My new favorite gift idea!

Christmas is just over a week away, and have yet to make my husband’s favorite holiday cookies. Needless to say, with two little ones in the house and a job, I don’t cook or bake as often as I used to!

Still, I love to give homemade treats to family and friends. So when I saw the J.B. Teddy Bear Bread Kit, I wondered…could this be the answer to my dilemma? I want to give something special to the kids’ daycare provider and to my son’s kiddie choir teacher, too!

As luck would have it, the kit makes two bear-shaped breads AND CAN BE STARTED IN MY BREAD MAKER! (I'm all about saving time these days.) Plus, it looks like something my two and a half year-old might be able to help with (at least, I’m pretty sure he can manage decorating it!) Hmmm…this just might be the perfect gift. I think “Nanny” and Miss Diane would be delighted to receive something that he helped to make.

So I wait until my youngest is down for her morning nap. It's easy to get started. I just measure out the proper amount of room-temperature water and pour it into my bread machine. Then, I open one of the packages of bread mix and let my son help me pour it on top of the water.

My son is at that stage right now where he wants to help with everything. I must admit…I sometimes have to stop myself from telling him to “just hurry up already!” But really, it’s delightful to watch him assert his independence, and I know how excited he is to help me “cook” (as he puts it.)

I finish off by adding the yeast packet, selecting my machine settings (for a one pound loaf, since I'm doing one bear at a time), and hitting the start button. So far, so good…

Fast forward and the dough has risen. As I mentioned, my son is not yet three, so I decide we’re better off if I do the next part by myself! I take it out of the machine, put it on a very lightly floured cutting board, and gently roll pieces of dough in my hands to form the ears, hands, etc., etc. The kit comes with a nice baking pan AND two sheets of parchment--perfect!

I call my son back into the kitchen (he’s been building with blocks in his room) for the really fun part. In a snap, we've assembled the bear. "Ooooh!" my son exclaims when I show him the raisins (also included in kit) that he gets to put on for eyes, a nose, and buttons. (He decides that our bear does not need a mouth...oh well!)

The bear takes a 350 degree oven. Twenty-five minutes later…he's done. (Actually, I got a phone call, so I took him out a few minutes after the timer.) Oh my, he looks cute (and delicious, I should add!) I put on the bow, and then we eat lunch and wait for our little bread friend to cool just a little bit.

Finally, we can’t wait any longer to sample our creation! (My son is the one holding the edge of the pan above.) I mix some cinnamon and sugar together to lightly sprinkle on two warm, buttered pieces of bear bread. “It’s yummy mom,” says my son. I agree.

In fact, I kind of regret getting my five year-old niece those doll clothes for Christmas. She would absolutely love this! Anyway, I give the J.B. Teddy Bear Kit a two thumbs up. It really was quick and easy, and I can't wait to see my son present this Christmas gift to his "teachers". That means we've got a few more to make. Sounds like fun to me!

You can buy it here, by the way.

From a Baker

I'm a baker so I'm always making bread for friends, functions, and my family. I recently closed doors on my bakery because I was pregnant and never wanted to have to choose between my children and work.

Transitioning back into a stay-at-home-mom was a difficult one. The meals I made while the shop was in operation had been lacking in anything good or healthy, and I knew that needed to change, so I started a cooking blog. It motivated me to create quality meals that would excite my family and along the way, readers have joined my journey.

Then one day I was contacted by a representative of J.B. Dough and was asked if I would like to try their bread mixes. I was excited to try a product to share with my readers. I received some samples and got to work.

This picture is a dish I made for my blog. Chicken Cordon Bleu pockets. I used J.B. Dough's classic white bread dough, and after the first rise, I rolled out and stuffed with chicken, ham, and swiss cheese. The results were delicious! The instructions can be found on my food blog, Creating Post it Notes.

Breadmaking doesn't need to be intimidating. If you struggle with yeasts and starters, no worries! J. B. Dough is the perfect solution. A great product that tastes just like you made bread from scratch that will impress not only you, but those you share it with.

The Greatest Bread Mix Ever

I remember my mother making fresh baked bread. The smell would fill our home and was enough to make my mouth water. While I too have made bread from scratch, I now find that I have very little time to do so. Working full-time and attending college takes up most of my time. For this reason, I bought a bread maker, thinking it would make it easier to prepare fresh baked bread. The machine was easy to use, but many of the recipes I can across required ingredients I never had on hand. Fresh baked bread eventually became a distant memory.

All I can say is, “Thank God for the J.B. Dough Company!” The J.B. Dough Company has made it possible for me to once again enjoy fresh baked bread. Best of all, my bread maker is no longer a paperweight. The gourmet bead mixes available at from J.B. Dough are extremely easy to use in my bread maker. All I have to do is add the mix, the yeast pack (which is conveniently included with the mix), and add water. The machine does the rest of the work.

Classic White was the first of the gourmet bread mixes I tried from J.B. Dough. As the bread baked, I was immediately carried away to my childhood home. The smell was absolutely unbelievable. But, it was nothing compared to the taste. I must admit that I dove into the loaf shortly after removing it from the machine. The yeasty flavor, combined with the slightly crisp crust and fluffy interior was truly a gourmet experience. I would forever be hooked on J.B. Dough’s Gourmet Bread Mixes.

I have since tried several flavors of the gourmet bread mixes from J.B. Dough. One of my favorites was the Onion Dill, which I served with a sirloin roast that had been braised in an onion mushroom sauce. As the roast cooked and the bread baked, my home was filled with a smell that I can only describe as pure comfort. But, J.B. Dough Gourmet Bread Mixes aren’t just for supper. I also love to serve their heartier flavors, such as Sunflower Seed, Whole Earth, and Wheat & Honey, with tuna salad. Of course, you could also prepare a sinful treat by buttering two pieces of Classic White and placing your favorite chocolate between the two pieces. Grill the sandwich, until the chocolate begins to melt, and then pull the bread apart to add crushed berries.

There are a thousand different ways to use the gourmet bread mixes from J.B. Dough. With so many different flavors available, you’re only limited by your imagination. If you love homemade bread, but never have the time to make it, this product is definitely for you.

A Cookbook by John and Beverlee Dwan

"In The Dough" A Cookbook by John and Beverlee Dwan

128 pages of time-saving, easy-to-use, mouth watering recipes designed to enhance J.B. Dough Gourmet Bread Mixes. Guaranteed to whet the appetite of any bread lover!

We filled a cookbook with simple, yet creative ways to bake exceptional bread using J.B. Dough's gourmet pre-mixes, an automatic bread maker, and a few additional ingredients. We included recipes for everything from Country Apple Coffee Cake, to Rosemary-Garlic Focaccia. We even included some creative ways to turn ordinary butter into an extraordinary bread spread. Every recipe has been tested in the most popular bread machines on the market, and (for the purist) in conventional ovens. The results have been consistent, and delicious. About the only thing we've left out of this book is the time and effort that's usually required to make bread this good.

If we make baking exceptional gourmet bread any easier, we might put ourselves out of business! http://www.jbdough.com/