Happy New Year! I hope it’s off to a great start for all of you. In our house, we’ve had much cause to celebrate, with the birth of our new baby boy right before Christmas. He arrived a few weeks ahead of schedule which was a relief because we could hardly wait to meet him. His two-year-old big sister loves him already, doling out more hugs and kisses than he can handle. Oh we’re quite sleep-deprived and I’m not going to be able to cook quite as often for a little while, but right now we couldn’t be happier.

With family members flowing in and out lately to meet the new guy and help out I have managed to grab pockets of time in the kitchen – including a little baking session to make this Honey Oatmeal Bread recipe I found on a package of vital wheat gluten. It makes two loaves which is great because I could slice one up for breakfast toast this week and freeze the other to save for after all the help leaves.

The whole wheat flour and oats make the bread hearty, with a texture that is actually lighter than I’d expected. The gentle sweetness from the honey gives the bread great flavor on its own, but I’ve been topping it with a little honey cinnamon butter anyway. I figure I deserve it.

P.S. I’m submitting this recipe to this week’s Yeastspotting roundup.

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