Sorry for the long absence

I can't believe that it's been more than a month since my last blog post. Somehow, nearly the entire month of March has passed me by. I guess the combination of deadlines at the office along with extra work to meet them, plus company every weekend has made it difficult to find spare moments to keep up with everything.

But I have found time for cooking, and I've even managed to finish up a few knitting and sewing projects. Unlike our dog Charlie, pictured above resting his head on my husband's foot, I haven't been laying around and sleeping, though there have been times of rest as well...thanks be to the Lord for that.

We've had a great time with all of our various friends and relatives who have visited us this month, and we're looking forward to another little dinner party this coming Friday after work. We're having two couples join us for dinner, both of whom are active in ministry in the Philippines. One of the couples plans to move there permanently after retirement, and we're looking forward to hearing more about their potential plans for that time. The other couple is funding a number of missionaries in the Philippines, and both couples regularly return to the country for ministry.

At this point, my husband and I haven't felt a call to do overseas mission work, even on a short-term basis. We've actively helped others who do this, seeing ourselves as "senders" rather than "goers." But we always want to be open to what God might have for us. And we're very grateful to have opportunities to help others who are "goers", sometimes financially and always with prayer. We're not at all financially wealthy, except by the standards of the developing world, but God always provides enough to share.

I hope that you're all doing well this month, and that you've taken time to really meditate on the gift of Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection. We're blessed to be able to celebrate this month with the mainline part of the Church on Resurrection Sunday, and then again next month with the Messianic part of the Church on Passover...As you probably know, Jesus celebrated Passover during the week before His crucifixion, and that Last Supper Passover Seder was the model for what we now know as Communion. What a rich and blessed heritage we have, and what an overwhelmingly precious gift we have received in Jesus!

Hot Cross Buns

As my husband and I work together to establish our own family traditions, we've been trying to focus on those that have real meaning to our faith and values.

For example, we've eliminated just about everything at Christmas related to Santa Claus, so that we can focus on the real meaning of the holiday, which is Jesus' birth.

And for the time of the year when we celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection, we've been eliminating the Easter Bunny from our home. It's not that Santa or the Bunny are bad; they just seem to distract from what is real and important in our lives.

So for Resurrection Sunday, I thought a lot this year about what to bake and how to decorate, and I decided that our family's Hot Cross Bun recipe is meaningful to me. Not only does it remind me of my maternal grandmother and her Danish heritage, but it also makes me think of Jesus' death on the cross because of the cross cut into the dough before it's baked and then embellished with frosting afterward.

I experimented with my mother's recipe this year, because I wanted to use some of my Herman sourdough starter as a base. So I combined two recipes, one from my mom's collection and one from one of sourdough cookbook to come up with what I think turned out to be the best Hot Cross Buns I've ever made. They are moist and sweet and have just a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg in the dough, along with a nice distribution of currants. I served them as part of our dinner on Sunday when we had family and friends joining us.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water (115-120 degrees Fahrenheit)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1-1/2 cups sourdough starter
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup currants
2 to 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
(Note: You will also need additional butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract for finishing.)

Add yeast and sugar to warm water to activate the yeast. Measure sourdough starter into mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients except for the flour, and mix to combine. Add the flour a small portion at a time until you have a stiff dough. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. Dough will be soft.

Place dough into greased bowl and cover with a warm, moist cotton (not terrycloth) towel. Set in a warm place and let rise for two hours until doubled in size. (Note: Because we keep our thermostat low, I had to let it rise for more than two hours so that it would be doubled in size.)

Punch down the dough and shape it into 1-1/2-inch balls. Dip top of dough balls into more melted butter and place on greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Cut deep cross in each bun with scissors. Bake at 400 degree Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Then pour glaze (made with powdered sugar and a little milk and vanilla extract) into crosses and serve.

A Tote Bag for Spring

Here is one of the projects I made during my absence from this blog. A dear friend of mine, who has been there for me during both good times and bad over the past 9 years, had a birthday, and I made her this tote bag for a gift. I was thrilled by her response to it.

This project started with the little pieced basket square that I ended up using to embellish the front of the bag. I had a couple of little quilt block "kits" in my stash that I decided that I should put together and use finally. (They've probably been in my possession since the early '90s.)

