I may have to check that Charlotte Moss book out. I am addicted to decorating magazines and books it seems. Still waiting to see if Country Home is going to release another magazine. They teased us with 2 or 3 copies last year and then nothing more. So frustrating.

Was waiting for a review on Hampton's book on Amazon. I am waiting for Victoria Hagan's book to be released this month. I like looking at Bunny William's books but I like to live with the less is more in my own house. Hagan to me is more streamlined and less cluttery. I like looking at them all as well. Not enough magazines out there now.

I love kneading the dough and get to that satiney smooth feel to it. Besides...it is wonderful therapy to sling that dough around some...LOL A wonderful website is: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/ There is a bagguette recipe that is to die for!!! And extremely easy to make just takes a little bit of time, but so worth it for a good loaf. I have a recipe for "Soft and Fluffy Sandwich Bread" that is wonderful. It also makes the best rolls I have ever tasted. Soft and Fluffy Sandwich Bread 3 cups unbleached all-prupose flour 2 tsp instant yeast 1 1/4 tsp salt 3 tblsps sugar 4 tblsps unsalted butter 1 1/8 cups lukewarm milk(1 cp + 2 tblsps) 1/4 cp potato flour(or 1/3 cup potato flakes) Combine all ingredients (reserve about 1/2 cup flour) and mix thoroughly in large mixing bowl. Add reserved flour a tblsp at a time to mixture until a soft, smooth dough is formed. You may not need the whole amount or you may need more. Anyway, add just enough flour until dough comes away from bowl and it doesn't stick to your fingers. Remember, the more flour you add while kneading, the heavier and drier your loaf will be. Turn dough out on lightly greased surface and knead for a while, about 10 mins. cover and let rise for about 1 hour, until puffy (dough might not double in bulk) Transfer dough to a lightly greased surface and shape it into a 8" log. Transfer log to a lightly greased loaf pan (8 1/2 X 4 1/2) cover the pan with greased cling wrap loosely. Let dough rise for about 1 hour, until outer edge has risen about 1" over the rim of pan. Preheat oven to 350 Uncover pan and bake for 35-40 mins, tenting lightly with foil for the final 10-15 mins if the top is browning too quickly. Remove bread from oven, take it out of the pan, and cool on wire rack. After 15 mins, brush with butter, if desired; to give loaf an exceptionally soft crust. This recipe makes really good rolls too. Deb

I finished Laurie Graham's Future Housewives of America and really enjoyed it (despite her 1950's era characters going to "the mall" - where did that anachronisms thread go?). I'm already onto another by her, The Great Husband Hunt which is quite promising so far. I really like her sense of humor and her characters are wonderful. In between, I read a short non-fiction book that I found not only interesting but really inspiring, Rafe Esquith's Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire. I stumbled on this book in the library and the title caught my eye. He's a veteran teacher in a Los Angeles public elementary school and his classes are made up of kids who speak English as a second language and who come from low-income, struggling families. These kids succeed on so many levels, it's amazing. I was completely blown away by his energy, his commitment to his students, and his take on public education today. I'm not a teacher, but as a parent, the whole book just made such good sense, and clarified a few things that had been bugging me about my own school system. I bought a copy for my sister who teaches 2nd grade and I'll be very interested to see what she thinks of it. Here is a link that might be useful: Rafe Esquith & The Hobart Shakespeareans