do you ever... bake bread? {plus, memories of NOLS}

i used to bake bread all the time.

maybe it's time to start that again.

although, i have a hunch

that the likelihood of a person to bake bread

is inversely proportional

to the number of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches

that person makes. 

{and i make lots.}

baking bread is such a cozy thing to do

when it's chilly outside.

and there is nothing better

than the smell of baking bread.

{stroll with me, down memory lane, if you will...}

way back in 1989,

after my freshman year at vanderbilt university,

i did a semester course with the

national outdoor leadership school

{ N O L S }
my course was
fall semester in the rockies...
i originally registered for the
alaska sea kayaking course in prince william sound,
but, due to the exxon valdez oil spill, it was cancelled.
it was the 8th and last session that fall
{FSR8, we were called}
our course was divided into:

~ general backpacking ~

~ rock climbing ~

~ canyonlands ~

~ caving ~

and

~ WINTER! ~

{winter = backpacking on skis & building snow caves to sleep in!}

on that course i turned 19.

for my birthday,

my friend, sarah, made me a giant C pancake.

and one of my instructors, morgan,

took me to see a herd of buffalo...

up close.

ahhh... those were the days...
{i'm searching for a photo from that time.
i'll post one when i find it.}

well, i still receive the NOLS newsletter,

and my latest issue had a bread recipe.

the recipe is really for backcountry baking

where you build a "twiggy fire"

on the pan's heavy lid

so that it gets heat from the top & the bottom.

i remember this well...

but this recipe had a

"frontcountry" recipe conversion

for baking in a home oven.

i gave it a go & it was great.

we ate both loaves in very short order.

it's a flexible, adaptable recipe,

well worth trying.

here it is:

everyman's bread

{click image to enlarge}

♥

p.s. thanks, mom & dad,

for going along with my crazy ideas.