Pie Pumpkins! ..A Re-post

Just came home from the store with a wreath for the front door and the first pie pumpkins of the season. Those pie pumpkins brought to mind a post from last year, so, I decided that re-post is in order. Now, I think I'll get to work on filling the house with the scent of baking pumpkin. Here's the post:

~~~~~

Toughest skinned pie pumpkins ever!  Papa had to cut "vent holes" in them because they were too tough to cut in half without cracking.













Not quite sure how this is going to work.  Hopefully, there won't be an explosion.  Wish me luck!












Here's the update:

It was a  little more tricky scooping out the seeds after they were already cooked, but....













It worked!


1620 - The Pilgrims brought their favorite family pie recipes with them to America. The colonists initially baked pie with berries and fruits pointed out to them by the Indians. Faced with scarity and difficult conditions, colonial women used round, shallow pans to "cut corners" and stretch the ingredients.


Pax Christi,

~Michelle

The Bread of Life: Homemade Bread in a Season of Fasting

Klaus Hopfner at de.wikipedia

Click for license

Lent is about simplicity, penance, fasting, abstinence.  It is about recognizing our excesses, and righting them.  It is about getting down to the brass tacks of the needful.

The really interesting thing about all of this, is that no matter how hard we try to concentrate on redirecting our focus away from our own gratification, to pare down, to simplify.... God uses the results of our efforts to feed us, to build us up, to teach us…to bless us.  He’s God after all; it’s what he does.

Bread has been called the staff of life, used as a euphemism for money, and employed to represent the provision of basic needs ("putting bread on the table").  It is the basic staple of most cultures.  Bread is both simple and extravagant.  It is the proverbial basic nourishment, and yet, there is something deeply rewarding and nourishing about good homemade bread.   The process of kneading, the smell of bread baking, the sight of sweet butter melting into it…they touch us at our souls. 

Lent is a perfect time to set about baking this simple food.  If you are an accomplished baker, Lent is your time to shine.  If you have never baked bread before, you can do it.  Here is a simple, basic white bread recipe.  Give it a try; you’ll be surprised by how simple it is.

Basic White Bread


3/4 oz. (3 envelopes) active dry yeast
2 cups warm (110-115 degree water)
1 cup sugar
1/2 melted butter
1-1/2 Tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
7-3/4- to 8-1/4 cups bread flour (this is different from all purpose flour)

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  I put the water in a glass measuring cup and heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds or so.  Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature.  BUT...if that sounds to complicated, just use warm water.  Bread is pretty simple... Just do it.  =)

Add the sugar, butter, salt, and eggs.

Add about 4 cups of flour.  Stir (or beat in mixer) until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.  I just do in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.  Flour is what makes bread heavy.  The more you add, the heavier it will be.  Try adding just enough until the flour you add stops being picked up by the dough as you stir.  I dump mine out on the table at this point and kneed in any remaining flour that had not been picked up by the dough.  Don't add more than 8-1/4 cups.

Turn onto floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic.  About 6-8 minutes.  Use a timer, that way you won't have to guess.  Place in buttered bowl.  (You don't have to use much.  The butter is just to keep it moist.)  Turn the dough inside the buttered bowl until it has a thin coat of butter all over.

At this point, I fill a large glass bowl with hot tap water and put it in the bottom of my oven.  Then I turn on the oven.  As soon as the flame kicks on, I count to 20, and then turn it right back off.

Cover the dough in the bowl loosely, and place in the oven with the heat off.  Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.  Again, set a timer; don't stress about what it should look like...just give the process a try.

