“Great in all the Earth is Your glory oh God
The universe declares how amazing You are
Over history, and eternity, You alone are Lord and King”
~Great in all the Earth – Starfield
Rural Church Tradition
I grew up in rural southeastern Arkansas and lived way out in the woods. The small church I attended until it disbanded was also way out in the woods but only a couple of miles from our house. Although the church stopped being active many years ago as the families who once lived in the area moved away, each year on the fourth Sunday in April we still have Homecoming.
As I said, I lived in the country… Go down this road about 8 miles and then take a right and go another mile. Or take a left and in a couple of miles, you arrive at the church.
Homecoming is when when the families gather once again at the little country church. The morning is spent singing the old southern gospel songs, I’ll Fly Away, Victory in Jesus, Camping in Canaan’s Land, Never Grow Old, I’d Rather be an Old Time Christian, etc. In addition to the old upright piano, recent years have seen the addition of guitars for the singing.
Lunch is “dinner on the grounds” – everyone brings potluck and it is spread out on boards on top of posts in the back of the church.
Homecoming used to be in July but the church has never had electricity (propane lights were used when the church was active) and after a couple years of people bringing generators in order to run some fans, the decision was made to move Homecoming to April when it is not so beastly hot.
The day is spent renewing friendships, visiting the cemetery and chatting with family. And once a year, the old tiny church is filled with songs of praise and love among the people of Christ.
Broccoli Slaw
With the beautiful weather, we are taking advantage of the grill for many of our evening meals. Looking for something to go with our pork kebobs, I remembered broccoli slaw. It is easy to prepare ahead of time and provides a crunchy and chewing contrast to the grilled meat. I enjoy a little “tang” in my salad so I increased the amount of apple cider vinegar.
Broccoli Slaw
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) package broccoli slaw
2 small Rome apples, chopped (I had Golden Delicious on hand so substituted one Golden Delicious for the Rome apples)
1/2 cup raisins
Whisk together the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; gradually whisk in oil. Add broccoli slaw, apple, and raisins; toss well to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours.
Wild Azalea
One of the signs of spring in this area, in addition to the many blooming trees and wildflowers, is the wild azalea, Rhododendron canescens. It comes in varying shades of pink ranging from a very light pink to a rosy pink. The blooms only last for a short time but add a wonderful touch to color as you are walking in the woods or driving along the roads.
A Reminder from Micah
O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 (NLT)
Cinnamon Nut No-Knead Bread
I have been totally involved with planting and weeding when not at work for the past month – thankfully spring finally arrived, although we have a frost warning tonight! Here is a post I started in January but never got around to publishing. Enjoy!
This makes a great breakfast or snack variation of the no-knead bread which is baked in a cast iron pot at high heat. I just used cinnamon and nuts, but you can also add raisins or other dried fruit.
Cinnamon Nut No-Knead Bread
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 3/4 cups water
Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together. Add the cinnamon and nuts and mix together. Add water and mix into a moist dough.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours
Heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven has reached 450, place cast iron pot and lid in oven for 30 minutes. While the pot and lid are heating, remove the dough from the bowl onto a well-floured surface and form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
(Tip: use a sheet of floured parchment paper and turn dough out on the parchment paper, form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. When you are ready to cook, you can pick up with parchment with the dough on it and place in the hot pot. Use scissors to cut away excess paper or fold down to make sure you still have a tight fit with the pot lid.)
After heating for 30 minutes, remove the hot pot from oven and place dough in pot (Be careful!).
Cover and place the pot in oven at 450 degrees. After baking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven. The bread should slip out of the pot and then place on a rack to cool. If desired, spread with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.Slice and enjoy!
Ball of dough setting while pot and lid are heating
Slice and enjoy!
Auction Day
We stopped by the annual auction at the Fivepointville Firehouse last weekend. There was an abundance of farm and garden equipment for sale, along with household materials, bicycles and buggies. There is a large Old Order Mennonite community in the Fivepointville area plus Amish so many people arrived by buggy or bicycle. It was a beautiful spring day to enjoy the action.
