Whoosh: Patrick, baking and blizzard preparations + prayer request

I woke up to the Blizzard Watch being a Blizzard Warning for

our part of New Jersey and for NYC.

I've been working on prep since Saturday, when I made a soup.

Today I got my baking done.

2 tins of vegan! chocolate chip cookies;

two loaves of bread + 6 rolls;

4 small tins of Koek, 1 medium, 1 large.

I moved veggie burgers, English muffins, batteries up

from our garage freezer as we have no indoor door to it

and the snow may block us from getting in, etc. 

I have jars of filtered water; we filled the tub

for toilet flushing, if we lose power;

we have lots of wool blankets; Mr Husband bought a 

hot water bottle, as if we lose power but not gas, we will

still have our stove top to heat water.

Mr Husband bought gauze and medical tape...

he burned his wrist when he put it over the 

electric kettle that does not whistle and had 

steam coming out of it; it's a second degree burn, 

blistering... it does not hurt him now, but was quite painful last night.

We have a shovel upstairs if needed; 

we could get up to 24 inches of snow.

I ordered a new phone battery bank (a portable charger for the phone) on 

Saturday and impressively Amazon delivered it the next day...

we have an older phone charger as well, both are charged,

our phones are charging, my digital camera batteries are charged...

We have done everything we can think of...

We will see what happens.....

***

We were at Patrick's after church,

we worked the afternoon and evening,

with a nice dinner break.

We ended up not getting home till 10 PM,

then my Husband had his wrist burnt,

after we were putting away the things that we brought from

Patrick's home; it was a good but intense (emotionally) time.

The beautiful lamp in the picture above is from Patrick's study.

It's such a treasure; we worked on the kitchen a bit and 

I was given a beautiful silver coloured bread basket, some

kitchen things and some baking tins.

I treasure them and have used the two bread tins 2x already today.

It feels like such a good way to honour and love Patrick,

as we miss him and keep praying for him...

I can't stress what a special time yesterday was for us...

***

So, Mr Husband got home, was doing fine, we had dinner,

did some things, (Koek baking for me!), and then did our prayers.

And then I found out that for the last hour or so, my dear Husband's

throat has been sore.

This really worries me.... he got the flu last March, in Lent,

and it began with a sore throat.

He went to bed already with it still being sore.

He had his first full time week last week...

as you may remember, he was sick full time 5 weeks and then

on half time 2 weeks... for flu and subsequent illnesses. 

***

Please pray that he (and myself) do not fall ill...

***

We are as ready as we can be for the storm that is coming.

Now we pray and wait. 

***

I am remembering again the three prayers Elizabeth Goudge writes of:

Lord I adore

Into Thy Hands

Lord have mercy.

Baking again and again... {Koek}

My Oma always made
Koek.

Last Thursday when I was going through
one of my two recipe boxes,
I came across my Koek recipe.
And immediately thought,
that is what I need to make!
Perfect for traveling...
So I got out my pour-able honey.

Mixed up the flour, baking soda and powder, sugar
and spices.

I wrote my recipe out years ago
when I was an undergrad and using
fountain pens.
So about 1999 or so.

Love seeing them bake in the oven.

 

Easy to make three as to making one.
Important to remember to grease the glass pan
before using it!
Then they come out very easily.
Froze one, gave one away and eating one at home.
Naturally Lenten
and good on non-fasting days with butter!

Thursday and Wednesday and now it is Friday ~ Koek, Tea and Life as we live it

I went out on Wednesday for a walk.
Sunshine,
I am drinking sunshine.
*
Mr. Husband and I are taking in some sad things
in the world and I think it is fair to say
that some things leave you
feeling shaken
or sad
or a bit like the air just went out of you
or the room got silent all of a sudden;
as if it is the opposite of the
point verge I read about in undergrad where Merton describes the
point in which it is suddenly a new day ~
when at dawn the birds all begin to sing praises.

And so we talk,
we pray,
we write short poems,
we talk to those wiser than we.

and we hope,
pray in hope,
make plans to go to church
talk and think;
I knit.
I finished the blue scarf, and a cream/pink/tan mix scarf
and I cast on an unbelievably orange scarf,
one of three I hope to make for my very
cute 3 Ottawa boy munchkins,
including the littlest who is my godson.
Am thinking somehow that I want to do a
very simple knit somehow
on some of the scarves of the kids initials,
so that the three boys always know which scarf is theirs.
Any suggestions on how to do this on a knit scarf?

So I took a walk
on Wednesday and took these pictures;
are not the flowers beautiful?
I must go out again...

I finally made Koek yesterday
and as I thought I HAD blogged this recipe!