Take dough out and punch down.  (Make a fist and gently press in into the dough.  Air will escape.  Gently press the sides in.  You are preventing huge holes in the bread, from large air bubbles, by doing this.)  Divide the dough in half and shape two loaves.  (Roll the dough into about a 12X8 inch rectangle.  Then roll it into a big "tootsie roll".  Turn the ends under to seal the loaf.)  Place in greased 9X5 inch loaf pan.  Cover and let rise again for about 45 minutes....until doubled.

Bake, on center rack in oven,  at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  "Done" bread will sound hollow when tapped on the top.  Remove from pans to wire racks and cool.

Once you have learned to make a loaf of basic white bread, you have the basic skills to move on to greater varieties of bread with even more wholesome ingredients.  When we make basic white bread, I usually throw a couple of tablespoons of flax seeds in the blender, blend them into a powder, and throw them in the mix, to add nutrients.

via Wikimedia Commons, uploaded by Tim1357
Click for license

Happy Baking!
I pray you are having a blessed and holy Lent.

~Michelle

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For All of Them are Closed in Scarlet: The Proverbs 31 Journey

"When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for all of them are clothed in scarlet." 

~Proverbs 31:21

I put on mismatched socks this morning.  

They were the same color at least. 

 I'm a far cry from the quintessential Proverbs 31 woman...or, even from a marginal copy of the Proverbs 31 woman, probably.  She's a tough act to follow, isn't she?   

I've been a grad student/wife/expectant mother, a full-time stay at home mother, a full-time public school employed working mother with a stay-at-home homeschooling husband, and a part time working mother who shared at-home parenting duties with a part-time working father. 

 Did you catch all that?  

When my daughter was born, we set out to make certain that she was never in any kind of child care, and we accomplished that...in a variety of ways.  I have my opinions, strong ones actually, about which of those ways was best for our family..but that is a topic for a different post.

The point is, that I have filled a number of different variations of  mother/wife/breadwinner/homekeeper roles...and no approach was easy.

Womanhood is tough.

But, back to my socks.  How one reaches 44 years of age, and still has two mismatched socks on before she realizes that  there is a problem, is beyond me.

Yet, our model for ideal womanhood:

"has no fear for her household, for all of them are clothed in scarlet". ~Proverbs 31:21

Scarlet clothing had special significance in Biblical times.  It wasn't cheap.  It required the acquisition of expensive dyes...dyes that would not have been wasted if used on inferior material.  

This is a woman who made certain that her family was cared for...shielded and protected.

Seriously, I'm just glad when there is something clean for everyone to put on.

And yet, we are not called to mediocrity.  We are given examples of remarkable women to emulate.

So, what are we to do?

I think it varies by life stage, and according to circumstances.  Sometimes, we have the opportunity and capacity to accomplish everything that we wish to for our families.  Other times, we have so much on our plates that we can only do the bare minimum.

It is my opinion that young women preparing for marriage, and young couples who are in the early stages of their marriages, will do well to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the woman has every opportunity to dedicate herself fully to homekeeping, being a wife, and motherhood.  It just works better that way, in my opinion.

But, even when a woman has the blessing of full time homekeeping, things can be overwhelming, at times.  Those are the times when the demands need be prioritized.  

When it comes to clothing, ....clean, suitable to the season, and mended are what matters.

Our Biblical model's scarlet clothing was of sufficient quality that it protected from the elements, was comfortable, and reflected well on the wearer.

Those are the things that matter.

If you are the type of woman who has perfectly symmetrical color specific rows of towels and sheets lining her linen closet, and never shares the couch with an unfolded load of clean laundry...from yesterday...then you'd best check the left sidebar over there for a post that is more appropriate to your needs.  (Go ahead, we won't be offended).

