Thankful Things...3/16/12

~ My favorite teenage boy who makes me laugh.

~ Having a mid-week date with my favorite girl (who will never pass up a bacon -cheeseburger opportunity.)

~ New kitchen toys.

~ Heart felt conversations with women who are brave.

~ A flowery coffee cup that I have wanted for a very long time.

~ The view on my morning run.

~ Things that sparkle and shine.

~ Answered prayers.

~ The thought of painting my kitchen red.

~ My Thursday Night Girls. 

~ Gelato on a warm afternoon.

~ That this weekend is open for the choosing: craft? sew? paint? garden? read? a little of each? Perhaps.

For these things (and so much more!) I am thankful.

As always, I would love to hear what you are thankful for this week...

"Ruler of All Nature"

I woke up singing.

Before my mind and body could register that my eyelids were open, my spirit was singing.

      Beautiful Savior!   
       Lord of all nations!
         Son of God and Son of Man!

Over and over those two stanzas circled, an unending spin in the mind of this broken record.

I listened.

What is that song?

So, while the moon still hung in the sky, I sipped coffee and Googled what was playing in my head.

Fairest Lord Jesus. 

Then I remembered: This was the hymn we sang at church on Sunday. The sermon (in part) was on the mercy of God, who sends rain for our good and His glory. With the falling of rain, we reap the benefits of fruit.

I'm living in the middle of that promise.

Last week we had several rain showers, and this morning the fields and flowers of our little hill are filled with color.

Tiny purple blooms that brighten the morning.

The softest little Lambs Ear is peaking up through the brown leaves.

The Camellias in their full glory.

Although the Daffodils have seen their day (this is the last one in our yard)...

...the sweet peas are on their way.

This morning even the weeds were proudly glistening in rays of newly risen sun. 

Yes, I woke up singing and it gives me strength...

... bring on the rain. I'm working in the garden, but my heart and song is set on Him.

    Fairer are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands.
     Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
   Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
    Who makes the woeful heart to sing.


    All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
     Wondrously, Jesus is found in Thee;
    None can be nearer, fairer or clearer,
      Than thou my Savior art to me.

    Beautiful Savior! Lord of all nations!
      Son of God and Son of Man!
    Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
      Now and forevermore be thine.

From the Archives: A Lesson on Rest...given by the Baker

This post, originally written in August 2007, is from the archives. 


This morning, the kids are in need of some fresh bread, and this Tomato Herb Focaccia is what they want. It makes my heart so happy that they love certain things I love to bake. My grandmother was a baker, and I have many happy memories of her baking. I want those happy memories for my kids too.

Its funny to read this post today. My life was so different back then, and yet the need for rest is the same. I hope you find a quiet place of rest today-- be it a rest that is quiet and calm (as I chose five years ago, my young children away at school) or filled with joy and energy (as it is on this Monday morning with teenagers at home.) With love ~ Kellie


What you will need:

• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil (divided) (plus extra for the pan)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more if you like)
• Two small Roma tomatoes (opt.)
• 1 cup (or less, or more) Feta Cheese (opt)
• 2 tsp. Italian Herbs (opt)

How you will do it:
Take 1/3 cup of water and the honey, and zap it in the microwave about 15 seconds so your water is warm to the touch and the honey is dissolved. Sprinkle your yeast on the top and gently stir it up. Set it aside and let it rest. About 10 minutes, so it's creamy and frothy.

Now we make the sponge:
Take 2 cups of your flour and mix it with the salt. When your yeast has sufficiently rested you can add it to your flour and salt mix. Add about a third of the oil.

Make sure your 1 cup of remaining water is warm to the touch. Your dough will be happier if he's kept warm.

Then add a bit of the warm water to the mix, keep adding until its thick, but very wet. You will use almost all your water. If it's too thin don't worry about it, today we are resting. It will fix itself later.

Cover that baby sponge up with a kitchen towel for about 10 minutes, He needs a rest. Meanwhile slice up those tomatoes. And get your pan ready for company. Spruce up the jelly roll pan with a good brush of olive oil. Turn the oven to 450 degrees F.

