Home Making ~ The Ministry of Ironing

I was listening to a podcast this morning on gratitude.
I want to say thank you today to anyone who is taking the time to read my words.
It is so life-giving just to write creatively. And if anyone is consequently blessed by these words,
that just adds another layer of gratitude. So I want to say, “Thank you.”

I turn on the faucet and a thin stream of water fills the reservoir of my metal iron. Returning it to the ironing board, I push the plug into the outlet in the wall. It will take a few minutes to heat up the plate and produce the steam needed to get the wrinkles out of the fabric laid flat. Like divets in the road, like ridges on a hilltop, these little creases will be straightened and made plane.

I remember as a child watching my mother iron clothes every weekend. I didn’t have much of an appreciation for ironing back then. In fact, I determined in my adult years to only buy clothing that did not need an iron. I did not know then the many graces that were to be found in the ministry of ironing, but my mother knew, and one day I would learn it too.

As my mother faithfully ironed clothes on a Saturday evening, the fresh mown grass smell swooping in with the wind from my parent’s bay windows, my innermost thoughts would pour out in conversation. Sometimes I kneeled beside her bed and began to help fold towels. Sometimes I would just flop down on her bed forlorn about some kind of middle grade angst whether it was a friendship struggle, or an exciting fountain of news that must be told to someone and rejoiced in together, or perhaps just sharing my wildest dreams, thoughts and questions. Meanwhile, my mom ironed the clothes, the tablecloths that would grace the dining table for Sunday noon meal guests, and my dad’s buttoned shirts and slacks. Sometimes she would pull out her Bible and point me to one of the many verses highlighted there, the pages  scented with a fragrant real leather bookmark.

When my mother was standing at her post, serving our family through the ministry of ironing, the door stood open, an invitation for my sisters and I to come and chat. The warm glow of her lamps on the bedside tables drew us in. The view of Mt Baker southeast of our home in British Columbia, and the descent of the sun lit up the dusky sky with pink and orange hues upon the city of Vancouver from where our house was perched on a plateau that overlooked the Fraser Valley. This scene invited my sisters and I into conversation with her at the end of a long week.

When at a discipleship school in Texas in my college years, I was assigned to be a housekeeper for an elderly woman and a middle-age woman who shared a home together. These two women taught my friend and I their standards of housekeeping at their home and the specific ways they wanted things done. I was a little afraid to leave a speck of dirt unconquered or a plant not returned to its appointed place, because the standards were high. Their standard for excellence taught me the virtue of doing things well and offering my best to the Lord. These lovely and wise women always served us ice cream and enriched our souls with godly conversation after our work day. They taught me how to fold flat sheet corners on guest beds, brought us to tour their gorgeously renovated bed and breakfast mansion, and I learned how to set up a Texas patio greenhouse during the winter months to protect their garden conservatory, and how to take it apart in preparation for the summer months. It was such a joy to learn from them.

Many years later, just after our wedding, my husband and I were in Huemoz, Switzerland, living in a corner room of an old chalet in a Christian community called L’Abri, which in French means “the shelter”. One of our work days involved being invited to a home chalet, just down the hillside from the main chalet. A couple of us were assigned many housekeeping duties for the morning work: vacuuming their floors, washing dishes, preparing food, and yes, ironing tablecloths and bedsheets. I took it all in as I watched the woman of the house prepare food for about 20 of us who would be eating lunch at her home that day.

Classical music filled the home from a record player. She showed us how to set her table for the group, everything intentionally placed, and delicious food served to eager and impressionable young adults. As I worked, I listened to conversations, set my hands to the task, and absorbed all I could about the atmosphere of her home: a place of mutual love, with sunlight streaming in through windows, older children at play or work, a love of learning and strong work ethic meant to bless the community. It was just beautiful, and it left a mark on me and on my husband, another seed planted to prepare us for our work of preparing a home for our future children, in the ministry of parenting and the ministry of church work.

As I stood at my ironing board the other day, smoothing the wrinkles of a dress, there was a pleasant slowing down, a monotonous yet satisfying labor with my hands. There was a quietness, a methodical outpouring of love to care for and steward the resources God has given us. There in the quiet, my mind relaxed as if the creases in my thoughts, too, were getting ironed out.

