Healthy Bread and Family Heritage
I have always loved this time of year but since having children my love for this festive time of year has grown deeper. When I was growing up we would be baking cookies, attending parties with friends and celebrating in school. For my children, this time of year seems to be when the teachers ask for them to do some digging into their own heritage or simply other parts of the world. This year, both of my kids chose to focus on my personal family heritage. Sunday was the day I worked with my son on his project and he chose my paternal side of the family for which it stems in large part from Finland. I was so excited because not only did we need to show representation through clothing and a flag but his teacher requested that his little representation be holding something in its opposite hand. Naturally, I lovingly convinced my son to make a traditional food from Finland. In comes Pulla and a recipe I found that can be made for a healthy bread option in any household and for us, will become a tradition as a way to bring in some family heritage during the holiday season.
To take you back a bit, and quite possibly give you a bit of a connection with myself and my family, my father grew up on a large farm in upstate New York. My childhood memories are just endless! His mother died when he was young and his father remarried. His new wife, my grandmother, was not of Finnish heritage so I honestly do not know if the amazing food she cooked had any connection to Finland. In my maternal grandmothers home though, oh my goodness! She was always making her homemade bread and I just loved walking in right at the time when it was beginning to rise. The smell of rising bread permeates the air and if you have not experienced this, you are truly missing out. Through this combination of family childhood memories, I am fairly certain that is why I found myself attracted to this healthy cinnamon topped bread recipe to help my son feel a bit more connected to our family heritage.
The recipe that I had found was from the blog of a women who is originally from Finland yet now lives in Australia (because it is not my own recipe, I am including the link where you can find it). While I was attracted to way she adjusted the recipe to make it healthier, I found other recipes that truly represented what this sweet bread should be like and I can assure you I will be trying the more traditional method next time. The recipe I did use, turned out to be similar to a whole wheat bun that can be used for sandwiches, burgers or a dinner side in place of rice or pasta. In Finn tradition, it is a bread to go along with a glass of milk or as I did, my morning cup of coffee. (Hey, I can enjoy a tradition, too!)
Naturally, the questions are likely arising, “Why would you offer bread to your children?” or “Can you make this gluten-free?” This is where family heritage just pops back in my mind and takes hold. I have been blessed with no known or apparent difficulties with gluten as is the same with my children. I use the best flours on the market when baking and we do not live on bread alone. What I am forming here, in my household, is a legacy and I only hope that my children will render memories as I have growing up. Can this be made gluten-free? Like most recipes, I am sure it can be altered, yet as with any recipe we are altering, it is likely to take a few times before nailing the right combination.
Today I ask you, what have you shared with your children that is a part of your family heritage? Is it a healthy bread, sweet treat, an old watch or maybe it’s simply a phone call to a relative who can share even more about your beautiful life. Use this season as a time to share your memories and create some new ones. Many blessings!