Make yourself a glass of iced tea. We are resting.

Next we add the remaining flour, carefully. Using the bread hook, incorporate the flour until just mixed through, but don't work the dough too much. It won't be happy. When the dough is no longer flour-y, place it on the floured cutting board.



Sprinkle some flour on top. Put some olive oil on your hands (the dough will be sticky). Gently knead it a few times. Not too much. We are resting.
Work the dough into a ball, brush with some olive oil. Cover. He's happier that way.

He needs to rest. About 10 minutes.

Get your pan near you. After the dough has rested, gently place him on the pan.







Roll the dough out. Don't be too rough.

You'll squeeze out all that happy, yeasty, restful, air.

Be easy.

It will spring back a lot on the pan, but take your time.

We are resting.







Take your tomatoes and spread them around.

Sprinkle your feta where you want it.

Add the herbs in dashes.

Drizzle the second (third) of your olive oil.

Place your dressed up dough boy in a draft free place and cover him up.

He must rest. For at least 30 minutes






Longer, if you live somewhere cold.


I place mine on top of the stove on another flipped over jelly roll pan.

That way it catches some of the warmth from the pre-heating oven, but not too much.







Now.

Here is the fun part. make little indentations with you finger tips in the top of the bread.

Then...

Then! Happiness with the olive oil! Drizzle the remaining oil on your masterpiece.

Use extra. I dare ya.


Pop into the oven for 15- 20 minutes. Shorter if you like your bread soft and pliable. Long if you like the outside crisp and the inside chewy.







Have a taste of rest.






Without rest this recipe is just flour, water and a couple of over-ripe tomatoes. Rest is what makes it good, tasty, nourishing. Rest makes it palatable, so the baker can eat it and have energy.

Today I will rest.

I will not go to the gym. I will not run. I will not go to a friends house. Nor do heavy cleaning. I will not shop.

Why? I knew you'd ask.

Because I need it.

I have been fighting a cold since Saturday. I can't shake it. I tried to ignore it. Push through it. Pretend it wasn't there.

The only way to get better will be to simply rest.

I know rest is important. Vitally important, not just when you are sick, but in life. Sometimes, I just forget. Like my kids, I don't want to miss anything.

Today on my list are restful things: I want to do some writing, some reading, and since I have time, some bread baking; Tomato, Feta, Herb Focaccia Bread.

Oh! and yes, I am doing some laundry because there is no rest from laundry...

Matthew 6:31 - "Come with me, to a quiet place, so you can rest." - Jesus

Of Potatoes and Crowns

Today I get to go to the dentist. I wish crowns were more glamorous than they sound. Cuz, today, I'll receive two.
I'd rather be anywhere than sitting in that dental chair, but the anticipation might be worse.
So, let's think about other things....

Last Friday I had the best day. I had lunch and coffee, and shopping with the CarpoolQueen. You may want to sit down for this, but we didn't even go to any crafts stores, or look at yarn, (which is pretty amazing) but the time went so fast. She is good people. It was the perfect way to start the weekend.




On Saturday I was able to build and prepare my Potato Tower. This is my new project in the garden this year.
The tower is about three-feet tall and when it was all said and done I was able to get five layers of potato planting in it.
The plan was to take compost and hay (or straw) and make layers. I had all the supplies but the straw, but I have an acre of leaves and pine needle! The Mister had extra wire fencing so he wired the enclosure for me and I began to gather leaves and compost from the yard.




These were some baby red potatoes I had already growing in my pantry. I didn't bother to cut them since they already had significant growth. But I also did a layer of Russet.




If it works, I should have quite a harvest come September. If it doesn't, I've lost nothing but a few potatoes, and gained a very cheap way to compost above the ground.
I also had an extra child this weekend, and I treated her as if she was one of my own - I put her to work.




It was fun having a five year old in the house again.
All right, I've procrastinated enough. It's time to get ready for the visit of doom. Next time I write, I will be two crowns richer, and poorer, all at the same time.