Each of us are being formed daily, and the Lord continues to iron out the ridges and ruffles of my soul that come from living in a broken world. The Lord ministers to me in the quiet, and I am restored. In all the work of God’s faithful hands, he is preparing for us a home. All Christians, men and women are called to hospitality - ours is a faith of hospitality, the creating of home that shelters others in this dark world. The creating of a home is the creating of a city on a hill, a light to draw others out of the darkness into the Kingdom of Light. Our God is making a home for us here and in an unseen realm. One day the veil will be lifted and the new heaven and new earth will merge as one. Our God is the greatest home Maker. May we be home makers who reflect the joy and beauty of His work for those entrusted to our nurturing care.

John 14:2-3

“In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Bread and Wine - Lenten Reflections

Bread

I didn’t plan to remove gluten and wine from my personal menu this year, but when symptoms of food sensitivities began to reveal themselves and I could no longer bear them, I made the unwanted decision to remove these triggers and pursue the health of my body. The funny thing is that these symptoms began to pile up right around the beginning of Lent, a season of the church calendar that reminds us of our mortality, our brief lives pre-eternity. What was also funny, yet not entirely, was that I had just become good at making sour dough bread! What impeccable timing! The very food I cannot eat, the very food I crave fresh out of the oven slathered in salted butter, is the very thing that I must withhold from myself. And it taunts me in a way, the little glass mason jar of a sour dough culture that sits beneath my kitchen lamp or on the window sill after I’ve fed it. When preparing the bread for my kids, the fragrance of bread rising, baking, and cooling on the counter are in my senses of sight as I measure ingredients, of smell as the dough breathes, and of touch as I score the top of the boules with lovely designs. Everything within me says eat, and then I remember the Lord said hundreds of years ago,

“But he answered, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ~Matthew 4:4

Wine

I never really liked wine until I got married in my late twenties. My husband enjoyed it so I thought I would try a few sips at times. Mostly with a sour look and cringy face, I would take a few sips before passing it on to my husband to finish. But eventually I did acquire a taste and it was delightful. In the past several years, I have noticed that I started getting headaches that would last for hours. “Perhaps,” I thought , “White wine will be safe,” but most recently, when having a single glass, I ended up with a painful 20 hour headache. I declared that my journey with wine has ended… except on the Lord’s Day, as we gather with our church community. I take the bread and the wine during the Lord’s Supper, a small and simple portion, take, eat, drink.

What could all this mean? I sit and ponder.

“But he answered, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ~Matthew 4:4

The answer comes in the form of a catechism question and a dear sweet group of Kindergartners. While assisting at our little Christian school yesterday, the lovely teacher asked the class, “What is the Gospel?” The children replied, “Jesus!”

Amen!

The gospel is Jesus. Jesus is the Word, and He is my sustenance in this life and throughout eternity. He is nourishing my mind, body, and soul with His Word, every word that comes from the mouth of God.

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” ~ Matthew 26:26-29 ESV

Thankfully, my body can currently handle the bread and wine at communion, once a week, a small portion. But there may come a time when I may have to eat gluten-free communion bread and grape juice, and that will be okay, not quite as okay as the delicious homemade bread our bread team makes each week, but it will be okay! ;)

For now, I want to share with you a sour dough recipe that I’m certain you will enjoy (unless you can’t eat gluten)!

Sour Dough Bread Recipe: photos attached!

““Self-denial means knowing only Christ, and no longer oneself. It means seeing only Christ, who goes ahead of us, and no longer the path that is too difficult for us. Again, self-denial is saying only: He goes ahead of us; hold fast to him.” ”

— Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter, p. 49

The Necessity of Feeding on God's Word and How To Do That in the Little Years

Photo by Pierre-Alain Picard on Unsplash

There were times in my life where time alone was plenteous. Because I was single (and waiting patiently for my future husband to arrive on the timeline) I had so very much time available to me in my twenties when I was not studying at college or working a plethora of part time jobs to pay the bills. As an introvert, my time was not filled up with a lot of social activity, there was some, especially when it came to church ministry and serving the youth and young adults at my parent’s church plant. In those times, I was busy… driving kids to the bi-weekly community worship service in another town, planning Bible study, leading the youth music team and one of the adult music teams, practicing for our hilarious Christmas drama at church, and gathering for youth events, or just meeting up with young people for coffee. But in general, life was quiet; I had no cell phone and the internet was at my parent’s house where you could only access it if no one else was on the phone, and then, you had to dial up to connect. Those who remember that stage of the internet will recall the all too familiar tones emitting from the computer speakers as it laboriously attempted to connect to the world wide web, and the painstaking patience required to wait for it!

Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash

Sometimes I would pack up my journal, Bible, a book, and drive to a cozy coffee shop for an evening of writing and reflection while being serenaded by the instrumental jazz on the stereo playing overhead. Sometimes, I would venture down the ravine behind my parents house for some time alone amidst the woods, the sound of birdsong, the calming rhythm of the creek flowing ever on down towards the Fraser River from Whonnock Mountain where we lived. The views from my parents’ mountain sanctuary helped me get perspective on life. Lots of walks. Lots of thoughts. A quiet afternoon climbing over massive logs and dipping my feet in the Kanaka Creek while sunlight streamed through gathered trees watching over me like Tolkien’s faithful Ents, provided a perfect scene to spend time alone with the Lord Jesus and pour out my heart to Him, seek Him (even though I didn’t spend too long on that log that warm summer day when I realized all the berries were eaten half way up the surrounding bushes, and the thought of running into bear or cougar or coyote snapped me back into the reality of the wild… but still, it was awesome… except when I dislocated my knee going back up the ravine… but still, it was awesome.)

Photo by John Thomas on Unsplash

When the blessing of children arrived, those quiet times alone with the Lord became fewer and far between. The journaling stopped altogether as my energy was sapped much quicker and naps were an afternoon necessity! There were times when I would look up and say, “Lord, I miss you,” not that He was gone, but that my time alone with Him was now just different. While I absolutely loved being in this new season of motherhood, I had to find new rhythms of devotion, and the Lord gently led me into creative ways to “practice His presence”.

I wasn’t able to drink from the firehose of God’s Word in the same way I had before, and so it was a new season of learning by trial and error, how I was going to be in God’s Word. There were many ups and downs, many dry times, and as always with any new thing, it was a learning curve, and I had to learn to give myself grace. Over time, I found things that worked for me and didn’t work for me.

Hiking in St Louis, Missouri, 2015

2 Simple and Practical Ways to Get Into God’s Word:

1. Listen to the Bible on audiobook or stream online: We have access to so many ways to get into God’s Word in our current era, besides picking up the Bible and turning the pages. Ten years ago, my four babies were between the ages of 0 and 6 years old. We were starting some homeschooling and busy with crafting and snacks and play doh and snacks and getting everyone’s shoes and coats on to go to the community playground outside and snacks and changing diapers for two and potty training and… snacks! Life was gloriously full (and still is)! But I had little ones up at night, with sicknesses making its round through all four kids and sometimes little ones waking with bad dreams and needing consoling, or others waking up before the sun rose. So my capacity was quite limited. I wanted to wake up early and spend time alone with the Lord pouring over Scripture, but that did not happen in those years. In those years, the online version of the Bible I use was not streaming chapter to chapter. You could only play one chapter at a time, run back to the computer and click on the next chapter to hear it aloud. So I thought to myself, “What is the longest chapter in the Bible? I will just play that so I don’t have to run from the kitchen every few minutes… Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. I would put it on in the background while the kids and I were spending our mornings in the kitchen playing, cooking, drawing, learning, and eating snacks! That was one way to get the Word in my ears, and theirs! Now, technology has improved and you can play through any book of the Bible in one click, and even use apps on your phone. Even now that my kids are tweens and teens, I still listen to the audio Bible when I’m wanting to catch up on my Bible reading plan as I rush out the door to get everyone where they need to go.

2. Scripture Music is another great way to get the Word in your hearts and in your kids’ hearts and carry it with you throughout the day. There are so many songwriters out there doing this now, you could pick your favorite and easily memorize scripture and even the catechisms through song! I still play Scripture songs around the home to fill the environment of my home, and my mind with Truth and beautiful music, especially if its a particularly stressful day, or if I’m feeling maxed out, and want to help remind myself and my family of God’s ways and words. Music can set the tone of the home.

