Cut the Crusts

Happiness is burnt bread and a learning curve. My husband bought me a bread machine for my birthday... one with a special "Gluten-free" setting. Today we pondered the directions and took a college try at baking our first loaf of cinnamon bread. He had to leave for work during the kneading cycle, and I remained for the entire duration and it's final emergence as a rock hard, mostly burnt loaf of bread.

I am happy however, as our small home smells of cinnamon and my heart is filled with the knowledge that my husband wants me to be able to enjoy baked goods anytime I please! I am sure we'll get the hang of our bread machine after a few loaf casualties, and my soul smiles at the realization that like all good things in life, the ingredients sometimes produce a masterpiece, other times blend to cause a disaster, and most times it takes getting just the right dash of this or pinch of that to make something truly remarkable.

If this bread machine is anything like our marriage, we'll be opening a bakery of truly remarkable baked goods soon, having cut away at all the burnt crusts, rough edges and dark corners. For now, I will go find the 1x1 inch edible piece of the bread, slather it with butter, and share it with our daughter in my belly as a gift from her generous father.