I brought Olivia and Ashley, and Annalisa brought Emma, a little girt who she watches during the day.



The girls were pretty quiet during our lunch, but once we were done and sat there talking, they decided to do laps around the restaurant. We tried to bribe them with suckers but it didn't last too long... and I think the sugar rush was not helpful! Luckily, there was only 2 other people there! It was fun to meet Annalisa and chat about books, kids, etc.



I think she was surprised by the bread I brought her, but since the "Pay It Forward" thing was kind of a bust on my blog, I figured I don't need some blog contest or challenge or whatever just to force me into doing nice things for people, right? I hope you liked the bread, Annalisa! I did warn her that it was my first attempt- I was worried it would be gross but once I got home and tasted mine, I thought it wasn't bad for an amateur.

That evening was our ward Relief Society's Birthday celebration. I can't believe how good it was and how much time and work the women in charge put into it. They did a musical version of the Parable of the Ten Virgins, from Matthew chapter 25. It was amazing. They have been practicing for 2 1/2 months, from what I've heard, and it showed. The night began with dinner. We came into a beautifully decorated room and sat around tables eating a sort of apple pate with crackers. After a while, dinner was served. It was chicken salad on Naan bread, water with lemons and lime, and trays of fresh fruits and veggies with dips. Now, I am sure there were some people there that did not enjoy that type of fare, but it was so yummy and simple and right up my alley. After we ate the lights dimmed and the theatrics began.

A narrator was in one corner. She introduced the theme, sang a song, then narrated the stories of the other 10 women. Each woman was situated around perimeter of the room, where fabrics had been draped and props had been set up to look like she was in her home (ie a basket, weaving, bowls, etc.) Each woman told a little bit of her story then sang a song, except one girl who did a dance. It was really good. It was amazing as you listened to the women who made excuses and didn't fill their lamps- it seemed to make so much sense and you could understand how they could procrastinate. But then the other 5, who were wise, showed how important it was to them and they had so much faith.



It reminded me of how following the gospel can be so black and white sometimes, though we usually don't see it that way. But when it comes down to it, you either you choose to obey or you don't. There really can't be any gray area. Because by choosing to be complacent or passive, you are choosing not to follow Him. I was glad that I had the chance to be there and I was grateful to all the women who put in so much work to make it a wonderful evening.