Butter My Biscuit

Today's Segment is a repeat....read on....

When I move to a new place, I often take a day to wander at will.  I discover antique stores & farmer's markets I would not normally know about.  It is fun to see what might lie ahead.

Several months ago I found a Country Primitive Store on a lazy afternoon out.  The simplistic style of country appeals to me.  I love crocks, jars, & candles.  Country decorating is so cozy, it just seems to invite one’s guests to relax and be themselves.

My friend Penny owns the store I just mentioned.  She is a believer in Christ that just seems to exude His peace in her life.  It was never more evident to me than when I touched base with her during my last visit to her store.

She & her husband had begun care-taking her elderly father-in-law with Alzheimer’s disease.  This pervasive illness robs one of cognitive memory and physical ability over time.  Penny gave no indication that these present circumstances were in any way a burden to her, even though her father-in-law needed constant supervision.  God’s peace seems to flow from her.

When I inquired as to the level of memory loss, she simply smiled & said that they had not realized the extent of his decline until they moved him into their home.  Often this is the case for Alzheimer’s. She related that sometimes he looks at his plate, but doesn’t know what to do with the food. 

As she put it, “As soon as I butter his biscuit & hand it to him, he knows what to do .” 

As I thought this out later, I was reminded that I am sometimes like Penny’s dear father-in-law.  As I seek God’s will for my life, I look at my full plate of responsibility & wonder what to do with it all.  In my daily quiet time, the Lord speaks & directs.  He “butters my biscuit”, so to speak, & hands it back to me so I can feast at His table.

When my husband died unexpectedly, I became the head of my household.  My children depend on me as a stable influence in their life.  My employer expects a hard worker with a good attitude.  My friends, while gracious & understanding, want a friend that isn’t always whining about the circumstances in her life.  I don’t want to be around that kind of person myself.  :-)

There is beauty in every day & blessings abound even in the midst of difficulty.   I know God has a plan & purpose for me AND for you.

Here are a couple of good biscuit recipes.

ANGEL BISCUITS

2-1/2 tsp. dry yeast 

1/4 c. warm water

1 c. shortening

5 c. all purpose flour

2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. sugar

 1 T. baking powder

Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder,

and salt. Cut in shortening until it resembles cornmeal. Add yeast mixture and

buttermilk to dry ingredients. Mix until ingredients are incorporated, but don't over

beat. Turn out onto floured surface. Knead for 1 minute. Roll out dough to 3/4 inch

high and cut with biscuit cutter. Place onto cookie sheet and brush top with melted

butter. Bake in 400° preheated oven for 15 minutes or until brown. Yield: 12-16

biscuits

Note: These are light and fluffy-somewhere between a roll and a true biscuit. Freeze

on a silicone lined cookie sheet until hard, then place in labeled Ziploc's. Fresh

biscuits are minutes away. Baking time increases a bit for frozen biscuits. A word

about silicone cookie sheet liners-they are great!! Get one...or two.

HIGH RISE BISCUITS

(a good basic biscuit)

4 c. all purpose flour

4 tsp. sugar

2 T. baking powder

2/3 c. unsalted butter, chilled

1 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. salt

butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450°. Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and

sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a knife. Blend with a pastry blender until

the texture of coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk to form a soft dough. Knead

briefly on a lightly floured board. Roll dough out 1-1/4 inches thick. Cut into 3 inch

rounds and arrange with sides touching. Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake until

golden, about 20-25 minutes. Makes 8-9 large biscuits.

Note: The more you handle biscuit dough, the tougher it gets. A soft dough yields a

moister product. Freeze buttermilk for up to 3 months. It will separate as it thaws. Stir

well to remix the buttermilk, then measure for the recipe. It is perfectly good for

baking. I know you can sour milk with lemon juice as a buttermilk substitute, but I

like the real thing better.