Old Order Mennonites ride bicycles in addition to using the black buggies (Amish do not ride bicycles). While Amish only use solid colors in their clothes, Old Order Mennonites dress plain but use small prints and different styles. Head dress is also different between the two groups. The round large brimmed straw hats in the top picture are Amish, while the black and natural straw hats with the more narrow brim are Old Order Mennonite.
Don’t you love girls with braids?
People arrived using all types of transportation. In general the black buggies are Old Order Mennonite and Pennsylvania Amish buggies are gray.
And a reminder to the buggy drivers!
Rejected…. again
This year we were sure the Eastern bluebirds were going to nest in one of our bluebird houses. For the past several years, we have spent a fortune on mealworms, made sure there was always fresh water in the winter and pampered the bluebirds in every way we could in hopes of having a nesting pair. Each year, they have decided to eat the mealworms, enjoy the birdbath but when it came to nesting they still preferred a tree cavity or perhaps a neighbor’s birdhouse.
This year the birds gorged on mealworms.
They enjoyed the birdbath
And then, we had a pair investigating one of the houses.
The male inspected it.
Outside and inside
The female inspected it.
The male guarded it and chased away the other males.
They inspected it together. Lots of going in and going out. Surely they are going to nest this year.
But once again, they appear to have found another location for their nest. They still stop by to eat mealworms but no activity around the boxes now. Each year I threaten to not feed them mealworms if they are not going to nest. But each year, I give in to the beautiful blue color and head to the store for another container of mealworms. Maybe next year….
Steel Cut Oats No – Knead Bread
One of my favorite no-knead variations…. This version of no-knead bread uses steel cut oats in the dough to yield bread that is denser than the traditional no-knead bread. It is a great choice to use with a slice of cheese or a bowl of soup.
Steel Cut Oats No-Knead Bread
2 1/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1/2 cup steel cut oats (uncooked)
4 tablespoons flax seeds
1 1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together. Add the oats and flax seeds. Add water and vinegar and mix into a moist dough.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours
Heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven has reached 450, place cast iron pot and lid in oven for 30 minutes. While the pot and lid are heating, remove the dough from the bowl onto a well-floured surface and form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
(Tip: use a sheet of floured parchment paper and turn dough out on the parchment paper, form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. When you are ready to cook, you can pick up with parchment with the dough on it and place in the hot pot. Use scissors to cut away excess paper or fold down to make sure you still have a tight fit with the pot lid.)
After heating for 30 minutes, remove the hot pot from oven and place dough in pot (Be careful!).
Cover and place the pot in oven at 450 degrees. After baking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven. The bread should slip out of the pot and cool on a rack.
Mixing the dough
Forming the ball after setting for 12- 18 hours
Cook, cool, slice and enjoy!
Philadelphia Flower Show
This year I served as a volunteer Horticulture Barrier Aide at the Philadelphia Flower Show – that means I stood behind the judges holding one end of a plastic rope to keep people away from the judges as they were judging the flowers. We followed our group of judges through may different classes including container gardens, evergreens, rock gardens, begonias and many more. It was very tiring standing still on a concrete floor for three hours behind the judges but the bonus was time to view the show before it opened to the public and to dream about spring.
Chocolate Nut Cherry No Knead Bread
Yet another variation of the no-knead bread baked in cast iron at high heat… This version uses cocoa to add a chocolate flavor. I also added some sugar to make it a little sweet and chopped nuts and dried cherries. For my first loaf, I used two tablespoons of cocoa which yielded a mild chocolate flavor. The second version has more cocoa and sugar for a little stronger chocolate taste. If you are a real chocoholic, you can also add chocolate chips. This is a great bread for breakfast or for a treat. More no-knead variations can be found here. Enjoy!
