Taste and See, the name of our Bakery

I fired up the bakery today for the first time in two and a half months.

The reward was Nora asking for some fresh bread this afternoon. She consumed 4 slices of spelt milk and honey bread, telling me thank you repeatedly. Hmmm. Guess it has been awhile. "It's SOOO good, mom."


This morning Patrick shouted when he stepped outside to get on the bus. "It is soooo warm!" And it was. And still is.

Our dear friend, Rachel B. arrived this morning all the way from Missouri! She and Maggie and Rose trimmed goat hooves. They milked the goats. Fed hay. Made a big tea party with Nora out on the bridge over the creek. Nora told me that it wasn't exactly a perfectly good manners tea party. But it was lots of fun.

We love our dear Rachel. She was our intern a couple of years ago. Or was it three?

While the girls played and worked, I travailed indoors. Somehow breakfast and lunch were forgotten until after 2pm. Skipping a meal or two is a wonderful way to make food taste great. I whipped up an omelet filled with some of the first goat cheese of the season.

I don't think I have ever had such a delicious meal. We have plenty of eggs. They have bright orange yolks. Stuffed with the creamy chevre, it was hard to beat. I wish each of my readers could have such a feast. Omelets are fast and easy. One of the tricks to a perfect omelet is the right size little fry pan, heat it up plenty hot, and add enough oil or butter. Maybe just a tad bit more than you think you ought to. Once the butter sizzles, pour in the whipped eggs with a pinch of salt. As it sets, toss in the cheese or spinach or whatever else you want to add. In less than two minutes, your omelet is ready to flip and serve (with plenty of Texas Pete if you are me.)

One thing I pondered as I sat and ate my late lunch was a grateful heart. The food was so delicious I had to say thank you to God repeatedly for such flavors. I believe that raising our own food has made us so much more thankful for the meals we enjoy. Maggie and Rose milked the goats to give me cheesemaking ingredients. Nora fed the chickens and gathered the eggs for me. Patrick brooded those hens when they were day-old chicks. Julie gave us many of those chicks. Thomas loaded and unloaded tons of feed to give to the goats and chickens so they could be producers. My egg-frying pan came from my dear father-in-law who cooked decades of breakfasts in it before he died.

I think if I were a preacher I could find a sermon in the middle of that omelet.

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" Psalm 34:8a

PS Rose and Nora consumed an entire loaf of freshly milled spelt milk and honey bread over the course of an afternoon and evening. Have you seen how small those girls are? I am amazed. I think I better get back to baking weekly...