Thursday: Bread Day
Morning
Morning Verse
Morning has come, night is away
We rise with the sun to welcome the day
To Earth I come
To greet the sun
To greet the moon
The stones that rest
The plants that grow
And animals that run
To greet all people in this world
Love greets me in all I do
And I and you and the world are one.
Story
Song
My Lady Spring
My Lady Spring, my Lady Spring
She wears a primrose crown
And all the little buds and twigs are clinging to her gown
The sun shines when she laughs at all
And when she weeps the raindrops fall
My Lady Spring, my Lady Spring
Bread Baking
Open a baker’s shop in your own kitchen with your sweet little baker’s help!
I consider baking bread an intuitive practice rather than artisan baking. I don’t worry so much about measurements or perfection, but instead treat the process as alchemical magic. Don’t worry about following this recipe perfectly. Smear some honey butter on your finished product and you can’t go wrong!
A baker needs an apron!
If your child has an apron, awesome, have them wear it. If not, tie an old t-shirt around their waist or an old sheet around their torso and let your child imagine that they are wearing an apron.
Invite your child into the imagination of being a baker. The apron is less about the baking and more about the imaginative activity that it brings to the experience.
Put on your soap gloves!
Our new favorite thing to do, wash your hands well.
Sticky Bun Recipe
Ingredients:
5 c flour (at school, we use whole wheat spelt. Here I am using all purpose flour since that’s what’s in my mama’s kitchen. Any flour will do. You could even play with mixing flours.)
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp yeast
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350.
Take out all of the ingredients so your child can see each individual element. Expose them to the process.
Add 1 tbsp yeast and 1 tbsp honey to mixing bowl. The honey is for the yeast to eat. Even yeast likes a tasty treat!
Add 1/2 c of warm water to the yeast and honey. Ouch says the yeast! Not too hot!
Tuck in the mixture to have a little rest under a clean towel (5-7 minutes or so). When the yeast wakes up from its little rest, it will look all fluffy and happy.
Add about 2 c warm water. Add 2-ish tbsp honey.
Add 1 tbsp of salt.
Add 2-ish tbsp of olive oil.
Whisk the liquid bread potion until all mixed together. Add 5 c flour, mixing one cup at a time. Fold in the flour, adding more as needed until your bread dough begins to have some form.
Now it’s time to knead the dough:
Stop and smell the bread dough. Isn’t that delightful?
Prepare your baking pan by pouring some olive oil onto it (perhaps in a swirl shape). Your little baker can spread the oil over the pan with their very clean hands.
Welcome to the bakery, bakers!
Put the sticky buns in the oven until the tops are golden brown (approximately 40 minutes)
Serve with honey and butter. Yum yum!
Afternoon
Evening Wind
Adapted from Wilma Ellersiek
Blow the evening wind so mild
Rest my little flower child
Lu lu lu lu lu, lu lu lu lu lu
Flowers Grow
Words by Monica Stone
This verse can be accompanied by gentle therapeutic touch to help your child come to a state of rest and wellbeing.
The flowers, they grow on your ten little toes
With forefinger and thumb, gently caress and massage each toe
All the way up to your little nose
Gently draw finger down the length of child’s nose
The petals, they softly brush your cheek
Gently brush each cheek with back of your hand
As you lay down and fall fast asleep
Gently run fingers along child’s brow
The Windmill
If I could have a windmill, a windmill, a windmill
If I could have a windmill, I know what I would do.
I'd have it pump some water, some water, some water
I'd have it pump some water, up from the river below.
And then I'd have a duck pond, a duck pond, a duck pond
And then I'd have a duck pond, for ducks and geese to swim.
The ducks would make their wings flap, their wings flap, their wings flap
The ducks would make their wings flap, and they would say "Quack! Quack!"
The geese would stretch their long necks, their long necks, their long necks
The geese would stretch their long necks, and they would answer "S-S-S-S-S!"
If I could have a windmill, a windmill, a windmill
If I could have a windmill, I know what I would do
Block Building Activity
Build a tall tower, a house, or a secret cave. The possibilities are endless!