"Nothin' Says Lovin' Like Somethin' From the Oven...

...and Pillsbury says it best!" Remember that tv commercial jingle?


Yesterday I decided to do some baking. I pulled out my trusty homemade bread recipe, which as you can see has been around for awhile. The print is too small for you to see, but down in the corner it reads, "The Pillsbury Company 1975".

I know you will excuse the sorry condition that this old friend is in. This has been tucked away in my recipe box over all these years. The folds have been taped together where they have begun to tear. It's not been pulled out to use often enough, I'm afraid. I admire blogging friends out there who bake their own bread as the norm.

Tucked up and inside the lid of that same recipe box is a church offering envelope. On the side that faces out is where footballs were drawn by a little guy keeping himself occupied during a service many years ago. On the back side is a tuna and noodle casserole recipe--(I must have written it down for a church dinner:)
When I open that recipe box and see that little drawing, I am reminded of another season of my life.
Nathan, our first-born, was that little artist. He was 2 years old then---he will be 33 next month.
Along with his kind ways and many talents, Nathan continues to be very good at drawing. It all started with those footballs:) And he continues to make me very happy and proud to be his mom!

Remember in Luke 2, the Bible says that after her Son's birth, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." ? (NIV)

Isn't that what we do, ladies? I know I do - pictures and little tokens that I have tucked away bring back those sweet treasures. I am so blessed to have so many of those treasures with all of our six kids. And in this new season of my life, new treasures are added all the time with them, and now, with grandchildren:)

Okay, --back to the baking. I began gathering all the ingredients and made two batches of the bread recipe--( I'd forgotten how much fun it is to knead bread!) --
one batch for loaves of bread,

and one sweetened, for cinnamon rolls. This is one basic recipe with several variations given for different breads. There is also whole wheat, and rye bread recipes given with variations added also. So, you can see why this has remained in my recipe box for all so long:)
When Lon arrived back home last night after going in to work for a few hours, and Amanda came home from a weekend church group activity, they were greeted by the welcoming smell of warm bread and cinnamon throughout the house. Do you think the Pillsbury Company knows what it's talking about?:)



And guess what was for breakfast this morning? Well, okay, Amanda asked for a fruit smoothy --- but Lon had a cinnamon roll with his eggs :)

What are your very favorite smells that came from the kitchen during your childhood ? Mine are coffee brewing, bacon cooking, bread and cinnamon rolls baking:), and fried chicken. It's healthy if you just smell it, right?