So it turns out I'm a horribly inconsistent blogger.  I have really good intentions, I promise! Anyway.  We've got some catching up to do.  Where to start?

I made shortbread!  And the shortbread was in the shape of elephants.  Does it get any better?

The recipe came from Pioneer Woman who is fantastic!

Here's the recipe, only 4 ingredients!

Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
-2 sticks + 2T salted butter, softened
-1 C sugar
-2 C all-purpose flour
-1 C (scant) cornstarch

Prep:
- Preheat oven to 325

- Cream butter and sugar together.  Sift in flour and cornstarch and blend together using a pastry cutter until all the ingredients come together.  (If mixture seems excessively dry, cut in 1 more Tbs. of butter but only if you really need it... I didn't.)

All good things start with butter!

- Form dough into a big ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 min.

- Roll onto a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds (or hearts, or elephants :).)  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Do not allow shortbread to brown; the edges should have the faintest golden tinge.

Roll the dough, make some elephants!

Love Come to Life

I am not usually one of those people who likes one song and buys the whole album. However.  Big Daddy Weave's new CD Love Come to Life is fantastic!  Redeemed is a soulful tribute to the amazing, unending grace that we find in the Lord, while Maker of the Wind and others are more upbeat- it's obvious he can't contain his excitement about his God!  This new album is, in one word, honest.  The lyrics are ones that I've wanted to express way more than once and I'm willing to bet you have too.  Go check it out!  $9.99 on iTunes!

Amish Country Bread

Today I made bread and I'm not sure this house has ever smelled so good.  Baking bread has always been on my bucket list.  It's always seemed like the ultimate Betty Crocker goal to me- I have no idea why.  I think some book I read once described a woman who was the epitome of lovely, feminine, homemaker.  I pictured this woman with her hair perfectly coiffed, a cute A-line dress on under her '50's- esque apron, pulling freshly baked bread from the oven, perfectly flushed from the warmth.  

And so, I made bread.  In an unbrushed ponytail, the sweatpants I slept in, I did have an apron! (I attract more messes than anyone I've ever known) I made bread! And it was goood.

Doesn't that look tasty?  Here's the recipe so your house can smell good too!

Amish Country Bread

4 Tbs. Sugar

2 Tbs. Butter  (melted)

3 tsp.  Salt

1 1/2 C Hot water

2 Tbs. Rapid rise yeast

5 C Flour

Directions:

Put all ingredients but the flour into the mixer and let sit for a few minutes so "the yeast can do it's thing."  (I stirred the ingredients together and let it sit aka "proof" for about 5 minutes).  Add the flour in small batches & mix with a dough hook for 8-10 minutes.  (This is important!  If you don't knead the dough long enough the bread gets dense... which isn't always a bad thing!)  Remove & place in a bowl that has been greased.  Cover with greased plastic wrap and a cloth soaked in warm water on top of that.   Let dough rise until double in size (about 30 min).  Punch down & divide into 2 rounds and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Cut decorative slits on  top and cover again with greased plastic wrap and warm towel.  Let dough rise again.  Rub and egg white wash (1 egg white and 1Tbs. water) over the top and sprinkle with kosher salt.  I sprinkled with dried rosemary & parmesan.  Bake at 400 degrees fro 17-20 minutes.

Let me know what you think & enjoy!  Happy Friday!  

Bill Clinton's Lemon Chess Pie

I made a pie and it was awesome.  It was so awesome in fact, that I had to steal a picture of it from the internet because the one I actually made was eaten in about a second.  It's quick to make and insanely delicious.  I have no idea why it's called Bill Clinton's Lemon Chess Pie, but you'll be sending Bill a thank you by the time it's out of the oven.

