Bread and Memories

My Rosemary and Oregano inspired me to try my hand at bread baking again. I browsed through my cook books and found a recipe for Herbed Focaccia bread. I ran to the store and picked up some dry yeast, whole wheat flour and sun dried tomatoes, which the recipe called for. Focaccia is a rustic bread found all over Italy. Now it's popular all over America. Dipped in olive oil and herbs, it is out of this world! First, I snipped bunches of fresh Rosemary and Oregano from the garden. I loved smelling the fragrant aroma as I finely chopped each herb. After mixing the ingredients into a beautiful dough, I turned it out on my floured counter and kneaded it until it was smooth and elastic. I sat the dough aside to rise, then baked it. The house smelled divine!

While the focaccia baked, I looked through the cook book and found a recipe for Lemon Balm Banana Bread. What an intriguing combination, I thought. I always have a collection of frozen bananas in the freezer, waiting to be made into bread. So, out I went, to snip some sprigs of Lemon Balm! I doubled the recipe and made two loaves.

The large antique mixing bowl was Aunt Era's. I remember seeing it at her house through the years. I was a little apprehensive about using it, for fear I would drop it and break it, but I could almost hear Aunt Era saying, 'Go ahead, use it!'. As I blended the ingredients together, I imagined all the things she might have mixed in this wonderful old bowl. She was a fantastic cook. Anytime we walked in the door, she immediately went to the kitchen and started warming things up. We never left her house hungry, that's for sure!

I'll take both the Focaccia and Banana Bread to my friends, the Louvins this weekend. I'm meeting them at Lake Medina near San Antonio for Memorial Day.

I may even go tubing!

Have a fun weekend, ya'll!