Random Thoughts from the Garden

• It rained most of the night. This morning is beautiful because of it.

• I'm probably the only person on the block that takes pictures of weeds. I sort of hoped those sweet green bunches taking over the front lawn were clover. They're not. But they are the pretty.

• Are you tired of looking at the flowers in my yard?

• My new project for this weekend is to make a Potato Tower.

• Two weeks ago we dug up the old compost dirt, and made two more big holes to start more compost.

•  It looks as if The Girl is standing in a deep hole but she as actually sitting in it. We may have dug a little too deep, this morning its full of water. Hopefully it will dry out.

• If you would have told me five years ago that I would be writing about dirt made from kitchen scraps, bunny poop (love that bunny!), and dried leaves,  I would have laughed like crazy. 

• But its true. I love compost.

Last picture...

• This sweet cardinal lives in our front yard, and he is amazing. Each evening he comes to the Japanese maple and sits and watches, as if he owns the yard. Yesterday I had all the windows open and I could hear him calling over and over again. When I came to sit on the front steps to watch him, he stopped his calling and I admired him from afar. He is pretty cool.

Happy Friday!

Thankful Things- 3.8.12

~ Sharing life with a friend early in the morning.

~ Little shoes with matching hats.

~ Pink flowers with yellow middles.

~ Anticipating lunch with a friend.

~ The privilege of spending each day with my kids.

~ Pink flowers with yellow middles.

~ Springtime.

~ The smell of chicken stock simmering in the crock-pot... the benefits of yesterday's roast chicken.

~ Bible study with friends after dinner.

... For all these things (and many more!), I am thankful.

Did I mentioned pink flowers with yellow middles?

(Semi) Wordless Wednesday

~The Daffodils are so friendly this time of year.




~I may have over-bought the spinach this week.




This is the current status of my kitchen: Laundry piled high and dishes in the sink.




This is what it looked like this weekend after I made curtains for the breakfast area. I'm not a fan of curtains. I like things open and bright. But my husband isn't a fan of windows without coverings at night. (Safety! is his constant concern.)




~While I sewed up the curtains I was suddenly inspired to make new coverings for a chair I inherited five or six years ago. I LOVE this rocking chair, given to me by a dear friend. The new coverings aren't perfect, but it definitely looks better!

~The curtains in the kitchen and the covering for the chair have been on my longterm "to do" list for several years. It feels good to get those checked off!

All right, laundry calls.

Happy Wednesday!

Lessons from the Garden: Enough

I never grow tired of watching them... the nursery of seedlings that sprout this time of year.

I wish I could adequately describe how this slow and amazing process contents my soul.

Perhaps its because there is little I can do, save water and time, to make green things grow. I cannot quicken its pace, nor take credit for its fruit. There is comfort and joy in enjoying the process. It is so tempting to think of how fruitful these little plants will be in the days to come... but today, these seedlings are enough.

I was reading Proverbs 27.

(1) Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. 

The first sentence a life-long lesson in itself.

But that's how the chapter starts: Do not boast.

The next twenty-four verses remind us that there is much to consider.

Who knows what we will face? It could be the empty ringing of selfish praise. It could be the burden of fools, or a rebuke in love. Will we be sharpened or wounded by a friend? Will concerns over the lost, the found, spouses, enemies, children, neighbors, our own attitudes and desires be addressed? The list seems endless but isn't exhaustive, and then suddenly... in verse 25 the topic switches to gardening.

As I stand and stare at these little beginnings of green, I get it. The Writer has gardened the field, now He'll garden the heart.

We shouldn't boast in anything, because hope, given to us today, is more than we can carry.

(25)When the hay is removed and new grass appears... it will be enough. (27)

Not if.

Not maybe.

When.

And in that when, there will be enough (v27).

In all these things,-  in the all of this life - winter comes. But beneath the fallout of winters there is new growth, even as we are unaware. That new growth will sustain us.

It will be enough.