Breaking Bread When Your Heart is Broken

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Sarah Britton's Life Changing Loaf

Sarah Britton’s Life Changing Loaf

Our little village, recently lampooned by James Corden, is enjoying rain today. In fact, we are more than enjoying it. We are all breathing a collective sigh of relief.

This happens every year around this time. We almost hold our breaths for rain. Never more so than this year – after all the fires across our state, after an especially hot summer, after three years of drought – rain is something we celebrate.

life altering loaf

I feel the same thing in my heart. Rainy and grey. Ever since I received a certain email three weeks ago, everything is upside down. The lights are out. I feel cold and soaked. Only there wasn’t a drought, it wasn’t too hot, the only fires were those of love, and this is a rain that doesn’t let up.

So what to do on a rainy, autumn Sunday when you have a broken heart, and you don’t feel like doing or eating anything, but you know you must?

Try out Sarah Britton’s Life-Changing Loaf, of course, and because your life is so altered, alter it according to the ingredients in your pantry, and then call it the Life-Altering Loaf, for times when nothing is what it seemed to be.

life-altering-loaf

The Life-Altering Loaf of Bread, adapted from Sarah Britton’s My New Roots

1 cup gram (also called mung bean flour) or chickpea flour
1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flax seeds
½ cup hazelnuts
1/4 c poppy seeds
2 T chia seeds
4 T psyllium seed husks (3 T if using psyllium husk powder)
1 t baking soda
1 t fennel seeds
1 t dried sage
1 t fine grain sea salt
1 T maple syrup
3 T melted coconut oil or ghee
1½ cups water
optional: 1/2 cup raisins

In a loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is completely soaked. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. It’s done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Allow it cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).

Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Serve toasted with almond butter, cinnamon and honey for breakfast, your own homemade farmer’s cheese, yogurt or kraut with lunch, or slathered with a favorite nut butter and apple slices bananas for an after-school snack. It is also good with a rainy day soup like this one i wrote about in my very first post ever.

life-altering loaf of bread

If you want to know why this bread is good for you be sure to read Sarah’s post. She is a great writer, photographer, and recipe creator so her blog is very worth a visit. My version swaps out oats for bean flour for even more of a high protein, high fiber, gosh darn this is so good for you kind of comfort food.

My take on why it’s good for you? Because breaking bread is holy. It reminds me that all things break. Bread, hearts, relationships. But that ultimately  all things are shared. Even those breaks. Especially those breaks.

So I invite you to make this, and then break bread with a friend. More than anything I made this bread so I could share it with people I love. Because right now, as much as ever, I am getting by with a lot of help from my friends.

[Oh, and because life is so altered right now, I am switching things up. Instead of my annual Ayurvedic Autumn Cleanse, I am offering 10 on 10 – 10 recipes for your nourishing at-home Autumn Cleanse sent to you on October 10, for free.  That’s next Saturday, so if you sign up now you’ll give yourself time to prepare.]

Thank you always.
Love always.
Namaste! 

Yum

56 thoughts on “Breaking Bread When Your Heart is Broken”

  2. Dear Laura I, too, am healing a broken heart, an altered life, a bumpy new path. How quickly life can change like the wind or the tides or a simple click of a message. Interesting that I made bread with a dear friend yesterday and found a new taste treat and a new direction. It was incredibly therapeutic. I have no idea what happened in your life other than seeing the message from Bhava. It doesn’t matter. Pain permeates the soul. I feel your heart ache as I feel my own. We will come through the storm wiser and stronger. We are women.

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Reply

    • We will Linda, and we are. Women. Even if it sometimes hurts, I am so glad to be one who loves, heals, nurtures and sings while baking bread. I send you immense love and hope we can get together soon to break bread.

      Reply

  4. This looks truly heart warming, and because you suggested breaking bread with a friend, I will be doing so this week with this recipe. Lots of love love love to you with many healing moments and thoughts your way.

