Tracking Down the Loaf

After staking out the baked beans in the cupboard, finding the toast component was next on my list! I scrambled up a sturdy wooden chair by the kitchen counter, using the woven rungs like a ladder, and pulled myself onto the smooth butcher block surface. Right past the shiny metal toaster sat a rounded bamboo breadbox with a slatted roll-top door. It smelled wonderfully of yeast and grain! I planted my feet firmly and pressed both palms against the bottom groove of the wooden slat. With a steady upward heave, I rolled the shutter back just a few inches—revealing the plump crinkly bag of sliced bread nestled inside. I slid a clean plastic bread clip across the counter to prop the door slightly open.