Another delightful long weekend, summer head cold notwithstanding. We're receiving some wonderful hot summer weather now, requiring the use of the air conditioning unit in the bedroom for the first time. I'm not complaining. After all the rain of last summer, I'll take the heat and humidity this summer. My garden will too.
This week's category: favourite childhood comfort food.
I baked bread this weekend. And while it doesn't always remind me of my mother, this weekend it did. Enough to make me take that warm loaf of bread and the last of the blackberry jam and make myself an old treat.
As children it was always a special to arrive home from school to a house brimming with the amazing aroma of freshly baked bread. If we caught it just right and the bread was still warm, Mom would give us a thick slice and, as a rare treat, allow us to smother it with butter and jam. Bread toppings were usually a reserved affair in our household; too many toppings on one slice of bread could easily mean none for the next. Fresh bread smothered in jam an hour or two before dinner was a veritable slice of heaven...
It's a very simple recipe.
Start with a loaf of fresh bread, maybe 10 minutes out of the oven.
Get out a sharp knife. Be gentle: warm bread is very soft.
Slice off that perfect end piece. Don't be shy. Make it good and thick.
Resist shoving your nose into the warm, dense, delicious loaf of bread in order to full capture the wondrous smell. Resist. You can do it.
Next: butter. You really want the real deal here if you can.
And now the jam. Homemade is best. Blackberry is perfection. Using the last of the blackberry jam? A little heartbreaking.
Look at that delectable goodness...
Aannnd... enjoy!
(Yes. Those are my teeth marks.)
Writing this up has made me realize I'm going to need more blackberry jam. Soon. Anyone from the Land of the Blackberry interested in sending me some? Anyone?
I've had a request for next week's category which I am happily going to oblige! For those of you planning ahead like I do, next week's category will be heirlooms. Looking forward to it!
Thanks for playing, and have a wonderful week!
Oh yum, Thum!!
ReplyDeleteBig Sadness in our home: Breadmachine: mostly dead all day.
Family/Oldest Son: displaying signs of severe withdrawal
Budget: needs adjustments to allow for new machine.
Loveyou!!
I have blackberry bushes in the back here that you are welcome to glean from once they are ready. I have yet to discover blackberry jam. Would you like me to let you know when the blackberries are out?
ReplyDeleteP - I am sad for you! I believe I would cry if my breadmachine was mostly dead all day. :)
ReplyDeleteLinda - yes please! I would love to come and steal your blackberries! (I have no idea how to make jam, but hey...)
Thelma, such deliciousness ought to be illegal when I am hungry. I was hungry when I read this post first this morning, and I'm hungry again now. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm skipping this week again. I'm sure there were responses from my Mom to our incessant "Mom, what's for supper" question, that made me say "oh good", but my mind is drawing a blank right now. Too much painting, perhaps? Besides, I wouldn't have any mouthwatering pictures :)
I think though, it is time for me to cook a roast again. Once this heat wave is over. As I'm craving hot roast beef sandwiches - they are almost as good (as good? better?) as the roast dinner itself!
I love all things blackberry.
ReplyDeleteThe End.