Friendship Bread

When the weather becomes cooler and the skies are dull and gray... I start baking! I can't find anything better to warm up a cold day than turning on the oven and letting the smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and sweet goodness fill my home. My kids and hubby will come crawling out from under their cocoon of blankets just to see what kind of yumminess (is that a word?) Mama is baking.

Today I made....

Amish Friendship Bread
Yes, I am talking about that starter bread that you put on your counter, you have to mix it up daily, add ingredients to it and then find friends to give away the new starters so that they can put it on their counters, mix it daily, add ingredients... and on and on it goes. I'm exhausted just thinking about that version!

I have a simpler way!  My Mom has been making this bread for many, many years - since I was a little girl (so I guess its only been for a few years... really... less than ten! Hahahaha)

Here is the recipe my Mom passed down to me:

Day 1: you are given the starter... free pass... you don't have to do anything
            Here is my first make it simpler tip: I keep my starter in a plastic container instead of plastic baggies. For 2 reasons: less wasted plastic bags and then on bake day you can just add the wet ingredients right into the plastic container - less bowls to clean (really this was my Mom's idea - I must give her the credit!)
Day 2-4: stir up the starter once a day
Day 5: Add 1/4 cup of each: flour, sugar and milk
            Make it simpler tip #2: The traditional recipe calls for 1 cup of each. If you cut it down to the 1/4 cup measurements you will have enough for one starter and the rest to bake your bread. Now you don't have to beg friends to take a starter off your hands... or wonder if they just threw it away. However if you do want to make the larger batch you can add the full cup and that will give you three starters and your bread mix at the end.
Day 6-9: stir up the starter once a day
Day 10: today is bake day
              Make it simpler tip #3: I write the ADD date and the BAKE date in permanent marker right on the top of the container of the starter. This way I never forget what day I started it, what day to add and what day to bake... because if I don't... I have to try to figure out which day is which... and you know how that goes... I'm a mom... which equals FORGETFUL!!

Here are the instructions for bake day:

To the starter add: 1/4 cup of each flour, sugar and milk and mix well. 
Next, measure out 1 cup of the starter mix and put in a container. This is your new starter and today is Day 1.... don't forget to put the date on top so you don't forget what day to add and bake!!
(If you are making the larger batch add 1 cup of each and measure out 3 - 1 cup portions of starter to give away to your friends.)

To the remaining starter add: 1 cup of oil, 1/2 cup milk, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla and mix well

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 (5.1oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pecans

After dry ingredients are mixed,

make a well in the middle and

pour the wet ingredients in to the dry mixture.

 

Mix well. I mix mine by hand, but you could use a hand mixer or large counter top mixer.

It will be sticky and thick.


Pour into 2 well greased and sugared bread pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

You will know the bread is ready when you insert a toothpick into the bread and it comes out clean. (Make sure you put the toothpick in the middle as it takes the longest to bake completely.)

Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Then take bread out of pan and let cool completely on wire rack before cutting. This last step rarely happens in my house because as soon as I take it out of the pan I have hungry goblins ready to gobble it up!!

If there is any left you can share it with a friend or neighbor... It is Friendship Bread after all!

Make it simper tip #4: Make this bread any flavor that you like or have on hand. I have added peanut butter chips or cinnamon chips instead of nuts. I have used pistachio pudding with pistachios and chocolate pudding with chocolate chips.  Use pumpkin pudding for a thanksgiving treat... whatever suits your fancy! You can also make one large loaf or make smaller loaves... just adjust the bake times accordingly.

One last tip to Make it Simpler for you: If you don't want to put your new starter on the counter and start all over again, simply put the starter in a sealed container and place it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to start the cycle again, pull the starter out of the fridge and begin with Day 1... don't forget to date it!!! I haven't made a starter in so long, I can't remember where my recipe is, however I've looked online for a starter recipe before... if you have no one to give you a starter you can just make your own!!

