Author Cami Checketts Shares Homemade Wheat Bread

Cami is a part-time author, part-time exercise consultant, part-time housekeeper, full-time wife, and overtime mother of four adorable boys. Sleep and relaxation are fond memories. She's never been happier. For more information on Cami's books: www.camichecketts.com http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com.

Cami's latest release is The Sister Pact

Savannah Compton finds her sister, Allison, unconscious. Blood is spurting from Allison’s head and her toddler is screeching for Mommy. The handsome detective at the door believes Savannah is to blame.

Is there a food you’d love to learn how to cook or a different genre or type of book you’d love to try to write?
I'd love to learn how to make sugar cookies. Mine are always hard or falling apart. It's a sad situation when young boys never get the chance to decorate sugar cookies because their Momma is too cheap to buy them from the bakery and too lazy to master them.

I would love to write historical fiction but it's kind of like sugar cookies - too lazy to do the research. I'm sure if I tried historical fiction the readers would have to correct me often and it would be horribly embarrassing.

What’s your favorite kitchen accessory or appliance? How about a favorite writing accessory or reference?
Favorite kitchen appliance is the dishwasher. I throw things in dirty and they come out clean - fabulous!

Favorite writing reference is the internet. When I started writing I didn't have internet access. Imagine anything you needed to research (agents, publishers, the layout of New York City's subway so you can blow it up in your book) instead of just typing a few words and clicking you had to go to the library and actually read a book.

What inspired your latest book, and what ingredients do you hope make it a tasty treat for readers?
I had a nightmare that I was playing with my boys in the backyard and a man walked up and shot me. I started thinking, What would make someone do that to a sweet little Mom?

I hope it's a treat they can't get enough of. I hope it's so intriguing they want to keep reading and reading and then go and tell all their friends about it. (I like to dream big.)

What’s your go-to meal when you need to serve something quick and easy?

Spaghetti. We bottle our own sauce straight from the garden. It's amazing. I used Ragu once and none of my boys would eat it. (They're cute but definitely spoiled.)

Oh, do I understand wasting a perfeclty good plate of pasta. My husband hates spaghetti and will only eat it if I use a certain sauce. Picky Picky!

Tell about a time when food inspired your writing or a book inspired your cooking.
I love Josi Kilpack's culinary mysteries. I cannot read one of those without trying at least a couple of the recipes. The only time I didn't like all the yummy food references was when I tried to read Key Lime Pie while in labor with my fourth son. Contractions and thoughts of food do not work well together!

If you were marooned on an island, and Pots 'N Pens granted your wish for only one book and one food, what would you choose?

Wow. Thanks for the easy question. Hmm, the food would be my homemade bread (though I'd likely perish without Extreme Mouse Tracks ice cream).

The book would have to be The Book of Mormon. There are a lot of amazing books out there but The Book of Mormon is my all-time favorite.

Cami's homemade wheat bread

3/4 cup applesauce

2/3 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

2 Tbsp. salt

Mix together

Add:

5 1/2 cups warm water

10-12 cups finely ground wheat flour

1/3 cup vital wheat gluten

Mix for five minutes.

While you wait, mix 1/2 cup warm water with 2 1/2 Tbsp. yeast.

Add yeast mixture and 1-3 cups white flour or until dough pulls away from the edges of pan.

Shape into loaves, let raise.

Bake 350 for 20 – 40 minutes (I’m obviously not good at timing things. I wait for mine to smell good and pull them out when they’re brown.)

Thanks Cami, it was a joy to talk to you. I LOVE fresh baked bread and can't wait to try baking (I should really say murder 'cause I tend to burn my bread *sigh*) this.  Check out what Cami is up to over on her site by clicking on the links by her picture above.