If anyone enjoys pancakes and can even imagine a big, thick, fluffy, delicious pancake, please make fresh toutons. If you want the recipe like this post please. Or you know, search up “Newfoundland Touton Recipes”. I’d just like to know if anyone’s read this yet.

-Ash Pow ;D

   I found a recipe on the blog of another Newfoundlander and thought, “Why not?” Sadly, when I began the process, my Mom decided to take over and compare everything in the recipe to how she used to make bread. This frustrated me to no end and took the fun and relaxation out of the baking process for me. 
   Never-the-less, I carried on and managed to get ten not-so-bad buns out of it. I never expected everything to turn out perfect my first time baking something with yeast and that had to rise, but I was quite disappointed. I blame my Mom. I don’t want to blame her. She just couldn’t seem to grasp the fact that when baking, you need to measure everything precisely. And that you can’t peak when rising bread dough. And that yelling at me doesn’t help anything. Mom’s will be Mom’s.
   Anyway. The recipe yielded 2 medium-sized loaves, so I cut the dough in half. One half was for buns, the other half was for toutons. If you’re unsure of what toutons are, they’re a traditional Newfoundland food. Fried bread dough that is usually eaten with molasses or maple syrup. It’s high in fat, but tasty. I like to treat myself, okay? 
   Next time I try baking bread I’m going to use a recipe with less butter and sugar, and maybe one that uses an egg to help the with the rising. I’m also going to look into whole wheat as opposed to white. Gotta watch my sugars. 
   I’m going to take pictures next time also and give you the recipe step by step, so look forward to some yummy home-made whole wheat bread! 

-Ash Pow 

   I’m officially an adult. What do I do now? It seems that everyone wants me to get my high school degree and move on to a post-secondary school as soon as possible. I just can’t see myself doing either. 
   I quit high school. I’m not proud of it, but my health was in jeopardy and so I hardly had a choice. Already living with depression for most of my young life, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the tender age of 15. Long story short, I was in denial, refused to take my insulin and became very sick.
   These days I have an insulin pump and check my blood sugars regularly. I’m currently studying to receive my high school equivalence degree (GED) to satisfy my Mom and Dad. They want me to go to school and find a career. My game plan is slightly different.
   I’ve never been able to imagine myself in the far-off future, really. I couldn’t picture myself sitting at an office all day or doing a trade of some sort. I can’t even picture myself in school any more. The only thing I’ve ever really excelled at was writing and I don’t enjoy that as much as I used to. No, none of this will do. 
   To ensure my happiness in life, I must become a Home Maker. I love to bake and cook, though I’m still learning. I love to clean and organize, this I’m a pro at. I enjoy arts and crafts as a pass time, which includes sewing and the like. Gardening and botany is a huge interest of mine lately, and I’ve just always loved being home. 
   Obviously, this is something my parents don’t understand. I’m a woman, I have rights, I can work in today’society, so why don’t I? Simple, because I also have the right not to work. The women I most look up to are housewives. The women who you can go to for a recipe, the women who know how to fix a tear in a dress, the women who can make a perfect loaf of bread, no sweat. 
   I hope to get a full-time job (hopefully with insurance) after I receive my GED, until I get married. I am being smart about this, in a way. My parents are allowing me to live at home until I get settled in life. I could probably save myself some hard-earned-cash by actually cooking my own meals, baking my own treats and such. (And in the future I could save me and the hubby good money with DIY home decorating and free childcare.) 
   It’s scary, actually trying to pursue this lifestyle. I’m not looking for a rich man, by any means. I have a wonderful, loving boyfriend who has no clue as to what he wants to do with his life, and I plan to stay with him for a very long time if not the rest of my life. I worry about putting too much pressure on him to find a career to support us both. He says he wants me to do what I want to do. He wants me to be happy.
   Life is about taking risks, enjoying good times with friends and loved ones, and the pursuit of happiness. I’m just living my life.