Monday, May 10, 2010

Memories of Poppy Seed Bread!


20 years ago

Tracy and Kimmie started off on their road to wedded bliss. And what's amazing is that each day just gets better than the day before.

I don't think that there ever was a more Happy or Excited girl than
I
was the day I married the love of my life.

I was SO excited to be a WIFE
(especially Tracy's wife)
and was SO excited to cook and to feed my hubby...sending him out the door each day with breakfast, a kiss and lunch box of yummyness and greeting him at the door each night with a hug and kiss and also making a yummy meal each night for him to come home to as well.
20 years later
this same excitement is still very real and still very much a part of my daily life.

When I got married
I had never made bread before,
never
made a pie,
never soaked and cooked beans or
never did any type of canning.

This was back before the
"World Wide Web"
and so I read encyclopedias, LOVED reading magazines and many other books about cooking, trying to learn basic cooking skills. There was no such thing as going online and querying "how to make bread", or "how to cook dried beans", or "recipe for Beef Stew", etc....
************************

(WARNING...
Crazy photos showing how Kimmie used to be a little "skinny minnie" and check out the post-80's hair-do! Tracy used to call it "The Claw", LOL! I look at these photos and go "what was I thinking with doing my hair like that?!?)

This photo is of our cute little kitchen in our first apartment. I spent the first four years of married life cooking in that little space. All the counter space you see, is all that I had.
I wanted to be a wife and homemaker SO badly
that I didn't let that little space keep me from cooking and baking.

Many batches of breads and rolls were rolled out on that tiny counter top, as well homemade pies at Thanksgiving time. Many pots of soups and many of beans were soaked and cooked on that stove.
There was nothing that I wasn't willing to try making in that Tiny little kitchen.

Which brings me to the reason for this post...
I had a roommate in college that left me a box of recipes when she went home claiming that she didn't need them and probably would never cook any of those recipes. Two of the recipes in that little box became some of our family favorites...
Buttermilk Biscuits and Poppy Seed Bread.

I still remember the first time I made this bread...it was shortly after our 2nd wedding anniversary. Tracy couldn't believe how yummy it was (in his words...
this was worthy enough to be sold in a bakery
)
and so we took a loaf to his parents to enjoy.
"Wow" and "Delicious"
were the words were kept hearing out of everyone's mouths.

Last week I noticed a lonely orange in our pantry and decided that it had been awhile since I made this yummy creation and so I baked up a batch and heard the same familiar words out of my kids and Tracy's mouths.
"Wow"..."Yummy"..."Delicious"

Here is the yummy recipe so you can enjoy it as well. I have made adjustments to it as it called for melted Shortening and I used my famous 1/2 applesauce 1/2 oil mixture and decreased the sugar to 2 cups and it turned out perfect!

Poppy Seed Bread
3 cups flour
1-1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil (I use 1/2 cup applesauce 1/2 cup oil)
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp. Almond extract
2 tsp. Poppy seeds

Mix together and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in comes out clean. (Makes 2 large loaves)

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup orange juice (I just squeeze 1/2 an orange)
2 Tbsp butter
½ tsp. Almond extract
Melt together ingredients in a sauce pan.
Pour Glaze over loaves while still warm.

“You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.”
Julia Child

10 comments:

Small House said...

I had to smile thinking back...being a young wife. I had to call my mom and ask her how to fix CORN ON THE COB!! I'm actually a good cook now. Until lately, I just didn't enjoy cooking. That's changing for me now though. I enjoy the recipes you share, and try many of them!!
SO A BIG THANK YOU!!!!

Hope you had a nice mothers day. I'm so glad my computer is fixed!! I miss visiting everyone.
Have a great day.

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Cute post Kimmie! You look about the same as you did 20 years ago, except the hair. Still a skinnie minnie!

I made poppyseed dressing today for our homemade spinach salad. Oh, and banana bread with very old bananas. It was a day dedicated to Kimmie in the Kitchen!
I think that's what your cookbook that you write should be!!!!

Kimmie in the Kitchen!

(I'm so clever)

Ann Marie said...

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach! :)

LOVE your "claw" pictures.. I have a few myself. So lovely.. :)

I love the pictures of you as a yound bride in the kitchen.. so fun!

I come from MEGA-EXCELLENT cooks in the family.. you know.. the kind that don't put their recipes on the net.. could die with some and stuff.. and whenever we have to bring a "potluck" dish to a party.. we are all trying to out do the next family member.. yes.. welcome to our families.. and I have A LOT to measure up to..

There is currently a chicken -artichoke soup that my Sister in laws mother invented.. and it's the best soup I have E.V.E.R had. She is trying to get it sold.. before she gives the recipe out.. so yes.. I resort to buying it from her. I hate that I have to do that.. but look what measures I will go to for yummy food..

I love that you LOVE to cook and ENJOY it. It makes me happy to read your cooking posts because you are sooo passionate about it.. and I LOVE that you love your family and friends so much that you are unselfish about your cooking and sharing your recipes!!

Hope the next few weeks bring you lots of happiness!! Love ya!

Our Paper Plates said...

Yum! Can't wait to try it :)

wileyfamilyof5 said...

Sounds great. I can't wait try it out. My family loves everything I make from you.

Sondra said...

One of the reasons I love your blog is how much in love you are with your family. You are such inspiration of how a family should love and want to be together. You are such a fun loving wife and mother!!

I also love all of your recipes and how frugal you are. If you only knew what an inspiration you are to my life!! It's cool that in a round about way in this universe, I've been blessed by your example.

Thanks for the wonderful email, it totally made my day. You'll have to let me know how it turns out. We loved the recipe. It's fun to exchange recipes and try new things. {{Hugs}}

BJ said...

That bread looks delicious - you must have a fancy loaf pan to get all those ridges in the bread.

Aren't old pictures just lovely to look at! :) I always get a kick out of mine too.

Anonymous said...

Oh we were all so young. I started my wedded life the same as you - no idea how to make anything. But hard times has made me a better kitchen cook. I make everything I can from scratch. Love your blog.

Connie said...

Kimmie,
When you were talking about your first kitchen and your first year of marriage, I had such great memories of mine! WE lived in a basement apartment with a fairly large kitchen. I remember making bread and apple pies in that kitchen and listening to Stevie Wonder on the radio singing, "You are the Sunshine of My Life"! Hearing that song reminds me of that time.

You little skinny minny you! Your hair is very 80s! You were right in style. You also took care of your family right from the beginning! You're awesome!

Thanks for the recipe!

Brittany H said...

I'm just looking back through your posts today to get my "kimmie fill" and I can't not comment on how cool I think your hair looked. The claw! How awesome is that!? This poppyseed bread looks amazing. I must try it!!