Childhood Swirls and Cinnamon Whorls

Dear Spunky Showkids,

I'd like to provide a little glimpse into my childhood. Whilst growing up, the Mother of All of Us was a stay at home mom. She had three hooligans to keep track of...well, I was never a hooligan.  At least not until I was in high school, and even then it was more pseudo-hooligan. But MIB and Lil B kept her busy while I polished my halo and thought sweet thoughts. Yes, I was all over that world peace problem while they ran around shooting things with sticks. Mother of All of Us, I do remember a certain incident when Best Friend and I held a talcum powder parade, don't worry.

I was not a girly girl that was interested in sitting around looking pretty. I was more terrified of stepping foot outdoors and encountering either brother or any cousin.  They worked extremely hard to make me a tomboy.  It failed miserably, but they did give it the old college try. I was the only girl in the neighborhood, unless BP was visiting her grandparents, and all of the kids were cousins or brothers. I was so happy to have a red-headed Best Friend who lived one neighborhood over.

Best Friend and I met at age 3, according to local legend, when our brothers started kindergarten.  I have a hysterical picture of the two of us when we're probably four or five. My head is bigger than her entire body. Honestly, I look a little freakish. And I'm wearing my most favorite dress which is reminiscent of what Heidi would wear to help her Grandfather with the goats. But I digress. When I think of Best Friend what immediately comes to mind is salami sandwiches, cool ranch Doritos and ice cold pepsi on a porch swing.  Apparently we could have been a cross company add for all that was considered cool in the 80's. Underlying that obsession with food are secrets whispered at night, riding the lawnmower in circles over her lawn, selling bookmarks along a rural road (what were we thinking?), rhubarb dares, and an intimate knowledge of all things Disney. And underlying that is a connection that 28 years later is still there despite high school, moves, college, moves, weddings, moves and kids. We moved a lot!

Because the Mother of All of Us was home during the day, we would often troop in after school to the smell of fresh bread in the oven and soup on the stove. There are few things better in life than opening a front door following the walk home from school, feeling the snowflakes dissolve in your hair, the sting of blood in the cheeks, sensation returning to the tips of your fingers while being surrounded by the smells of home. 

I made homemade bread this past weekend for the first time by myself. I worried over the yeast and when I started to knead it, while it smelled like dough, it was so sticky I thought I'd ruined the whole batch.  But the funny thing about bread dough is that the more you knead it, the less sticky it is.  The logical explanation is probably scientific and revolves around gluten releasing or yeast expanding - Alton Brown, if you're reading this please explain. 

All I know is that I giggled like a little girl, so excited that it was working! A distinct feeling of "I've been here before. I've kneaded dough before. This smells right, this feels right." permeated the whole experience. Then I got to worry about the dough rising...until I tapped into the experienced generation that is The Grandmother and the Mother of All of Us. Tips for rising the dough faster were given, accepted, put into use and at the end of it, I had a beautiful loaf of cinnamon swirl bread.

Old school rising technique



And a little reminder of my childhood.