Humble Homemaking

Those of you who have followed our blog for any length of time know that we have mastered the art of "making do".  I love my home to be inviting and cozy, an escape from the outside world, but I don't believe that I have to spend a bunch of money "decorating" when I can use a little creativity to create a comfortable and warm home.

Sir Knight and I have a mountain escape that we are slowly equipping and furnishing on a nonexistent budget.  Although furnished with a couch and a rocking chair, the living room echoed with emptiness, resulting in our children playing "musical chair" in an effort to claim the only comfortable spot in the house! 

Looking around for inspiration, I came upon two wingback wicker chairs that I had warehoused in our storage shed.  The chairs were very comfortable - in fact they formed a "nest" for my children when we had whooping cough - but they were in dire need of a good cleaning and a cosmetic makeover.  Thinking they would be perfect for "Cair David", I hauled them out of storage, and with Miss Serenity's help, began to give them a new life.

Miss Serenity in the "nest" with whooping cough

The chair, in great need of an update!

Miss Serenity painting

Putting old sheets to good use

My oh, so professional upholstery job!

The first thing Serenity and I did was give the chairs a good scrubbing.  After they had been cleaned, Miss Serenity sprayed the chairs black, while I cut and fitted old flannel sheets to the cushions.  I just cut the sheets slightly larger than the cushions and used kilt pins to pin the fabric to the backs of the cushions.  Eventually, I would like to sew new slipcovers for the cushions, but for now, the sheet covers work well. 

Freshly painted and updated

In Cair David

Over the years, I have found that a warm, inviting home can be made with what you have on hand.  Maid Elizabeth and Miss Serenity have both helped me bring treasures home that we have found by the dump or on the side of the road.  Although this may be humble homemaking, it is the best kind of home making I know!

Practical Hospitality

Have you ever noticed that the root word of hospitality is hospital?  Can you think of any better place to minister to the needs of your family and friends and others in need of comfort than the welcoming embrace of your family home?  I can’t either!

The truth of the matter is that our homes provide the perfect environment to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of our family and those that enter our home’s sheltering embrace.   And as women, we are the administrators of this institution – the home, mankind’s first “hospital”.

In this modern age, true hospitality is quickly becoming a lost art.  We have given up the throne of our home for the lure of a corner office, and in the process, we have forgotten how to serve our family and everyone else within our sphere of influence. 

When I was a little girl, I loved getting coffee for my daddy.  I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to learn to make it and once old enough, I took great pleasure in making sure he had fresh coffee before he even knew he needed it.  A number of times, ladies that were visiting our family would say cutting things like “your dad can get his own coffee – his legs aren’t broken!”, and for a moment, just a moment, I would wonder if somehow I was breaking some cardinal rule, serving my father.  And then, I would take a breath and remember – serving was my calling.  I was just being hospitable.  I was ministering to those within my sphere of influence – and those old biddies could just go flour their eggies!

Over the years I have learned that hospitality truly begins at home.  My husband is the king of his castle and I do everything I can to make him feel welcome and honored in his own home.   I have found that I have many opportunities throughout the day to minister to my husband.  I rise first in the morning, kick the wood cookstove in the guts and put water on for tea.  I light candles on the tea table (a trunk in the middle of our kitchen), set tea cups and creamer and sugar out and fill the tea pot with hot water to heat it before setting the tea to steep.  I mill around a bit, picking up little things that the children left out the night before, put the dog outside and generally get the house ready to greet my husband.  As soon as tea is done steeping, my husband settles himself in the big rocking chair opposite the love seat and warmed by the heat of the cookstove, we enjoy a few cups of tea before he braves the elements of a new day.  We discuss our plans for the day, funny little things the kids have said and problems we are not looking forward to having to handle.  Essentially, we arm each other for the day ahead and then we pray together.  This is practical hospitality.

During the day, as my children and I hurry from one task to another, I make sure to set aside some time to read to the littles or play a game.  I spend much of my day talking to the older children – about everything from their favorite animals to the character qualities they want in a future mate.  This is practical hospitality.

