Garage Sale Score: Bread Machine Fun…

Thursday was an outstanding garage sale day.  Debbie and I were finding deals left and right.  So many that it became difficult to drive.  She just had to get the exercise ball.  (You better have a six pack next time I see you, lady)!

Amongst the numerous bargains of the day, I found me a $5 bread maker:

I had never used one of these beasts.   I brought it right home and got to business, to whip up yummy bread for our weekend camping trip.  I followed a recipe that came in the manual:

 The first loaf I made was more cooked than I like, so I made another with the bake setting on “light” instead of “medium”.  I also added 2 packets of splenda to the recipe to sweeten it up a bit.  It came out perfect.  I read that you have to be careful and follow recipe amounts when it comes to sugar (or honey or molasses) because yeast thrive on sugar, and too much sugar can cause havoc.  I also read that artificial sweeteners cannot be used in lieu of sugar, as they do not react with yeast.  That is what made me think of adding splenda for a subtle sweet boost, and it worked.

So far, I have made for loaves of bread since Thursday.  I have absolutely gotten my $5 worth out of this machine!  Nothing is better than the smell of freshly baked bread filling the home.  This is just in time for us to boost our carbs for marathon training.  Lovely.  If you have any favorite bread machine recipes, send em’ on over!