So I made this little basket square and then searched in my stash for coordinating fabrics. I was thrilled to find this gorgeous green floral, and then equally pleased with the match it made with both the basket square and the pink floral that I used for the lining. As my dear friend said when she saw it, "Oh, it's so girly! I love it!"

I love this bag, too, but I love even more that I could share it with my dear friend. It has two interior pockets, each divided into little sections. One section is sized just right for a cell phone, another for her glasses case, and the others in miscellaneous sizes to accommodate other necessities. And the bag is roomy enough to hold her yarn for crochet projects, too...She's a really clever lady, who loves to design her own crocheted hats. Maybe someday she'll even make one for me? :-)

Blueberry Scones

One of my friends loves to watch America’s Test Kitchens on public television. My husband and I rarely turn on the TV, unless it’s a special sporting event, like the World Series or the Super Bowl. So I would never know about programs like this or their websites, if it weren’t for her enthusiasm in sharing these recipes.

So to that friend I am very grateful for sharing with me recently the recipe from America’s Test Kitchens for Blueberry Scones. Hands down, these are the best scones my husband and I have ever tasted!

Unlike many scone recipes, which are dry and crumbly, these scones are moist without being cake-like. And they’re sweet and buttery, too…definitely richer than other recipes I’ve tried. But if you don’t make them often, I think they’re worth the few extra calories.

Ingredients:
1 stick + 2 Tbsp. frozen unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Grate the stick of butter into a bowl and then freeze again until needed. Keep blueberries in freezer until needed, too.

Whisk together milk and sour cream in a medium-sized bowl and then refrigerate until needed.

Whisk together flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add frozen grated butter to the flour mixture and toss until thoroughly coated.

Add milk mixture to flour mixture and fold with spatula until just combined. Transfer dough to a liberally floured work surface, dust dough with more flour, and flour your hands as well before kneading the dough six to eight times, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. At this point, it should just hold together in a ragged ball.

Roll dough into a 12-inch square. Fold it into thirds like a business letter (bringing part of it up half way and then bringing the other part down over the folded part). Then lift the short ends of the dough and fold into thirds again to form a 4-inch square. Transfer dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer for five minutes.

Transfer chilled dough to floured work surface and roll into a 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over the surface of the dough, pressing them down to slightly embed into the dough.

Roll the dough into a tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into a 12-x4-inch rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle into 4 equal rectangles, and then each rectangle into two triangles. Transfer the eight triangles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and brush it over the tops of the scones. Then sprinkle them with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake at 425 degrees in a pre-heated oven until tops and bottoms are golden brown, about 18-25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

To Make Ahead:
Refrigerate unbaked scones overnight or freeze until needed. When ready to bake refrigerated scones, heat oven to 425 degrees and bake as directed above. For frozen scones, heat oven to 375 degrees and extend the cooking time to 25-30 minutes.

Important Tips:

• It’s important to work the dough as little as possible—knead and fold the dough only the number of times specified.
• The butter should be frozen solid before grating, and if it your climate is warm or humid, you’ll also want to chill the flour mixture and the work bowls. If using frozen berries, do not defrost them.
• An equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries can be used instead, as long as larger berries are cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces first.
• Refrigerate or freeze leftover scones in an airtight container. To serve, place scones on baking sheet again and heat in a 375-degree oven until warmed and re-crisped.

The Valentine I made for my Sweetheart

It's well past Valentine's Day now, but I did want to post this Valentine that I made and gave to my husband this year. I made it with fabric from my stash ironed on with double-sided fusible web. I want to make more of these soon, maybe with different variations on this theme...like maybe the little boy holding a fishing rod and maybe the little girl holding a bouquet of flowers. I love the Sunbonnet Sue quilt patterns, and I need to make a Sunbonnet Sue quilt someday. But until then, it's fun to play with the design with smaller-scale projects like this.

Handmade greeting cards

I love to make my own greeting cards. I don't do it all the time. We have a long list of people we try to remember for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Christmas, and sometimes also Easter, Passover, and Hanukkah. But when I can find time to make my own cards, it's very satisfying.

Last week, I had an unexpected request for handmade cards, so I was really thankful to find a downloadable PDF online at this website for these cards with buttons from my stash at home. All I had to do was print the PDF onto a sheet of cardstock and use my hot glue gun to attach the buttons. Super easy, and super cute, I think.