                                         Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Keys to the Kingdom

Recently the Lord answered a fervent prayer with a ‘yes.’  The result was a sense of well- being that I still carry with me every time I look at my extra set of keys.  Yes, you heard it right. Keys!!!

You see, since my husband’s death, I have been carrying 2 sets of keys with me at all times.  It’s one of those quirky things widows do as a coping mechanism.  In the past, if I locked my keys in the car, I simply called my husband, and he bailed me out of trouble.  It’s not like it has happened often in my life, but knowing he was my go-to guy and protector was a secure thing for me.

My keys had been missing for 5 days.  I knew the last time I had them, but simply could not remember where I mislaid them.  I prayed, I made phone calls to places where I had been, and searched my pockets, purse and work bag numerous times to no avail.

I still had one set, so life continued on, BUT that sense of anxiety came back every time I saw my single set of keys. Prayers continued.  I talk to the Lord throughout the day.  I knew He knew where my keys were.  HE knows everything!!

Honestly, it was literally minutes after that last prayer when I walked into my workplace and saw my keys sitting on a counter.  I just felt relief flood my being that the Creator of this world cared enough for this absent-minded speck of dust, the HE would lead me to those keys.  He cares for the very minute details of our lives.

I was reminded of the verse, “I sought the Lord and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

I baked cookies for my co-workers that day.  Here is the recipe...

GERMAN CHOCOLATE
THUMBPRINT COOKIES


Topping
1 c. sugar 
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 c. evaporated milk 
1-1/2 c. coconut
1/2 c. margarine 
1-1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla
In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine milk, margarine, vanilla, and egg yolks; blend well. 
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 10 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut.
Reserve 1 & 1/2 cups topping and set aside for adding to the cookie batter.


Cookies
1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix 
1-1/2 c. topping 
1/3 c. margarine
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, margarine, and the reserved topping. 
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes for easier handling. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. 
Make indentation in center of ball; fill indentation with 1/2 tsp. of topping. 
Bake @ 350° for 10 minutes or until set. Cookies will spread a bit. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Yield: 4 dozen cookies.
Note: This is like a mini German chocolate cake. Feel free to use the topping as the frosting for German chocolate cake, because that is exactly what it is.

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

A Cord Not Easily Broken

A $10 label maker has become my best friend in this process of organizing my life a little better. I highly recommend them.  I actually bought 2-one for upstairs and one for downstairs.  Organization is an ongoing process & I needed tools at hand and easily accessible if I was to make headway.

There was a particular incident that precipitated this ongoing to desire to get organized.

About 4 weeks after the death of my husband, I began the daunting task of going through his things.  I was so overwhelmed with all that had to be done, but I had to start SOMEWHERE.

I got 3 large snap top plastic boxes and labeled them “Keep” “Donate” and “Toss.”  The “Keep” pile I would divide and conquer another day.  However, I began finding black cords to electronic gizmos.  There were electronic devices, too, but I had no idea what went with what.  Many of the cords were a tangled MESS.

I started a new box & all cords and electronics  went into it.  One night while watching a movie, I tackled THAT box.   Each individual cord was painstakingly untangled and placed in a plastic bag.  I do not exaggerate when I say there were over 60 cords!!

 

As I worked on that project, I was reminded of Ecc 4:12 that speaks of a three fold cord not easily broken.

There were friends in my life that stood in the gap for me during this time of crisis were like this three-fold cord. Their simple presence showed me cared & I was not alone. They hugged, they listened, they prayed for me.  There is strength in numbers. :-)

When life is disorganized and chaotic, if you feel alone in your hurt today, turn to that Three-fold cord that cannot be broken-the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit.   I am confident of comfort, provision, and a peace that passes understanding.  God’s Word promises!! & our God always delivers.

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Eccl 4:9 Two [are] better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

¹⁰ For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him [that is] alone when he falleth; for [he hath] not another to help him up.

¹¹ Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm [alone]?

¹² And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.