Homemade Honey Wheat Bread

The past week has been busy and full of introspection. After watching the documentary Food Inc. and reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, I have made the decision to purchase local, wholesome food when I can and the best organic options when I can't. The boys and I visited our local Farmers Market yesterday for the very first time. We are so lucky to have one that is open year-round. There is an organic grocer, multiple farm stands, and a creamery which sells milk, cheese, and natural ice cream. I was especially excited to find out that the organic grocer carries meat and poultry from Polyface Farms.

In our quest to eat healthier foods, I have decided to start baking our own bread. I gave The Happy Housewife's recipe for whole wheat bread a try last night. I used half white flour (still using up the items in our pantry as we gradually switch over to all healthy products) instead of all wheat. I also omitted the vital wheat gluten since I wasn't able to find any yet. I knew it wasn't required to make a loaf of bread so I figured I'd give it a go without.

I had a small piece fresh from the oven and it was so delicious. Store-bought bread does not compare in any way, shape, or form. Today will be the first test to see how it slices for sandwiches. To help make the loaves the perfect size, I purchased two of the extra long loaf pans from Norpro.

Also on the agenda for this spring/summer is to start container gardening on our back patio and grow some vegetables and herbs to add to our farm share produce. Stay tuned for updates on that.