This Week's Bread

Saturday was supposed to be gardening day…but the weather did not cooperate. So instead, faced with depressing rain, it was time to take out my frustrations on another batch of innocent flour from Better Bulk.

This time, I used my usual whole-wheat recipe, but substituted the flour: 1/3 dark rye flour, 1/3 whole wheat, and 1/3 unbleached white flour. Otherwise, the method was the same. For the infamous fourth loaf, I made a round one – and sprinkled in some raisins and caraway seeds. It was promptly devoured within a day or so, starting with the next morning’s breakfast.

Hot Cross Buns for Easter

Hot Cross BunsSome say it is traditional to eat Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday, but in our family they have been Easter breakfast for as long as we can remember. The cross traditionally symbolizes the crucifiction, and they serve as a reminder to us that Easter is not all about bunnies and candy (although we indulge in our share of those, as well).

Are you Egging me On?

Everywhere we walk, we’re seeing eggs. Real eggs. Wooden eggs. Easter eggs. Wreaths of crazy-coloured plastic eggs. Tis the season!

I used to struggle with egg-making, but a couple of wise women taught me everything I needed to know about boiled eggs. First, a disclaimer: I know that some people are not too keen on soft-boiled eggs. We grew up eating them, and we’re a-okay. But if you have a compromised immune system, or you’re pregnant, or elderly, or feeding eggs to a child under six, food safety experts suggest hard-boiled eggs are safest.

For a soft-boiled egg, place the egg in a pot of boiling water, and cook 6-7 minutes until the whites are completely set and the yolk is soft but heated through. (Sorry, if I could figure out how you could tell without sacrificing an egg, I’d let you know). For hard boiled, ten minutes should do the trick. Store cooked, hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for up to a week.