    Reply

  6. This sounds so heart mending and comforting- like a hug in a slice. I’ve also seen this as friendship loaf 😉 Sending you hugs and oh so much love. I will try this recipe over the fall and envision us drinking tea and breaking divine bread. Xoxo

    Reply

  13. Laura, as always, you are in my thoughts and after reading your words, I feel stirred by the sadness behind them. I’ve known you a long time, and what I know is that you will nourish yourself and rise radiant.

    Reply

  14. Laura, I feel so sad after reading this. We are experiencing beautiful weather in the islands yet I know rain will come. We re heading to Belguim this afternoon and will be home on October 9, the day your Yoga Therapy classes re finished. Please choose a time for breakfast, lunch or dinner……. On Sunday the 11, lunch or dinner on 13 or 14. Hope we can do this as we leave on 15th for a month. I want to give you a hug!!!!!! Live Suzanne

    Sent from my iPad

    >

    Reply

  15. A hug across the miles to you dear Laura. I am so sorry to know you are hurting but happy to know that you are reaching out to the community that loves you. I wish I could be there but will reach back out to you. Thank you for the beautiful recipe and mostly for your beautiful generous heart. Love you. <3
    xoxo

    Reply

  16. I am Nourished by Surrender.
    In fact, that is my theme for the fall. As I move into this season of letting go, and as I practice surrender in many ways, I am deeply nourished by the reality of provision and well being beyond the essentials. My life is enriched by rest and I am made new each day.
    This recipe is on par with the super seedy crackers, and one I will surely enjoy this fall with a favorite soup!
    May the seasonal rains soothe your soul without dampening the fire of love. Warm embraces and breaking of bread from afar! Thank you for your loving spirit always shining through. Peace.

    Reply

  17. I am so moved by your beauty and grace in all you share with me. We have only met by the web. My heart aches with you as you go through this healing time. I believe with the beauty of your soul rising up over and over again to meet what is, you will touch us all deeply as you maneuver through, and help each of us find ways to deal with the sadness and disappointments that arise from human behavior, human confusion, weakness in our appetites.

    I can say, I feel blessed to have you in my life.

    MINDY

    Reply

    • Weakness in our appetites – how beautifully said, Mindy. I appreciate your beauty and grace, and hope to always remember your incredibly empowering words as I do rise again. Yes, we all share sadnesses, disappointments, and heart soaring love. We are so much more alike than we are different, and in many ways we are only infinite expressions of the one. Thank you.

      Reply

  19. When I make this bread, it will be in honor and gratitude for you, Laura. I wish for your heart to be filled with joy, peace & love. <3

    Namaste ~ The divine in me honors the divine in you.

    Reply

  21. Lovely Laura, they say when our hearts are broken, we have an opportunity to become more beautiful. I thought it impossible for you to be more beautiful than you already are, but I see in this writing an honesty, resilience and enduring sense of humor that makes me love you even more! Coronado “…a post-apocalyptic hell hole of citrus scented refreshment” indeed – so funny! When I first heard the anti-bike-lane story on NPR, I was stunned by the ridiculousness of the commentary. Hearing it again through the lens of comedy, just makes my day. Smiling to you from across the bridge, XO, Sally

    Reply

  23. Already made my grocery list! Thank you Laura for your wonderful and delicious recipes to nourish our souls…here’s is to breaking bread together! BIG LOVE to YOU!

    Reply

  24. Dear Laura,
    As I read your email, it took me back 10 years ago when my heart was breaking. . I could have written something similar if I had your gift of words. I so want to give you a hug. Life sometimes punches us in the gut and leaves us in pieces. People told me at the time that life would go on only differently. I didn’t want to hear it but here I am. You are a beautiful person with a special spirit. Life will give back the goodness and peace that you so deserve. I wish you well and peace of mind.

    Lani

    Reply

    • Oh Lani, I am sorry to hear that. You are such a beautiful woman. Thank you for sharing your heart break with me. You are so wonderful, loving and kind. You will be my strength and inspiration. With love!

      Reply

  25. Laura, Just now reading your post. Sending heartfelt hugs your way. Thank you for being who you are and sharing y
    ourself with us.

    Love,

    Federica

    Reply

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Will you try this? What are you loving this season?

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