Breads, Rolls and Muffins Archives

Feast Day of Michaelmas

September 30, 2009 By Laura 2 Comments

On Tuesday, we celebrated Michaelmas, and studied this Feast Day for school. (Homeschooling, that is.)

For anyone who may not know, Sept. 29 has been the feast day established by the Roman Church, to celebrate St. Michael the Archangel, since the the 15th century. Although, Archangels Gabriel and Raphael were added to be acknowledged on this day as well, in the 20th century.

We reviewed much of what we had already known about Archangel Michael: that he is the most powerful of angels, that he was present and had great part in some of the greatest Biblical battles, and is in fact appointed “Defender of the Catholic Faith“. It is St. Michael, who is even the angel that escorts all souls to eternity!

We continued to learn the significance of Gabriel and Raphael as well, whose roles in history cannot be dismissed.

It was especially interesting to study once again, the Ranking Order and Marching Order of Angels, which is as follows:

The First Triad

Closest to the Throne

Seraphim – Continually sing God’s praises

Cherubim – Worship God

Thrones – Oversee Justice in Heaven

The Second Triad

Guard Heaven and Earth

Dominions – Assign duties to other angels

Virtues – Work Miracles

Powers – Protect us from evil

The Third Triad

Earth Duty

Principalities – Protect nations and cities

Archangels – Deliver messages from God

Angels – Guard us personally

Feasting on fat geese has long since been a tradition of the English, Scots and Celts, as have been carrot bouquets given as gifts! Eating goose did not appeal to us, and I personally don’t like carrots either, although I do eat them to be a good example. But it would have been hard for me to eat carrots, and associate it with a celebration of any kind. Thankfully, yet another traditional food has been a breakfast bread called St. Michael’s bannock, which Daddy/Michael made and we had with dinner, instead, and it was delicious!

It is very quick and easy to make, so if you would like the recipe, you can grab it HERE.

{A} also made angel cookies, using just an ordinary sugar cookie recipe.

My mother loved angels. That was her thing. So whenever I hear of, see, read about, or think of angels for any reason, I think of my mother.

Ever since we began home schooling, we have entertained the idea of naming our ‘school’. I know many homeschoolers do. While we have never encountered a real need to do so ourselves, we have heard that it can be helpful in getting a discount in purchasing home school supplies and material sometimes, as one benefit. Besides the fact that we haven’t found a reason to, and granted, we could very well be unaware of many more benefits of doing so, I also personally felt a real weight of sorts, about such a decision. Whether we needed one or not, following through and naming our school felt really important. It seemed like something we should think about long and hard, because it would have permanence, and reflect us in some way.

For at least a year, we have considered naming our school in reference to St. Michael, the Archangel. He has always been {A}’s favorite angel, and has been the focus of many projects and conversations of hers. We all, too, have been drawn to him, being able to identify with him in so many ways. For example, in defending our faith, which we must do now and then, and defending why we live as we do, which we actually don’t feel the need to do much at all, except to say our life style too mostly revolves around our faith. (Although there are COUNTLESS other reasons/perks/blessings!!)

Obviously, also, one of the leaders of our family/household’s name is Michael, and one of our boys has his namesake as well. So we are partial to the name, and all that name represents: “Who is like God.” Of course, we are all made in His likeness, but that happens to be what the name Michael actually means.

And so….because the name still seemed fitting after all of this time, for whatever reasons we may not even know of yet, and aside from the fact that we may never use it in any way, except to finally do it, we thought it would be a good day to agree as a family, and name our school:

I know, like anything angel related, as simple as cut out cookies, this name will also remind me of my mother. Not only because she loved angels, but because of the sheer JOYFUL reaction she gave me, when I told her we decided to home school the kids. She startled me, actually. She literally cheered out loud, and had tears in her eyes. So I think one way or another, she would have been happy with our school’s name as well.

If you home school, have YOU named your school? If so, would you share the name you chose with us, and the significance behind choosing your name? Also, if you know of any real benefits in naming your school that we should know of, it would be wonderful if you shared that with us as well.

We hope you all had a wonderful Michaelmas!

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St. Michael’s Bannock – Recipe

September 30, 2009 By Laura 12 Comments

If you’re looking for the perfect, traditional St. Michael’s Bannock recipe, you just found it!
We enjoy this recipe so much, and we are sure you and your family will as well.

