I actually wanted to be a chef when I was in Year 10 at school many years ago, studying Home Science – as it was known then …

My tough little Scottish mother advised against it because she said it was a lot of hard work, being on my feet all day and maybe even having to work nights so I decided not to pursue a career in hospitality after all.

Still, I continued to enjoy preparing and eating tasty tidbits with my family and close friends.

I suppose I would say that my preference in cookery is country cooking. I like the simplicity of such food.

I have my old favourites that I have been preparing for nearly 40 years but I am open to new recipes and experiment from time to time.

This year, as part of my pursuit of wellness, I have been experimenting with yeast cookery and have made some savoury and some sweet treats:

This was a wholemeal rye and herb loaf that turned out beautifully, with a lovely high top and delicious thick crust.

I use my trusty dough hook on my mixmaster and that seems to do the trick to make the bread turn out just the way I like it – the trickiest part is making sure that the yeast is fresh and that it is activated by plenty of warmth.

As we were down at the farm when I made this baby and it’s the middle of winter here in Australia, I was able to “prove” it close to the slow combustion wood stove for a great result.

I’ve also used the same ingredients and recipe to make little bread rolls – so delicious and some were only bite-sized, which I loved, because I am always trying to keep my carbs down and it was a way of getting a taste, but not too much!

The yeast cookery has also found its way into sweet treats:

And these wholemeal cinnamon scrolls were to die for – this is what I love about my own cooking!! The food is prepared with the best quality ingredients and with good health in mind.

These were wholemeal, with lots of spices and very little sugar in the dough and filled with pecans, walnuts, raisins and a touch of dark brown sugar. The finishing touch was the delicious butter cream icing … a real treat and so good with a nice, hot cup of tea or coffee …

Today I have just talked briefly about my foray into yeast cookery.

It’s a very mindful pursuit and I love taking time in the kitchen, now that I have made the time to do so.

I haven’t enjoyed cooking so much as when I was home with my children when they were pre-schoolers – the best years of my life!

Having put a lot of the mindless rushing aside, I look to ways to enjoy the moment and appreciate the life I have and the blessings that have come my way.

One of the things I am very grateful for is having the time to write this little blog.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by my little corner of the web!

Why not let me know how you feel about cooking, yeast or mindfulness by leaving a like, comment or follow below,

Donna 🍞🧚🏻‍♀️❤️🦋🙏