Idiot Bread

What a silly name! Our family first had this bread when on a visit to see Aunt Marcella and Uncle Mike. Aunt Marcella prepared such a lovely dinner and served this bread. It was delicious and we all asked for more. We also asked for the name and she told us it was "Idiot Bread". We thought that was a very strange name for bread and asked her how it came by that name. She said it was so simple, even an idiot could make it! I still think it needs a new name! But the recipe needs to stay exactly the same! It is fast, easy, and delicious! 

Idiot Bread

• 1 Tbsp. yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add sugar, salt, and flour. Stir well. Spread into a greased, 9 x 13 in pan. Let rise for 1 hour. Pour 1/2 stick of melted butter or margarine over the top. Sprinkle with parsley, garlic powder, and Parmesean cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 - 45 minutes (until golden brown).

Flavorful, quick and easy, and delicious with so many things!

Tea-Soaked Raisin Tea Brack

Ireland is known for their wonderful tea breads. Sometimes we call them tea cakes. Whatever the name, they are delicious and perfect to accompany a cup of tea. This recipe for tea-soaked raisin bread is called Irish Tea Brack. The Irish word 'breac' means speckled. So, you can just imagine what this delicious tea bread must look like! It's a simple and quick recipe, as long as you remember to start your raisins soaking the night before. Serve with butter and jam.

Tea-Soaked Raisin Tea Brack

1 1/2 cup raisins
1 cup brewed tea, strong and cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg or 1 vegan egg substitute
Rolled oats

Brew one cup of tea. Pour over raisins in a bowl. Cover and place in refrigerator for 8 - 10 hours.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir together until well mixed. Then, create a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the egg, raisins, and tea. Stir until just combined. Then, pour into a loaf pan that has been buttered and dusted with flour. Sprinkle rolled oats on the top of the loaf. 

Place loaf in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees. Bake until the top is browned, about 1 1/2 hours. When done, cool slightly and remove from loaf pan and allow to complete cooling on a wire rack. 

Faith is a Way of Life

"To make bread or love, to dig in the earth, to feed an animal or cook for a stranger; these activities require no extensive commentary, no lucid theology. All they require is someone willing to bend, reach, chop, stir. Most of these tasks are so full of pleasure that there is no need to complicate things by calling them holy. And yet these are the same activities that change lives, sometimes all at once and sometimes more slowly, the way dripping water changes stone. In a world where faith is often construed as a way of thinking, bodily practices remind the willing that faith is a way of life."

Barbara Brown Taylor

A Sermon in a Loaf of Bread

"In a sermon on the feeding of the five thousand by our Lord, a minister lately spoke of the lad who brought the barley loaves and the woman who made them. Little did she think as she pounded the grain, and mixed the dough, and tempered the heat of the oven, that her loaves were to feed the gathered companies, who sat down in orderly ranks on the green grass, and were refreshed by a meal presided over by Christ. As little do we know whereunto one small act of ours may grow. The obscure agents in this world are oftener stronger than those which are seen."

~

Signs 5/29/1884

Kid's Size Loaf of Yummy Bread

Winter is a time for nesting. And there's nothing more fun than cooking in the kitchen with kids! So invite a neighbor, grandchild, or one of your own children, and share in the experience together. Here's a recipe for a kid's size loaf of delicious, wholesome bread. It's perfect for little hands to knead and mold.

In a small bowl, mix together:

1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. honey

Stir together and then let mixture sit for five minutes. The yeast will start to bubble and rise.  Then add:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt

Knead the mixture for ten minutes, adding sprinkles of flour as needed so little hands don't get too sticky.

When the dough is smooth and like elastic, place it in a bowl and let it rise until it is twice the original size. Make sure it is warm and free from drafts.

Spray vegetable cooking spray on the sides and bottom of a small loaf pan.

Punch the dough down. Form it into a loaf. Place the dough into the prepared loaf pan.

Let the loaf rise until double the size.

Bake the loaf in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 20 - 25 minutes.

Ginger Honey

 

Home baked bread tastes SO good with a sweet topping like jam or honey. Adding a warming spice to jam or honey is welcome during the cold winter months. While summer's speak to cooling minty flavors, warming spices like ginger and cinnamon warm you from the inside out during the winter months. Here's a recipe for a warming winter honey that you might enjoy with toast and tea.

Ginger Honey

2 cups local honey

1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped

Place the honey in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring constantly. When it has warmed through, stir in the ginger chunks. Then pour into a pint jar. Cover and let mixture cool to room temperature. Serve and enjoy!

*Candied ginger can also be added to a cup of hot tea to spice it up as well!

Feasting on Focaccia

Here's another easy recipe for holiday gatherings. Although simple and delicious, your guests will think you've been working for hours to prepare this tasty treat.


Olive Focaccia


1 package bread-stick dough
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed, drained, and chopped
4 Tbsp. sliced calamata olives (or your favorite)
1 Tbsp. rosemary, fresh
1/2 tsp. salt
Olive oil
1/4 cup green onions, sliced


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide the bread-dough stick into 8 sections. Place each section, flattened, onto a baking stone. Brush each section with olive oil. Then sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes and olive slices. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, top with green onions, and serve.


*If packaged bread-stick dough is not available, use premade frozen bread loaf instead (or make your own).