Koek is wonderful to make
and smells so good when just out of the oven
and warm on a plate with tea!

I used buckwheat honey this time
as it was all I had...
*
I must go and buy more sugar soon as
I had forgotten that I was out
and had to steal sugar from the sugar pots,
thankfully I have a few sugar pots and
it all turned out well!

Fresh out of the oven...
Love the Pyrex glass bread pans that
have the easy-grab holders on them...

I had a lovely tea with a friend yesterday!
We enjoyed the Koek and also wonderful fruits and
chocolate vegan wafers!

I used my blue and white dishes this time,
it was wonderful...
Like the oh, so elegant vegan margarine in the midst?
:) It was a lovely time of visiting and conversation...
*
Later Mr. Husband and I had
yummy baked vegetable leftovers.

 

Mr. Husband and I are really grateful
for so many things ~
A God who promises to be with us
Flowers in Spring
Teamwork
Teas
and Friends.
*
Lent is slipping to a close;
so many to care for and pray for.
*
May Christ carry us all to His glorious Pascha.

Wednesday ~ Surprised by Sunshine and Many Other Things

Whew.
Just 1.5 weeks left of Lent.
I realize every time I think of Pascha
I am thinking of Pascha in Ottawa.
I have no categories for how it will be at my
new church
other than that it will be the same joy
the same liturgy
and the same
Risen Christ who has overcome it all.
*
That said,
I am realizing once again that I miss Ottawa
or rather that there is grief in moving places
even when for the most joyous of reasons.
This book review unexpectedly tipped me off to
this realization again.
*
So the quotation that
I blogged about earlier today
and that I re-posted as the next picture
really caught my attention:
the sentence towards the end
A great deal of work is needed in order to build 
the house of our soul...
*
It was back in the earliest days of
Mr. Husband and I's still young marriage
that I first came across this,
when the monk told me via a translator about
how frustrating it can be when trying to make
the house of one's soul and seeing
it crumble again.

It is a really incredible quotation;
I read this book usually late at night and
often it speaks to what I need to hear.
Such a gift.
Not all letters in it apply to me directly
as he writes to all sorts of people
but yet I learn from each one. 

I did not know of this concept
but with Christ I am being taught
that I can at least endure to the end and
strive to keep going in the right direction...
My spiritual father in Ottawa,
once when we were discussing
St. John's Book,
The Ladder of Divine Ascent
told me
when I could see no progress in my own self:
it is a blessing to just be on the ladder.
*
I really miss my Ottawa spiritual father.
*
So, the meal I made last night was wonderful!

Tasty
Simple
and enjoyable!

And with leftovers!

We had almonds for protein together...

 

Lastly,
I made this dish cloth a while ago,
just wanted to mention. :)
And the ones I made for my Aunt J.
were received this past weekend
for her and Uncle D's 50th wedding anniversary in
Ontario!
I wish I could of been there
but I talked to my Aunt J. twice recently and all
of my Aunts on my Mom's side said
that Oma would of been so proud.
*
I hope to make Koek today or tomorrow
and must go on a walk as I was not expecting sunshine
again today!
*
This cake looks wonderful for the Bright Season -
H/T: Mary.
Loved this tale of one of my new blog friend's
first time knitting in public.

Koek ~ Tuesday Baking ~ Sunny day

I used my mixer for the first time today!
It was a beautiful sunny morning
and a great one to bake
Koek.
*
I grew up with my Mom making Koek
a recipe she got from her Mom
my Oma.
Years later I called my Mom up
and asked her
what is koek?
for I realized that I really did not know what
a word for it is in English!
She explained,
it is a spice bread.
*
I made some today
and shared a piece with a new found friend
who said it reminds her of
ginger bread.

My two biggest Pyrex measuring bowls
came in handy!

As did my new measuring cups,

and measuring spoons...

Here's the ingredient list ~ for 3 loaves
6 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1.5 tsp baking soda
6 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp cloves
1.5 tsp all spice
1.5 tsp ginger
1/4 cup honey
3 cups water

Flour and sugar

spices

I mixed the water in first
and then added the honey.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes
and then check with a toothpick.
I baked mine for an hour
and could of done less...
the crust will get thicker and harden
with prolonged baking.
Unlike some breads,
it is normal for this one to have the middle
sink in a bit.
*
Was easy to get everything washed up
while it baked!

Koek is a great bread!
Smells wonderful as it bakes
and freezes well
and travels wonderfully
for road trips
and is an easy snack for lunches.

 

I enjoy mine with a bit of butter
on an individual slice
and have a nice cup of hot decaf black tea
with a bit of sugar and milk.
*
The bread itself is vegan so it is
great for fasting days and
seasons!