~~~~~

....Now that Polly Perfect has left the room, lets talk about this clothing thing.

Don't tell my mother-in-law, (seriously, don't), but sometimes you just need to get the laundry in the machine.  You may be surprised to know this, but the world will not stop turning if you occasionally mix the lights with the brights.  (I know this for certain, because I have...gasp...done it.)  Clean is the number one priority; your family needs clean clothes.

It's okay, (really, it is), to not fold the socks and underwear.  Better to have unfolded socks and underwear in the drawer... than unfolded socks and underwear on the couch.

Besides, if every member of the family has to come to a family sock drawer (or wicker basket, or...) in a central location, then you get to have contact with each member of the household before they set about their business for the day, which is pretty awesome, especially if you have teenagers.

Consider putting everything on hangers in the closet.  It is faster to slip an item of clothing on a hanger when it comes out of the dryer, than it is to fold it.  Also, when items are hung, it is easier to see what you have.  If things are in drawers, kids (and sometimes adults) rifle through them and make a mess.  It's okay to hang tee-shirts.  Really, it is.

A plastic hanger holder like this: 

will help prevent a tangled-hanger-monster from developing on your couch on laundry day.

~~~~~

The primary thing about Proverbs 31:21, is that "when it snows, she has no fear for her household".  She accomplished it by clothing them in scarlet...which can be pretty beautiful.

But if the tee-shirts are clean, and there is a nice warm sweatshirt hanging in the closet, then you've met the same goal, for now.

Press on, sweet lady...you're doing fine.

Really...you are.

Pax Christi

~Michelle

Ever Grateful - Reversible Table Runner

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Removing Burnt Rice from a Pan...and Marriage

Photo: Oli Jon, click for license

I was busy concentrating hard on hemming a veil, and there it was...the characteristic smell of burnt rice.  Really?  After 22 years of marriage, I'm burning the rice? Cleanly hemming rounded edges, on lace, is tricking business.  That's my excuse.

How does one get the dreaded black volcanic rock-like mess out the bottom of a pan after burning the rice?

(Now, we're not talking about a pan that is made of something toxic, that might bring harm to you and your children.  Deciding what to do, with a pan like that, requires the assistance of someone with more expertise than me...but that's not the kind of pan we are talking about here.)

So, now to tackling Mount Vesuvius at the bottom of your pan...

First, take a wooden spoon and scrape up what can be scraped.  That's your freebie.  God has pity on you, and some has scraped up.

Next, fill your pan partway (about half) with water, and pour in a good amount of liquid dish soap.  Waste a little; it's cheaper than the pan.  Besides, you have been sensible and bought your dish soap in bulk, to minimize the expense.

Put the pan on the stove and simmer for a bit, maybe a half hour.  Sometimes things need to simmer quietly for awhile, with prayer, to soften them up.

Turn off the heat and let it cool.  Take a wooden spoon and scrape again.  Get loose whatever you can.

Pour out the water.  Use a little scratchless cleanser, and the nylon scraping side of a non-scratch kitchen sponge, and scrub until the residual comes off.

It will be tempting to leave it till later.  After all, it's only a little mess, kind of like the irritation you feel at your spouse over X, Y, and Z.... it can be dealt with in time.  But, the longer you leave it, the harder it will be to remove.  Once you get to this point:

You're going to want to stop.  But, if you leave it on there, you are doomed.  It will get harder to remove, the longer it sits, and if you cook with the pan this way, that residual is going to bake on, and be your pan's permanent constant companion.

Look, dear one, that man...I mean... pan...is part of the fabric of your life.  You chose it, (or at least accepted it for the role, depending on your circumstances), and it is part of your household now.  It serves many a purpose for you.  It nourishes you and your children.  It protects you from burns, by serving a purpose that you could not fulfill without it.  And, it's beautiful, in it's own characteristic way, isn't it?  At any rate, it's yours.  You bought it and/or accepted it, sister. Claim it, and get to scrubbing.  (Putting a small cloth underneath it, will help protect your sink from scratches.)

Besides, it wouldn't have mattered if you had chosen a different pan...or even if you set out to find a new one.  If you neglect(ed) to attend to any other pan full of rice...it would have...or will... burn, just the same.  Focus on the maintenance of the choice you made.  Making a good choice is important...but once you've made a purchase, it's all in the care and maintenance, in the long run.

Burnt pans are like marriages.  
Don't stop until the glory shows through.

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." ~Ecclesiastes 4:12

Stand together, wind yourselves up with God, and hold on.

It can be done, if you go about it the right way.

Pax Christi, Precious Ones,

~Michelle

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Home Comforts is on Sale!

One of the best homemaking books available: Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House, is now on sale for $14.28 (32% off!) in the Shop at Liturgical Time.  This book covers every aspect of homemaking imaginable.

Here is the publishers description:

The classic bestselling resource for every American home.  Choosing fabrics, cleaning china, keeping the piano in tune, making a good fire, folding a fitted sheet, setting the dining room table, keeping surfaces free of food pathogens, watering plants, removing stains--Home Comforts addresses the methods, as well as the meanings of hands-on housekeeping to help you manage everyday chores, find creative solutions to modern domestic dilemmas, and enhance the experience of life at home.


Further topics include: Making up a bed with hospital corners, Expert recommendations for safe food storage, Reading care labels (and sometimes carefully disregarding them), Keeping your home free of dust mites and other allergens, Home safety and security, A summary of laws applicable to the home, including privacy, accident liability, contracts, and domestic employees in this practical, good humored, historic, philosophical, even romantic guidebook to the art of household management.

