I’ve noticed that I seem to start most of these blog entries with “Well” and I also notice with some disappointment that my last entry was back in Fall of 2021. To that, all I can say is “Well……..”
It is the start of a new year and today is my dad’s birthday. If he were still living, he would have been 101 years old today. As I stood in the kitchen this morning reflecting on this, I was looking out on the backyard waiting on my bread to rise. Suddenly two deer came bounding across the snow looking happy to be out and about (no doubt also enjoying some frozen greens from my garden). Dad would be glad to know they are doing well even though he is not around anymore to feed them. It made ME glad to be in my warm kitchen with my coffee and bread smells, rather than fending for myself in my frozen garden!
Today I FINALLY emptied my last bulk storage container of multigrain cereal. As I cleaned up the crumbs, I got to thinking how long that grain has lasted and how much bread it went into. For those that have been on this journey with me, you might remember me having to purchase a 25 lb bag of 10 grain cereal from Amazon as there were no smaller amounts to be found, due to the Covid pandemic. I included that bag in my Christmas 2020 blog photo along with some of the backup containers I loaded the bag into.
I use 6 ounces of this cereal in each 2-loaf recipe of harvest bread, which is primarily where this is used and 25 pounds equals 400 ounces. Doing some quick math, I figure I’ve made over 130 loaves of just this bread since I bought that bag. At the time I made that purchase I never thought I’d be still making bread five years later!
Over the years since I started this adventure there have been many changes, which happens to us all. Loved ones have passed on, politics take new direction, music styles change and even Bugby Bread has evolved. I started out with what I’d now call an “angry oven” icon but there’s now a more “refined” logo that I created (although that oven still tickles my funny bone a bit). I’ve had to learn how to do a five-strand braid for coffee cakes and now there’s a fancy website complete with grain info, multiple bread recipes to pick from and a way to place orders – all at your fingertips! A far cry from the paper form I used at the start.
But with all the changes that we face every day, there is a certain amount of reassurance from knowing that if you mix a little flour, water, yeast and salt together you will always get the same result. And while there are variations that will always be present, the end result is (usually) the same. In these trying times, it is a good life lesson that maybe more people should consider. If you combine compassion, understanding and love, and maybe mix with a little passion something good usually comes out of it. Perhaps more people should be baking bread…..
Anyway, whether you are just a visitor that stumbled on this blog as you passed by or if you are a regular customer and enjoy my breads on a routine basis, I wish you all the best as we start 2025. May your journeys be filled with laughter, love and the smell and taste of good bread!
Bugby
Bugby Bread 
It’s been a pleasure watching you evolve through this journey and how happy it makes you. You are always willing to experiment and try something new. As we begin our 25th year of marriage, all I can say is I love you and I love your bread! ❤️
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