Wednesday 30 March 2011

Today's happenings.

This morning I had my first attempt at making spelt bread. In case you don't know about spelt - it is (in the farmer's opinion) an inferior kind of wheat - it tends to grow on hillsides in poorer countries and is a poor cropper by today's standards.
But it has a delicious taste and is become more popular. So much so that our local supermarket has started stocking bags of spelt flour.

My first attempt was only fairly successful. We are going to eat it at teatime and I am sure it will taste good but I know that I left it to rise for too long, so thatit hung over the edges of the loaf tins. However, it has left a lovely smell of baked bread throughout the house, which is a better smell than we have had around for much of the week!

This afternoon we had our Poetry afternoon and I was host this week. Seven of us met and read our favourite poetry. It is one of my favourite days in the month as we all get to hear poetry we don't know and are introduced to fresh poets. Today's highlight had to be S reading The Lion and Albert by Marriott Edgar. The poem is printed in a book called "Shout, Whisper and Sing" and the instruction at the top of this poem says "This must be read with a pseudo Northern accent". Well we have S in our group and she comes from Lancashire and her accent is perfect. Oh how we all enjoyed her reading and there was no pseudo about it.

Now they have all gone, the cups are in the dish washer and it is time to get the tea for the farmer, but it has been an enjoyable day thanks to good friends who are such good company.

10 comments:

Pondside said...

What a cosy post you've put up today. I like to read about everyday goings-on and this fit the bill. Bread, poetry and friends - perfect.

Lauren Raine said...

What a beautiful name, "weaver of grass". And what a wonderful home you have. I live on the other side of the world, in desert full of cactus.....how exotic and magical your world seems. Bread, poetry and friends indeed - thankyou.

Dominic Rivron said...

Not to be confused with mis-spelt bred.

angryparsnip said...

What a wonderful day, friends, poetry and bread !
I am sure you are very glad the last few days are over.

Last night as I was cleaning off my desk I found the recipe I cut out for Homemade Bread in under an hour.
You make it with beer and there is no need to let it rise. You can have warm fresh bread for a weeknight dinner is less than a hour.
I can't wait to try it.

cheers, parsnip

Heather said...

Lovely post Pat and I hope the farmer enjoyed his spelt bread. Some years ago our youngest daughter had a wheat intolerance and spelt flour was a godsend - I haven't used it for ages. Your poetry groups sounds great fun and what a treat they had coming to a house smelling of freshly baked bread.

Hildred said...

Sounds like a lovely day Pat, - I am going to go and cut rags with some friends this afternoon, so that we can make money to take our wonderful volunteers at the Bargain Centre out for an appreciation lunch, - menial, but fun as we chat. Bread sounds scrumptious, - I have never used spelt flour but see it in all the recipes in up scale magazines.

Elizabeth said...

You seem to have a very enviable life!
Bread
tea
and poetry.
Most satisfactory.

If you have a comic evening, you should get someone to entertain with Stanley Holloway monologues........

'no wrecks and nobody drownded
fact, nothing to laugh at at all.....'

Gerry Snape said...

I can almost smell that bread Weaver! Nothing as nice as home made bread with thick slabs of butter and home made jam.....mouth watering!

steven said...

poetry and bread and an old stone farmhouse. i imagine the sheep are heading to the upper pastures. steven

The Weaver of Grass said...

Nothing like friends with a shared interest to make an enjoyable day is there? Thanks for the comments.