Reentry is sweet when you love home. We're always happy to sleep in our own room. But we always have good memories of where we've been, too.
It's a difficult time for many families: several people died last week. Without the ability to gather, we can only send flowers and our heartfelt condolences. Still, we pray and ask God for comfort.
It would be so different if we could meet in person. But the city is locked down in a COVID emergency. No visits are permitted. That means families grieve with only their closest friends and family members nearby. Everyone knows someone who has died, and many people are mourning those in their inner circles.
As we are not permitted to gather socially for the next few weeks, it's hard on everyone. We zoom in for a wedding Sunday morning.
Strange times indeed. Life is full of joy and sadness, and we celebrate joy. Somehow, sadness always takes us by surprise. We sense that life should be good. Some day, when we are with God, it will be perfect. "There will be no more crying, for God himself will wipe away the tears from their eyes," is the promise of scripture for those who follow Jesus.
Sunday, July 11, 2021
I am in the mood to bake when we come back from walking, I'm hungry. I whip up a big stack of pancakes for Laurel, Waldemar, and myself. The few that are left go into the freezer for another morning.
On the suspicion that it will take more than a batch of pancakes to drain my energy, I flipped on the oven the minute we walked in the door after our walk. Yup, it takes over an hour to heat beyond 325oF. I decide to make blueberry scones with the last of the freezer-burned blueberries. After a good rinse, the berries taste good as new.
It starts with a recipe for scone muffins that I've made before. I'm on autopilot, thinking of scones not muffins. The batter looks thin. Ooooh, needs more dry ingredients? By the time I come to my senses about why the batter is watery, I've stirred 1.5 c more flour to the batter. They are almost the right texture for scones. (Wait, that's all it takes? What an easy modification.)
I pat the scones on a silicone baking sheet, slip them in the hot oven, and within the half-hour they're baked. We're full from the pancakes so will try them after lunch. Delicious.
The gals upstairs taste-test as well, and then I freeze the rest. I often forget to eat breakfast or can't think of anything I'm hungry for. Now we have a dozen scones waiting ... and I have a new "adjusted" recipe, below as your bonus for reading today.
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EASY BLUEBERRY MUFFINS (from #Kitchn). 12 muffins/18 scones
Preheat the oven to 425o (Mark 8). BAKING TIME: 25-30 min.
Stir together:
- 2 1/2 c flour
- 3/4 c sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cut in:
- 8 tbs cold butter, cut into 1/4"-1/2" cubes (or cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until it is pea-sized. Or, if your hands run cold, just rub the butter into the flour mixture until it's grainy.)
Then whisk together:
- 1 c +2 tbsp buttermilk (or milk mixed with 1/2 tsp vinegar)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp lemon zest (optional)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (more if you want it)
- 3/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
Stir it together and then add about
- 1 1/2 c frozen blueberries. If you add frozen blueberries on the last stir, they won't turn the batter blue. [Of course, you can swap in any small-cut frozen berries or stone fruit if you don't like blueberries.]
- Pour batter into 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle with sugar for a crispy top. Bake for 25-30 min.
Prefer scones? Add another 1 1/2-2 c more flour before adding blueberries. Makes 15-18 scones. Spread and flatten the dough gently on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar if you want. Bake for 20-25 min.
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We host BICOnline and join the morning wedding. It's great to cheer on the happy couple.
Monday
The dogs know they have to sit before they can go out the gate - it calms them. Bailey is back to walking on the leash and has learned to sit when we stop, like the other dogs do. Good doggies.
The week starts with a 7am meeting online. I've missed this friend and mentor.
We hold the regular Monday study, a friend visits me on the office balcony, and I record the next few weeks of talks. Soooo many texts coming and going, between condolences, agendas, and sharing resources - you name it, we exchange the info this morning.
I'm tired. By mid-afternoon, I'm ready for a snooze.
Read more:
*O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 106:1
*“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:25-27
*And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
Moravian Prayer: Ever-present God, bless us as we seek to be your hands, feet, and compassionate hearts in our world today. When others see us, may they catch a glimpse of who you are. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
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