St. Michael’s Bannock

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix together:

2 cups of flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cut in 2 tablespoons butter (not margarine)
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
handful of raisins or currants

On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, then pat into an 8 inch round loaf, and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes.

For a more festive look, score the dough with crosses.

Cool on a cookie rack.

May be served with butter or jam. But honestly….we ate it plain, and it was so delicious!

It also makes awesome toast in the morning. I had some this morning, with my very necessary cup of coffee, in my House of Joyful Noise mug, that I still love so much!

Now, just because it is called St. Michael’s Bannock, doesn’t mean you have to wait until next Michaelmas to make and eat it. Because if you think we’ll be doing that, you’re crazy!! We’ll just re-name it if we have to! Thanksgiving Bannock, Christmas Bannock, St. Patrick’s Day….., Easter…….

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One Fine Bread Maker! – A Homemade Bread Recipe

February 9, 2009 By Laura 10 Comments

That’s MY bread maker!

He’s a fine bread maker.

And a fine bread maker, too. lol

9_photos-of-making-homemade-bread

The bread we go through is crazy, and it’s seemed one of those things you can’t buy enough of, and it’ll go just as quick. We’re not ‘white bread’ people either, so what we spend on bread can get….tiresome. So a few weeks back, my hubby decided he’d try making some. After all, he makes a mean pizza dough. And he had a good book that his parents let us have. (I think. I’m afraid we borrowed it, and never returned it, but he says no.) Anyway, they’re experienced…everything makers.

Anyway….I can’t tell you how many loaves he has made now, in the past few weeks. He loves doing stuff like that anyway. (What a blessing. lol) The rest of us love eating it up!!

The recipe we use is a version of a James Beard bread recipe. However, we like to replace 1 cup of the flour called for, with some whole wheat flour, for a bit of a healthier and heavier bread.
We’re sharing our version of the recipe with you today, at the end of this post.
If you happen to have the old book Beard on Bread (shown above), you can find the original recipe Basic Home-Style Bread, on Page 30.

I took photos one Saturday or Sunday not long ago, along the way, from flour and yeast, to our home smelling like something possibly from Heaven. Is there ANYTHING that smells as good as baking bread?? Few things, I reckon.

Working together the flour, proofed yeast (with milk and sugar), and salt.

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Rising.

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Doubled and ready for round 2!

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{JM} is the lucky kid who was around to punch it down! These little things make them SO happy, you know.

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Kneading some more.

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Dividing for 2 loaves.

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Rising for a second time.

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Hanging around, just looking good, while the bread bakes in the oven. He was so tired, I could tell, having chopped a lot of wood that day too.

Beep! Beep! Beep! (Timer goes off.)

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Knock-knock-knock! It sounds done.

But when the kids hear the timer go off , and the knocking….they come calling, to check for themselves. Everyone has to get into the knocking, you know. These little things make them SO happy, you know. : )

Sounds ready!!

9_photos-of-making-homemade-bread

Not quite perfectly formed, but that’s what happens when kids help. The family love that went into them is perfect! And oh….if you could smell our home right about now. For those of you who bake bread daily (I know you’re out there..) you know what I’m talking about. For those of you who buy fresh baked bread, you know what I’m talking about too. It’s the smell of a bakery. lol

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Basic Home-Style Bread

Prep time

4 hours

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

4 hours 45 mins

A basic simple homemade bread, based on a James Beard recipe, adding some more wholesomeness with a bit of whole wheat flour, and lot of homemade love.

: House of Joyful Noise (.com) blog / Based on James Beard Recipe

: Baking

Serves: 2 loaves

Ingredients

1 package of active dry yeast
2 cups of warm milk (100 to 115 degrees, approximately)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup melted butter
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
~ 4 cups all-purpose flour
*additional flour as needed when kneading

