Just One Food - Family Mart's Cranberry Flaxseed Loaf

I was more than happy to see a Family Mart convenience store open in my housing area some two years back. I come here to buy Japanese snacks occasionally but usually for their ready-to-eat salads and sandwiches (mostly classic tuna or egg mayo) when I'm looking for a light lunch.

I've tried a couple of their breads and cakes (like this murasaki sweet potato pan & banana cake) though none have really resonated with me.  Some of their ready-to-eat bento boxes look quite tempting but have not tried any.  Wonder if they're any good.

But one thing I do buy very often from here is their Cranberry Flaxseed Loaf (RM4.90).  This is the one thing that I really like mainly for the reason that this loaf of bread come in only 4 slices (a number which works nicely for me).  I used to buy Gardenia or Massimo but a loaf of commercially produced bread comes in too many slices for me to finish.  I can't finish 13 slices (including loaf ends) on my own as that would mean eating bread every day for the next one week.  Even I can't do that...no matter how much I love to eat bread.  Yes, I could put the unfinished slices in the fridge but that would still mean I'd have to eat bread every alternate day in order to finish it over the next one week (I don't want to keep them longer than one week in the fridge).  Sometimes, I'd even blitz the unfinished bread to make breadcrumbs, so I hardly buy these commercial loaves now.

My family don't share my love of bread for breakfast if they have other choices.  The only time I can expect some 'help' from them is if I get white bread and cook it with bacon and eggs (but I don't do that all the time).  Plus, I like wholemeal and if I get that, I'm pretty much on my own. >_<  And that's where Family Mart's Cranberry Flaxseed Loaf comes into the picture as there are only 4 slices which is ideal for me to be eaten over 2 - 3 meals.

The reason why I have an affinity towards this cranberry flaxseed loaf is because, of late, I've learned to appreciate eating something salty and sweet together.  This all started when I noticed someone at the next table dunking in Hainanese toast bread (with butter & kaya) into soft-boiled eggs.  I thought it was weird at first since I've only had it with plain toasted bread.  I wondered if the flavours would marry.  So, I decided to try it the next time.  It was quite a revelation...the salty (from the soy-sauced eggs) and sweet flavours (from the butter & kaya toast) went well together.  Suffice to say, I never had my half-boiled eggs with plain toast again after that.  I think the flavours work coz there's a good reason why people gravitate towards fried chicken with waffles or bacon with pancakes that has both salty and sweet elements.

Well, with this cranberry flaxseed loaf, you can kind of replicate the salty-sweet flavours at home with soft-boiled eggs and this bread (make sure it's toasted for best results).  You get a bit of crunch from the flaxseeds and a light sweetness from the dried cranberries.

It really does work well together.  I like the sweetness of the cranberries in the bread (you won't even miss the butter & kaya in your toast...plus it's a lot healthier too) when eaten with the savoury soy-sauced (& peppered) runny eggs.  What a simple yet wonderful breakfast to have at home! ;)

But if you want to take it up a notch, then preparing of a simple western breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast will please more family members.  

Again, the salty flavours of bacon paired really well with the sweetness of this bread.  Sometimes, I'd even have this for dinner.

Making french toast is another usual option for me for breakfast.  If you're someone who likes your french toast sweet, with maple syrup or honey, then this cranberry flaxseed loaf makes the job even simpler.

With the light sweetness provided by the cranberries, you can omit the drizzle of maple syrup or honey which is also ideal for those of us who want to reduce the intake of sugar in our diet.

And what's even better than having french toast for breakfast.....having it with a few slices of bacon, of course.  Again, you have this lovely salty-sweet flavours going on.  A yummy breakfast indeed!

Because the slices of this cranberry flaxseed loaf is thick, it acts as the perfect vehicle to absorb more of that beaten egg.  Sometimes I'd even coat the eggy bread in fragrant sesame seeds for that extra crunch.

But I'm pretty happy even if it's just a simple buttered toast with jam (or kaya).  Just make sure you get your hands on some of the creamiest, good quality butter and jam you can find that's a favorite of yours.  Mine is SCS (sometimes Lurpak) butter and St Dalfour's (no sugar added) jam (of wild blueberry or four fruits).  Great paired with a cup of hot coffee.

At times, I don't even wait for the butter to soften (to spread on the bread) but add hardened bits of it directly onto the bread...like how you'd eat Hainanese toast bread with butter and kaya.  Of course, I'd love a classic butter and kaya combination too but I find most of the commercially produced kaya too sweet for my liking.

And if I'm really hungry, I would make a sandwich out of it....and because the bread is so thick, you will need quite a bit of goodies to be sandwiched in between.  When it's a sandwich, I only need my bread to be shaken, not stirred....oops, I mean buttered, not toasted (unless if it has been in the fridge).

I usually go with omelette and bacon (of course) for my sandwich....and load it with lots of fresh vegetables of lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes to lessen the guilt.  I would have this for lunch, sometimes dinner.

Last, but not least, of course you can eat it on its own for the healthiest option....especially since this cranberry flaxseed loaf is already flavoured with cranberries and flaxseeds.

I like that the cranberry flaxseed loaf comes in a packet of only 4 slices, so they're a perfect fit for me (for one person to finish).  But even more so for the taste of the cranberries (which I love biting into) + the great many breakfast options I can do with it. ^o^  If you love cranberries and a light sweetness in your bread, give this one a go.  I think you will love it as much as I do! ^_~