Easy Peasy Artisan Bread Recipe

Good Monday morning, friends,

I come from a long, illustrious line of bread makers. I remember feasting on my Grandma's homemade rolls at every one of her Sunday dinners (and she always had homemade butter to top off those delicious rolls!). And my mom made homemade bread, too; I remember coming home from school and finding fresh-out-of-the-oven-rolls cooling on the kitchen counter. Delicious!

Now, my family loves bread as much as I do, so I am always on the look-out for new bread recipes. And when I friend of mine mentioned how easy Artisan Bread is to make, I decided to give it a try. It was a huge hit: they literally devoured the entire loaf - no left-overs! And it was sooo easy - no kneading! Yippee!  :)

It has become a favorite at our house,and here are some of the things my children have to say about this recipe...

Ian, "Just the right amount of everything."

Aaron, "Moist on the inside, crusty on the outside, and tasty."

Asher, "It's really good with butter."

Natalie, "Delicious!"

Naomi, "It's crusty and delicious."

So for those who are interested, here is the recipe..

Recipe:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2-3 t. salt

1/2 t. active, dry yeast

1 1/2 c. lukewarm water

In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, and yeast. Add water until a cohesive dough forms. (Do not over work the dough.)

Next, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and leave it at room temperature for 8-24 hours. The dough will bubble and rise.

(Before.)

(After.)

Then preheat the oven to 450. Place an ungreased enamel covered (it must be enamel covered to prevent sticking) Dutch oven or crock in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. (Do not put the dough in yet.) While the Dutch oven (or crock) is preheating, shape the dough into a ball with floured hands. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest til Dutch oven is ready.

After 30 minutes, carefully remove Dutch oven from oven, and place the dough in it.

Cover the dutch oven tightly with foil. Carefully place it back into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil. The loaf will be light.

Bake for 10-15 minutes more to brown the loaf and make it crusty. Yummy!

 Place the loaf on a cooling rack and cool slightly before slicing.

Serve warm with butter, if desired.

Enjoy!

"...It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "   ~ Matthew 4:4

 Sharing with Caroline  and  JES

It's Not Too Late!

Tomorrow is the last day of the Lilla Rose Black Friday sale, so it's not too late to get some great deals on Christmas gifts!

 

 

Also, the December Flexi of the month is now available, too, while supplies last!

And stay tuned for a Flexi giveaway...coming next month!  :)

Black Friday Sale at Lilla Rose

Hi everyone,

There's a big sale at Lilla Rose coming up on Black Friday: get 20 - 50% off everything! And free shipping on all orders over $50! This is a perfect opportunity to get some lovely Christmas gifts for those special ladies on your list.  :)

Thanks so much for your support!

www.lillarose.biz/LisaKnight

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all my friends a warm and Happy Thanksgiving! And may we have a spirit of thankfulness not just on one day of the year, but all year 'round!

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

A Season of Firsts

 (source)

October 3rd was my mom and dad's 61st wedding anniversary. Her first one without him.

There was nothing special to celebrate the day, as there had been for the past 60 years.

There wasn't the usual going-out-to-dinner-with-all-the-family celebration.

No re-cap of the story of how my parents met, or the details of their wedding.

No mention of their early days of marriage.

No card shower.

Nothing.

However, the thought of her spending that day alone was unacceptable to me. I wanted to be there with her.

So right after we finished our school lessons that morning, we headed to her house.

(I didn't know what to expect when we got there; her 80th birthday was on September 16th, and naturally, it being the first one without my dad in 60+ years, was a very hard day for her.)

But when we walked in the door, she greeted us with her usual smile and a hug for each of us.

We had lunch with her and spent the afternoon talking, doing a little sewing, and taking a walk.

Of course, we talked about Dad...how could we not talk about him??

Considering the occasion, my mom did wonderfully.

Considering what has happened to her, my mom has done wonderfully.

She has told us many times that she couldn't have made it through Dad's passing without our love and support.

But I couldn't have made it through this without her love and strength. She is the strongest woman I know, and has proven it time and time again over the past 5 months.

The Lord has used her to keep me afloat in this sea of grief. And I would have been swallowed up by it months ago if it wasn't for her.

