A bready post...

As luck would have it I am ready to share my bready post on the day that it Sian's Storytelling Sunday.  So today I have a tale or two to share, a bread recipe and a few bready photos...

The other week I shared with you my,some of you thought wrongly, weird sandwich choice.

Fish finger and mushy pea sandwich with gherkins on the side.

WHAT?.....did I hear you right?  Yep, with gherkins on the side. Now here I start my little fishy tale.  It's not amazingly funny but it's a little 'in' joke that Nigel and I have shared together  over the last 24 years of our marriage.

When we first married I worked in a travel agency and Nigel worked in a local office.  Because of the shop hours it meant that I worked most Saturdays and took a day off in the week.  On these days Nigel used to come home for lunch.  Now I have never liked making lunch, it bores me rigid.  Aren't sandwiches boring when had daily?  A-ha! I thought, He loves fish fingers but at the time I wasn't a fan so we hardly ate them.  'I'll make a fish finger sandwich' 'Won't he be impressed'.  But when Nigel saw it he burst out laughing.  He had never seen such a sandwich in his life and thought it very odd.  I was a little deflated from his reaction until he tried them and declared them a triumph of bready genius.  

Since then, I have been seduced by fish fingers and enjoy them too.  So the other week, we all had them, even the teen.  Now Robert and I both like mushy peas and I thought that instead of just serving them on a plate, why not put them in the sandwich?  Genius!  A little messy to eat perhaps but then so is a fried egg sandwich.....oh that's another story.  Both Nigel and Rob declined and stared at me in amazement at my combo.  Don't knock it until you have tried it I say:)

Aww, sweet bready memories.  While making this layout it reminded me of when I lived at home and was in my first job.  I was employed on a Youth Training Scheme, earnt a minimum wage but learnt all about office work.  I worked in a pharmaceutical factory where I typed, filed and collected orders from the pharmaceutical sciencey techy department.  This is where I met a great group of fellow training scheme employees.  We shared a lot together... first aid training, an outward bound week in Derbyshire where we built rafts, fire safety training, drunken nights out and our lunchtimes in the canteen.  My mum made my sandwiches every day (thanks mum).  Hand cut white bloomer bread, thick and crusty..... emphasises on the thick.  I was ribbed rotten about my 'doorstop' sandwiches....happy days:)

Enough bready memories shared for now so what about I give you a little bready recipe.  It's a family favourite here.  Mine too because it's low fat, quick and uses up your crusts...

Bread Pudding
(not to be confused with bread and butter pudding)

First take your crusts (I save mine up in the freezer until I have enough) and break them up into smaller pieces.  You can use white or brown or a mixture.


Next, soak them in cold water for a few minutes. Squeeze out the water (the more you squeeze the drier the finished pudding will become)


Add hand falls of raisins or currents, a few teaspoons of spices such as Nutmeg and Cinnamon and mix together.

Flatten out in a parchment lined flat tray.


Dot with butter and sprinkle a little sugar over the top.




Bake on 180 degrees for approx 30 to 45 minutes.


Once browned on top, cool and slice into squares.

Because this is very moist from the water it will only keep for a few days.  If you want a drier pudding then squeeze out more water and have a thinner depth when flattening into the tray.

An odd recipe I know, not many ingredients, wet bread...but then that's how I roll...

Have a super Sunday and don't forget to check out Sian's other story tellers.