Bread for the Journey

 Faith ~ Believing Without Seeing

We often say, "I'll believe it when I see it."  But God says just the opposite...that we will see it when we believe it.  

True faith is finding certainty in uncertain territory. We step forward...toward what is not fully known or seen.  That is why it is called faith.

There are times we can't see what the road ahead looks like.  In fact...it may look like we are stepping off at the deep end. But faith is visualizing the future. It's believing it before it can be seen.  It is that first step into the unseen that proves we have faith. As we move forward we will see God open the way.

I was challenged by Hebrews 11:1 some weeks back...and have been thinking about it since.  If you are like me...fear often wins over faith.

Here's the challenge for me (and maybe for you)...to start moving even if I can't see what lies ahead and trust God!  

Aebleskiver (Danish Pancake Balls)

We first enjoyed these novel pancake balls when we visited the picturesque Danish village of Solvang, California. My husband bought his own pan to make them at home before we were married. We still have that pan and enjoyed these a few weeks back.

The next time we make them we will experiment with our own flour mix instead of using Bisquick but for now here is the Bisquick recipe.

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs, separated
• 2 cups bisquick baking mix
• 3/4 cup milk
• Butter
• Confectioners Sugar (Icing Sugar)
• Applesauce 
• Fruit Syrup or Maple Syrup (optional)

1. Separate your eggs.
2. Beat egg whites in large bowl on high speed until stiff; set aside.
3. Blend egg yolks, baking mix and milk in mixing bowl on low speed. Fold egg yolk mixture into beaten egg whites.
4. Butter each cup in aebleskiver pan. Heat pan over medium heat. 
5. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.
6. Cook until bubbly; turn carefully with small spatula or fork.  Cook other side until golden brown.
7. While warm, sprinkle with sugar.
8. Serve with applesauce and syrup if you desire. 

Note: Next time we thought it would be nice to add a little vanilla and or sugar to the batter.

Fresh Potato and Green Bean Chicken Casserole

Are you curious to know what we eat when we haven't made a plan for dinner?  This time of year it is so simple to walk out to the garden and pick a few fresh vegetables.  

That is what I did one day last week. Granted it is not the prettiest dish to serve but the flavours are wonderful.  You can substitute the chicken for some sausage or bacon or eliminate the meat all togehter.  I had one poached chicken breast to use up from making chicken noodle soup.

The potatoes are ready to dig up and my green beans and onions and cucmbers and peppers are ripe and we can hardly keep up to them.  This is the casserole I put together...using the fresh herbs I am growing as well.  This recipe serves four so double it for a family meal. 

• 1 diced large poached or grilled chicken breast, sausage or bacon
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 medium fresh potatoes, scrubbed with skin on
• 4 cups cut green beans
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. fresh summer savoury or 1 tablespoon dried
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1. Heat the butter in a heavy enamelled cast iron pot or casserole dish. If you are using a  casserole dish add the melted butter.  I have not tested this in a casserole dish. Heavy enamelled cast iron pots always work so well.  They allow food to develop a caramel edging on the potatoes without burning.
2. Slice the onion and potatoes and place in the bottom of the pot, add the diced chicken, and the green beans on top of that.  I could not live without my mandoline...do you all use one too?
3. Pour the cream over it all and sprinkle the summer savoury on top.  Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
4. Bake at 350 for 2 hours. Remove lid and allow the cheese to brown in the last 30 minutes.  Serve with fresh veggies.

Corn Chowder Soup

It's the time of year where we are known far and wide for our high-quality Chilliwack Corn.
Every fall I can't wait to dig in and pull the last of the fresh potatoes, carrots, onions and of course fresh corn. This year is been extra special, as we have our own fresh corn.
Corn Chowder Soup has been a favorite for years. It brings back memories to many ski vacations.
I will give you the original recipe, whereas I actually double all the vegetables. We all like our soup thick.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed potatoes
• 2 cups carrots, sliced
• 2 cups celery stalks, sliced
• 2 medium onions
• 2 green peppers
• 1 pound bacon or substitute 1 1/2 pound farmer sausage. ( approximately 1 ring) cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 - 10-ounce tins creamed corn ~ I use fresh corn from about 4 large cobs.
• 2 - 10-ounce tins cream of celery soup
• 2 - 10-ounce tins cream of mushroom soup
• 2 quarts milk
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. Cook potatoes, carrots, and celery together in a small amount of water.  Drain. 
2. Saute' onions, green peppers and meat.
3. Place meat, vegetables, and remaining ingredients into a large soup pot.  If using fresh corn, cook and remove kernels.  Heat slowly as milk tends to scorch easily. Stir often.  

Tip: Reheat the chowder in the microwave to prevent scorching.

Cut, Chop and Saute'

You can almost taste this. Imagine the aroma in your kitchen. Hope you can all get out there and find some fresh Chilliwack Corn.  I freeze this soup. No soup tastes as good as fresh, but when one does not have the fresh produce in winter, this is second best.

French Apple Cake

It is not really a cake, but a custard-like fruit dessert served with whipped cream.  The French call it clafouti.  This recipe came from the Canadian Dairy Foundation (it has been somewhat revised)...a source of good recipes that use milk.  But it could just as easily have come from the B.C. Egg Producer's Association or the B.C. Fruit Growers Association, for that matter.  Chock full of good things and so simple to make...you won't be disappointed!