Oh sure, all the cards, visits, phone calls, etc, were comforting. But early on, and still today, the Lord has used her.

Her.

Not to take the glory from the Him; after all, He uses people to minister to us, doesn't He?

And He has used her in a mighty way in my life these past 5 months. One of my sister's has told me she feels the same way; our mom has brought us through this.

When I think about how distraught I am about Dad's passing, the Lord reminds me of Mom. She had a husband for 60+ years and now....he's gone.

No one to cook for. Only half as much laundry to wash.

Not as much cleaning to do.

No one to have meals with, unless one of us is there. 

 

And this fall is another first: fall was Dad's favorite season. He loved the nip in the air, and the colors on the trees. But this year, Dad isn't here to sit on the porch with her and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

And next Thursday: the first Thanksgiving without him.

Next month: the first Christmas without him.

I can't begin to imagine how hard it has been for her. But when we ask how she is doing, she always says she's "doing ok". She tries to hide her grief to protect us and keep us from worrying about her. This woman thinks of everyone else above herself. She always has. In the midst of this extremely difficult time, she continues to minister to others: taking food to sick ones, visiting in the nursing home, sending cards, making phone calls to check on shut-ins, etc. 

Acts 9:36b describes my Mom so accurately: "This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did." What a godly example she is to everyone who knows her!

My husband put it very eloquently the night before the funeral. He said, "Your Mom is like a precious gemstone: the hotter the fire, the brighter she shines."

 As we continue to make our way through this grieving process, my prayer is that the Lord will continue to uphold my Mom and that her faith will become even stronger...and that I will endeavor to live up to her legacy of strength. 

Have a lovely day, friends.

"Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come." ~ Proverbs 31:25

 

The Battle In My Heart

 "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." ~ Matthew 26:41

Hello friends,

Do you ever feel like there's a battle going on inside of you?

I'll be honest - I certainly do. Every single day my spirit wars against my flesh.

When I wake up in the morning tired and a mile-long list of to-dos staring me in the face,  my flesh tells me that I don't have time for Bible study and prayer. But my spirit tells me that I need that time with the Lord, or I won't be able to get through the day in a way that pleases Him. (Colossians 3:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:17)

When my children bicker, my flesh wants to rant and rave at them. But my spirit wants me to use a gentle tone of voice (1 Peter 3:4), just like my Heavenly Father speaks to me.

When I'm exhausted and in pain from my autoimmune disease, my flesh wants me to get angry at the Lord for allowing it in the first place. But my spirit wants me to endure it with patience. (Galatians 5:22)

When one of my children doesn't "get" a new math concept, my flesh wants to lash out at them. But my spirit wants me to calmly teach the concept again, taking the time to help them comprehend it. (Proverbs 31:26)

When I look around and see the condition of the world today, my flesh wants me to despair, and give up hope. But my spirit reminds me that my God is Sovereign. He is still on the Throne. He is still in absolute control. His purpose will be accomplished. (Isaiah 46:10)

These are just a few examples. I could go on and on. But I won't hang out anymore dirt laundry for now. ;)

So which one wins...my flesh or my spirit? Well, that depends. If I am walking closely with the Lord, my spirit gets the victory. But the opposite is also true - if I'm not in close fellowship with Him, I have very little "ammunition" to win the battle. So my flesh will be the victor. 

You know what I'm talking about. It's a daily struggle, isn't it? As believers, this war won't end until we get to Glory and have our glorified bodies. And what a day that will be!

But until then, keep on keeping on, friends. Keep your eyes in Him. Keep on walking closely with Him. Keep on loving our husbands. Keep on raising our children.  Keep on reading the Word. Keep on praying. And keep looking up. (Titus 2:13)

Remember - we can all things through Christ! (Philippians 4:13)

Have blessed day!

Sharing this week with Caroline and  JES.

2-day Sale at Lilla Rose

Hello friends,

There's a 2-day sale going on right now at Lilla Rose...10% off select holiday styles and free shipping on orders over $40. 

Lilla Rose haircessories make lovely Christmas gifts!  :) 

Here some of the beautiful holiday Flexi Clips..

 Click the tab at the top of the page to order or go to lillarose.biz/LisaKnight.

Have a great day and

thanks for your support!