A Bit of Nostalgia and A Recipe

Before sharing recipes (which you can all play around with and change up), I wanted to share something about my history that I have revisited recently. These observances, along with truly great parental examples, have shaped how I think about other people's frailties. So bare with me as I share a quick story.

When I was in elementary school (we called it grammar school) at West Riverside Elementary in Jacksonville, FL, there was a crossing guard at the major corner of Park Street at the back of our school. His name was Mr. Reagan. Anyone who walked to school (and we all did then) from the neighborhoods west of Park Street had to cross right there with Mr. Reagan. He seemed very old when I was eight or nine. Probably was about my age now. He was always kind and smiling. His story is an absolute mystery except how kind and encouraging he always was to every kid.

Then there was the woman who often walked across with us when Mr. Regan put out his stop sign for the cars to stop at this corner. She always wore long sleeve white clothing, gloves on her hands and a HUGE hat. She was rather surly. She seldom spoke, and when she did, it was always rather gruff. Many kids, including me, were mean right back. We really had no clue what she was experiencing or why she dressed the way she did, and we teased about it - loud enough she could hear us. They call that bullying today, and it was then as well. I never felt really good about it and mostly joined in to fit in.

On the corner of Park and Lydia Streets (same corner we walked across twice daily), there was a house where a really 'mean' guy lived. He had a red bulldog that barked at us down the entire fence line. The dog and the man were both sort of hateful, and the yard stunk so bad from the dog, we often held our noses as we walked by. We were hateful right back to both the dog and the old man.

So why am I sharing this? Well things haven't really changed much. We still have a choice to be kind and encouraging to anyone and everyone. We still have a choice to return hatefulness for hatefulness. But we can also choose to look deeper into one another's stories and have compassion for that particular individual in their need. In the last several years, I've developed a auto-immune condition that is likely not so different from the woman with all the covering. She was likely told to avoid the sun. Now the professionals know that the sun may very well help such maladies. Today, I would look her in the eye, maybe tear up, and tell her good morning. I might even take her by the arm and help her across the street; even walk her home.

The dog on the corner was just modeling his owner. His owner was likely lonely and hurting. Suffering comes in many forms. We don't know what another is experiencing or why, but we are called to have compassion. Jesus would help him clean the yard, maybe bathe the dog and share a loaf of bread and a cup with this man. He would find out how He could help, then He would act out of compassion.

Seemed a good time to reflect as we move into the next season. We're all broken vessels in need of grace.

And now here's a recipe from the SHOP page for which I have frequent orders.

Sourdough Sandwich Loaf - Makes Two Loaves

Ingredients:

200 g sourdough discard (not so bubbly starter)

330 g warm water 95-100º

15 g instant yeast

160 g raw honey

50 g Avocado Oil (or coconut oil if you prefer a sweeter flavor)

1 large egg

20 g salt

100 g Organic Whole Red Wheat Flour

750 g Organic All Purpose Flour

Process:

In a large mixing bowl add all the wet ingredients and stir together completely (I use a whisk).

In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.

Put the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with the wet and mix in a stand mixer using the dough hook for about 15 minutes. The dough should be fairly elastic and pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl when it's well blended. CAUTION: Watch that your mixer does not vibrate off the counter. It can happen.

Move the dough to a large bowl and let it rise to double the size in a room that's roughly 75º.

Dump the dough onto a clean kitchen counter or a wooden cutting board surface (use what you have).

Cut into two evenly weighted halves. Recipe makes two loaves. If the measurements are close to the recipe, it will be roughly 827 each half.

Shape each half so each fits into a standard loaf pan and cover with a kitchen towel.

Let the dough rise again to just over the edge of the loaf pan.

Preheat oven to 350º. Cover each with an additional loaf pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Remove the covering loaf pans and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, being careful not to burn.

Baste with melted butter while still very hot and let it sit in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then cool on a cooling rack covered with a kitchen towel until completely cool before slicing.

HINT: I use a cookie sheet on my top and very bottom racks above and below my bread to keep from scorching the uncovered top and the very hot bottom of the loaves.

Let rise just over the edge of the loaf pan