~~~~~~~~

I heartily commend this book to you for yourselves, or the training of your daughters.  It is an excellent resource.  It is available at this sale price in the Shop at Liturgical Time.  Just click on the "Shop" tab at the top of the page.  It is also available at this sale price on the Amazon site by clicking on the image or the text link in this post.

~Michelle

Things I Wish I'd Known Earlier: Whiter Whites in the Laundry Basket

Photo: Randy Robertson; Click for license

If you want perfectly arctic-white, spotless whites, you'll have to:

A) Find a better homemaker than me to tell you how to do it.
-or-
B) Create a clothing budget that allows you to replace them every time your family blinks.

Assuming that "B" is not an option, here is what I have learned about keeping whites "whiter":

Never put whites with an average level of "dirtiness" in with heavily soiled whites such as cleaning rags.

When you wash your whites, first put them through a cold water rinse and spin, with no soap or additives.  This rinses out the dirt, perspiration, etc., without "setting" it in the fabric.

Then, wash as usual with the highest temperature your fabrics will accept, and, laundry soap and additives, according to manufacturers instructions.

Photo: Mike, Click for License

Bleach is great for whites, but it can also yellow fabric over time.  Every other washing or so, use baking soda (about 1/2 cup), instead, if the whites aren't very dirty.

Generally, items with white in the pattern should be washed with whites, or together in one load.
Washing items with white areas in the pattern can lead to dinginess in the white areas when they are washed with solid colors.  When a fabric contains white in the pattern, the colors in that garment are not likely to run, or, they would run into the white parts of the garment.  However, always follow manufacturers instruction and use your own good judgment.

Finally, sometimes you've just got to throw the clothes in the washer and get the laundry monster tackled, especially if you have young ones at home.  Clean clothes for your family are more important than crisp whites.  We do the best we can...and sometimes...occasionally...not even that, and, it's okay.  While keeping the good of your family, and your own physical and mental health, in mind, choose YOUR OWN priorities,  not someone else's...and set about making them happen.

Friends, please leave any tips you want to share on washing whites in the comments section below; we would love to hear them!  You can comment anonymously; you don't need to have a Google account to do it.

Oh, and if you find that incomparable Titus 2 homemaker, who can teach you to have perfect whites, please send her my way...I want to learn too!

Pax Christi!
~Michelle

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Family Time Tuesday

Pie Crusts and Apron Strings

Photo: Megan Meyers, click for license

There was a time when an apron was daily garb for wives and mothers.  They donned their cooks' aprons, in the morning, and went about their work.  Initially, aprons protected the precious few dresses that a woman owned.  In the 1950s, it was the quintessential symbol of the housewife.  With the advent of feminism, aprons went the way of bras...straight to the fire, or at least, the back of the closet.

~~~~~

Aprons are making a comeback these days, often in retro styles, and with a bit of frill and sass. I suspect this reflects more of a resurgence of acknowledgement  of and hunger for  the value of homekeeping and traditional women's work, than it does a love of the apron itself.  Although, aprons are pretty great.

Aprons represent grandma, homemade pie crusts, and mom being home to meet the kids after school...and with cookies.  I believe that in this era of post-post-feminism, we are discovering that reaching for the power and cultural affirmation afforded to men by rejecting things traditionally womanly did not serve us well,... particularly in the long run.  My observations of society, and my woman's intuition, tell me that women, whether they wish to be in the workplace or not, are hungering for the warmth of home.  I suspect that the collective female consciousness has recognized that we lost something along the way, and that, perhaps, our children are particularly suffering for it.

Photo: Beck Striepe, click for license

~~~~~

I'm not sure if it's too late to recapture what we lost, or if we need to start fresh in reclaiming our territory as keepers of the hearth, but I suggest that we all consider tying on an apron, and doing some nurturing, because we are awfully good at it.  Heaven knows, folks could use some nurturing these days.  Women are powerful builders, healers, and nurturers.  It's time to take back the traditional tools of the trade and get going.  We have a lot of healing, of ourselves and of society, to do.


Pax Christi,
~Michelle