A Bonanza o' Breads...

Yesterday, Sunday, I had a lot on my "to do" list. Well, a lot for someone who hasn't been doing a heckuva lot for 8 weeks! We are having a surprise birthday party this weekend with the guest of honor and another couple staying overnight. This means not only the birthday dinner (and cake! yay!) but breakfast and lunch the following day. I planned rather easy, mostly make-ahead recipes and I decided that Sunday would be bread- baking day. I needed a bread to go with an Italian tomato soup for lunch, and a French bread for French toast for breakfast that day. In addition, Jack requested another loaf of no-knead bread, and I only have 3 slices left of the loaf I made with frozen bread dough.


















As a result (clockwise from upper left):

2 loaves of Rosemary-Garlic bread, No-Knead, 3 loaves of 5-Grain, and 3 boules of French bread




I need to sharpen my bread-dough-slashing knife-- it was fine for the Rosemary bread but pulled at the boules a bit. And I forgot to make the cornbread for the birthday dinner! Oh well, I'll do that later in the week when I bake his cake.


Anyway, I started my 5-hour bread-baking marathon wearing the aircast but soon discovered that my back was starting to complain about lugging it around. So I removed it, wrapped my foot and ankle with an elastic bandage, and pulled on a high slipper. My first time walking around without the aircast in 8 weeks! Needless to say, even though I tried to take frequent breaks and sat down as much as possible, I was awakened several times during the night with pain in my legs and back (but surprisingly, not my foot).


Today was spent doing errands (I've become quite comfortable with using those motorized carts at the grocery stores and KMart), but mostly waiting at the orthopedists office. He told me to start to wean myself off of the aircast, and I shall follow his advice happily!


More recipes to follow as the week progresses...