Amish Friendship Bread

Starter: 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar

Combine starter ingredients and let sit covered at room temperature.

Day 1: Do nothing
Day 2: Stir with wooden spoon
Day 3: Stir with wooden spoon
Day 4: Stir with wooden spoon
Day 5: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir with wooden spoon.
Day 6: Stir with wooden spoon
Day 7: Stir with wooden spoon
Day 8: Stir with wooden spoon
Day 9: Stir with wooden spoon
Day 10: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir with wooden spoon.

Pour into 3 containers of 1 cup each. Give 1 each to 2 friends along with a copy of this recipe. Keep 1 cup for yourself as a starter. Set aside.

To make bread: Preheat oven to 325. To the remaining batter (probably a bit more than 1 cup), add and mix well: 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 large box instant vanilla pudding, 1 cup oil, 1/2 cup milk, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup chopped nuts and/or raisins.

Pour into 2 well-greased and sugared loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven 1 hour. Test after 55 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans. Makes 2 loaves.