My daily bread...
Here we are, 2026!! I hope your holidays held some rest, nourishment, laughter, and maybe a few quiet moments to breathe. It was wonderful chatting with so many of you before the break at our Customer Appreciation, and I’m especially excited about all the new folks who joined our newsletter, thank you for being so curious about what we’re doing here.
I took the past couple of weeks to reset, settle myself, and refill the well a little, and it’s amazing what a calm stretch of time (with just enough busyness sprinkled in) can do for creativity and energy. We have an exciting year ahead at RISE - new ideas, thoughtful food, and plenty of delicious things already in the works. Now truthfully, for those of you who know baker hours… this is well past my bedtime, so let’s dive right into it. Here’s what we’re cooking up this week.
Mondays at Rise - you know the drill.
We hit the ground running, working as quickly as we can to roll out wraps and salad bowls. While those are coming together, remember that our Toasted BLT Breakfast Sandwich is always ready to go - available all day, every day. Coffee in hand, BLT in the other, and you’re set while we get everything else out.
We’re running with a slightly smaller crew this week (thank you, Saskatchewan snowstorms!), so rice paper salad rolls will be making their appearance on Tuesday instead of Monday. Appreciate your understanding!
Here’s what we’ve got lined up this week in the Grab & Go Cooler👇
• Yogurt Parfaits
Made in house with 100% organic Jersey A2 milk from Rockridge - impossibly creamy and full of goodness. This week we’re pairing them with fresh strawberries❤️ and a side of Rise Prairie Crunch Granola for sprinkling. (Gluten-free granola available too - just ask.)
• Grilled Chicken Veggie Wraps
We’re starting the week with grilled chicken in our wraps, layered with fresh veggies, lettuce, and house-made aioli. When the chicken runs out, we’ll switch to roast ham later in the week.
• Rice Paper Salad Rolls
Stuffed with vermicelli noodles and a full mix of crisp veggies, all wrapped up in rice paper and served with our absolutely delicious house-made peanut sauce.
• This Week’s Salad Bowl - Our salad bowl this week is one of my favorites to bring a bit of sunshine back into January: a Golden Beet Quinoa Salad Bowl. It’s built on a hearty mix of quinoa and slow-roasted golden beets, with tender steamed baby potatoes tucked in, plenty of chickpeas for extra protein, and those beautiful almond-stuffed olives for a little burst of savory richness. Then, as always, we’ll pack in as many crisp, colorful veggies as we can possibly fit into the bowl. Everything gets tossed in a bright orange balsamic vinaigrette - fresh, a little citrusy, and exactly the kind of feel-good lunch your week needs.
Sourdough line-up...
Monday - Red Fife Country Loaves
Tuesday - Superseed Multigrain Loaves, Pumpernickel and Everything Spice Sourdough Bagels
Wednesday’s Ever-Changing Loaf: For those of you who’ve been with us a while, you may remember this happy loaf from last spring. Our “You Are My Sunshine” sourdough is making a special January return because, after three days of fog, frost, and no sunshine in sight, we could all use a little brightness in our lives.
This January version is a Lemon, Dill, and Calendula Sourdough, calendula being a close sister to dandelion, with those beautiful golden petals that bring warmth, color, and a gentle floral note to the loaf. We’re loading it up with sunny little touches, including millet and sunflower seeds, to echo that cheerful yellow crumb and subtle nutty crunch that feels like sunshine baked right in.
Bonus, it will pair beautifully with Wednesday’s soup… take a peek at the menu below to find out what that is.
Wednesday’s 100% Whole Grain Organic Dark Rye Loaf: a deep, rich flavor with just a little hit of molasses, a sturdy crumb, and that nourishing, old-world heartiness I absolutely love.🤎
Thursday - Light Rye on Rye Loaves and Hokkaido Sourdough Milk Buns
Friday - Red Fife Country Loaves, Herb Focaccia & Maple Oat Demi Baguettes
Tuesday Hot Lunch - BBQ Beef & Broccoli Quesadillas We’re bringing back quesadilla day this Tuesday, and this one is a cozy, flavor-packed plate. Think tender barbecued beef brisket, roasted broccoli, peppers and onions, and plenty of melted smoked cheddar, all toasted together inside a golden tortilla. We’ll serve it up with a fresh, crunchy slaw, a dollop of sour cream, and salsa on the side. Ready starting at 11:00.
Wednesday Soup Day – Portuguese-Style Lemon Chicken Soup - inspired by an old Emeril Lagasse recipe I rediscovered in my files. I’ve since done a little more digging and, in true Rise fashion, we’re making it extra veg-forward, loading it up with beautiful vegetables so it feels both nourishing and uplifting. Traditionally this soup is made with rice, but we’re switching things up and using vermicelli (those teeny tiny, super skinny pasta noodles) instead, which gives the broth a lovely texture without weighing it down.
It’s golden, lemony, comforting, and exactly the bowl you want in your hands on a winter Wednesday. We start ladling at 11am!
Friday's TGIF Sourdough Pizza Lunch
This Friday we’re having some fun with our TGIF sourdough pizza and going full cozy-comfort mode with a Sloppy Joe Sourdough Pizza. Think rich, savory ground beef simmered into that nostalgic Sloppy Joe flavor we all grew up loving, layered onto our bubbly sourdough crust, topped with a beautiful blend of cheeses, baked until golden and melty, and then finished RISE-style with fresh greens on top. Familiar, comforting, totally indulgent… and absolutely delicious.
Pizzas hit the oven Friday morning and are ready by 11am.
The first week back always has a few bumps and deep breaths built into it, doesn’t it? I came into this week with big plans, long lists, and lots of energy… and then reality reminded me (as it always does) that time is very real, and priorities matter.
Over the break, I had new shelving built for the bakery, and I fully intended to have it beautifully styled with antiques and treasures for you by this weekend. But somewhere between prepping, planning, bread schedules, menu organization, and getting everything ready for reopening, time slipped away. And today I had to make a choice: keep pushing to “finish the pretty things”… or take care of what truly matters.
So, 2026 is becoming the year of renegotiating the list - of recognizing that it’s okay to rewrite the plan, sometimes daily, sometimes hourly, and ask:
What actually matters most right now?
And what matters most is feeding you. Nourishing you. Showing up with good food, warm bread, and intention. The antiques will wait. The shelves will get their moment. But you will never arrive to empty counters here at Rise.
As I step back into the rhythm of early mornings, ovens warming, and the gentle bustle of a new year, this poem came across my feed:
What a privilege to be tired from work you once prayed for.
What a privilege to feel overwhelmed by growth you used to dream about.
What a privilege to be challenged by a life you created on purpose.
Thank you, truly, for giving us the privilege of doing this work. We’re rested. We’re grateful. And we’re so ready to get back to baking for you.
Take good care and I will see you back here next Sunday with all the flavors of the upcoming week.💛