When a car drives up our driveway, I immediately have one of our older daughters put on the tea kettle or fill glasses with ice in anticipation of lemonade or iced tea.  The younger children scurry around putting away toys or clearing away school books.  Our entire focus becomes welcoming our guests.  We do our best to minister to their needs, whatever they may be.   We laugh with them, cry with them, rejoice with them and mourn with them – whatever the occasion calls for.  We keep confidences and bandage wounds.  We speak words of encouragement and words of truth. This is practical hospitality.

More often than not, hospitality is all about binding the wounds of life.  It’s about building marriages and building relationships.  It’s about smoothing over hurt feelings and drying tears with words of comfort.  It’s about hugging someone who needs a hug and gently speaking to the truth to someone who is in the wrong.  Hospitality is much more than nourishing the body.  Hospitality is ministering to the soul.

When my husband returns from work, I have tea waiting for him.  We reconnect.  Talk about our day.  We share our highs and lows.  There are no children allowed.  Just my husband and I.  I minister to him.  He ministers to me.  This is practical hospitality.

I still love to get coffee for my daddy.  I love to get coffee for my husband as well.  But now, my daughters often beat me to it.  They too, have learned to love serving the people in their lives.  Any more, I don’t even have to ask to have the kettle put on or the glasses filled with ice – they just do it.  And it is not only my daughters.  My sons will quietly whisper “aren’t you going to invite them in for tea, mom?”, when an unexpected visitor shows up at our door.  Hospitality, it seems, is catching.

In a world filled with “entertaining”, true hospitality is a life-giving breath of fresh air.  True hospitality will build new relationships and strengthen old ones.  True hospitality will bind wounds and strengthen bonds.  True hospitality isn’t fancy and doesn’t put on airs – true hospitality is practical hospitality.

Baking for Survival - Denver Biscuits

Contrary to the deceptive title of this post, these biscuits aren't survival food in the classic sense, but in more of a "help mother make it through the week" sense.  I don't know about you, but between homesteading, homeschooling, living off-grid and everything else that takes up precious minutes, I don't always have time to knead up a batch of fresh biscuits or rolls to accompany every meal - and really, what is dinner (or breakfast for that matter) without warm, soft homemade bread?  And so, to retain at least a little bit of sanity, I make up a big ol' batch of Denver Biscuits and always have fresh, warm bread at the drop of a hat.

Sealed and ready to put in the fridge

Pinched off a piece of dough to make into a roll

Ready to rise

Fresh from the oven

The perfect accompaniment to a hearty dinner

Denver Biscuits are much more reminiscent of dinner rolls than they are true baking powder biscuits.  The dough improves with age, so making a batch of biscuits at the beginning of the week and still having fresh rolls by the end of the week is easily achieved.  I store my biscuit dough in a large ziploc bag in the fridge and just pinch off bits of dough to form enough rolls for the evening meal.  Sometimes, for a quick, special weekday breakfast or afternoon tea I will roll out a chunk of dough and prepare it as Cinnamon rolls.  It takes very little work and only enough time to allow the dough to rise a bit and bake.

This recipe works well with either all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour and the butter can be replaced with lard or shortening.  I love the fact that these biscuits use up left-over mashed potatoes so that nothing goes to waste.

Denver Biscuits
4 C milk
1 C mashed potatoes (or 1 large potato, peeled, cooked and mashed)
1/2 C water (or left-over potato water)
1 C butter
1 C sugar
3 T salt
3 T yeast
3 T baking powder
10 - 12 C flour

In a medium saucepan, heat milk, water, butter, sugar and salt.  Add mashed potatoes.  Cool to 110°.  Pour into a mixing bowl.  Add yeast, baking powder and 4 cups of flour to make a batter.  Cover with a dry towel.  In warm place, allow to rise until double in bulk.  Stir in enough additional flour (up to 8 cups) to yield a good, soft bread dough that does not stick to the hands.  Knead until smooth and elastic.  Use dough immediately, or cover well and refrigerate for later use.