ENJOY!! I hope you love this simpler version as much as I do!

Servant Leadership

An excerpt from the book I am reading on servant leadership in network marketing, quote by Derek Hall:

"They [leaders] garner a great deal of respect by, literally, turning the traditional pyramid organizational chart upside down. Instead of the base serving the few at the top the reverse occurs; the few at the top serve the many at the base."

I have worked for multiple pyramids (aka JOBS) where those at the bottom do all the hard work so that those at the top look good. That type of pyramid gets old quickly. Especially because I was always doing a large portion of the work!!! I am so grateful to be part of a national team of business people who model servant leadership daily. It is obvious that those at the top of Organo Gold love nothing more than helping new team members succeed. Amazing examples of servant leadership!!

Which type of pyramid do you prefer?

The quote is from the book "How To Become Filthy Stinking Rich Through Network Marketing (Without Alienating Friends and Family)"

Are you a furniture mover?

Are you a furniture mover? You know, around the house? I am. I move my furniture around ALL THE TIME!!! I don't really know why... not sure if there is a reason.  I just start to get that twitchy feeling.  I start looking at the furniture and the rest of the "stuff" around the house and I start thinking, "Is there a better way?"

I know that I get it from my Mom... she is a furniture mover too!  So is one of my sisters.  I don't think anyone else suffers from this condition - YET, but they are still young and we have lots of life left! (I am the oldest of 6 siblings, so I doubt only 2 of us inherited this condition! hahahaha!!!) Every time I go to visit my parents something has been moved around in their house, rooms have changed functions, new furniture has been switched out for the old, something has been repurposed, etc...

Baby Boy's Room - in process!

Everything I mentioned about my parents' house applies in my home too. Right now, I am in the process of changing two of my kids' bedrooms.  A dear friend gave us a bed to replace my daughter's broken one.  As it turns out, the new bed works better in the baby's room, which has resulted in me needing to rearrange two rooms!! Plus the shelf in the baby's closet broke... I didn't realize if I stacked board games to the ceiling it would be too heavy!! I always figured... if it fits.... hahahaha! Enough said! My hubby likes to say I know how to fit five pounds of sugar in a three pound sack!

When my Mom comes to visit, my husband will ask us a very important question before he leaves for work, "What are you moving around today?" He knows if you put the two of us together we are going to figure out a way to rearrange something!! And my hubby simply wants to be prepared for when he gets home! I am extrememly lucky that he supports me in just about everything.  Even if he thinks one of my ideas is a little wacky, he is willing to try it out before criticizing. 

Truth is... my husband is not a visionary! He just can't see it in his head. I can try to explain or draw it out as much as possible, however, until I actually move things around, put the color on the wall, repurpose the furniture, etc, he really has no idea what I'm talking about.  Luckily... he is so laid back that he just goes with it. If he REALLY doesn't like something he speaks up, but for the most part, he knows I will just change it all again in a few months because I have a new vision!

And then there are the holidays which are quickly on the way... and that means... TIME TO DECORATE! YAY!!! Time to make room for a tree, put up lights, (inside and out) take down the every day decor and replace it with shiny, twinkling holiday goodness!!! Ohh Ohh Ohhhh... it makes my hands tingle with excitement. My heart is beating faster just thinking about it!! Seriously, is there something wrong with me?

I am one of those weird people that likes change! Not just in my house but in life as well. I simply get bored with the same old thing. I wonder if I will always be this way. Is there something else in my life that is lacking which in turns causes me to fill the void by moving furniture? I don't know. While you are pondering this mystery... I am off to rearrange!

Weathering the Seasons (and Storms) of Life

I love this time of year! The weather is getting cooler. Leaves are changing colors. Kids are back in school (well, not mine!) The streets are quieter - empty. The holiday season is on its way. Sweaters, hats and scarves are starting to appear. Living where we do in California, our summers are HOT! Many days topping 100 degrees; a dry heat that just seems to scorch all things in its path. (We are lucky to know several people with a pool or we might melt!) The cooler climate of fall is a welcome change.

