Hospitality

So it's been a while, years actually and I will admit they have been tough. Even though I never lost my faith I have felt lonely. In my heart I knew I was not abandoned, but in my reality I have  not felt welcomed by my family of faith. I pray on that every day. More in that later.......

All of this has brought me to a contemplation on hospitality...the act of being hospitable. What does it mean to be hospitable... where have we lost the art of hospitality. In this world of on line relationships, designer home magazines and gourmet cooking we treat each other as strangers ....even our own families. We  have 500 friends on facebook, but have not invited anyone into our home for a year. We only want to present a people to see our picture perfect world that we have created in cyberspace.... not the real human soul that God created. We want our every post to be "liked",   We plan Mega parties for baby showers and spend 50k on a wedding, .but do not reach out and really love our brothers and sisters in Christ........ What's wrong with this picture

So here I go... a blog about the lost art of hospitality. I have asked my friends and family, even a party planner I know how we got so off track, no one seems to know. I have watched my own family struggle with the simple acts of hospitality. It shouldn't be so hard.

Now these posts won't all be serious and downers. A party should be fun and we should celebrate every time we come together so I hope you will hang in there with me and together maybe we can figure this out.

Lets start with seeking our Lords council. Hear is what the bible has to say:      / 

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 1 Peter 4:8-11 :

That should give us all something to think about.

I'll be back soon

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part Deux

I began with Apple....easier than berry according to Miss Molly,one of my now many mentors.

Here is my second attempt. It's not perfect, but much prettier than the first one. I think I may be in to something, ugly or not, both pies were very light and flaky. The bottom cooked nicely and both layers held up to the filling while not being thick, doughy or tough. As a matter of fact. they melted in your mouth. I had to make a second pie as Middle Son absconded with half of the first one. I said before he loves Pie

My mentors are still arguing. Lard vs butter vs Crisco? A 2-1 ratio vs 3-1 ratio of flour to fat or maybe somewhere in between. I used Gala Apples.... which my research has shown me are never suggested for pies. Hubby and I liked them, but I will experiment with more traditional types. I am including the recipe I used below and the link. For now I will keep trying

Vodka Pie Crust Recipe
Makes dough for one 9” double crust pie.

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar (optional)
• 1 cup unsalted cold butter (2 sticks)
• 3-4 TBS cold vodka
• 3-4 TBS cold water

How to Make Pie Crust

1. Measure the flour, salt, and sugar into the bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse several times to mix the dry ingredients.
3. Drop the cold butter, a chunk at a time, into the flour, pulsing between additions until all the butter is added, and the consistency of the mixture is that of large crumbs.
4. Combine the cold vodka and water in a measuring cup.
5. With the processor running, slowly add the liquid into the flour mixture until the dough is moist enough to adhere into a ball in the bowl. Most if not all the liquid should be incorporated into the dough, which will be quite moist.
6. Divide the dough into two balls, one slightly larger than the other (about a 55% to 45% division).
7. Place each ball on a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into slightly flattened rounds. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for a minimum of eight hours or up to 2-3 days.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Flaky vodka pie crust recipe for sweet or savory pies - Midland-Odessa Food | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/food-in-midland-odessa/flaky-vodka-pie-crust-recipe-for-sweet-or-savory-pies#ixzz1YMbEohCn

Let's try this again

So my goal to document a year of dinners has failed.... no surprise there. If I was having trouble coming up with a dinner theme, blogging about it would be infinitely more difficult... DUH

So I am moving on to Pie. I am reading a clever little book, called "Humble Pie", that I picked up at our local "Friends of the Library" book sale. I must confess, it has sparked my inner Pie Maker.

That being said. I am a clearly not a Pie Maker,. Nor do I come from a line of Pie Makers My pies to date are neither spectacular or even edible. My one success was a semi Mile High Apple Pie made for my middle Sons birthday. He loves Apple Pie, so after watching and episode of something on the Food Network, I decided to attempt my own. It wasn't as large as the one on TV and not even all that petty... but it did weigh. in at an incredible 8 pounds. Up till now frozen and graham cracker crusts have been my friend, a light and flaky pastry has just not been a high priority for me.

