Tag Archives: recipes

WHAT’S TUCKED AWAY IN YOUR PANTRY?

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“For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory”. (Psalm 149: 4)

I’ve been thinking a lot about pride and humility often the past several days, especially as I continue to take in current events around the globe and in our nation. It seems strife and evil are prevailing in countries far away and close to home, too. Thinking or dwelling on what headlines are telling me is overwhelming, yet I don’t want to ignore the seriousness of any upheavals. So, although I am only one person, I find solace in praying for peace, asking God to intervene to protect the innocents, and raising up leaders of nations who are willing to lead in humility versus pride fed by egos and selfish ambition. Honestly, I think that’s a very tall order to hope for but I know all things are possible with God. But, writing about the woes of our world isn’t my focal point today. Setting that aside I want to visit a sweet memory belonging to my Grandma Jewell who often exemplified humility .

Imagine that you’re living on a small family farm during the depression years and waste–especially regarding food–was something as a homemaker you gave careful attention to avoiding. Tending your garden of vegetables, nurturing berry bushes you grew or foraging in nearby woods, you created jams, jellies, canned vegetables in a root cellar. Jars of mincemeat lined shelves waiting to layer between pie crusts.  Maybe your family owned one or two cows for milking from which you churned your own butter from the luscious cream. You realized, however, that although pantry foods will help get you through another year feeding a growing family of 11 children, the cows may stop producing in harsh winter months, the barn too cold for them I’ve been told. Your source for butter has run out, causing you to find alternative spreads for morning toast or evening’s biscuits.

Dad told me years ago the family entertained a male guest one evening. He joined them for supper. I don’t remember what grandma served–probably chicken from one of the farm’s donors–vegetables from her pantry, potatoes from the root cellar and either homemade bread or biscuits. But she didn’t have any butter. She knew she had a huge bowl of pumpkin butter in the pantry, but she was too embarrassed to include it in the meal.

Polite dinner conversation filled her kitchen and as the evening progressed everyone began sharing memories and favorite things they liked. Lo and behold “Mr. Dinner Guest” declared “you know what I have missed for a LONG time?–pumpkin butter! Haven’t had it in years”. That’s all it took for a loving memory to push aside grandma’s fears and shame of not being able to offer her guest proper “butter”….dad said she stood up and in her well known sweet voice said “well, you just wait now, I’ll be right back”. She returned with her huge bowl of homemade pumpkin butter and set it smack dab in front of her house guest, beaming with joy as fearful pride faded from her spirit, now turned into a gesture of humility, giving way to delight this man’s tastebud memory!

I’m pretty sure the pumpkin she used to make the butter came from her own garden patch or maybe from a neighbor. It doesn’t really matter. Her ability to make the spread came from years of being frugal and creativity preparing meals for the family. The bounty she was able to collect from foraging, growing, and collecting were covered in prayers, too,  that often lasted into nighttime hours when her family was fast asleep.

I’ve never made pumpkin butter but I think I’ll give it a try. The ingredients aren’t too difficult to gather. I won’t have to forage for them. I actually have pumpkin in my freezer that I cooked and froze last fall. When I get around to making a batch, I will imagine my grandmother making hers–did she still have her wood stove at the time of this story? Did she save the seeds from the fruit of her pumpkins and roast them? Something tells me she did. Because grandma didn’t waste anything that could feed her family…or an evening houseguest the Lord knew she needed for reassurance there’s no shame when the cows aren’t producing the milk you rely on for regular butter.

BREAD, THE KING OF THE TABLE

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Well, I found myself caught in a craze that offers great success or equal in failure. It’s a craze that uses simple ingredients which produce a rich product if everything is done correctly and with diligent care and determination to succeed. These simple ingredients are merely flour and water and when measured correctly, tended under the right conditions, produces a starter for “all things sourdough”. Although many of my friends tout the ease and beauty of baking with sourdough, my past attempts have not had successful outcomes. In response to my failures, I gave up trying to create a beautiful sourdough mix. Until this past week, I resurrected the challenge to try again.

Knowing that there “can” be the ability to create a starter, I set about mixing up my flour and water. I used a favorite YouTube channel for my guide, a woman who reminds me of a gentle kind grandmother, explaining each step with a soft gentle lilt in her voice. She assured me–as one of her many followers–that I too could make my own starter which she guarantees as “no fail”.

It’s Day 4 of my small bowl’s activity. Much like tending a small child, I’m in the phase of “feeding” my batter twice a day, after removing some of the gooey blend. The part I remove is referred to as “discard”, but it doesn’t mean I need to throw it away. Now that I have discarded batter, I can use it in other baked goods. 

Ours is a family that enjoys bread, all types of bread. Growing up in Saginaw, we were blessed with several family owned bakeries that specialized in breads. One favorite–Spatz–still operates in the same location, under the efforts of a third generation. Distribution of their bread isn’t widespread, however. To enjoy it we will on occasion purchase some during a trip back to visit relatives. It freezes well but doesn’t have a long shelf life on a counter. I’ve been told the recipe hasn’t changed since my childhood days enjoying grilled cheese or peanut butter/jam sandwiches. If a loaf wasn’t eaten quickly and became dry, my mother turned it into bread pudding.

Bread has long been a staple of diets for humans. A quick check revealed that the word bread appears in the Bible 492 times in the original languages. Bread was a staple of diets then and remains so for us today. Assuming that this delicious and filling food satisfies a hungry belly, I find it very comforting that Jesus declared Himself as “the bread of life, he who comes to Me will never hunger…” (John 6: 35). How surreal that Jesus used an everyday commodity to describe His heavenly role to feed hungry people–not merely empty bellies–but aching hurting hearts, too.

Back to my “starter”. My current phase requires my careful attention twice a day now. I haven’t had to set an alarm just yet to remind me not to miss a feeding (smile) but I hope I don’t forget and can make adjustments if I’m away. Comparing my little sourdough starter’s needs that can only be met by me pales to that of how Jesus cares and tends us who are part of His flock. As I imagine future loaves of bread from my starter, I’m also gathering the image in my mind from the time when Jesus fed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and fish. He was able to perform a miraculous meal that filled every belly–men, women, and children–complete with leftovers! Nothing was wasted, the leftovers were put into12 baskets.

Another quick search showed me there are at least 30 different types of bread. By today’s standards I’m taking liberty that not all of them on our store shelves are healthy versions of this basic staple. Maybe this is why I find myself–many friends–learning how to make homemade bread, leaving out unnecessary ingredients.

I’m truly hoping my sourdough starter will get to the goal of being nice and bubbly with a fermented aroma which is part of its intrigue. Deep down I know that if this batch fails, I can try again. In addition, when the day arrives that I can turn batter into a dough, I will delight in the time and effort to create a delicious loaf of bread.

Furthermore, each time I come across the word “bread” in scripture, I will smile. I will take delight in realizing that Jesus–the Son of God–who is often referred to as the King of Kings described Himself in the commonality of a mere loaf of bread. Notedly, as the “bread of life” He is the main ingredient…He has no beginning or end…He satisfies….He fills. The distribution of His “bread” is worldwide and available to all who are hungry.