It was a cooking extravaganza!

OK, maybe not, but do you ever get those days when you are just in a cooking mood?

I usually don't mind preparing meals -- it's creative, it's fast, and there's a decent payoff at the end -- but this was one of those days when I REALLY felt like cooking. I try to make the most of it when these sorts of moods hit, because I know they will leave just as quickly as they came!

It started when I realized we had no bread to give the kids toast for breakfast before Mass. Rats. That meant we'd either have to buy some when we got doughnuts after Mass, or I could just bump up my bread making day one day early and do it today. I was going to be in the kitchen anyway, so why not?

That, of course, would require me to grind some more wheat. Again, not a big deal since I would be in the kitchen anyway, so why not?

And since I had the grinder out anyway, I might as well grind a bit extra so I could try a new bread recipe I wanted to do for supper this evening...

And while I was doing all that anyway, I might as well whip up some granola since we didn't have any cereal either...

So with the windows open, and the kids happily playing outside, I settled in for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of cooking! First, I made a double batch of granola (it always turns out dark like this, but it tastes fantastic!) that the kids can add chocolate chips and raisins to and eat it plain or sprinkled on top of yogurt.

Then I made our usual bread for the week...

... and then I got to try out my new recipe: Schlotzsky's deli bread! I love their veggie sandwich on wheat, and I was wanting to try to make my own version of it for some time now. My bread didn't rise quite as nicely as the picture they showed... I'm not sure why... since you can see my other bread did just fine. hmmmm.

Oh well. I cut it open...

...brushed a little bit of olive oil on both sides, then added cheddar cheese and black olives (although next time I think I'll try a tiny bit of butter instead of the oil)...

...and layered on the onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach leaves, and a little ranch dressing.

I made two of these sandwiches... cut both into eighths... and we had that as a side to the main attraction: Minestrone soup from the New England Soup Factory cookbook. This book is seriously becoming a fast favorite. I've tried about 6 different soups so far, and loved every one of them! As an added bonus, her recipes all serve "8 to 10," which means that I can make it for my family and have LEFTOVERS! whoo hoo! (I mean, look at the picture... I have to cook it in the TURKEY pan, for goodness' sake! That's a LOT of soup...)

 

After that I was completely "cooked out." 

As we packed up all the food after dinner, I looked in the refrigerator and said, "Guys, it looks like we're having leftovers for the next couple of days...". Nobody seemed to mind. Kathryn was especially glad, since she's claimed the last wedge of veggie sandwich for her breakfast tomorrow.. *grin*