As mentioned in a post last year about summer - I love all the seasons.  Every one of them brings change.... and for me, each one brings a new appreciation for God's creation.  I LOVE the autumn colors - reds, oranges, yellows, browns, purples. Neighbors are decorating for Fall. Kids are getting excited about Halloween and are starting to plan their Christmas lists. Nights are much cooler, so we bunker down under blankets reading a chapter book together, playing a game or watching a movie. I've started baking again, since we don't have to worry about heating the house with the oven. I can make soups and stews and other "warm your insides" comfort food that I love! I start lighting candles and we have a fire in the fire place with hot chocolate. Kids' soccer season is winding down. It's a time of change. We also go through seasons in our lives; and it is with these seasons, periods of change and of self renewal that we can truly appreciate the beauty -the simple pleasures that surround us daily.

Last year, we went through a horrific experience - one I NEVER in all my life imagined that I would have to endure. In my depths of pain I would think to myself how I never imagined this could happen to us. When I dreamed of my family it never occurred to me that one person would strip us of innocence, hope and love and replace it with hatred, unforgiveness and lots and lots of hurt.  We were in the heart of a season of winter in our lives. Every time I would glimpse a tiny plant of new growth and healing it would be frozen again by a new ice storm.  We continued in this cycle for about 6 months - a couple weeks of healing and then a new storm would hit us again.

Over and over again a cycle of pain, hurt, depression, hopelessness and despair would be followed by glimpses of healing and hope only to be squashed by another wave of destruction. Just when I would think it can't get any worse - it would!! Looking back now, I realize that I couldn't have handled everything all at once. Now I can see that if my world had come crashing in on me all at the same time, I might be in a loony bin or worse!  Just as too much rain at one time will cause flooding with permanent damage, God knew that too many blows at one time would have caused irreversible damage to our family. Our all knowing God, knew that we needed to weather one storm at a time! And I praise Him now for holding us in his arms when we were unable to make it on our own.
With each storm, I had to pick up my family, begin healing again and in the end - we became stronger.  I began to prepare for the storms that were to come. In the beginning, I quit praying altogether - I simply couldn't.  I would try... but I really could not pray. I was paralyzed. Instead, I called on all my family and friends that are prayer warriors (who in turn called on the prayer warriors that they knew) and asked them to pray for our family - simply because... I could not. I know that they surrounded my family with prayer!! I thank all of you now. One of our dearest pastor friends had her entire congregation pray for us for an entire church service. (We still have our prayer cloths!) Thank you - each and every one of you - for praying when I could not!

With the strength of prayer and our friend's and family's support, we began to brace for the storms, and without realizing it, we were growing stronger with each blow.  I gathered the ability to pray again. At first it was mainly yelling at God. I was so angry! This turned into prayers of utter despair and endless tears. Which turned into prayers of thankfulness for God being there even when I couldn't pray. In the end, we survived. We have deep scars, some that will continue to heal and fade, and others that will be with us for a life time... but WE SURVIVED. We still have more storms to weather, but I know now, how to better prepare for the storms. We continue to focus on God and the healing of our family.

My family is now in a a springtime of renewal. We have a new glimmer of hope, rebirth, growth. Fresh new seedlings that are being nurtured, watered, fed and ready to become strong plants. We are changing our circumstance from victim to victory. I don't know what the future holds for my family or myself.  It is unclear.  But one thing is certain, we are stronger and more prepared for the storms in life.  I believe that my children are being prepared for greatness.  Especially my six year old. There is an anointing that surrounds his very being and I know the devil doesn't like it! He is destined for a life of serving God.  He already tells me that he wants to go out in the world and teach others to love Jesus. No wonder the devil is doing every thing he can to bring him down. In the midst of our trials last year, he said to me, "I am praying to Jesus that the devil will leave us alone!" Those are powerful words coming from a six year old!