Reminders on Perspective:

In the early church days, the New Testament was yet to be written, and eventually those documents would be circulated hand to hand as people traveled to teach and encourage the young churches that were being organized. Letters that were shared were read aloud to gatherings of Christians. They didn’t have copies of these documents in their homes to wake up to in the morning and meditate on with a cup of steaming hot espresso. They did not have the beloved music of Chopin or Mozart or Yo Yo Ma to listen to on a streaming device or a record player. The adults probably woke up before the sunrise, to start the cooking fires and warm up the house, prepare the grains and proteins for cooking, take care of the children and animals, and start the day’s work of survival. Every day is a work of survival. Maybe they had saved enough water from the day before for an early morning tea or another ancient drink of herbs and spices.

But likely, believers would gather once a week or several times a week for the reading of God’s Word, for the work of the church, and to be taught the Scriptures. Maybe they would memorize large portions to pass to others and recite those. Likely, any meditation on Scripture was what they had memorized from church gatherings and repeated at home. Many Jewish Christians also had the Old Testament, and many portions, or all of the Pentateuch, memorized as a part of their lifestyle and education. But most importantly, the Word of God was now written on their hearts and they lived and breathed with God’s Spirit indwelling them. This revolutionized the world. The peace and presence of Immanuel, God with us, was now a daily reality and as living temples, they carried the presence of God with them wherever they went, the aroma of Christ.

So, if you cannot be consistent in daily Scripture reading, there is no shame. Jesus doesn’t shame you. There is no shame on this train. But also, we need to stay on this train.

God says that those who meditate on His Word day and night are happy, are blessed (Psalm 1:1-2). God says where your treasure is there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21). God says to not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed (Romans 12:1-2) and your heart and mind can be transformed and formed, literal neuropathways are formed when you read God’s Word and He transforms your thinking and thought life through these means when you saturate yourself in God’s Word.

So there is no shame (Romans 8:1) if you do not have capacity to live up to your ideals of Bible reading and frequent deep study of God’s Word, but on the other hand, He shows you the better way… Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, (Luke 10:42) spending time with the Word made flesh, soaking in every moment of hearing Him speak and filling her soul with Truth… that will not be taken away from you, and it is the better way to pursue.

Ice Cream Birthday Cake

Photo by American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash

Just before my husband turned 40 this month, and everything in our house started breaking and falling apart, I had organized some fun things to ring in this new decade for him! One thing was an ice cream cake! Our family loves ice cream, so very much. But looking up the cost, I was determined to just make my own and save the money. With help from an online recipe, a couple of tweaks, and my mom’s chocolate trifle recipe, this homemade ice cream cake is going down in the annals of the Harris Family Chronicles, or at least onto a recipe card for my recipe box. Its easy, its not quick, and its cost-effective!

First, you need to bake the cake portion and cool it, so its good to give yourself time for that. Here’s my mom’s Chocolate Trifle recipe:

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup baker’s cocoa
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

This recipe makes 2 round cake pan size chocolate cakes. Use just one for the ice cream cake and wrap the other in plastic wrap and freeze for another occasion!

Directions:
-put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix for 3 mins.
-pour the batter into two round cake pans
-bake @ 350 F for approx. 25 mins (consider your elevation and oven temps)
-let the cake cool

Once the cake round is cooled, you can follow the steps on the photo posted (back and front of my recipe card) and build your ice cream cake! I gotta run and pick up my kiddos!

Enjoy!

Summer Takes a Bow

The familiar sights and sounds of summer’s finale are upon us. Our apple tree, well-laden with abundance, has dropped delicious green apples that I have distributed to the hens; they get so excited for something special. I’m not sure what it meant, but when I dumped a pile of these apples into their coup the other day, one of them crouched down and started stamping her feet… perhaps in excitement or perhaps in frustration that I hadn’t brought them earlier! It is also fly season here. My youngest loads up his nerf gun and goes hunting. I am finding fly guts in random spots on my windows and walls these days. Tis the season of harvesting fruit!

