For me, baking is a good way to pass the time on a long passage. Of course in rolly conditions it can really try my patience, but that is a whole other story. Not knowing you need to order bread in advance in Cocos Keeling, we were not able to get any before we left, meaning the last time we had fresh bread was in Darwin. So, our first day out I made whole wheat bread which unfortunately turned out with the consistency of a Cliff Bar. But even then, it was certainly better than nothing. A couple days later I made rosemary focaccia which, I think from sheer luck, turned out light and airy and excellent. This afternoon I made currant scones which are Chris' favorite and quite easy to make. Best part is that they will be breakfast for the next few days at least.

Sometimes I'm surprised that I don't have some of the most basic of recipes onboard. I guess I took for granted that at home I could always jump on Epicurious.com and find a recipe for anything instantly. A second best alternative out here is sending an email to my mom or sisters who are good about sending me recipes I ask them for. Recently, however, I asked my sisters to send me a not-so-difficult recipe for sourdough bread, if such a thing exists. My older sister, Nikki, sent me a two page recipe that she had hand copied out of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. My younger sister, Deni, told me to forget about it and she will buy me all the sourdough bread I can eat when I get home. I will say that after reading the recipe, which calls for five days of stirring a starter three times per day, I might have to agree with Deni.