Today’s card is “Barmbrack – Sweetness and Synergy” from the Halloween Oracle. What a lovely cozy card this is. The barmbrack loaf has just come out of the oven and it smells so delicious. Also, the lit Jack-o'-lanterns are adding their sweet smell of slightly roasted pumpkin to the lovely fragrance of freshly baked bread. A barmbrack is an Irish sweet bread filled with raisins. It is also called a bairín breac - a speckled loaf (due to the raisins in it)
“The Halloween Brack traditionally contained various objects baked into the bread and was used as a sort of fortune-telling game. In the barmbrack were: a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a small coin and a ring. Each item, when received in the slice, was supposed to carry a meaning to the person concerned: the pea, the person would not marry that year; the stick, would have an unhappy marriage or continually be in disputes; the cloth or rag, would have bad luck or be poor; the coin, would enjoy good fortune or be rich; and the ring, would be wed within the year.” Wikipedia
Although the fortune telling part of this bread is quite an interesting fact, today I want to focus on the magic of baking bread. When we gather all ingredients for baking bread, it doesn’t seem as they have much to offer us by themselves but when we put them all together in a bowl and mix them thoroughly the dough comes to life even after beating it up again harshly, it will rise again. And then after we have baked it in the oven all the ingredients have come together and created something so utterly delicious, it is almost unimaginable.
Yes, a loaf of bread is a beautiful example of Aristotle's phrase: “the whole is more than the sum of its parts”.
“The Halloween Brack traditionally contained various objects baked into the bread and was used as a sort of fortune-telling game. In the barmbrack were: a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a small coin and a ring. Each item, when received in the slice, was supposed to carry a meaning to the person concerned: the pea, the person would not marry that year; the stick, would have an unhappy marriage or continually be in disputes; the cloth or rag, would have bad luck or be poor; the coin, would enjoy good fortune or be rich; and the ring, would be wed within the year.” Wikipedia
Although the fortune telling part of this bread is quite an interesting fact, today I want to focus on the magic of baking bread. When we gather all ingredients for baking bread, it doesn’t seem as they have much to offer us by themselves but when we put them all together in a bowl and mix them thoroughly the dough comes to life even after beating it up again harshly, it will rise again. And then after we have baked it in the oven all the ingredients have come together and created something so utterly delicious, it is almost unimaginable.
Yes, a loaf of bread is a beautiful example of Aristotle's phrase: “the whole is more than the sum of its parts”.
This morning I've been focused on one little 'raisin' that is causing me pain instead of seeing the whole 'loaf of life.' Thanks for reminding me to smell and see the sweetness of all of it. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to stay focused on what hurts. But taking a step back and tasting a piece of that delicious loaf will give us a much clearer perspective and a deep sense of well being.
DeleteI hope the rest of your day will joyful
hugs
What a lovely and comforting image. I hadn't heard of Fortune telling bread. I'm thinking reinvent it so everyone receives something charming...or maybe that is the magic of plain honest to goodness bread :)
ReplyDeleteA great idea to revive such an old tradition.Great idea to change the meaning of some of the charms! I mean who wants to receive a bad omen like bad luck or an unhappy marriage. :)
DeleteThe whole, 'don't judge a book by its cover' I too have never heard of fortune telling bread. Maybe instead of strawberries I will make a loaf of pumpkin bread.
ReplyDeleteWe sure are in a cooking mode today :)
DeleteI love all things pumpkin: bread, cupcakes, muffins, pie, you name I'll eat it
.I have never made this bread, I will googling some recipes!. ;)
ReplyDeleteNeither have I. Please let me know if it tastes good :)
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