To make the biscuits, pinch off a piece of dough the size of an egg, form it into an oval ball and dip it in melted butter.  Fit biscuits snugly against each other in a baking pan.  The biscuits should be crowded a little, as they need each other for support as they rise.  Let rise uncovered until very light (mine don't usually rise a lot, but they do once they are in the oven).  Bake in a preheated 400° oven until the rolls are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

__________________________________________

Master Calvin helping with Cinnamon Rolls

In the pan

Ready at a moments notice

Tea is served!

Fresh bread at a moments notice -  these biscuits are every mothers dream!

An Autumn Tea

This morning, the winter sky is ominously blustering above us, but yesterday Autumn was still here.  Knowing that our time was short, Maid Elizabeth and I planned an autumn tea party intending to take in the last vestige of our glorious fall.  We welcomed old friends and new as we trekked to a table we had prepared in the field beholding beautiful views of the woods.  We snuggled beneath blankets sipping tea and eating scones in the midst of God's creation.  Oh, to live this beautiful life!

Our cozy little circle

Keeping warm

A basket for our littlest member

And the tea did flow

A basket of blankets (to fend off the cold)

A bucketful of children

My love affair with tea

I have a love affair with tea.  It's not the tea so much, although I do enjoy a good cuppa, it is the tradition, the unhurried pace, the romance and the relationships that are built over a china tea cup and a biscuit.  Tea is a defining part of our day.  Sir Knight and I begin every morning slowing sipping brimming cups of sweetened English Breakfast tea.  We quietly wake up, talk about the day to come and welcome yet another morning.  In the late afternoon, when Sir Knight leaves his work day behind, we once again indulge in the daily ritual of afternoon tea.  Instead of a quiet morning cup, our afternoon tea is a riotous affair.  Rather than just Sir knight and I gently anticipating the day to come, our afternoon tea table is full of clinking tea cups, laughter and stories of the day gone by.  Afternoon tea begins with Sir Knight, Maid Elizabeth, Master Hand Grenade and I, but soon includes Miss Calamity, Princess Dragon Snack and Master Calvin.

For our family, the allure of tea is the relationship it encourages.  It is impossible to have tea on the fly.  It requires ritual and a slow pace.  Over the years, it has become the hallmark of our day together.  Sir Knight and I depend upon our morning tea start our day well.  We talk  of the day to come and pray together.  Without our tea time, our day hasn't really begun.  All of our children anxiously anticipate our afternoon tea.  It is a time to tell "Faver" all of the exciting (or rather mundane) things that have happened that day.  It is a time to gather in the warm embrace of familial ties.  It is tea time.

Not only is tea for family, it is for all who cross our threshold.  One of the first things we do when company unexpectedly shows up at our front door, is put the kettle on.  Tea immediately puts people at ease and creates a hospitable atmosphere.  Laughter and tears both flow well with tea.  Joys and heartaches respond equally to a brimming cup.

Of course, tea is one thing, but one must have "tea treats" as well.  Scones, of course, are an undeniable favorite, but we have many other favorites.  This past week, we made a batch of our very favorite shortbread cookies, and a good thing it was.  Just as the cookies were cool enough to bake, we had many guests arrive at our home, so of course, we promptly put the kettle on and popped the shortbread into the oven!

Simply Perfect Shortbread (From my friend Lady Day)

1 pound butter (4 cubes), softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. almond flavoring

Soften butter and mix all the ingredients with a mixer.  Form dough into a roll and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap.  Chill the roll in the refrigerator (an hour or overnight).  Slice the dough into cookies and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.  Do not over bake!

* For chocolate shortbread, dip into melted chocolate when cool.

Forming the shortbread dough
into a long log

Slicing chilled dough into cookies

Fresh cookies laid out with a
table full of teacups

Of course, Sunday afternoon is reserved for lounging, relaxing and generally being lazy, but what Sunday afternoon would be complete without tea?  This Sunday we chose a good old fashioned steamed pudding to accompany our tea.  It is simple, wonderful and can be slowing simmered on a slow wood cookstove.

Chocolate Steamed Pudding (From the King Arthur Flour cookbook)

2 oz. (squares) unsweetened baking chocolate
1 tsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Melt the chocolate with the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and add the vanilla.

