Serving our Fathers

Hello, friends!
How are you all today? I hope you are all doing well!

I just wanted to share something that has become very important to me lately! It is the issue of serving our fathers in our homes. I think it is such an important thing to learn to do, so that we are prepared to serve our husbands in the future! So many times I wonder how I can help my dad, and what would really bless him. I recently talked to a young lady that is newly married, and asked her some ways that she would suggest serving my father. She said that being cheerful is a big thing! It is so important to smile and have a joyful countenance about us even when things are hard! So, that is one thing. Another thing that she said is that keeping the house clean is a blessing to our fathers! Even though it sounds small, it really will bless our fathers to come home to a clean home! :)

I recently found a way that I can serve my dad, and I am excited about it! He has been wanting homemade bread, but it really hasn't gotten done much lately, sadly! :) I just realized last week that maybe that is a way to serve dad, by making bread every week, so that he doesn't have to buy it from the store. It seems like a small thing, but I was so excited that I finally found a way that I can bless Dad!

I thought I would share the bread recipe that we use (thanks to a friend of Mom's!) and some pictures of me making it! :) (thank you to my dear, sweet, patient sister Emily for bearing with me when I kept asking her to take pictures! :) It is a very nice bread- it slices very well without crumbling, toasts well, rises well, and is delicious!! :) Here it is:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup olive oil
6 cups warm water
4 Tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
16-20 cups whole wheat flour
3 Tablespoons gluten/dough enhancer (optional)
1/2-cup to 1 cup old fashioned oats
Sprouted grain (optional)

Mix 2 cups water, yeast and 2 cups flour. Let sponge (sit without doing anything to it :) 15 minutes. Then add 4 cups warm water, oil, honey, oats, salt, and sprouted grain, if desired. Mix in flour till dough is like elastic, and doesn't stick to your hands (pour onto a floured surface when it isn't so runny it will slide off the counter :). Let rise for an hour, or until doubled. Punch down, then let rise again. Punch down again, and shape and put into 5-6 well greased loaf pans. Let rise once more for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

The dough sponging

Adding honeyOats... yum! :)KneadingThe dough when finished kneadingWhat it looks like before it has risenAfter risingPunching the dough down is probably my favorite part, other than eating the bread! :)After it has been cut into six even pieces (hmmm... it doesn't quite look even! :)I don't like this picture of me... It kind of looks like I don't have any hair, and my smile looks forced. :) Oh well... :)
We got the nice, shiny loaf pans from Azure! They work great, and are aluminum free!After the bread rose in the pansThe finished product! Make sure to grease the pans REALLY well with butter, or else it the bread sticks to the bottom, and this is what happens. :(

I just want to encourage all of you young ladies to ask your dads how you can help and serve them!

~Amanda