Merry Christmas!

 

Baklava

 Okay, this was my first try. One of my coworkers is Greek (actually now I know more than one, but I digress), and was discussing the finer points of Baklava one day. She mentioned that traditional Greek Baklava is made with simple syrup, not honey, but the most important thing is that pistachios do not belong in Baklava! - She was very adamant on this point :).

So I absolutely had to make Greek Baklava, and it turned out really well! She gave it the seal of approval, which is what I was aiming for here. There is a little honey in the simple syrup, but the filling is walnuts, with NO PISTACHIOS!

The recipe I ended up using is from a site called Little Spice Jar, and is Holiday Walnut Baklava with homemade syrup.

Potica - Family Tradition

 I can't believe I have never posted this recipe. I was surprised when I went to make it this year and I didn't find it in my blog index.

This is a recipe that has been handed down through my family for generations.  I remember making it with my mom and my own children.  We only make it once a year as it’s quite a process, but after a day of baking, there are loaves for family and friends.  It is a very rich dessert bread that dates back to Czechoslovakia (when there was a Czecholslovakia).

Potica

(Dough)

2 cakes comp. yeast or 2 pkg. dry yeast
2/3 cup lukewarm water
6 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 cube butter
3 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
(1 cup melted butter for spreading)
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.  Stir until thoroughly dissolved.  Add 1 cup of the flour to yeast and mix well.  Scald milk, remove from heat.  Add butter and cool to just warm.  Beat eggs, add with sugar, salt, and milk to yeast.  Blend.  Mix well.  Add remaining flour, a cup at a time.  Mix well--knead until smooth.  Place in greased bowl.  Cover and let raise until double in bulk--1 to 1 1/2 hours.

 

(Filling)
1 # shelled walnuts (4 cups)
1 cup cream or evaporated milk
1/2 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, separated
Beat egg whites until stiff.
Grind walnuts.
Combine evaporated milk, honey, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla.  Heat in saucepan on low heat until sugar dissolves.  Add nuts, beaten egg yolk and mix well.  Fold in egg whites.  Set aside.

(Putting It All Together)
Work dough down before starting to roll out.  Use old tablecloth, place on table.  Sift flour over table cloth.  Place dough in center of cloth, pull to stretch before beginning to roll out.  Roll out dough until about 1/8" thick.  Pour melted butter over dough.  Stretch gently until almost paper thin.  If dough tears, don't worry and don't worry about the shape of it.  When it is thin enough, spread filling evenly over dough.  Use spatula or thin knife to spread filling.  Roll up dough like jello roll.  Flip tablecloth.  Cut dough in loaf pan size or use a large pan or roaster and coil whole roll in pan.  Let raise about 30 minutes in a warm place.  Prick with fork and brush with beaten egg yolk.  Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes.

Chocolate Pretzel Chip Cookies by the Holderness Family

 I found this recipe while scrolling The Holderness Family's Facebook page one day, and decided to make these cookies. I was somewhat skeptical of how they would taste, but they were so good!  I had to go thaw out some of the ones I'd put away so my husband could eat some more :).

They are the perfect combination of salty and sweet. 

And of course I forgot to take pictures!

Chocolate Pretzel Chip Cookies by The Holderness Family

Pastor Paul December 2021

God didn’t say a Christian life would always be easy. In fact, He promised that those who live a Godly life and serve Christ will suffer persecution. He also promised that if we stay close to Him, He will cover us.

Security of One Who Trusts in the Lord.

91 One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
³ For it is He who rescues you from the net of the trapper
And from the deadly plague.
⁴ He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may take refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and wall.

⁵ You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
⁶ Of the plague that ^[a]stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that devastates at noon.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
⁸ You will only look on with your eyes
And see the retaliation against the wicked.
^9 [b]For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
The Most High, your dwelling place.
¹⁰ No evil will happen to you,
Nor will any plague come near your ^[c]tent.

¹¹ For He will give His angels orders concerning you,
To protect you in all your ways.
¹² On their hands they will lift you up,
So that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will walk upon the lion and cobra,
You will trample the young lion and the ^[d]serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he has loved Me, I will save him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in ^[e]trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ I will satisfy him with ^[f]a long life,
And ^[g]show him My salvation.”

Paul Brow, Haven of Rest

 

Refinishing an Old/New Table

 This table used to sit in our living/dining room, but as our family at home has gotten smaller, we've needed more space and less table, so we moved it to the back patio. I refinished it with some poly just last spring, or maybe the spring before, but it got absolutely trashed over the winter. Whatever I used on it just wasn't very protective and it was in bad shape.

Yesterday I resanded it, put on a stain (used the leftover from my beautiful desk), and put down two coats of poly (with sanding). I was going to put on another coat if it dried, but it rained all night long, so that didn't get done. The good news is, the water was all beaded up on top of the table, so it looks like it was keeping from soaking into the wood. 

We are going to tarp the table this winter, and just uncover it if we need to use it. It seems that the combination of harsh weather, wind, and frigid temperatures is a little tough on stuff.

Pastor Paul November 2021

 

The Romans Road is a map of verses in Romans that share God’s plan of salvation.

Who needs salvation?

 

Romans 3:10-12¹⁰ as it is written: “There is no righteous person, not even one;¹¹ There is no one who understands, There is no one who seeks out God;¹² They have all turned aside, together they have become ^[a]corrupt; There is no one who does good, There is not even one.”

 

Why do we need salvation?

 

Romans 3:23 ²³ for all ^[a]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 

Romans 6:23²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

How does God provide salvation?

 

Romans 5:8⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

How do I receive salvation? What are the results of salvation?

 

Romans 10:9-10^9 [a]that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, ^[b]resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, ^[c]resulting in salvation.

 

 

Like the Children’s song from Vacation Bible School, “Wiki Wiki”

“A-a-wiki. Admit to God that you're a sinner and repent and turn away from your sin, quickly, quickly.

B-a-wiki. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He gave His life for you and me-ee-ee-ee-ee.

 C-a-wiki. Confess your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord forevermore, it isn't tricky!”

 

Paul Brow, Haven of Rest