In a mixing bowl, teat the egg until light and lemon colored.   Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

Combine the flour with the salt and baking powder.  Add this, alternately with the milk, to  the egg mixture.  Then add the chocolate mixture and stir just enough to blend.

Place this batter in a greased steamed pudding mold and secure cover (or a bowl or a one-pound coffee can covered with aluminum foil secured with a string or rubber band).  Steam over simmering water in a covered kettle for 1 1/2 hours.

* If you run out of baking chocolate, or don't have any, you can substitute 3 Tablespoons cocoa and 1 Tablespoon of butter for each square of chocolate.

Serve with Hard Sauce:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (stick) butter, softened
2 Tbl. brandy (or vanilla extract)

Combine all ingredients in small bowl; stir to blend well.  (Can be made 4 days ahead).  Cover and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Combining the dry ingredients

Melting the chocolate

Pouring the egg mixture into the dry ingredients

Mixing all the ingredients together

Anywhere goodies are being made
Master Calvin is sure to be!

Pouring the batter into the pudding mold

Putting the pudding into a kettle on the
wood cookstove

The pudding is done!  We let it cool for
10 minutes before turning it onto a plate

The pudding slid right out of the mold

Our Sunday tea awaits us

Tea, be it a stout English Breakfast or a decaffeinated Rooibos, is a wonderful tool for knitting friends together and strengthening families.  Where there is tea, there is hope.

The Best Carmel Pecan Rolls Ever!

When I was growing up, my mom made Cinnamon Rolls every year for Christmas breakfast.  It was a tradition that my brother, dad and I looked forward to with great anticipation.  She always made them a week or two early, carefully wrapped them in tin foil and stowed them in the freezer.  On Christmas Eve, mom would retrieve them from the freezer and leave them on the counter overnight to thaw.  Early the next morning, as we kids were delighting ourselves with our new treasures, mom would slide the rolls into the oven and soon, their spicy, sweet scent would fill the air.  It was a simple tradition, but it was our tradition.

When I started a family of my own I was compelled to carry on the Cinnamon roll tradition.  Never being able to duplicate my moms perfect rolls, I had to expand my horizons and try new recipes.  After stumbling across this recipe, it became our new favorite Christmas morning treat.  Not only are these rolls full of Cinnamon and sugar, they have the added benefit of being smothered in Carmel and pecans.


Carmel Pecan Rolls

2 C Milk
1/2 C Water
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Butter
1/3 C Cornmeal
2 tsp. Salt
7 to 7 1/2 C Flour
2 T Yeast
2 Eggs

Topping:
2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Milk
1/2 to 1 C Chopped Pecans

Filling:
1/4 C Butter, softened
1/2 C Sugar (I like to use Brown Sugar)
2 tsp. Cinnamon

In a saucepan, combine the first six ingredients, bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Set aside to cool to 120 degrees.  When cooled, add eggs and mix in.  Add yeast, mix well.  Allow to "sponge" for 20 to 30 minutes.  Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough.  Knead until smooth.  Let rise until doubled.  Combine first 3 topping ingredients in saucepan; bring to a boil.  Pour into two greased 13x9" pans.  Sprinkle with pecans.  Divide dough in half.  Roll into rectangle, spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon mixture.  Roll dough into a log, seal edges.  Cut into 12 pieces, put into pan.  Let rise until double.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool for 1 minutes.  Invert onto a serving platter.

Heating the first six ingredients

Just after adding the eggs and yeast

After the yeast mixture has "sponged" for about
15  minutes

Making the Carmel topping

The greased pans with Carmel and pecans -
just waiting for the rolls!

The dough rolled out with cinnamon and sugar

Rolling for Cinnamon Rolls

Ready for the final rise

Fresh out of the oven
NOTE: when cooking in a wood cookstove, I
have to turn my rolls frequently so they do
not get too done on one side.  Notice the rolls on
the left are darker than the rolls on the right.
I also cover the rolls with tin foil for final baking
so they don't get too done on top!

The finished product!

These are a great favorite in our family.  I hope you enjoy them too!