Easter Bread 2008

Last year I showed pictures of my first attempt at making Easter Bread. This year, I thought I'd give a peek at the process! There are quite a few steps, and the bread rises three times so we started bright and early (7 AM).

First things first-- dye the eggs! Coloring raw eggs is a delicate business, but we didn't break one!

Scalding the milk and adding the sugar, lemon, and butter.
Skipping ahead, because kneading is the best part!

While we wait for the dough to rise (twice!), here's the view from my kitchen window this morning. Bright but only about 20 degrees.

Just 'cause she's a cutie and wasn't causing trouble, here's Miss Lena:

Looks good! Time to braid.

The dough is separated into fourths, rolled out, and braided. The eggs are tucked in and will cook as the bread bakes. I made one circle and one loaf to save eggs.

Voila! Ready for Easter dinner tomorrow.

Pay it Forward

If I have any readers left after my long absence, let's get things moving again!

Here's a chance to get a surprise in the mail from me. My surprise will be coming from Perri (who lives in Indiana), one of my favorite bloggers.

Here are the rules:

1. Leave a comment that says you want to receive something from me and you want to Pay It Forward. The first THREE to agree to Pay It Forward at their blogs will get a gift from me. Email me your mailing address at zuzu822@hotmail.com.

2. The three winners must do the same thing on their blogs, so the Pay It Forward challenge will continue throughout Blogdom.

I'll be back to regularly scheduled blogging soon!