Baking with Heart.
Both ovens are on and the whole house is filled with the aroma of something being baked! When my husband and I first moved into the farmhouse I had to restock all my spices to be able to bake whatever my heart desired. When we were designing the farmhouse I told my husband since we were moving to the country I needed a big kitchen. We came up with designing a baking kitchen and a cooking kitchen. How dirty baking or cooking can become and having all the ingredients everywhere....I needed space. There also needed to be enough counter space to allow the baked goods to cool off....so hence the baking kitchen and the cooking kitchen. This weekend I have hopes and dreams of trying my hand at some homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. Fingers crossed the recipe I am trying is a tried and true recipe. If they turn out wonderful then I will be sure to share the recipie on my next blog. We are trying our best to not buy store bought baked goods. I want the freshest baked goods for my little family. Baking is sometimes a little work but I suppose it is worth the time since there are no preservatives. Also, with the insane prices for everything it is cheaper to make our desserts. I pour my heart into baking! I enjoy and love baking.
Baking defined is: to cook by dry heat in an oven, to dry or harden by subjecting to heat. Who would of known that is what baking means! The joy of baking is to basically commit to the recipe, got to see the recipie thru once you start, mixing all the ingredients to rise in the oven and serve to the people you love. Some recipes I have not had any luck. The most recent is a homemade cherry pie. The cherry filing was not it! The crust was amazing and I found my go to crust recipe but that cherry pie filing was a huge nope! I am still on the lookout for a wonderful cherry pie filing. Another recipe I am on the search for is a bread recipe. I have made countless bread recipes and to no avail still looking!
Twenty years ago I remeber having my bridal shower at the church I grew up in since I was five years old. To my surprise I was given some old recipe cards by some of our elders, (who are gone now), I remember when I was a teen I would sit and talk with some of the elders before the church service would start. I really loved our elders in the church. They were full of the life that they lived and were knowledgeable. I have my wedding cards and made them into a book that have all the wonderful cards and recipes the women gave me. In my wedding card book I have a couple of recipes from our church women that they had included in their cards. You know while I am typing this it has never dawned on me to look for that book and try those recipes out in my new farmhouse! Be right back, let me go get them. Well! Bad news....I have searched everywhere and no where can they be found! I am sure they got lost when we moved! No use crying over spilled milk...nothing can be done! Oh well! Darn it man!
What comes with baking? Eggs! The egg prices have become crazy! I have about twenty hens and three roosters. All the work that goes in to getting eggs! We have to keep the coop clean, buy chicken feed, medicines and preventatives, and maintaining the coop when it gets cold. This weekend my husband and I had to cover up all the open areas on our coop. There is a very cold front coming thru and some parts of Florida may see snow! It took about an hour and a half to get everything covered. I am at a point of my life we need hobbies to keep us busy. I love hbbies. Baking, gardening, keeping animals, and cooking are my hobbies. I feel and belive when people step into our homes they should see some of our interests. I believe hobbies show character! Another hobby is taking pictures of my girls' eggs. I want to show a series of chicken eggs in different styles and places of my home or outside and share them with the world. I mainly show my egg photos on Pinterest. I have to say I love the feeling of anticipation coming home from work to see and gather the girls eggs. I love it! My girls recognize us and our animals like my dog Charlie. My sister brought her big dog and the girls were loosing their minds! They were alerting us and were not happy to see a dog they do not recognize! What can I say they are a fiesty gang! All this work goes into the egg production and all this work is what is used in my baking process. All this just to be able to crack my own eggs into my recipe. What a process! It is the best! I would not change it for the world.
As a woman....the way God designed us....I have that feeling that floods my soul when I cook and especially when I bake. Serving my family from what my hands has prepared fills me with joy! I am blessed to be able to cook and bake! I know I am not the only woman who knows how to cook and bake! It is a service that I am bodily able to serve my family. There are times when I think of the day when I will not be physically able to work with my hands anymore. We all will reach that time one day. While I am able to serve (bake & cook) I will rejoice! I purposefully make time to bake.
The Bible in Proverbs 31 speaks on the role of a woman in her household. Our ministry is our family. We take church home! Church is carried around in our hearts and souls as women. Some people may think worshipping Christ is lifting up our hands toward heaven but worship is also an act of service to the Lord. There are so many that go to church, which is important by all means, but Worship Christ outside of church. Apply Christ to all the areas of your life. Proverbs 31:26 says a woman speaks wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. What is wisdom defined: 1) discern inner qualities and relationships, insight, 2. Good sense : judgment, 3. Wise attitude, belief, or course of action. Instruction defined is: course of actions, directions. Faithful defined: true to facts, to a standard, steadfast, firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty. So our service to our family is to serve, teach, discern, have a wise attitude, plan a course of action, be true to the facts, firm, and be steadfast. I wish more husbands would understand this. Women are more than just stay at home wives. Husbands should let a wife do her job that God instilled in her and not see her trying to take over or be the man of the home, ( that topic alone could be another blog!) Some men see a women being a strong woman as a threat. These men need to read their Bible! God calls all his creation to be strong and courageous!
Whatever a woman touches God multiplies it. It's is the man's job to sustain that multiplication. I love who God has made me! I love being a woman. We are creative creatures and my husband loves my creativity. My husband not too long ago grabbed my hands and kissed them and said to me I remember when these hands were so young. Look at them now....I can't believe we have been married for twenty years and I still love these hands. My husband and I are not loud about our love...we do not parade our love in front of everyone so that everyone around us can measure out our love....our love does not need to be measured by anyone or validated by anyone. We validate our love by ourselves by waking up everyday, every morning. When our feet hit the floor we get up with the decision already made...I choose to be married still..and start our day.
With my hands I will knead bread, tortillas, or make a cake and will put all my strength and love into a recipe. Bake up a pie of love to cut into pieces to be able to serve to my loves. It is my service to the ones I love. Women I encourage you to continue to bake and I encourage you to serve your love even when there are days that are rough. Bake your heart out woman! God bless yall.
All my love,
Risen Acres
Sonya
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