Fabulous French Bread

This recipe came from my friend, Becky Hardy. It is AWESOME!! Don't be afraid to try it if you are a neophyte bread maker. It is a great rookie recipe if you want to learn to make yeast breads--it is quick, easy, and so versatile! I'll share some add-ins and modifications to make this bread a meal in itself. As follows, it tastes awesome and is a great addition to spaghetti, soups, stews. Let me know how it goes for you!

Becky's French Bread:
1 1/4 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
approx. 3 c. all-purpose flour

Put water, yeast, and sugar into a large bowl and stir to mix. Add oil and salt, pouring salt around sides of bowl and then mixing in w/ a rubber scraper.

Add 1 1/2 c. flour to yeast mixture. Stir in until completely moistened with a big spoon (or use dough hook on your mixer). Wait 5 minutes, then add 1 1/2 c. more flour. Mix in completely. Now, if you're using a mixer, put it on medium speed and let it knead the dough until it looks smooth and uniform, and the dough has left the sides of the bowl entirely. If you are doing this by hand, throw the dough on the counter and knead it until it holds together and all the loose bits of dough and flour are mixed in.
You can make one large or two smaller loaves with this amount of dough. If you make two, cut the dough in half and cover one w/ plastic wrap while you work w/ the other. Roll it into a rectangle and fold the edges under, making a traditional long French bread-looking loaf. Cover and let it sit 10 minutes. Then roll it out again and shape into the same loaf again, tucking the ends under. Place on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet (I spray it w/ Pam). Make 3 slits on top. Let rise 15-20 minutes, again covered w/ plastic wrap.
Remove wrap and bake at 355 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until golden. Brush w/ butter and garlic powder, if you like.

The Hand of God

The Apostle Elder Henry B. Eyring gave a conference talk once (Oct. 2007) about remembering God in his daily life--recognizing that it is from Him that our blessings come. He decided to keep a daily journal, each night prayerfully "asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children?" As he took time to ponder over the events of the day, he "would see evidence of what God had done" for one of his family that he had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. In this manner he found ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. He realized that "trying to remember had allowed God to show [him] what He had done". Elder Eyring then chose to preserve that memory in writing for the day that he and his loved ones could use it to remember how much God loves them and how much they need Him. He taught that God "loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized".
Because of this talk, I have been keeping a record for my children for the past two years. I have lost sight of the purpose, however, and on some days it has turned into more of an avenue for venting than a monument to my faith in God. I have found, however, that on those days when I'm feeling the lowest, I can be lifted as I express gratitude for the hand of God in my life. It is impossible for me to feel sorry for myself and feel grateful at the same time. I had missed a key point of Elder Eyring's talk until today, though--I can ask Heavenly Father to show me each day what He has done for me, even if I can't see it. This is the proverbial window opening and letting the fresh air in for me! Of course, I am usually too wrapped up in my own small world to see what He's given me, too blind with emotion to begin to see what is right before me. So, if I ask Him to show me, He will!
To me, the beauty of the natural world, of food--fruits, vegetables, perfect pink shrimp, bright shiny gold and red mottle apples, avocados in their hard green rinds and soft, paler green flesh and beautiful pits--the way the colors blend and meld in a landscape, even a desert one, so naturally that if we don't try to notice, we don't--these are evidence of God's existence and of His love for each one of us. I want to share my experiences of every day with my children. I want them to know that I know that God lives and that He knows and loves each one of us. I want them to know that the suffering we all must endure can temper and refine us, if we let it, or it can destroy us, if we let it. The difference is in how we approach our trials.