Sleeping with Bread Monday with Irony and Less Than Full Disclosure

In the last week, where have I found consolation?

I think this past week, I have found consolation, ironically, in the hustle and bustle of preparing for my daughter's class play. Yes, the play which has me frazzled with costumes and sound worries and fearful of The Stomach Virus of 2006 is also a source of encouragement to me. Rather, the kids and the parents in the class are the source of encouragement.

I believe I have mentioned here before that my daughter is in a Multi-Age program at her school. It is a double class with two teachers and kids in Kindergarten through Third Grade. The curriculum is integrated and the approach developmentally-based. Because brothers and sisters are in class together and because the children are together for several years, a close bond develops within the group as a whole. During this time of The Production, even more time is spent together and I've had a chance to see the Spirit of Community in action. Parents help each other out with costumes or kid care. Children help each other with their lines. The older kids look out for the younger kids. It is a family of sorts and in spite of the recent chaos, I've enjoyed watching some of these sweet kids this week and seeing what great little people they are and I'm grateful that we will have more time--years--to keep getting to know them.

In the last week, what has caused me desolation?

Other than the fact that Boromir died... (The Lord of the Rings trilogy was on Sunday. My heart breaks for Boromir and it just kills me every time I see that movie and watch him die. Have I ever mentioned I'm a LOTR freak?)

Well, other than the LOTR tragedy, what caused me sadness this week is private and I can't share about it here. This is one of the difficulties of blogging for me. I can't bare all. If it were just me and you guys alone in a room, I could share. It isn't anything earth shattering--just the stuff of Life. It will pass. I would rather say there is something going on with me and leave it at that than make up something or pretend.

Also Sleeping with Bread this week:

Sheila at musings of a mommy
t at nonsensical text
Lamont at Uphill idealist

Next week will be a Sleeping with Bread holiday because it will be Christmas Day. Seven days until Christmas... can you believe it?



I did it! Have you?

BSE Buttons, A Whole Wheat Quest and Threats of Fripperies

A few days ago, I posted my commitment to performing BSE's on a monthly basis. I said that I would put the initials BSE at the end of the first post I write after doing the exam. Well, timing being everything, it will be another couple of weeks before the optimum time to perform said exam. However. . . Izzy of IzzyMom and Izzy Design designed these cool little buttons that anyone can download and use. Because it is for a good cause, she didn't charge me so she gets some good Karma points, too.

I hope that you will use these buttons. We can talk about prevention and early detection all the live long day. We need to act. By giving ourselves BSE's and letting others know, we can encourage others to join us. Five minutes. Five minutes is all it takes. We're worth it, right? If you need a refresher course in how to do the exam, here it is. (To download a button, right click and save to your computer. You can then upload the photo into your post when you are ready. In the next day or two, I will also put the buttons in my sidebar.)

Screeeeeeech!!!!!!!

That is the sound of me taking a sharp turn into a completely different subject. I am on the prowl for some yummy recipes using whole wheat flour. After my colonoscopy and diagnosis of moderate diverticulosis, I am trying to go refined-flour and white rice free as much as possible. I'm a sweet freak, however, and there just aren't alot of options out there. I know I've had some yummy whole wheat chocolate chip cookies before so if you have a recipe to die for, I would so appreciate it if you would pass it along. You can reply in the comments or email me at aseveremary@pacbell.net.

I did make some yummy bread last night for my book club's discussion of The Penelopiad. It is called Christopsomo and it a Greek Christmas Bread. I found the recipe at Bella Online and it was easy to make and uses a 3/5 whole wheat to 2/5 white flour recipe.

Here's the recipe in case you are interested:

Christopsomo - Greek Christmas Bread

Traditionally on Christmas Eve every household would bake a Christopsomo or "Christ bread". The loaf is often decorated with engravings on the crust that represent aspects of the family's life and profession. A loaf from a fishing family might have a picture of a fish on it, for example. Here is the recipe for the Christopsomo, you can decorate it as you like.

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom seeds (seeds removed from the exterior husk)
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Grease an 8-inch circular cake pan.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and allow to stand for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, salt, egg, milk, cardamom and butter in a large bowl and mix well. Add the yeast mixture, both types of flour, raisins and the walnuts. Mix well. If the dough is too moist, add a little all purpose flour to make softer dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf.

Place the dough into the cake pan, cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350.

When risen, bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes or until brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Well, thanks for your time and attention. Tomorrow I'm planning on bringing back Friday Fripperies; so, if you want some non-essential and trivial information, you know where to find it.