Here is a riddle for you.
This is a spice that Minoans used on their frescoes. They used this spice as medicine.
It is a treatment for over 90 illnesses.
Greeks used it in their perfumes-what a waste of spice!
It is red.
It is gooood in bread.
It is cultivated from the Crocus sativus plant.
It is the most expensive spice.
Saffron! Roll your mouse over to get the answer.
Today we made (fill in the blanks) Saffron bread !!!!!!!!!! We made two loaves. Momma experimented, she used oatmeal and hard white wheat instead of regular flour. She also used Zante currants instead of raisins. I followed the recipe. It turned out really really good.
We were practicing for a Saffron Bread Cook Off with Grandpa. They went to the Upper Peninsula where they get the bread there. They brought us some saffron. Our goal is to make really really good saffron bread. (Momma said we need to learn to make it so good that Grandpa can only get it from us and then buy us Pasties when you go Up North!)
Here is the Recipe!!!!
We ate it with thimbleberry jam! It turned out really really good. I think Momma’s had a better texture, but mine tasted better. When we do it again, I want to use dry currants. I think they taste better after they are cooked.
Momma said mine was closest to what Grandpa is looking for, but it is not quite right. She said it needed more saffron.
Hopefully the next batch will be just as good. But, better would be better! 
Mark, Daddy and I had a piece of your bread this evening. It is wonderful! It is what Grandpa is looking for. I guess that letting it sit a little bit (not eating it warm) made the flavors do what they are supposed to. What a great cook you are.
P.S. You just may win the Bake off unless Grandpa practices 🙂
Why are you giving away all my secrets Mark? Not only the bread but the jam too—-what am I going to do with you and your mom?
Both are good, yours was better than your moms but Tony’s up north is still better, but not by much…….I’ll have to see about a pasty for you Mark…….
Papa
On October 30th, 2009, the Nana and Papa decided to tell Mark Allan McGuire that somewhere in “deepest darkest” Africa, on November 4, 1998 there was a great rush and crying. We were called somewhere around 6 am to say that this new being was a wonder in this “darkest” African place as not very many “lights” were born in this place. Needless to say, MAM showed his beautiful face for the first time to a very happy MOM and DAD. Happy Birthday Mark, hope you’ll have a great one. You must really be getting old you were born in the last century not like your sisters and brother……