Chocolate Nut Cherry No-Knead Bread
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
2 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4Â cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 1/2 cups water
Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together. Add cocoa, sugar, nuts and cherries and mix. Add water and mix into a moist dough.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours
Heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven has reached 450, place cast iron pot and lid in oven for 30 minutes. While the pot and lid are heating, remove the dough from the bowl onto a well-floured surface and form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
(Tip: use a sheet of floured parchment paper and turn dough out on the parchment paper, form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. When you are ready to cook, you can pick up with parchment with the dough on it and place in the hot pot. Use scissors to cut away excess paper or fold down to make sure you still have a tight fit with the pot lid.)
After heating for 30 minutes, remove the hot pot from oven and place dough in pot (Be careful!).
Cover and place the pot in oven at 450 degrees. After baking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven. The bread should slip out of the pot and then cool on a rack.
Mixing the dough
After setting for 12-18 hours, form into a ball
Bake, cool, slice and enjoy!
Chocolate Nut Cherry No-Knead Bread Version 2
For this version follow the directions above but increase the cocoa and sugar to:
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons sugar
Mix and cook as directed above. Here is the finished loaf!
2013 Great Backyard Bird Count
This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count sponsored by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. The four-day count is an opportunity for bird watchers from all over the United States and Canada to submit a list of the different species visiting their yards.
Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes or all day and then submit the total number of birds for each species observed during the count. The scientists analyze the data to answer questions about the winter bird population, such as; how the weather is affecting the movement of the population; what new species are sighted in particular areas of the country; what species are declining and what species are increasing.
On most days some of the species that we see in our backyard include:
Red Bellied Woodpecker
White Breasted Nuthatch
Hairy Woodpecker
Carolina Wren
American Goldfinch
Mourning Dove
Tufted Titmouse
Dark-Eyed Junco
Back Capped Chickadee
Pileated Woodpecker
Crow
Cardinal
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Bluebird
House Finch
White-Throat Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
Whether for a few minutes or hours, watching the birds is a lot of fun. So grab your binoculars and start counting!
Fastnachts (German Doughnuts)
Today is Fastnacht Day here in the Pennsylvania German area of Pennsylvania. I have copied my post from last year about fastnachts below. Happy Fastnacht Day!
There are two different traditions in my life related to the German yeast doughnuts known as fastnachts or fashnachts. My German mother-in-law made fastnachts on Good Friday because they abstained from meat on that day (I never understood how eating warm freshly made yeast doughnuts was a sacrifice but I considered it a great tradition every Good Friday that we were at her house). My mother-in-law’s doughnuts were allowed to rise three times, cut in squares, fried and coated with sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Since we live in the Pennsylvania German area, we also have the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of fastnachts. Fastnacht Day for the Pennsylvania Dutch is Shrove Tuesday–the day before Lent begins. The idea is to use up the extra fat and sugar in the house and to have a treat before beginning the solemn season of Lent. The Pennsylvania Dutch fastnachts are a mashed potato based yeast dough, fried in lard and usually coated with powdered sugar. In this area, the Pennsylvania Dutch fastnachts are traditionally eaten with Turkey brand syrup.
If you like a yeast doughnut, both variations are great and if you follow both traditions, you get PA Dutch fastnachts on Shrove Tuesday and you can have my mother-in-law’s fastnachts on Good Friday. Below is the recipe for my mother-in-law’s doughnuts which I will call “Minna’s Fastnachts” and further below is a recipe for the tradition Pennsylvania German fastnachts.
The first step in the making the fastnachts is mixing and keading the yeast dough and letting it rise until doubled.
After rising one time, it is punched down to rise again.
After rising the second time, the dough is rolled out on a floured surface and cut into squares. A pizza cutter works well for cutting the dough.
Then the cut doughnuts rise one more time.
Finally time to cook.
After removing the cooked doughnuts from hot grease, drain on paper towels and then roll in a sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Eat and enjoy!
