Ciao from Debbie!

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to share my love for cooking with young girls who have their whole lives before them to enjoy the process...and the food! I recently invited three young American girls who live in Torino (Italy)--Lindsey, Ali, and Nicole--over to our apartment for an afternoon of bread-making.

That's Ali, Nicole, Lindsey, and me!

We made Italian Bread Dough--a very versatile dough that I often use for pizza crust, Italian bread or rolls and focaccia.  We also made several loaves of Honey Whole Wheat Bread. At the last minute we decided to make a loaf of English Muffins in a Loaf since it only has to rise once and is faster to make.

First the explanation...these are the important steps to making bread...

Then the hands-on practice kneading the dough.

And finally...the warm, delicious bread...they could hardly stop eating it to save room for supper! 

Can't you almost smell it, fresh from the oven? The girls each took home a loaf and enjoyed it later.  As the bread was baking we cooked up some Chicken Cacciatore for supper, which went well with the Italian bread, still warm from the oven.  For dessert we treated ourselves to Hot Fudge Pudding Cake, one of the easiest desserts in the world. Try it tonight!

Making bread makes me think of Jesus statement that He is the "Bread of Life." It's interesting to consider that when Jesus walked on earth, bread was more of an essential staple food than it is today. People needed bread just to live.  When Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life", He literally meant "bread that provides life." A person who has a right relationship with Jesus finds a satisfaction that is everlasting. That's why Jesus continues His teaching by saying, "He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty." Do you have a heart that hungers for truth? For God? For purpose? For hope? Having a relationship with Jesus Christ will satisfy that hunger. You can find out how to have a relationship with Him by clicking here.