Dilemma #1

In my search for a happy middle in all areas of life, the most difficult for me has to do with food. I love food in all its many forms. I love to smell it, cook it, experiment with it, read about it, learn the science behind it, and of course, eat it. This plus 7 pregnancies, 5 kids, and years of breast feeding has funnel caked, I mean funneled some extra poundage onto me bones. Just a few pounds for each pregnancy plus a few more for every year of breast feeding and Wah Lah! One chubby mama! Even training for and running a marathon (more details from that hilarious tale to come) didn't make me skinny. It's all about the food for me. I learned the hard way that you can't exercise your way out of a bad diet. So . . . today my skinny sister who is 12 years younger than me, some of her skinny friends, and my fat self, started a "12 Week Transformation" group on facebook. Today is day one. 10 minutes after I got off my treadmill, my husband calls. He has a colleague who spent most of last week in San Francisco having a brain tumor removed from behind his ear. He has lost his hearing in that ear and is now suffering the effects of the surgery itself. My hubby asked me to make something to take to him. Those who know me know I make a mean batch of cookies which also is responsible for a good amount of girth hanging from my hips. Hence Dilemma #1. Do I make cookies to take to our dear friend or say no because the last thing I need on day one of 12 weeks of transforming is cookie dough? I found MIDDLE ground! Solution: Because I also make a mean batch of strawberry freezer jam, I decided to make a healthy, whole-wheat, omega-3 enriched loaf of bread to go along with it. May the healthy ingredients plus the extra dose of love help Eric to heal and me to stay in the middle of this teeter totter of giving and "receiving"! My hips will thank me later!

Oatmeal, Whole Wheat, Flaxseed Bread

3/4 c. Honey
1/4 c. Butter
2 c. Oats
1/2 c. Ground Flaxseed
1 T. Kosher Salt
3 1/2 c. Boiling water

1 1/2 c. Warm water
2 T. Yeast
Drizzle of honey

6-8 cups Whole Wheat Flour (can mix with all-purpose flour if desire)

Mix first five ingredients in stand mixer. Add boiling water. Mix and then let cool. Sprinkle yeast on top of warm water then drizzle with honey*. Let sit still bubbly. Mix in 2 cups of flour to oat mixture, then add yeast mixture. Continue to add flour until mixture starts to solidify but is slightly sticky. Dump out onto floured counter and knead until it all comes together in a ball. Let rise until double in size. Divide into four parts and place in prepared loaf pans. Let rise again then bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

*I have found that honey is the best catalyst for yeast proofing. I have experimented with sugar, honey, and nothing and found that a drizzle of honey produces the best bubbly yeast.