No matter what trials you are facing right now, know that although it may get worse before it gets better.... it WILL get better.  Don't let the devil win! Fight with God's righteousness on your side.  "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:11-12



 We are still weathering storms that continue to strike our family. They are turning into gentle spring rains instead of hurricanes... little storms that are helping us grow, become stronger, survive the heat of summer and be prepared for the harvest God has planned for us. We can see the rainbow through the rain.

What season of life are you in right now?

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted... a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-4,8
I hope that my story can help somebody who is weathering a storm right now. I pray for your peace and strength. God knows who you are and He hears my prayers for you. You are not alone. Even if you can't pray, God is with you.

Are You Feeling Overwhelmed?

An excerpt from my journal Fall 2011 - right before my family's lives changed dramatically (and the reason my blogs stopped)

"Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that it seems you almost can't even function? That is how I have been feeling for the last 4 months.  Like I have so much to do that it just stops me in my tracks!  From running my child care (60+ hours a week) to taking care of my family, to cleaning house and all that entails, to being a homeschooling mom (which is a full time teaching position) to additional family drama and stress that I have no control over - sometimes I just want a break from my life!! I want to do it all, and yet I have a hard time realizing that I can't.  I would like to post more blogs, take my kids on more walks, actually work on my scrapbooks (instead of just collecting supplies) watch more movies, cook more, bake more, take my kids on fun day trips, and the list just keeps growing.  Why do we as women feel the need to do it all?
I want to be super mom.... but I'm not.  I want to have the kids best birthday parties... but I don't.  I want to have a home cooked meal on the table every night... but we eat fast food a lot. I want to read more bed time stories to my kids... but I'm too tired by that time.  I want to have a clean, organized home... but we never seem to get it done. I want to go on dates with my husband... but we are never free at the same time.  I want to read my bible more and join a women's bible study... but can't coordinate any of the days.  I have so many things I want to do, and yet, I seem to stop before I even get started.
I guess in the end, I need to ask myself what is important? What to I want my kids to remember about their childhood?  A mom that was so frazzled she never spent time with them or one who sat down to build Lego's with them?  I know the answer, I just have so much trouble getting to that place."

It's interesting reading this now, after going through the tragic events my family has had to survive. (More on my family's experiences in future blogs.) As a result of the events that took place in fall of last year, I have such a different perspective on life.  I have always been a thankful, grateful person, seeing the positive in most situations.  And reading this reminds me that it really is about the little things.  I have learned not to care about the things that really don't matter.  If the floor doesn't get mopped - oh well... instead we spent time curled up on the couch reading a chapter book. All the lesson plans for school didn't get accomplished - oh well... instead we spent time observing the birds in our back yard. 

I am learning more and more to stop and make the little moments matter.  My job has changed - I no longer run a day care, instead I have become the owner of an at home business.  One that brings families together.  I am working on bringing my husband home from the work force and teaching other families how to do the same thing.  It is the most rewarding thing I have ever done! I love helping people - and my kids are watching and growing with me!

We continue to home school. My daughter is 8 and in 3rd grade, my middle son is 6 and in 1st grade and my baby boy is now 2!!!  We let our interests and the things around us guide our learning.  A couple of nights ago we watched and listened as the sky was filled with thunder and lightning which resulted in learning about it the next day.  So much more impactful when we are able to experience what we are learning! 

I look forward to sharing our lives with you once again.... and posting helpful things we are doing, using and learning in future blogs.  Many of my friends have asked to explain our chore chart system, discipline methods we use, the way we do allowance, homeschooling ideas, recipes, tips and tricks I use to stay organized and so much more.  I look forward to sharing all of these things with you in future blogs as well as sharing our personal story - tragedy and all, in the hopes that it will help another family. 

I am on a journey of self discovery - every day is a new day. I will rejoice and be glad in it!!

God Bless! ~Erica

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom."  James 3:13