Breaking Bread, then Breaking the Law---Happy New Years!!

When I first went gluten-free four years ago, it was hard to fathom life without bread.  Hamburgers, toast, bagels, English muffins, banana bread, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, French bread---I loved all of that.  When I was younger, I baked my own Laurel's Kitchen whole wheat bread, and later made wonderful varieties of bread in bread machines.  Being gluten-free seemed destined to make mealtimes stark and miserable.

At first, I experimented a little with ready made gluten free bread from the frozen food sections of the grocery store, but to be honest, eating that was a little like munching on sawdust squares.  I tried slathering slices with butter, jelly, or other gooey stuff, but I couldn't quite take it.

Finally, my answer came in Pamela's gluten free bread mix----I follow a simple set of directions on the package, stick it in the bread machine, and a suitable loaf comes out hot and ready in four hours!  I serve it to the whole family with no complaints!  My husband and kids all know how to make this.  Sometimes, when I come home from work, they have a warm loaf ready for me as I walk in the door! Pamela's website also has lots of other recipes for many items using this and other mixes of theirs.

I buy this by the case from Amazon.  

Bread Machine

Takes 4 hours

Looking good!

Goes with a delicious dinner!  New Year's Eve dinner to be exact!

We had a great meal of ribs, bread, salad, potatoes, and wine for our New Year's Eve dinner......this was followed by a fun time shooting off fireworks at our next door neighbor's house. These weren't your average wimpy sparklers---they went way high and were a bit loud.

As we learned, not everyone in Chapel Hill approves of such fireworks.  Behold the very friendly police officer issuing (quite nicely) a 'cease and desist' order.

OK, so maybe next time, I'll make bread without subsequent legal involvement. At least not before the next celebration.

If you are gluten-free and missing your bread, consider this brand of bread mix.  (The bread mix company didn't ask me to post this product review, in case you were wondering.  I just like the bread.)