• 3 large apples, peeled and sliced
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• confectioner's sugar for dusting the top 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Grease a 9" round cake pan or pie plate. 
3. Arrange sliced apples evenly in the bottom of the pan.
4. Place all remaining ingredients in blender and process until smooth.
5. Pour carefully over the apple slices.
6. Bake for 50 minutes.
7. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan...or serve right from baking dish.
8. Serve warm or cold with a dollop of whipped cream.
9. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired.

*A spring form pan works well, if you wish to remove the dessert to serve on a platter later.  Grease pan...line bottom with parchment paper.  However, be aware that unless your springform pan has a tight seal, the custard will drip into your oven!
 

BBQ'd Beef-on-a-Bun

If the guys in your life are wondering "where's the beef?"...here it is!

I was at a women's conference some twenty years ago...and attended a cooking workshop. The facilitator left me with some wonderful recipes that I've made my own since that time. One of our family favorites is the BBQ'd Beef.  I have brought it to potlucks...camping trips...and it was our dinner at the beach a few nights ago.

BBQ'd Beef

• 5 steaks (any kind)
• 1 28 oz. can tomatoes

1. Cook in slow cooker overnight (about 10 hours) on low.
2. Drain juices and shred the cooked beef with two forks.

Sauce

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 3 tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. prepared mustard
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne

1. Sauté onion and celery until tender.
2. Add remaining sauce ingredients and heat through.
3. Add shredded beef and simmer for about 1 hour. (I return meat and sauce to slow cooker until serving time.)
4. Serve on submarine or beef-dip buns.

The original recipe calls for five steaks...I use any beef I have handy. I often cut up large roasts...and if my crock-pot is chock-full, I make slightly more of the sauce. 

Best Ever Banana Muffins

The muffin is moist and great take along snack for packed lunches. I also like it served with a slice of cheddar cheese. Delicious.

• 1 1/2 cups flour (try 1/2 cup of whole wheat, and 1/2 cup of bran replacing 1 cup of all purpose flour, or replacing 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 of oats)to increase fiber.
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt ( never double if you double the recipe)
• 3/4 cup sugar ( I have reduced it to 1/2 cup or even 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 cup melted butter or vegetable oil ( I cut it by half)
• 1 egg
• 3 mashed bananas
• Chocolate chips or raisins as desired.

1. Sift together, flour, baking powder baking soda and salt.
2. Combine sugar, oil, egg and mashed bananas.
3. Stir in the dry ingredients, batter should be lumpy.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips, or raisins.
5. Put into greased muffin tins
6. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes or til golden brown.
7. Cool 5 minutes and remove from the pan.

Blueberry Cobbler

Fresh or frozen blueberries beneath a buttermilk biscuit topping. Serve it warm from the oven with a scoop of ice cream. A true comfort dessert for the fall.

Berries:

-5 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries

-2/3 cup sugar

-3 tbsp corn starch

Place all ingredients in a microwaveable bowl. Heat for 3 minutes stirring once half way through. You just want to get them hot, but not bubbling. Pour hot berries into a 8" square pan or deep dish pie plate.

Biscuit topping

-1 cup flour

-1/3 cup sugar

-2 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp salt

-3 tbsp butter

-1/2 cup buttermilk (you can use regular milk)

Measure dry ingredients into bowl. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Add milk all at once and mix with a fork until moistened. Drop by spoonfuls over hot berries. Bake at 425º for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy.

Sally's Buttermilk Cookies

My mom by love has been making these cookies for our family for some time now. She got the recipe from her friend Sally who got the recipe from her grandmother.
They are soft and tender and freeze wonderfully. I usually take out one cookie from the freezer. . .putting it aside to thaw. ..but have yet to taste it completely thawed . .. .since I just can't wait.

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• pinch salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup icing sugar
• a few teaspoons milk
• dash lemon extract

1. Cream the softened butter and the sugars and salt. Add the eggs and stir well to combine.
2. Stir together the buttermilk and baking soda.
3. Combine the flour and baking powder.
4. Stir the flour and baking powder and buttermilk and soda into the creamed mixture.
5. Add the vanilla.
6. Drop by teaspoons onto the cookie sheet
7. Bake at 375 F for 7 - 10 minutes.
8. Allow to cool on baking rack
9. Stir together the icing sugar, milk to make a thin spreadable icing and a little lemon extract.
10. Spread over cookies and if you want to dress them up seasonally. . .give them a few sprinkles before the icing sets.

Applesauce . .simple and pure

100% pure farm fresh apples

I was just talking to Kathy on the phone. . and we were discussing the different ways to make apple sauce. . .and I was trying to explain my food mill .. .
well, it is so much easier to see than to explain.
In the collage, you can see the antique one that my mom used for 40 some years. . and beside it the new one that I purchased.
It is so easy .. .
Just wash your apples, put them in a pot with a 1/2 cup of water. . enough to cover the bottom of the pot 1/4 inch. Bring the apples to a simmer and simmer about 10 - 15 minutes or until soft and tender.
You don't need to peel the apples, nor core them nor remove the stems. . .
Just cook them.
Then, put the food mill over a large bowl and pour your apples into it and stir,
. . . once in a while you'll need to stir counter clockwise to scrape the peels off the bottom.
There is nearly no waste. . . .and leaving the cores and seeds in for cooking provides natural pectin to make a nice thick applesauce.
Once done. . .taste and add sugar to your liking.
Put the hot applesauce into sterile containers and freeze.