I have a bread machine, sadly idle for this long while, but I mean to get
cranking on using it again. I used to make bread by hand and when the first
machines came out, I thought, NOT ME! I *like* kneading dough! I enjoy it!
Problem was, my kitchen is so small and the counter space available for
kneading (or for supporting a Kitchen-Aid mixer, long a desired item) is
non-existant without rearranging the whole kitchen. I kept buying yeast with
good intentions of using it, only to have it expire in the refrigerator,
unused. So in 1993, I decided that a bread machine would make a good birthday
present for me, and DH went out and got one. Now I have bread whenever I want
it without rearranging my kitchen. It's just as well, with the advent of
three children since 1994, I don't have the opportunity to fiddle with dough!
I have a hard enough time remembering to get the ingredients into the machine
to have it ready in time for dinner!
I have made rolls, pizza crust, focaccia, breads of all sorts, cinnamon
rolls, bread sticks, pita bread, hamburger and hot dog buns with my machine.
I hear it also makes great mashed potatoes (check out Plugged In by Lora
Brody), which I intend to test one of these days!
Janine