It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

In the last couple of weeks, my life has been hectic. Work, along with squeezing in the last bits of summer, then a family reunion campout and finally, the start of kindergarten has practically left me breathless! It's also put me in the kitchen a fair bit, which I don't mind at all. Pictured here is the beautiful fruit and cheese platter which I helped to assemble at our family reunion. I have been baking a fair amount as well as scoping out deals on back to school clothes. I got my son all decked out on clearance sales and today, I selected only the finest gently used items for myself and the family from Value Village's Back to School 50% off sale. It was difficult to reign myself in, but I did manage to only buy what I needed. When I got home I gave my mom a ring, just to casually inquire after her white bread recipe. I remember it made a ton of loaves when I was little. Well four large, but we always made sticky buns and dinner rolls so it seemed like more... She gladly gave it to me and I, in turn, extolled the virtues of Kristen The Frugal Girl's Cheap French Bread. (I made this recipe with the best of intentions, but we ate it so fast that my husband didn't get any bread!) I love her blog, she is truly an inspiration to frugal mamas everywhere. Check her out... http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/

So, after some effort and a little banging of the pots and pans in the kitchen, my whole entire domicile is now permeated with the aroma of freshly baked bread. I made two trays of dinner buns, cinnamon buns, garlic breadsticks and a loaf. Whew. There is nothing on this earth so satisfying. Fresh, homemade bread truly is the staff of life.