up with the sun

It is light by 4:58 am. That is great on the days that I go running. It's not quite as great on the days that I don't. Mornings start early at our house. Elliot has decided to be up with the dawn. Mabel and Oliver are out of bed before their eyes are open. Mike is off to work by 6:15.

This gives us lots of time to start the laundry. Or make waffles for breakfast. Or photograph loaves of bread in the pretty morning light. :)

Since I'm still not eating sugar, I have been focusing my baking energy on making bread. This is my most recent loaf. I think it is the best so far. I used the Irish Potato Brown Bread recipe from Beth Hensperger's The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook. It is soft and moist and holds up well for sandwiches.

Today is the last day of school around these parts. I went to pack lunches for Mabel and Oliver this morning and realized that we are out of just about everything. Including lunch bags. I think we're ready for summer.


In case you'd like to try it, here is that bread recipe for a 2 pound loaf:

Irish Potato Brown Bread
1 2/3 cups water
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons honey
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1/3 cup instant potato flakes
2 tablespoons gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons SAF yeast, or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast

Place ingredients in the pan, and set the machine for the Whole Wheat cycle.