The Friday Edge

Have you heard about baking bread in your Dutch oven?  Since today was a cold, sun is shining, house is quiet and cleaned, fire in the fire place, sufficient coffee intake kind of day, I decided to put my hand to some new methods and recipes.  I don't know about you, but it helps to be creative and have fun in the kitchen when you have time to explore and enjoy the process. So, back to baking artisan bread.  You know, the bread you buy at your local bakery that is crusty on the outside, looks beautiful and tastes even better?  Trust me, I am thankful for our local bakery that always has a beautiful assortment of artisan breads when I don't have time to be in the kitchen.  How great would it be, though, if you could make your own beautiful artisan bread once in a while? As someone who loves to spend time in the kitchen, I try to have basic supplies on hand such as bread flour, all purpose flour and an assortment of salts, spices, herbs.  My trusty mixer ...

Have you ever had a "hankering" for a particular kind of food?  Recently, my husband I had a date night and decided to eat at our local German restaurant.  It felt like I was stepping into an authentic small restaurant in the beautiful country of Germany.  My mind immediately went back to 1988 when I ate at a number of restaurants in Germany and Switzerland on a high school German class trip.  I ordered a glass of Riesling (because you either drink beer or Riesling when eating German food!) and a favorite dish of mine, Jagerschnitzel.  This was served with spatzel (a german homemade noodle) and rotkohl, sweet and sour slow cooked red cabbage.  Delicious! So, a few weeks ago when I went grocery shopping I bought red cabbage to make rotkohl.  We shared a weekly meal with my aunt and her family and combined our efforts to make a German dinner.  My aunt made an amazing dish of maple glazed roasted potatoes, sausage and apples and a side dish of amis...

Happy New Year!  The past couple years, I've been especially drawn to my heritage and the values surrounding it.  Family dinners, hospitality, having a generous heart, seeking to be a peacemaker, having a passionate love for God and people....all these are rooted in my Amish Mennonite heritage. For my husband and I, each New Year brings renewed vision, updated goals and a more clear view of the big picture.  This year includes a closer look at my contribution to society in the way of inspiring recipes, creative thoughts and not settling for good when Best is waiting.  It's easy to get caught in the doing of many good things and we wonder why we don't feel fulfilled?  Perhaps we need to look at that "Best" that is laying deep within us.  The Best is sometimes uncomfortable and will require tapping into the presence and power of a God bigger than us.  Good is always the enemy of Best. So, what is that thing laying inside you, waiting to be opened...