Happy New Year!

Best of days to you all! We didn't stay up to ring the new year in. Michael went up skiing with Kayla today, and the kids and I made Bread in a Bag and beef soup. Here's the recipe:

Bread in a Bag
Bread in a bag is a simple way to make one large loaf or two small loaves of bread with your children.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 Tsp salt

In a one-gallon zip lock bag, mix 1/2 cup of the all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of the warm water, 1 tbsp of the honey and the yeast. Seal the bag; then blend the ingredients by squeezing the bag with your fingers. When the ingredients are well blended, set the mixture aside for 15 minutes. The mixture will become very bubbly.

Next add the following ingredients to the bag: the remaining 3/4 cup water, 1 tbsp honey, the dry milk, the vegetable oil, and the salt. Seal the bag; then thoroughly mix the ingredients together by massaging the bag with your fingers. When the mixture is well blended, open the bag and add the whole-wheat flour. Reseal the bag and mix in the manner described above. Then, a little at time, add one cup of the all-purpose flour, working the dough in the bag until the flour is well blended. If the dough is sticky and does not pull away from the bag, add a little more flour - about 1/8 cup. Do not add too much flour or the dough will become stiff.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. To make two loaves of bread, divide the dough in half. Knead the dough 10 minutes or until it is smooth and satiny. You cannot overwork the dough. It should feel light and spongy. If the dough is sticky, continue to knead it while adding a little more flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 10 minutes.

After the resting period, shape the dough and place it in a greased bread pan of the appropriate size. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size. Bake the bread for approximately 20-30 minutes, or until done.