I made them for a young woman from the Ukraine who has been interning for our ministry for the past six months. She's been a huge blessing to all of us, and I had the privilege of spending more time with her than many in the office because she was staying for much of her time here with a family in our part of the Twin Cities. So we commuted together to and from the office, and I had the joy of learning more about her life in that country, her family, her faith story, and even learned a few Russian words.

I'll miss Olya now that her time with us has ended, but I'm hoping that we can stay in touch via email, at least, and I find it so encouraging to remember that she's not only our friend, but also our sister in Christ. If we never see her again in this world, we'll see her someday in heaven...What a gift God has given us to have family in Christ all over the world, from every tribe, and tongue, and nation. Praise the Lord!

Mittens for my Sweetheart

I finished a pair of mittens for my Sweetheart, just in time for another way of bone-chilling temperatures here in the Twin Cities.

As one of my coworkers reminded me this morning, winter is only half over in this part of the country. We can have snow as late as April, which could be depressing if you don't just fix your heart on being thankful for each day, regardless of the forecast.

Here's one thing to be thankful for today. I had a sunrise to enjoy on my drive to work this morning, and it was still light outside for an hour after I got home again this evening. That's almost 11 hours of daylight, after several weeks of driving to and from work in the dark.

Also, I'm thankful that my favorite AM radio stations will have a signal during some of my off-work hours. I don't understand why, in this day and age, only a few select radio stations are allowed to broadcast at full power during the hours before sunrise and after sunset. But whatever the reason, I'm thankful to have more choice in terms of stations on the radio.

Those are just a few reasons specifically that I'm thankful today. I could also talk about my sweet husband, who obligingly allows me to take his photo wearing his new mittens, just as long as I don't include his face in the photo.

Oh, and he is wearing a Hawaiian shirt this time of the year. He wears them all year round. He does have a warm coat to wear outdoors, but he's happy to wear a short-sleeved Hawaiian shirt indoors any time. When I remark about how I can't believe that he can be warm when I'm shivering beside him in church--me wearing wool from head to foot--he just tells me that it's the "curse of testerone".

And I really can't end this post with my partial list of reasons to be thankful without being thankful to the Lord, who created my Sweetheart and gave him a heart to love me. God is so good to us. Happy Belated Valentine's Day, Honey!

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

I love slow cooker recipes. It’s so satisfying to mix a few things together and set it to cook for several hours.

I often do this the night before and make room for the slow cooker in the refrigerator so that I can just take it out and plug it in before I leave for the day. When I come home from work, the house smells wonderful, and my main dish for dinner is nearly done. When I do a roast, I usually just serve it as is, carved and served with baked potatoes (made in the microwave), a microwaved vegetable, and a quick tossed salad. Oh, and I also make a quick gravy with the juice from the roast.

But recently, I decided that I wanted to try another way of cooking a roast. I’ve been tempted at the grocery store by the pre-made shredded beef and pork products, but as usual, I wanted to make it myself at home. So when I found this recipe through the Reiman Publications Taste of Home Menu Newsletter, I thought it would be worth a try.

As usual, I made a few changes for our own kitchen. I increased the garlic and onion, and the amount of cayenne pepper to give it more kick. Also, I didn’t have regular cola on hand, so I used some of my husband’s favorite cherry-flavored cola instead (Cherry Coke or Cherry Pepsi).

It turned out wonderful! And it was so easy to make! I served it on hamburger buns with roasted asparagus, and homemade spicy garlic pickles on the side…Yum!

Ingredients:
¾ cup cola
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. vinegar (I used red wine vinegar, because that’s what I had on hand)
¾ tsp. chili powder
¾ tsp. ground mustard
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 boneless rump roast (2 pounds)
3 medium onions, chopped
1 cup ketchup

Combine everything but the roast, onions, and ketchup in a 4-cup measuring cup. Set aside.

Cut the roast in half crosswise, and brown meat on all sides in a nonstick skillet.

Place onions in a 3-quart slow cooker. Top with meat, and pour half the cola mixture over the meat (saving the other half and refrigerating it until later). Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat is tender. Remove meat from cooking liquid to cool a bit. Strain the onions from the liquid and put them back into the slow cooker, saving the liquid. Shred the beef with two forks and add it back to the slow cooker with the onions.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cola mixture that you saved in the refrigerator and about half the leftover liquid from the meat with the ketchup to make a barbecue sauce to add back to the meat and onions. Mix together and heat again to serve.