Thursday, April 1, 2021

I did some research on hot cross buns to find out why “hot” and here is some of what I found. This all comes from a Google search so it must all be true!

Hot Cross Buns are inextricably linked to Easter and to Christianity. But in reality, they probably have pre-Christian origins. ‘Cross Buns’ were baked to celebrate Eostre, a Germanic Goddess of Fertility, after which the season of Easter is said to be named.

One theory is that the Hot Cross Bun originates from St Albans, in England, where Brother Thomas Rodcliffe, a 14th-century monk at St Albans Abbey, developed a similar recipe called an ‘Alban Bun’ and distributed the bun to the local poor on Good Friday, starting in 1361.

A traditional hot cross bun is a spiced, yeasted bun. It is traditionally made with raisins or currants and is marked with a cross on top. The spices inside the buns symbolise the spices put on the body of Jesus after he died. The buns are best served hot, hence how they received their name.

In 1592, Queen Elizabeth I decreed that hot cross buns could no longer be sold on any day except for Good Friday, Christmas or for burials. They were simply too special to be eaten any other day.

I’m not sure mine are all that special and I’ll certainly be eating them beyond Good Friday. I had some trouble with this year’s batch. Usually I throw the fruit in along with everything else rather than wait for the beep on the bread maker. This year I was having a cup of coffee and decided to wait for the beep. It seemed like it was a long time coming so I dug out my bread maker book and saw it took 45 minutes to the beep. I waited and waited and after almost an hour I decided the beep wasn’t going to happen so I added the fruit. But by then the bread maker was on a rest and rise cycle so the fruit didn’t get folded in until I did it myself when the dough was done and ready to cut into buns.

They may not be perfect but they are still good; Pat and I both tried them when they were hot. I will like them just as much cold, iced or not. And I have enough fruit for a second batch.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Audrey often says that when she reads my Journal it makes her tired. Well today doing all the things I’m going to write about in my Journal has made me tired.

I started the day very relaxed. I finished up my Neglected Floss stitching for February; March’s instalment isn’t available yet. I thought I would have at least one of my February Ornament’s of the Month to do but I finished them previously and, again, I’m waiting for March to be released. I knew that another of my Peppermint Purple weekly sections would be available today and I got that stitched up.

I had a bit of computer work to take care of so I started on that. The final clue for the Guild Mystery is due out tomorrow so I got everything prepped for its release. Before I finished the secretary from the Hall messaged me to drop some mail off; there was an invoice so while I was at the computer I got everything paid. By then it wasn’t quite lunchtime but I didn’t want to start anything too onerous so I scanned our tax documents so they’ll be ready to send to the accountant. I had another look at Pat’s accounting and got a few questions answered so, with the exception of one document we’re still waiting on, it is ready.

After a late lunch I got started sandwiching. I was half done the first quilt when my spray canister stopped working. I think the nozzle is plugged; I’ve looked online for a few ways to clear it that will hopefully work as the can is still about half full. I finished sandwiching the quilt with pins.

I really, really wanted to get the second quilt sandwiched so I went ahead, knowing it would have to be pin basted and that I was running short on pins. I have it finished but the pins are very scattered and I think as I quilt each block I’ll re-pin the next block with the pins I take out. I’ve never run out of pins before but I know that I have several quilts sandwiched (and pinned) in my bins waiting for that particular project to show up on my UFO Challenge list (which comes out tomorrow).

It’s too late in the day to start making my Hot Cross Buns but I’ll get the potatoes cooked and mashed and get at them first thing in the morning.

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Just as the Texada ferry was pulling into the dock this morning Pat spotted a large pod of dolphins surrounding it. I’ve seen Facebook reports of dolphins for several days but we’ve never managed to catch them out our windows. It wasn’t a huge pod and they were quickly moving south.

I’m still catching up on a couple of stitch-along projects. One has instructions distributed once a week; I finished the five weeks I was behind but since a new instalment will be out tomorrow I haven’t put the bin away. A second one is a monthly pattern. I finished February’s portion today and I’m working on the border right now. Two of my three stitch-alongs (the Ornament of the Month is the third one I’m participating in) are put out by the same designer; I’ve been looking for updates and noticed that she posted that she is delaying the next steps due to a bad reaction to her Covid vaccine. She promises to get the patterns out soon; I don’t really mind as if I get behind it gives me time to catch up.

I made bread this morning and both Pat and I had a slice at lunch, warm from the bread maker. And while the bread maker did its job I stitched together a backing and some batting for a couple of quilts. Since I missed the best day for sandwiching last week I had Pat check the forecast. Today seemed like it would be good but tomorrow will be even better so I’ll wait until then.

Bread today – sandwiches tomorrow!

Monday, March 29, 2021

Our first Covid-19 vaccination went off smoothly this morning; we received the Pfizer vaccine. They checked out appointment at one stop along the way, then another stop to take down our health number and then I went straight into the vaccination room. Pat thought I would never finish as my session took a lot longer than his, even though the Dr. who administered the vaccine said I was the best prepared of anyone she had seen. The delay for me was in sorting out whether the shingles vaccine would mean I could or couldn’t get the Covid vaccine.

I’m feeling no ill effects from the shot and I’ve been enjoying a quiet day catching up on some of my hand stitching projects. I was five weeks behind on one of them but I’ve managed to finish up two weeks and, hopefully, can get a third week done before dinner. I have two hand stitching projects back to back on my task list so I’ll be enjoying the next couple of days. And I promise I’m not slowing down just so I can spend more days at them.

The vaccination came just in time as BC has shut everything down again for three weeks. All indoor gathering are cancelled so that will mean some Hall work that has to be followed up on. Other than that nothing really affects us; restaurants and bars are closed except for take-out but we haven’t been “out” for dinner in, well, 378 days!