Labor Day.  A recognition of those who labor… by not working.  A day off for most, unless you are mom in which case there will never truly be a day off. 

Sophia Loren once said, “When you are a mother you are never really alone in your thoughts.  A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” 

Applying my super math skills, I suppose that means I must think in quadruple.  Once each for me and my three little girls.  Now that is labor.  No wonder my life requires such profuse amounts of coffee! 

(Yesterday, I woke up late, skipped my coffee and consequently caught myself applying lip gloss to my lashes.  True story.  Whose bright idea was it to make the lip gloss tube so strikingly simliar to the mascara anyway???)

So let’s do something easy.  Something non-laborious in honor of this beautiful Labor Day.  (And since it’s officially a holiday we won’t bother to count calories either!)

My girls will be squealing with delight when they smell this delicious treat coming from the kitchen!  It’s a favorite at our house and so easy, I could not mess it up even without a cup of coffee.

Bread Machine Cinnamon Bread

1 c. water
2 T. butter or margarine, softened
3 c. flour
3 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. bread machine yeast
3/4 c. raisins (optional)

1.  Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except raisins in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.  (Add raisins at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5-10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends.)

2.  Select Sweet or Basic/White cycle.  Use Medium or Light color.  Remove baked bread from pan and cool on wire rack.

Bonus Tip:  After baking, drizzle warm bread with a simple powdered sugar glaze (1 1/2 c. powdered sugar + 2 T. water or milk). Let cool. Tastes just like a glazed cinnamon twist from the bakery!

Makes 1 loaf (1 1/2 lb) 12 slices

NOTE:  You can download a printable copy of this recipe by visiting the “Recipes” tab at the top of the page.  (I am working on uploading all my recipes previously posted in this format so check back often for new ideas!)