Bill Clinton's Lemon Chess Pie

Ingredients

1 (9 inch) pie shell
2 C white sugar
1/2 C Butter, softened
5 eggs, beaten
1 C milk
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. cornmeal
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs. lemon zest (zest from about 3 lemons)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Press pastry shell into a pie plate

2.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
     Beat in eggs and milk.  Add flour, cornmeal, lemon juice, and zest.  Mix until smooth.
     Pour mixture into pastry shell.

3.  Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center.


**Just a hint, if you put the pie plate on a baking sheet covered in foil it'll catch any spill-
    overs and it's much easier to get out of the oven when it's done!

Grab a glass of milk and dive in!

The Book List

I have a book problem.  Ok, an obsession.  And being at home so much more after the move back in with mom and dad, I've suddenly got a LOT of time to love on those books that have been sitting 'decoratively' on my shelves for the last million years.  Being an addict however, I have a recently crafted (and edited and added to) list of the books I want to get my hands on next.  And here is that list, we'll see how many I can make it through by the end of summer.  Anyone want to bet?  On a sort of side note, has anyone else noticed how slim the pickings are for 20- Somethings reading?  Would someone PLEASE write a book that's not for teens and not as serious as those grown up books that doesn't have a main character who's sleeping with all of Manhattan??


Short rant aside, here's the list (in no particular order of course)

Abstract City-- Christopher Niemann
God's Hotel-- Victoria Sweet
Funding Your Ministry-- Scott Morton
Viewpoints-- Steve Shadrach
Art Saves-- Jenny Doh
Design Thinking-- Thomas Lockwood
The Kite Runner-- Khaled Hosseini
Catching Fire-- Suzanne Collins
Flip! For Decorating-- Elizabeth Mayhew
She is Quick and Curious and Playful and Strong-- Kate Spade et. al
The Happiness Project-- Gretchen Rubin
The Help-- Kathryn Stockett
I Totally Meant to do That-- Jane Borden

Things I wish my Mother Had Told Me – Lucia van der Post

Life is Hard: It’s Harder if You’re Stupid --

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs – Chuck Klosterman

The Secret Circle – L. J. Smith

Georgia Bottoms – Mark Childress

The Weird Sisters – Eleanor Brown

A Kiss in Time – Alex Flinn

Wife 22 – Melanie Gideon

In the Kingdom of Men – Kim Barnes

The Age of Doubt – Andrea Camilleri

Almost Amish – Nancy Sleeth

The Yard – Alex Grecian

50 Shades of Grey – E. L. James

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes --  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Guide to Living Colorfully – Kate Spade

Inamorata- Joseph Gangemi

The Body Project—Joan Jacobs Brumberg

Read My Hips—Kim Brittingham

The Sweet Potato Queens – Jill Conner Browne

The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life – Wend Shanker

The Girl’s Guide to Absolutely Everything – Melissa Kirsch

Kiss My Tiara: How to Rule the World as a SmartMouth Goddess – Susan Jane

Our Bodies, Ourselves: A New Edition for a New Era

The Bad Girl’s Guide to Getting What You Want

The Modern Goddess’ Guide to Life: …– Francesca De Grandis

          Fly Solo: The 50 Best Places on Earth for a Girl to Travel Alone – Teresa Rodriguez Williamson

            Single: The Art of Being Satisfied, Fulfilled, and Independent – Judy Ford

            City Chic: An Urban Girl’s Guide to Livin’ Large on Less – Nina Willdorf

            The Dive from Clausen’s Pier: A Novel – Ann Packer

            The Other Boleyn Girl – Philippa Gregory

Phew!  I know, it's a lot... did I mention all the time I have?  :)

Have you read any of these?  What did you think?  And more importantly, would you be willing to loan it, pretty please?

Welcome!

Welcome, I'm glad you're here! What will follow are the chronicles of one girl's attempt at navigating this beautiful, broken world and everything that comes with it. I don't pretend to know everything or have it all figured out, because let's be honest, very few do. We're all just trying to figure it out. Maybe it'll be easier to figure it out together, what do you say? Come on in, kick your shoes off and stay a while.