The Daily: 29 April 2024

COVID in April: it's a new tradition of mine. Not one I particularly enjoy. Each April since 2022, the virus has played havoc with nearly the entire month. It makes planting season rather fraught, though it does make for an interesting Poetry Month... This April round was bad. It started just after the solar eclipse… Continue reading The Daily: 29 April 2024

The Daily: 2 January 2024

In my part of the world, this is the season of Midwinter. The nights are long and days are short. It is the time for snow angels, sledding, skiing, and ice fishing... except... it's not. Last week, ice fishers on the Upper Red Lake in northern Minnesota needed rescuing when the lake ice they stood… Continue reading The Daily: 2 January 2024

The Daily: 11 January 2023

When an arrow does not hit its target, the marksman blames himself, not another person. A wise man behaves in the same way. — Confucius (from Tolstoy's Calendar of Wisdom for 11 January) For those who have not yet cleared away Midwinter, even in my rather northerly part of the world, day length is now… Continue reading The Daily: 11 January 2023

Penny Loaf Day

March 11th is Penny Loaf Day, though it is also traditional to set the observance to the Sunday closest to 11 March. This is an obscure holiday that I’d like to revive. Because first of all, it involves bread (so, duh, of course!), and second it celebrates generosity that has endured for nearly four centuries.… Continue reading Penny Loaf Day

Hot Cross Buns

It’s time to make Hot Cross Buns!  Though there are many conflicting and confounding stories about hot cross buns in the spring, I’ve never found a satisfactory explanation for why these are associated with the middle of spring and specifically with Good Friday. Yes, I know there’s the whole “holy rood” thing. Except the tradition… Continue reading Hot Cross Buns

A Bit of Bread

I had to refresh the sourdough culture today. The bulk ferment tub looked like it could be growing more than sourdough critters. The culture was fine, though, so I used up all but a cup yesterday, making a multi-grain nut bread with dried fruit. This meant I also used up all the nut flour that… Continue reading A Bit of Bread