Minna’s Fastnachts
2 packages of dry yeast
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup milk, scalded
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
7 cups sifted all-purpose flour (approximately)
Sugar and cinnamon
1. Soften active dry yeast in warm water (110 degrees). Combine milk, shortening, sugar and salt; cool to lukewarm.
2. Add 2 cups of the flour; beat well. Add softened yeast and egg; mix. Add enough of remaining flour to make soft dough.
3. Turn out on lightly floured surface; knead till smooth and satiny (about 8 minutes).
4. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 1//4 hours). Punch down. Let rise again until double (about 55 minutes).
5. Roll dough 1/3 inch thick. Cut into squares (I find pizza cutter works well for cutting dough). Let rise till very light (30-40 minutes).
6. Fry in deep hot fat (375 degrees) until browned. Drain on paper towels. While warm, roll the doughnuts in cinnamon/sugar mixture to coat.
Here is a recipe for PA Dutch fastnachts. If you do not want to use lard, check the link below for more of the traditional recipes.
Pennsylvania Dutch Fastnachts
2 cups scalded milk
1/2 cup lard
1 cup mashed potatoes (no salt, mil, or butter added)
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 well beaten eggs
1 package yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
7 cups flour, approximately
1. Scald milk and add mashed potatoes, sugar, salt and lard. Cool until lukewarm.
2. Add eggs. Add yeast which has been dissolved in 1/4 cup lukewarm water and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead well and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Roll 1/2 inch thick on a floured board. Cut into squares and place on a cloth. Let rise until doubled in size.
4. Fry in hot fat and coat with powdered sugar while warm.
For more recipes for PA Dutch fastnachts, click here.
Edge of the Storm
Our area just got the edge of the big snowstorm for another inch of snow. So far this winter, we have not had a major snowstorm but we are still just in February.
When the snow comes through it is a great time to watch the birds…
And to bake something good.
And to think about the coming spring (with my pot of daffodils from the grocery store).
Parmesan Garlic No-Knead Bread
Here is yet another variation of the no-knead crusty break baked at high heat in cast iron. This is a good choice to go with any type of Italian food. For more variations on no-knead bread, click here. Other no-knead recipes coming soon include chocolate cherry, cinnamon not and steel cut oats so make sure you check back.
Parmesan Garlic No-Knead Bread
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 1/2 cups water
Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together. Add the Parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano and mix together. Add water and mix into a moist dough.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours
Heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven has reached 450, place cast iron pot and lid in oven for 30 minutes. While the pot and lid are heating, remove the dough from the bowl onto a well-floured surface and form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
(Tip: use a sheet of floured parchment paper and turn dough out on the parchment paper, form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. When you are ready to cook, you can pick up with parchment with the dough on it and place in the hot pot. Use scissors to cut away excess paper or fold down to make sure you still have a tight fit with the pot lid.)
After heating for 30 minutes, remove the hot pot from oven and place dough in pot (Be careful!).
Cover and place the pot in oven at 450 degrees. After baking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven. The bread should slip out of the pot and then cool on a rack.
After setting for 12-18 hours
Form into a ball while pan and lid heat for 30 minutes
Bake, slice and enjoy!
Water for the Birds in Winter
A source of clean fresh water is essential for the birds. During much of the year, they can find natural sources but as winter hits in many areas, the creeks and puddles become frozen. During the winter, a birdbath will be very popular with the local birds. If you live where it drops below freezing frequently, then you will need to add a warmer to the bath to keep it ice free. Birdbath warmers are sold in many bird supply stores and in “big box” stores with the birdseed.
Here is a brief sampling of the birds at our bird bath. The cord over the edge of the birdbath is the cord for the warmer.
Very Berry No Knead Bread
Another variation on the no-knead method of baking bread in cast iron to yield a bakery-style bread with crusty outside and soft inside. This variation uses dried berries to make a great breakfast loaf.
