I miss bread from the states.  Our commissary does not have a bakery so we don't get fresh bread or rolls.  Bread is a huge part of our dinners and we all miss it terribly.

I am going to order a bread machine.  Most companies will not ship one over here, so I have to order it through the store here, which means it will take about three months to get here.

In the meantime, I've decided to freshen up my bread making and roll making skills and make them from scratch on days that are not too busy-is that ever?  While looking through my cookbook, I noticed the title and I was amazed.  "Old Fashioned Baking".  Now, I've had this cookbook for years and have used it often, but this time the title struck me as funny.  Why, you may ask?   In our time of rush, rush, rush, and drive through dinners, I guess baking has become old fashioned.  I will tell you that none of my friends or neighbors bake, I am constantly called Betty Crocker around here.  They come to me to borrow flour or vanilla for a recipe because they don't buy it because they never use it.  Those are staples in my household.  I'm always baking, hence my large back seat.  I am amazed at how little time mothers spend teaching their children how to prepare a meal or bake cookies.  When we lived in CA, my 18 year old neighbor came over to borrow a can of tomato sauce.  Knowing that they did not cook, I casually asked what she was making.  They were surprising mom with a spaghetti dinner.  I had to explain that tomato sauce is not spaghetti sauce and what had to be done to fix it properly.  This girl is ready to venture out into the world and doesn't know how to prepare spaghetti! 

All of my kids help me bake and make dinner.  Sometimes its a little messy, but they need to learn that.  They also do chores to teach them how to take care of a home and will learn sewing and other life skills.  My husband will teach them all to take care of lawn, cars, and flat tires.  These are all skills our children need, they are not options.  Its sad that the schools have removed home ec and car care from their curriculum.  At least if it wasn't provided at home, it would be provided at school. It saddens me to think of all the kids venturing out on their own, clueless on basic skills. 

Sorry for my rant, it just really bothers me.