Instructions

*NOTE: The directions below are all done by hand. However, if you have a Kitchen Aid or other large mixer, as we do now, it is much faster to make this dough!
Warm 2 cups of milk.
Add the yeast to ½ cup of warm milk, along with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and stir well until the yeast is completely dissolved. Allow yeast to proof.
Place the remaining milk, the melted butter, and the salt in a large bowl.
Stir in the flour, *1 cup at a time, with a wooden spoon.
*Start with first cup of whole wheat flour, and then for rest of recipe use all-purpose.
After the third cup of flour, add the yeast mixture.
Continue stirring in flour until the mixture is rather firm, which should take ~ 4 cups.
Remove the dough to a floured board or smooth surface, and knead, adding more flour as necessary if it gets sticky, until it is satiny and no longer sticky.
Butter a bowl and place the dough in it, turning and using your hands to coat all sides with the butter. Cover with a with a kitchen towel or other suitable covering.
Options for Rising:
Place covered dough bowl in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size (approx. 1.5 - hours)
-OR-
Heat oven to 170 degrees, and when it reaches temperature, turn the oven OFF, and place the covered dough bowl in the oven. ( ~ 1 hour)
Once dough is doubled in size, punch it down firmly 2 or 3 times, and return to floured surface.
Knead 4 or 5 minutes more.
Divide dough into 2 equal parts, and shape into loaves.
Place each in well-buttered 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans.
Cover and allow to rise again, in a warm, draft-free spot (or warmed/off oven again) until doubled in size.
When loaves are risen, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slash the loaves with a sharp knife.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 40 - 45 minutes, or until bread sounds hollow when taped on with knuckles on the bottom.
Optional: Remove from pans and put them in oven a few more minutes longer to become crisped.
ENJOY!

What a delicious bread! Great for sandwiches. Toasted, is how I like mine.

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HALLOWTIDE; All Souls Day – Part III

November 9, 2008 By Laura 2 Comments

We’ve finally arrived at the last part of our Hallowtide theme – Part III. (You can check out all of the fun we had, in Part I HERE, and Part II HERE.)

Our All Souls Day (Nov 2) began with Sunday morning Mass. We most always go to the last Mass of Sunday mornings, as we did on this day. What a beautiful sight it was walking into the church, with what was left of the vigil candles aglow all over the altar, each burning for each soul of every parishioner who passed away in the last year. Each burning candle had the name of the individual on it, and were meant to be taken home by the families of the lost loved one. We can only imagine how much more spectacular and moving the first mass of the weekend must have been, before any candles had been taken home, by the families they belonged to.

Later in the afternoon, we gathered around our table together, and talked a bit more about the history and purpose of All Souls Day. We also focused a bit more, on the lives and souls closer to home for us; those who have perished, who were a great influence in our life, or made a mark in some way. Those we personally knew in some way, and those who we loved so deeply and dearly, and lost, such as close family. We discussed how as Catholics, we are to pray for the souls of those people, that their souls may be purified and released from purgatory, and into the Kingdom of Heaven.

In that light, we began a new tradition. We created a scroll, listing the names of the souls of those in our lives who we have lost, and beside their name, the year of their death. This includes family and friends, and anyone who had been a significant part of our life or family in some way. This of course required really going back in years, and while we have many names down, many exact years are forgotten and still need to be researched.

This list of souls is part of our seasonal altar (or table) we have. This table area changes with the liturgical year, as well as the earth seasons. The scroll of names/souls we remember, will remain there throughout the month of November, as it is the month to remember and pray for all souls. Each year it will be brought back out in tradition, and sadly, be updated, including the new souls we must pray for. Later, we added the remembrance cards we happened to still have, to the table as well.

Then we got to making dough, for soul cakes. Soul cakes (which are more like hot cross buns) have Christian history in Halloween, and in fact are the root of how ‘trick or treat’ began. In short, these soul cakes were exchanged for prayers by the recipients of the soul cakes, who were mostly beggars and whom went to the doors of the wealthier, for the loved ones lost in the family of the givers. As the saying went:

A soul, a soul, a soul cake.
Please good missus a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us merry.
Up with your kettles and down with your pans
Give us an answer and we’ll be gone
Little Jack, Jack sat on his gate
Crying for butter to butter his cake
One for St. Peter, two for St. Paul,
Three for the man who made us all.

How costume wearing came to be, is also tied into this practice that began long ago, and has interestingly evolved into what it is today.

As Daddy added sprinkles of flour to prevent sticking and to get the dough to a consistency just right to form the soul cakes, the kids mostly took turns kneading the dough….

….but not always…….

Once the soul cakes were done, we enjoyed them nice and hot, with our dinner.

That concludes our Hallowtide festivities report, which in real life, concluded a week ago today! Come back again soon to see what we have in store for our blog about next. As quiet as you all are in the commenting department : ( , we know you are all out there, reading along. ; ) We appreciate your visits.

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