All Posts By

Kelly

Baking spelt bread

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One of the things we love most about Waldorf playgroup is the beautiful bread. The nourishing scent of the dough as we work it with our hands. The delicious smell of the freshly baked bread spread with butter. And of course how wonderful it tastes!

The recipe we use is from our lovely Waldorf school:

2 cups wholemeal Spelt flour
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dried yeast
150 ml warm water

Sometimes we make the dough together, or I might prepare it while they play. We start by combining the first five ingredients before slowly and gradually pouring in the warm water. After mixing well, I knead the dough for around five minutes.

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bread3We leave the dough covered in a bowl to rise for an hour. Then the magic happens *wink*
The children and I knead and shape the dough into rolls. If we are patient enough we will let the dough rise again for a little while, otherwise it is straight into the oven to bake for around 10 minutes at 200°C (390°F).
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We then spread lovely butter on the rolls.  And enjoy our fresh bread with fruit the children have chopped. Delicious!
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Happy baking, Kelly

Autumn nature table

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I love Autumn. The crisp early mornings. The changing colours of the leaves overhead. Before the crunching of leaves underfoot. A general slowing down and move towards introspection. Warm comfort foods and the comfort of wearing layers.

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And while I am ready for these beautiful Autumn days, my children hold onto the Summer. Wanting to play in the backyard after dinner until the sky darkens. Resisting longer pants and jumpers. Happily eating the last of our strawberries.

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One thing they do love about the change of seasons is discovering a changed nature table. Rediscovering old friends in the Autumn fairy door and wooden gnome I made a number of years ago now. But also any new representation of the season. Like from the lovely craft swaps I enjoy ~ see the whimsical walnut shell toadstools *smile*

And the children love adding their own items from nature ~ although one seed pod my son popped in his school bag last week appeared to explode on its way home! Leaving little bits of seeds everywhere. We are still clearing them from things!

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Our most adored seasonal song is for the Autumn winds, and we are having such fun singing it:

The little winds they whisper, they whisper as they pass
They tell their tiny secrets to the flowers and the grass
The big winds go a buffeting and blustering about
The little winds they whisper but the big winds shout!

Happy Autumn, Kelly