Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Sing-Song

Photo credit: paulabflat from morguefile.com

A bird does not sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.

Chinese proverb

Scraps and Snippets ~ Pinch Those Buns...

See yesterday's post if you're curious about the bun background story. Do you buy buns? Uhhh, they are stinking expensive. But if you make your own with organic ingredients and good grains, they aren't expensive at all. I will now be making all my buns. These are really easy and tasty. I'll tell you a little secret...& experimented with some delicious desserty type spread and we tried it out on these. Uh. I'll share that with you soon. Think Texas Roadhouse rolls. Not kidding.

But back to the buns. Buns.

Yep.

Buntastic!

6 Good sized, 8 medium and 10 or so slider buns.

3 teaspoons yeast

1 cup warm water (110-115 f)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 TBSP olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour + additional to knead into dough as needed. (I used mix of unbleached white and whole wheat pastry flour)

Sesame seeds or spices.

Put yeast in bowl and cover with 1/4 of the cup of water. Stir and add sugar. Let sit for several minutes til it foams. Add oil, salt, remaining water, flour. Stir until mixed well. It will form a soft ball. Add another 1/4 cup of flour or so, knead that in (in the bowl works just fine). Repeat that step two or three more times until the dough doesn't stick to you and it forms a nice ball. Knead it a minute or so. Let sit in a warm spot for 1/2 hour or 45 minutes, it will double in size. Preheat oven to 425. When ready form the dough into 6, 8 or 10 similar sized balls. Flatten each ball slightly and place on a greased cookie pan or stone. If you want to sprinkle spices or sesame seeds, damped top of bun with water then sprinkle, press down slightly with your finger...mine didn't all stay on and I didn't sprinkle or press. Let sit another 10 minutes or so. Place in the oven and bake 22 minutes for the 6 larger buns, 18-19 minutes for 8 normal sized buns and 15 minutes for 10 slider buns. When cool, slice in half and serve with favorite sandwich fillings.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Great Grain Obsessions....

I've gone on and on about the garlic bread I discovered via serendipity.


I'm not through going on and on. 

I'll be honest. Bread scares me. It feels like it's such a fussy thing that I'll be certain to mess it up. But this garlic bread recipe base is so easy to work with and non-intimidating that I've been experimenting.


I made a loaf of French/Italian style bread and I made it with Flax and sprouted wheat flour.

Freakishly good. And easy. Really.


Great Grains This Bread Recipe is Well, Great.



3 teaspoons yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115 f)
1 teaspoon sugar
1TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP ground flax seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sprouted wheat flour
1 cup flour + additional to knead into dough as needed. (I used mix of unbleached white and whole wheat pastry flour)

Put yeast in bowl and cover with 1/4 of the cup of water. Stir and add sugar. Let sit for a few minutes til it foams. Add oil, salt, remaining water, flour (the sprouted wheat and the 1 cup of other) and ground flax. Stir until mixed well. It will form a soft ball. Add another 1/4 of flour or so, knead that in (in the bowl works just fine). Repeat that step two or three more times until the dough doesn't stick to you and it forms a nice ball. Knead it a minute or so. Let sit in a warm spot for 1/2 hour or 45 minutes, it will double in size. Preheat oven to 425. When ready form the dough into a long log. Mine was about 10 inches long. And flatish. Lay on a greased cookie pan or stone. Cut 7 or 8 diagonal slits down the top of the loaf. Don't go all the way through. Let sit another 10 minutes or so. Place in the oven and bake 25 minutes give or take.


That's it. It's tender, tasty and has a great texture.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ A Bit of Truth for the Journey...and One More for the Road

One more for the road...

Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?

And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?

And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.

Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?

For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:25-34 Amplified Bible

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ A Bit of Truth for the Journey

If you think you are on your path all alone. Without someone to watch over you. Think again.

Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's leave (consent) and notice.

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31 from the Amplified Bible.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Laundry Time, Soul Starch...

My friends are all in various stages of life, and each of us has our own unique set of problems.

I was discussing this very thing with two friends the other day. One has a multiplex of relationship issues and is in the midst of trying to sort out the details, the other, well, she has some relationship issues, too.

Another friend doesn't speak the same language as her husband. Wait. That likely describes every married woman I know. Let's just say that her communication failures seem extraordinarily confusing. Another. Well. We probably all struggle with the fine balance of supporting, loving and respecting our men with varying degrees of success and failure waning and waxing with the phases of the moon and/or hormones. 

And that's just the marriage struggles. Pile on work issues, church issues, children, budgets, extended family, friends, health...oh we can have some problems.

As my friends and I chatted we all looked at each other and said things like, "I could not have survived what you went through." or "I think my life sucks, but it's nothing compared to yours. How can you even get out of bed?' Or, "I'd have locked and shut that door a long time ago." And an old story came back to me. Three women hung out laundry to dry. They compared their items, they lamented with the others stains and struggles, gave advice and listening ears. In the end, they all chose their own laundry, folded it and took it home.

When I look at the lives of others, I am amazed at what the human spirit can endure for love, or for sanity or for survival. Amazed. And when they look at mine, they may well wonder why I've made the choices I have.

Bottom line. We humans are stronger than we give ourselves credit for. The will to live, survive, thrive and love is a strong one indeed. When given the choice to choose faith over substances, peace over numbness, joy over bitterness, the survivors in life choose faith, peace and joy. 

Bottom line. Our paths are ours. And given the choice, we will still pick our path over our neighbor's. Our laundry may be stained and dingy, but it is ours and is permeated with our essence. We who will continue to live will choose our journeys no matter how difficult they may become.

So survivor. Put those feet on the floor, pray hard, slide on the freshly laundered big girl panties, make one decision at a time, and go thrive on that path. It's all yours, and for all it's bumps, potholes and ruts, you know you'd choose the same one.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Herd Mentality

Trying to blog with a herd of animals surrounding me is a challenge of epic proportions. Trust me. Especially if two of said animals have the need for scritches, scratches, constant attention or want what you are eating/drinking. Oh. And their heads are the size of my lap top.


Duncan may have been on my list several times (read daily) this week. But, I have a feeling he's taking home some different and possibly as annoying (ha, more annoying than stealthy pooping on the floor, doubt it!!!) habits. He's run with two big dogs (and manages to join their wrestling matches without fear or injury) all week, and he's made a frenemy of Feral.

Feral thinks he's part of the pack. And he pretty much is, however, Lola is always annoyed at Feral's ability to jump onto small spaces to get closer to the humans, and often head butts him or slugs him. Duncan is a little more up close and personal with Feral and he can get to places that Lily and Lola couldn't even consider, leaving Feral with a very unwanted shadow more often than not. Feral has done a lot of growling (yes, he growls... weird cat trick...he growls when someone knocks on the door) and running.

Duncan also has discovered the peanut butter knife ritual. Every morning I make Rob and I a peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. And every day the girls get to lick the magically delicious peanut butter spreader. Duncan now lines up with them and sits, waiting his turn for a lick of doggie nirvana proportions P B and J. 

He'll leave tomorrow and I'll kind of miss the little nugget... but not his stealth nuggets, mind you.