Pencils, notebooks, and calculators have been stocked. The renovations at our church & school building have been artfully and intentionally designed by dear friends. Hand-crafted with beauty and meaning, the Lord works masterpieces from the loveliness of His mind, His guidance in every detail and the work of so many, many hands. We rejoice in all the Lord has done. Gardens of grace are being planted in places of despair, and the life of the Kingdom is bearing fruit with truth and beauty. As I look around our city, some leaves are beginning their faithful farewell, their one last act in their seasonal drama, as if taking a blushed bow before stepping off the stage.

Just a couple weeks ago, a precious baby was born in our church community and this weekend, I prepared a deliciously fun meal of homemade tortillas, smoked pork (thanks to my husband), rice, and all the mouth-watering garnishes for a scrumptious meal of tacos. We frequently bake our own tortillas - our kids won’t have it any other way. We live in a city that is over 50% hispanic, one of our favorite cultures to live in, so we have adapted to cooking Mexican food weekly! On a trip to Papalote ten years ago, we received a cookbook from the women of the church we were visiting, and now Maria’s Tortillas are our go-to recipe forever! I’ve attached it here if you’d like to try your hand at home made tortillas… but get ready to be committed. Once your children try it, they won’t ask for any other kind. I’m very thankful for a kind neighbor who taught me how to make authentic tortillas from scratch many years ago with a tortilla press! The Hermanas of Papalote use a one inch PVC pipe to roll out the dough, but they say a rolling pin would work too!

It is the beginning of a new school year for my precious ones. One is in her Freshman year, two are in the Middle School years and one is starting 4th grade! I’ve been goal-setting and making plans of all kinds including what to listen to on my many drives this Fall to and from our little classical school, to violin lessons, piano lessons, and football practice. I have audiobooks aplenty. I plan to share a list here soon of what I’m listening to and learning these days.

We enjoyed a special “back to school” Tea Time on the Patio last week. Each one of them got a personal tea party with me as we shared espresso, Scottish breakfast tea, and donuts. We chatted and laughed, and had meaningful heart to heart moments. I shared with each of them a scripture passage, Jesus’ words calling his disciples to abide in Him, the true vine. I prayed for each one. It was our little summer finale, a way to be thankful for this season God has given us with sweet treats and tea, and make way for Autumn joys to arrive.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

-John 15:1-17 ESV

Grapes from my father’s backyard vineyard

A Little Night Music in July

Photo by LAUREN GRAY on Unsplash

My Mom set apart Sunday mornings as very special in every way she managed our home on the Lord’s Day. Worship filled our home from the moment my sisters and I awoke as music from the record player downstairs beckoned us to begin anew. Dad was already at church rehearsing his sermon, praying, quietly setting up, and making sure everything was ready for the service. It was the 80’s, so with puffy sleeves, feathered hair, jean purses, and jelly shoes, we made our way to church. My mom would give us each a quarter to put into the offering.

It was those first moments of waking to music that I’ve been thinking about this month. I recall songs from Connie Scott, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Hosanna! Music Praise series such as one of my favorites… 1989’s Victory Chant! Turn up the music!

I wanted to carry on this tradition with my family of setting apart Sunday mornings as a special time for the kids and I, while my husband went to work to prepare the music for church as a worship pastor, and now in our church plant as pastor. I put on the music on our streaming device and light a candle, bake dutch baby pancakes with powder sugar on top. We quietly get ready for the morning. Sometimes we leave early, depending on how we’re helping serve that week. But the morning is set apart with worship and a delicious breakfast.

A whole slew of music has accompanied our Lord’s Day mornings over the years, but lately I’ve been playing Josh Garrels’ album, Peace to All Who Enter Here, to lead us into worship of our God as we prepare our hearts to worship with our church family.

If you haven’t heard this album yet, I hope you enjoy each one of these songs as eine kleine nachtmusik in July, and may it accompany your Lord’s Day mornings as well. Prepare well, for it is the Lord we worship. Exalt the Lord our God!

