Not a Day for Cowards

Winter is here with its snow and ice, storms and rain, winds, and cold. It is not a time for cowards. But it is a time for hopes and dreams. 

Dreams of sunny balmy weather to come. Dreams of spring and the warmth of summer. Dreams of future promise.

We dream of tulips, of daffodils, and other spring flowers and hope that though hard times have come, tomorrow will be sweet. We need to have this blessed hope or we spend our days in fear of the future.

We can't afford to turn back, to cling to past, and feed on memories that will someday evaporate like a puddles after a rain.

We need to exercise faith that lets us see the face of the God who promises and who keeps His promises.

When we see His face and know His heart then we can believe in the future. He is the God who vowed to man (Oh, what a miraculous thing that - made a vow to man.)  Genesis 8:22  says: "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Spring is a promise. Tulips and daffodils will bloom. Winter will pass.

Cooking for Winter Weather

Cooking as an activity is perfect for snowy winter days when we are shut inside. It warms the house and passes time while blessing everyone with special and comforting foods. Brenna set out to try a German recipe from my Southern Heritage Breads cookbook. Pirogi is a  noodle dough stuffed with cheeses, or cabbage and onion, sometimes with mashed potatoes.

The dough is rolled out thin like pie crust and then each square filled with a spoonful of the chosen filling.

Folded into triangle and sealed with a fork.

Drop into boiling salted water and cook for 12 minutes.  Drain and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese,

and add a drizzle of butter.

This is biscotti, or toasted pecan Mandelbrot, the Jewish version that I baked this afternoon. Ron loves biscotti with hot coffee.

I used a recipe from my The Great Cookie cookbook by Carole Walter.

Toasting pecans in the oven on a cookie sheet is tricky.

 Don't burn them!

I mix and knead bread in my Bosch machine and let it rise in this crockery bowl.

After the first rising, I form it into rolls or loaves and let it rise again.

Ready and into the hot oven.

Fresh from the oven cinnamon rolls and loaf of oatmeal bread.

Frosted cinnamon rolls make everyone happy.

Winter Comfort Foods at Our House

    

 Minute tapioca pudding is my favorite of comfort foods. It relates to memories of my dad. He loved to cook up a big pan tapioca for us on a winter night, usually a Saturday night or a Sunday night after church. (Many people hate tapioca and I can understand because most people have only tasted it cold from a cafeteria. It was thick and like glue and  it usually had been canned.)

 But to come in the house on a snowy and cold winter night and smell the pudding as it began to simmer and bubble was a different version of the dessert. Milk, eggs, ground tapioca, sugar. Soon it begins to steam and finally as you stir it, the mixture begins to boil.  After it cools it begins to thicken. I never allow mine to cool much. I like it served hot.

A sprinkle of nutmeg on top and it is perfect--warm and delicious like a custard pudding or a heated eggnog. When I have a trouble or miss my dad I like to cook tapioca.

Molasses spice cookies are a comfort anytime. Shelley loves these. They taste wonderful with a cup of Ron's "brown dog"coffee. They make the house smell so spicy cinnamon  sweet. I love to cool them on this brown and white plaid platter.

 Brenna made this batch . She can cook more and more good foods. She will be a fine cook some day even though she prefers grafting pecan trees and feeding the cows, climbing trees and riding horses to kitchen work.

Chocolate pecan fudge is a favorite with the kids. I rarely make fudge anymore, except for Christmas. I boil cocoa, sugar (brown and white) and milk and butter in an iron skillet. When it gets to a soft ball stage, I set it off the heat. After it cools some, I begin to beat it with a wooden spoon. 

When it begins to thicken I add vanilla and pecans and pour the candy into a round cake pan. When it hardens, I tip it out unto a plate and gently break it into pieces.

It is one of the greatest comforts a mortal can find!

 I like to bake bread and this week I used Penny's recipe. I use 4 tsp. yeast and 2 and a half cups of warm water, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 Tbl. salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, 2 cups wheat flour and 4 cups white flour. This makes a nice soft bread that is delicious. Often I add 1/4 cup of cornmeal to the recipe. I shape one into a loaf and roll the other dough out to make cinnamon rolls. I butter it, add brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, chopped pecans.

The boys love this bread. They can eat a whole loaf of it fresh from the oven.

The cinnamon rolls just disappear.