Here is my new goal. I will try at least one pie a week. I made a Rustic Berry Crostata on Friday with berries from my own yard. The juice ran out, and the crust was a little tough, but Papa ate it all so I will attempt another. I will research old cookbooks and websites. I will try a new one each week until I find success. I will keep you posted with the results and recipes

Here is the recipe for the Mixed Berry Crostata from Country Living Magazine :

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup(s) (plus 1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup(s) (plus 2 tablespoons) sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup(s) raspberries
• 1 cup(s) fresh blackberries
• 1 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon(s) turbinado sugar

---

Directions

1. Make the dough: Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Form a well in center of the dry ingredients and place the butter and 1 egg in the well. Using your hands, mix the ingredients into a soft, pliable dough. Form it into a 4-inch disk and place it on lightly floured parchment paper. Lightly dust the dough with flour and roll it into a 10-inch circle. Place dough with parchment on a baking sheet, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and chill for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Make the crostata: In a small bowl, mix remaining flour and sugar and set aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and evenly spread the flour and sugar mixture on the dough, leaving a 1-inch-wide border around the edge. Place berries on top of the mixture and sprinkle with lemon juice. Fold the 1-inch border over top of the berries to form a 9-inch crostata.
3. Bake the crostata: Lightly brush the top of the crostata dough with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake on the middle rack of the oven -- about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and slide crostata with the parchment paper onto a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Read more: Mixed-Berry Crostata - Country Living

Whats For Dinner

Whats for Dinner.

This seems to be the #1 question on my mind every day. I find myself asking friends, family and strangers alike..." what are you making"

I could be prepared..plan a week or month of menus, but I jut can't get into that. I mean how will I know on Sunday that I want meatloaf on Tuesday. I am a cook of the moment.

Right now I love Wednesdays and Saturdays. That's when the farmers market is open here. I love checking out the produce from Ocean Air Farms and other local growers. This inspires me... fresh Broccoli... maybe we'll have some Chicken and rice... Nice Basil begets homemade Pesto.

Anyway I have decided to try and blog 365 days of Dinner. I will warn you now. there may be a few dinners out, although Big Wu and I do not go out often. We find we can make everything better and cheaper at home. We do however like the occasional take and bake Pizza. There may be a few repeats.. we do have out favorites, and I will try to post recipes when I can.

Here we go.

Small Blessings

Papa and I are so blessed this week... we get to have the grandkids for 4 whole days.

And that was all I posted. Whew.....I forgot what toddlers were like. Still Blessings, But I am one tired Grandma

What was lost is found

When middle son Sir Snarkalot was in high school he wrote a song for his Lady K. When I say write I do not mean the usual angst laden poems of teen age romance. No... he wrote a song for her to dance to at the school dance concert. He wrote it, then went in his bedroom and laid down the tracks. He played the guitar and sang his own harmony. all on his laptop... in his bedroom. His father and I were amazed. Snark was always musical. By highschool, he sang, played Trombone, steel drum and he taught himself guitar, but I had no idea he could do this. It was a beautiful song...ans she was beautiful as she danced to it. I loved the song so much that that he burned it on a CD for me and wrote on it for me. The dance teacher also included it on a cd of music from the concert which I bought, and when I got his hand me down laptop. the song was in the hard drive.

Then it was gone, the laptop died and the CD's disappeared as CD's are wont to do around my house. 6 years have passed since he graduated. I have been looking for that CD for 4 of them. It broke my heart that I could not find it. He has since played it again with his band providing backup..but it's not the same

Two weeks ago We spent the whole day at the river with some friends and the boys and their wives. When Sir Snarkalot showed up, his big brother pulled him aside and started taking to him in Chines Pig Latin... a language my kids used when they were young to try and communicate in secret, Back then I could easily interpret it... but it seems that as as time has passed I have lost my ear, anyway they had quite a conversation and seemed pretty excited about something. At
the end of a wonderful day in the sun..... after the hot dogs were cooked and the sand was rinsed off the grandkids....I got in the car to moved it closer. The stereo came on and a familiar song started. Sounds like his song I sighed.. I am always hearing songs that remind me if his. I maneuvered the car in place and turned it off just as the lyrics started..... wait... was that a familiar voice... I turned the car back on....it was..... it was his song..... I threw open the car door and jumped out to the grinning smile of my boys..... the missing CD was found.

Best Day Ever

Just finished the second book in my Summer reading pile.

The first was a cozy mystery featuring Beatrix Potter, "The Tale Of Hill Top Farm". It was the first in a series and I have ordered the second from my local independent book store. The setting was rich and the characters enjoyable. It was a quick, light read.

My second choice was very out of character for me, It is called "Graveminder" by Melissa Marr and I read a review of it at Booktribe. I had to read the book with my hands over my eyes, a difficult task indeed... as I do not like scary... not one bit.... I couldn't even read the "Twilight" books at bedtime. I read Graveminder in two days... even though I couldn't read it in bed. I enjoyed the book and even though it wrapped up at the end, I can see it being a series. I felt that there was more story to tell... the author left quite a few things open and a few of her characters unfinished, however I would recommend it. Had a theme of family and duty and a very different take on the afterlife. Most readers won't find it a scary book... I really didnt either. Just a little touch of the paranormal, but for me.... best read in direct sunlight