Sausaages and mash with asparagus, broccolini, carrot & zucchini for the men.  Just the veggies for me.

Cookie, that sounds nasty I hope your skin recovers quickly.

We have been having a few problems with the water pipes and taps so we have called a plumber.  It will be a few days before he can come so today I have cleaned out the cupboards under the sink and bathroom basins so everything is clear just incase he comes whilst I'm not home.

Good luck with the packing Chookie.

Supermarket shopping this morning and then the chemist. The chemist  had a big table set out for the biggest morning tea and they were offering everyone tea or coffee and something to eat.  All very nicely done.

Yesterday I received information from the hospital to say that I am booked in for my operation on 12th June,  There is an 85% chance that this will solve my problems so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I'm a bit of a bower bird so over the last few of days I have been going through some cupboards and having a clean out.  Today I took several bags of clothing and other items to the OP shop.  Next on the list will be kitchen items, some linen and books.

Mab, I think the bread flour may have been the problem. The loaf has risen fast then dropped as it has baked. This is because there is more gluten in the bread flour and has allowed it to rise faster. The same can happen if you add too much liquid.

Thanks Chookie I will do as the recipe says and stay with plain flour next time

Thanks Judy. Good idea.
Mab, the thing I hate most about machine bread is the hole in the bottom. My old machine often ended up with the blade stuck in the bottom. My new machine has a collapsible blade. It lays flat when baking.
The odd shape of the loaf can happen for several reasons. Usually , wrong recipe for your machine . See if you can find a basic recipe for your machine. Do you have the book? I always check the mixture after it starts kneading. Sometimes add a little more water or flour. I also weigh all ingredients.
You can’t use a basic bread recipe, like my No Fuss  recipe. The balance of ingredients isn’t right for the machine. Too much yeast. But you can use any recipe if you just make dough and finish it by hand. Making rolls, bread sticks or plaited loaf.

Chookie, thank you for the bread hints, I have copied and filed them for future reference.  I do have the book for the machine and used the recipe from it, I did check during the kneading process and all looked fine. All ingredients were weighed.  The only thing I did differently was use bread flour instead of plain flour as in the recipe.  I used bread flour with the last loaf and had no problems with that loaf,.  On the plus side the family are eating the bread and say it tastes fine and is not heavy. Thanks again for the hints.

Judy, I hope the Naturopath is able to help you.