Dutch Baby Pancakes:

1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs - lightly beaten
4 Tb butter (I love salted!)
Directions… Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put it all in a bowl and mix together! While the oven is preheating, put your cast iron skillet in the oven to heat up. When ready to pour the batter, melt 2 Tb butter in skillet. Pour in the batter and bake for 15 mins until pancake is golden brown and climbing up the sides. Pull out of the oven and sprinkle with powder sugar. You can also sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with jam, fresh fruit, or chocolate chips. Enjoy with your people around the table!

Grace upon grace,

Jen

Gardening, Cozy Homemade Pizza Dough, & Refreshing Iced Vanilla Coffee

Our first strawberries

I’m having an unusually slow Friday, sipping a half drunk iced coffee I made too late in the day, listening to instrumental jazz music, having planted a little cherry tomato plant in an old wooden box I’ve been keeping for years. This spring, we made a spontaneous decision after making many plans for year 3 of our vegetable garden… we aren’t planting a garden this year.

We have many plans this summer, and our human limitations required us to take a year off from gardening. Instead, we are going to create systems and focus on preparing the ground for garden boxes and a drip system, so that next year when we plant, we will be ready for a successful growing season.

In many of the same ways, we are laying more foundations for our church and school this summer. You might say we are planting a garden, but its of the worship and education variety this summer. There will be scraping of decades-old paint, much cleaning, setting up, and preparing a renovated space for our little school. We will be starting a youth girls and youth boys club for our church plant so we can intentionally disciple these awesome youth and build community and relationships. May God establish all these little gardens of grace.

Though we will be taking a break from the large garden plot, I dug up my blueberry starts that I had already planted, my strawberry plants from last year, bought some herbs and repotted those near our front door where I will be sure to water them every morning and evening this summer. I’ll nurture my little cherry tomato plant. And when I’m missing the garden, I’ll go to glean from our parents’ gardens! For now, we have shared our first strawberry and enhanced our meals with cilantro, rosemary, and Thai basil.

Photo by Nadya Spetnitskaya on Unsplash

A few years ago, I found this recipe for homemade pizza dough. It is our family’s favorite, and we regularly enjoy it on a Friday evening, when the week is done, we’ve worked diligently, and we’ve played hard. Even though we are already in the throws of a 90+ degree spring heat wave, the air conditioning unit is keeping us cool and we can truly call it a “cozy” meal! Here is the recipe if you’d like to try it out:

2 cups hot water
3 tsp active dry yeast
2 TB honey
2 tsp sugar
4.5 cups flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
*optional 1/4 tsp onion powder)
olive oil

Directions:
Pour the hot water in a mixer and sprinkle the yeast. Allow it to sit for a few mins (sometimes I don’t wait!) Add all the other ingredients into the bowl except the oil, and mix slowly (or speedy) until combined. Mix for around 7 mins… or just for a little while (I’m not too exact with recipes which sometimes doesn’t help me). Coat the ball of dough lightly in olive oil, just to prevent it from drying out while you wait for it to rise a tad. You can then cover the bowl with a lovely tea towel of your choosing - I’m sure you have some pretty ones! Check out these favorites here! I’ve given a couple of these ones away as gifts as well. The dough can rest while you read another chapter of your favorite book, switch the laundry over, and respond to a text… okay should be ready! Likely it has doubled in size if the yeast is good. If not, that’s okay too, it will still taste yeasty! That’s the most important part! I forgot… preheat your oven to 480 degrees, grease a pan, and be ready to roll out the dough. I usually get 2-3 pizzas out of this amount of dough which is perfect for our family in the tween & teen years. Bake the pizza dough for 4 mins, then pull out of oven, top with desired sauces and toppings. Bake for 8ish more mins or until the crust is slightly brown and cheese is melted! Enjoy with your people!

Iced Vanilla Coffee at home

That iced coffee I was talking about, yes… let’s get back to that, shall we? We were given an espresso machine when we moved here three years ago. So I just brew a couple shots of espresso, pour it over ice from the fridge, and pour in the whole milk. Then I add a splash of vanilla extract (actually I use the imitation vanilla, the fake vanilla to save money.) It tastes delightful and some times there are little hands coming to ask for a sip of my “mommy drink”!

May your weekend be filled with beautiful moments of serving your people.