Very Berry No-Knead Bread
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup dried berries (cranberries, cherries, blueberries)
1 1/2 cups water
Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together. Add the sugar, dried berries and mix. Add water and mix into a moist dough.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours
Heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven has reached 450, place cast iron pot and lid in oven for 30 minutes. While the pot and lid are heating, remove the dough from the bowl onto a well-floured surface and form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
(Tip: use a sheet of floured parchment paper and turn dough out on the parchment paper, form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. When you are ready to cook, you can pick up with parchment with the dough on it and place in the hot pot. Use scissors to cut away excess paper or fold down to make sure you still have a tight fit with the pot lid.)
After heating for 30 minutes, remove the hot pot from oven and place dough in pot (Be careful!).
Cover and place the pot in oven at 450 degrees. After baking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven. The bread should slip out of the pot and cool on a rack.
Mixing the dough with the dried berries
After the dough has set 12-18 hours
Forming into a ball while pan and lid heats in 450 degree oven
Cool, slice and enjoy!
Two Sparrows
There are two different types of sparrows sitting in our discarded Christmas tree (Christmas trees make great cover for the birds during the winter. After we remove the decorations, we move it to the patio for the birds). The upper sparrow is a song sparrow and the lower is the easily identified white-throat sparrow.
Here is another view of the white-throat. They are winter birds in our area arriving in November and leaving again in the spring. They have the very distinctive white-throat and the patch of yellow by their eyes.
The song sparrow has stripes on its upper chest and frequently has a black spot in the center of its chest. It does have a white throat but not as distinctive as the white-throat. It also has stripping on its head. Both sparrows are ground feeders and add beauty and interest to the cold winter’s days.
Blackberry Cake
During the summer, I picked 19 pounds of blackberries at our local orchard. This winter the frozen berries have been wonderful as pies and cobblers. This recipe is a cross between a cobbler and a cake and a very good way to use some blackberries.
Blackberry Cake
1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
Powdered sugar
1. Butter and dust with flour a 9-inch cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Slowly beat with a mixer to blend, then beat on high speed until creamy.
3. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder and eggs. Stir to combine, then beat on high speed until the stiff batter is well blended.
4. Spread batter into the cake pan.
5. Scatter berries evenly over batter. Sprinkle fruit with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
6. Bake at 350 degrees until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan, 55 – 60 minutes (I used extra berries on top, about 2 cups, so I baked an additional 10 minutes.).
7. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Muesli No-Knead Bread
This variation of the no knead bread baked in cast iron uses Bob’s Red Mill Muesli Cereal to make a breakfast loaf with grains, dates, seeds and raisins. Baking the moist dough at high temperatures in the cast iron yields a loaf with crusty chewy exterior and soft tender interior.
Muesli No-Knead Bread
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Muesli Cereal (uncooked)
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 3/4 cups water
Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together. Add the Muesli cereal. Add water and mix into a moist dough.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours
Heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven has reached 450, place cast iron pot and lid in oven for 30 minutes. While the pot and lid are heating, remove the dough from the bowl onto a well-floured surface and form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
(Tip: use a sheet of floured parchment paper and turn dough out on the parchment paper, form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. When you are ready to cook, you can pick up with parchment with the dough on it and place in the hot pot. Use scissors to cut away excess paper or fold down to make sure you still have a tight fit with the pot lid.)
After heating for 30 minutes, remove the hot pot from oven and place dough in pot (Be careful!).
Cover and place the pot in oven at 450 degrees. After baking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven. The bread should slip out of the pot and then cool on a rack.
The muesli bread dough setting for 12- 18 hours
Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap while the pan and lid heat for 30 minutes
Place ball into hot pan. If using parchment paper, you can use the paper to lift the dough and place in pan. Trim extra paper.
Removing loaf from oven (I use the Lodge Combo Cooker so I place the bread in the lid of the cooker and use the pot as the lid)
Slice and enjoy!
