Wednesday, December 12, 2007

An idea a day... #10

Fairy Bread


I'm sharing this because of a little girl named Katie.
For her birthday she asked for Fairy Bread and cupcakes.
You must read the cute story Helen, her mum, wrote about this on her blog.

I had never heard of Fairy Bread... I thought maybe it was just a name that a 3 year old had given to some food.

My curious husband was already Googling this on the Internet.
Alas... Wikipedia came through for us again (love it).


I think children all over the world should have the opportunity to taste something as enchanting as Fairy Bread and the wonderful mental images that it can create in their minds as they nibble on the sweet, sugary treat.

Fairy bread is sliced bread (usually white because it tastes best) spread with margarine or butter, and then sprinkled with Hundreds and Thousands (also known as sprinkles or nonpareils, a product consisting of small balls of coloured sugar intended to decorate cakes).
Fairy Bread is from Australia and is often served at a special occasion
Fairy bread is served at children's parties, almost exclusively in UK, Australia and New Zealand. Slices of the bread are often cut into triangles (or other shapes such as stars and people figures), the crusts removed (though not essential), and then stacked tastefully on the host's plate.
It was originally made using finely chopped rose petals for colour and scent instead of the sugary lollies that are used today.
The origin of the term is not widely known, but it may come from the poem 'Fairy Bread' in Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verse, published in 1885. (Wikipedia)



I can't wait to have a tea party for my friends' children
and serve Fairy Bread in fun shapes and pretty colors.

Hmmmmmm... maybe the little people who live behind the small door on my wall
made this delight for them???

Love, joni

12 comments:

Junie Moon said...

What an adorable idea! I have a copy of a little book entitled "How to Host a Flower Fairy Tea Party" by Cicely Mary Barker. To be honest, I didn't buy it for a child, I bought it for me. I think I'm going to have myself a little fairy tea party the next Midsummer Night's Eve that rolls around. And I will remember your fairy bread.

Anne said...

When I was a kid in the 50's that used to be a huge treat for us. We'd liberally butter a slice of bread and then pour plain white granulated sugar everywhere (mom could always tell we'd had this treat because of the sugar on the floor). It was sooooo yum!
I grew up in Nebraska and mom was from New Hampshire - nary a Brit or Kiwi or Aussi amongst us.

melanie said...

That looks like a real treat! Although the aftermath could be a little bit ugly, what with the kids bouncing off the walls. I'm a fan of the plain sugar/butter sandwiches also!

Angie said...

What fun, Joni!!

. . .and as for the comments disappearing on my blog. . I have no clue!

Just dodged raindrops the size of small rodents to come in the house. Ick.

Now, I have to go BACK OUT to pick up Princess Caroline. Eeewwww!

Thimbleanna said...

OhMyGosh Joni! Note to self...don't be gone from Joni's blog for too long!!! I had catch up to do and you've posted such great ideas. I love them all -- rolodex, red tree and garland. And the fairy bread? Oh My! I'm filing that one away for "some day"! What a treasure you are!

Anonymous said...

I have to tell my daughters about this post, they will love this.

Helen said...

Aaahhh Joni! What have we done! LOL! Isn't this a wonderful thing....I can't wait to tell this tale to Katie one day when she is older. The day a three year old educated the world about fairy bread! I just adore your blog (and not because you kindly mentioned us!) but because it is always so darn interesting. I had to go to amazon.com and read up about that book. Thank you .... for being you! Love to you Grammy J and Gramp B!!

kari and kijsa said...

How cute is this?!!! We had never heard of this before, but our little sweet ones will have fairy bread soon!!

Merry Christmas blessings,
kari & kijsa

Wendy said...

Wow Joni great job, loved the blog!! Friend of Helens here and she told me to come check it out!! Isn't is soo MUCH fun to learn all about our neighbors across the BIG water....

Wanda said...

What a cute and simple idea!! Wow, thanks, that something all the little grandkids can do!!!
Love your great ideas..thanks for passing them on to us.
Love ya!

Molly said...

Oh my stars, just TODAY I was telling my hubby about a sweet childhood memory...I used to LOVE spending the night at the house of my mom's friend because she always made this awesome breakfast for us...it was toast with chocolate sprinkles!!! Imagine my surprise when I checked your blog for the first time in awhile and found this post...made me smile! Her family was originally from Holland and she said it was something special they grew up with and wanted to pass on to her children! Now my kids think it is pretty special, too! :) Now, I will have to try it with your colored sprinkles and sugar!

G'G'ma said...

Just discovered your delightful blog. What memories this brings back. In the 40's we didn't have Fairy Bread or pretty colored sugar. But, a favorite after school snack was Mom's homemade bread smeared with a thick layer of Land o'Lakes butter and then piled high with brown sugar. Oh, how my brothers and I loved that treat. Now it makes me shudder to think of eating something like that!!