When I was a kid, I loved the game Operation. Well, you know how competitive I am, I loved ALL games. Especially ones I could win. (Have I ever mentioned that my friends stopped inviting me to their birthday parties because I’d win all the games?)

But Operation was very challenging and I loved to win, I mean play, it.

I made this amazing beer bread yesterday. It made a LOT of dough so I decided to bake it in the Pullman loaf pans I bought years ago but had never used. I figured it would make two nice-sized Pullman loaves.

I was wrong.

It made two AMAZING loaves of tasty bread but they are small, short in stature, easily lost in the toaster.

I had to toast it, though. It was so awesome as bread that the prospect of eating it toasted with jelly was too good to pass up. And I was right.

But, because the bread is so small, I had to use my tongs to get it out of the toaster. When I have to do this, it makes me feel like I’m playing Operation all over again.

True confession: I have never gotten the toast out without touching the sides of the toaster.

It’s a hard operation. Similar to the spare ribs or writers cramp. The good news is, my tongs are wooden so I can’t shock myself or blow a circuit. No buzzer sounds. But it makes breakfast a little fun by reminding me of childhood competitions.

Now how can I simulate Candyland in the kitchen?