Hi Radiants,

The funny thing is that this was not some long-planned baking project. We are currently on a strict budget, and I wanted to avoid spending money that day, so I decided to make bread from scratch instead of buying it.

Well...

Harder than I expected.

The dough gave me trouble from the beginning. It remained sticky no matter what I did (I kept adding flour), and I spent most of the process wondering whether I was doing things correctly or completely ruining it.

Since it was my first time, I decided to experiment. I made a few smaller loaves and baked them in the microwave as a test. Then I made a bigger loaf and baked it in a pot.

It cooked through, but it didn't brown the way bread normally does. The middle was a little dry and harder than I expected, though it was still edible. Surprisingly, the kids ate it with chocolate and didn't complain, which I consider a success.

The bigger loaf baked in the pot turned out much better. It didn't brown much either, though the bottom burnt. I think I still have a lot to learn about controlling the heat. But the inside was soft, and although it was heavier than regular bread, it tasted good.

For that loaf, I used salt underneath the baking pan in the pot. Usually, I use small stones when baking in a pot, so that was another first for me.

We ended up eating the bread in different ways. Some of it went with salad, some with cheese, pap, and of course some with chocolate. There was something satisfying about sitting down and eating bread that I had actually made myself.

I had two small loaves left from the microwave batch and thought it would be a good idea to put them in the pot to brown them a little.

It was not a good idea, lol.

Those poor loaves became so hard that I immediately regretted it. They are currently sitting in my kitchen, looking more like decorative stones than bread. I honestly don't know what to do with them.

One thing I noticed was that the microwave loaves had bigger air pockets inside than the loaf baked in the pot. I don't know whether it was because I baked them on a ceramic plate instead of in a baking pan, but it was interesting to see the difference.

Not because everything went perfectly, but because we ended up with bread, nobody went hungry, and I learned a few things for next time.

Would I bake bread again?

Yes.

Will I know what I'm doing next time?

I'm not so sure.

But at least now I can say that I've baked bread.

Hope you are doing well.

It's the long holiday here in Cameroon, and I'm so grateful for the end of another academic year. Both kids are in primary school now, and that's a significant milestone for me as a mom. It reminds me that they are growing, and I'm feeling free again as I raise them to take care of themselves. 

These first few days of the holiday have been characterised by sleeping in. The best part has been turning off my 6am alarm. The first morning I woke up and realized there was no school run waiting for me felt like a little luxury. These days, I wake up when it's time to make breakfast.  

Another thing I'm getting used to is the kids talking and playing most of the time in the house. During school time, I had quiet mornings, and now I'm asking them to tone down the noise most of the time. It's nice to see how creative they are while playing, but the noise at times is not easy, especially while I'm working. 

Talking about interesting things, I baked some bread today! It's my first time baking bread, and it turned out not bad. It was a bit heavy, but it was bread! I was so happy. I struggled with the dough, which was sticky till I baked it. I don't know when I'll try making bread again, but I hope I will get it right next time. 

I have quite a heap of laundry keeping me busy these days, and I hope to finish it soon. Washing by hand is getting more and more overwhelming for me, and I have never considered getting a washing machine like I do now. What makes it overwhelming is that it is time-consuming and tiring, and working after that feels heavy. Also, the time used for the laundry would serve me better for work, rest, or doing something else which is more productive for me. Another chore I find overwhelming is cooking. I enjoy cooking when I don't feel obliged to cook and when the ingredients have been prepped. These are the moments I'm reminded that I need to put in more effort to have a better life because a washing machine and help are really necessities. I've been intentional about building a life that feels lighter and easier. A washing machine may seem like a small thing, but on days when I spend hours washing clothes by hand, it feels like a symbol of the kind of life I'm working toward.  With the kids on holiday, there will be more cooking and laundry, so I have to brace myself to balance that and other things.