Transforming The Mundane Into The Majestic

Sunday is the day I share a little of my soul. I call it the Bread of Life Section.

"Tell me reason why and I will move Heaven and Earth to do it."--unknown.

I had one of those weeks this week that tops the charts on seeing dreams fulfilled and blessings come into my life. It's been one of those weeks where in my heart I've said to the Lord, "It worked just like you said it would! I'm shocked and amazed...and overcome with gratitude." God, it appears, can still part seas and work marvelous miracles when we believe. He can also transform seemingly mundane experiences into majestic and powerful tools for our learning and strength. 

I think that one of the greatest joys I have as a cooking and baking instructor is seeing the eyes of my students when they finally understand a concept I am trying to express. I've seen that spark of inspiration and power seemingly fly from my heart to theirs. Perhaps some of the most sweet and amazing expressions come to me in the form of letters and calls when a student will say, "It worked just like you said it would!" . Once someone said to me,  "You said if I used less flour and kneaded longer the results would be bread like yours. I didn't want to get my hands dirty. I just wanted to use my bread machine. It seemed like such a boring waste of time to spend that much effort at that stage but...I did what you said to do and now I'm so happy with the results."

A waste of time?! Boring?! What! I personally adore kneading bread. It's a precious time for me to engage in something grounding, calming, exacting, artistic and repetitive. It's almost like meditation when I let it be...and I love the results I get from doing it. It doesn't just make better bread...it makes a better me. But...if I look at it as a chore, I could see how it would seem boring.

On the other hand, there are a few times when I'll hear things like, "...but I don't want to do it that way." "I changed the recipe and did something else and now your recipe doesn't work." I have to remind my friends as gently as I can that if they change it...then it wasn't my recipe. It was their own plan. I know you don't like having sticky dough. I know it's more work. I realize there may be a seemingly easier way. I teach you this way so you can get experience. The only way to learn...is to learn. I've said it for years, "I only know what I know. " Deep thought.  I had to ask myself this question :Do I ever  do that with the Lord's recipes? Change the ingredients and then wonder why it didn't work "like He said it would" when in fact I was  the ones who had tried to figure it out on my own outside of His tried and true plan...and failed. To the degree that you follow the recipe, is the degree to which you get results. It's simple. Yet as a human I sometimes tend to forget that! Obedience is the first law of heaven for a reason. I may not understand why I have to do the seemingly mundane chores...but I think those are usually the days I lose sight of the "why".  Why did I commit to being a mom? Oh yes...so I could make an eternal difference in the life of another person. Duh. That's my why!

So...what is the Why in following the Savior? I heard last night, perhaps one of the greatest sermons, on the subject from Dieter F. Uchtdorf :

The Power of Knowing “Why”

"... the gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in Heaven, leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible fulfillment in the life to come. The gospel is a light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us. While understanding the “what” and the “how” of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of the gospel springs from the “why.” When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet.

Let us not walk the path of discipleship with our eyes on the ground, thinking only of the tasks and obligations before us. Let us not walk unaware of the beauty of the glorious earthly and spiritual landscapes that surround us... seek out the majesty, the beauty, and the exhilarating joy of the “why” of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The “what” and “how” of obedience marks the way, yes, and it keeps us on the right path. But the “why” of obedience sanctifies our actions, transforming the mundane into the majestic. It magnifies our small acts of obedience into holy acts of consecration.  — Dieter F. Uchtdorf

My Easy Apple Fruit and Nut Strudel

You know what I need at the advent of Fall? A freakishly amazing strudel to knock me down on my knees and make me beg for mercy. It's a sick obsession...and I tell you there needs to be some kind of community intervention. I need to be locked in a room without an oven for a few weeks when the apples are this beautiful and the pastry is just begging to be filled with all kinds of romance. Evil freak-of-nature. How can I live with myself creating this stuff and then...not eating it?! You know what? I gave this entire confection away! Yup...be impressed.

 Tutorial Tuesday is here and I have decidedly been a little slow on posting this one...because I sure don't want my secrets getting leaked out all over the internet. Heaven forbid! People will start making wild passionate apple strudel all over the country and then what?! Total societal meltdown. Why? Because I got a little freaky reckless and started posting horribly evil things like strudel on my blog. So...shoot me. This one is for Janae Turner and her lovely husband Adrian...who came up with Bakeresse as my nickname. I think I owe Adrian at least a little post on the strudel. Plus, he and his wife were nice enough to eat this so I didn't have to stare at it's evil goodness all day. Bless you both! Now, this one I'm actually making without adding extra sugar. It's the natural fruit and the puff pastry sweetened naturally with stevia. You're welcome. Don't worry...you won't miss the sugar.

 I mean, seriously look at that rippling ab. I can't be held responsible for the human reaction I have to that in pastry form right?

Okay, so here's what you need.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough ( as I haven't done the tutorial for puff pastry yet I'm seriously not doing it today. So...ya know...this is the easy version here).


3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup sundried cherries
1/2 cup dried blueberries
juice and zest of one orange
1T Chef Tess Wise Women of the East Spice and Floral Blend
20 drops stevia natural sweetner (or 1/2 cup sugar)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup melted butter
Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove pastry sheet from wrapper. Seriously I know...this is the cheater method. You can make your own pastry if you want. I usually do...but how much can I do in one post? Seriously.  Put the dough on a lightly floured counter top.

 Place berries and juice in a quart sauce pan and cook over low heat until fruit absorbs juice.

 Add the apples and zest. What is it about apples that makes me want to do a dramatic swoon across the room and pronounce them aaaaaaahpples daaaaahling. What is it? I'm not sure. I just love Fall and good baking apples.

 Season generously with my blend. Yup. You need it. It's not just cinnamon...it's a way of life. It's got a lot of other spices and citrus...and a hint at the very end of lavender and rosepetal. It will change your pastry life. I'm not kidding. Chef Tess Wise Women of the East Spice and Floral Blend. Add the stevia here too.

 Add the nuts and cook 3-5 minutes until apples are tender, but not mushy.

 Open up the pastry and fill the center 1/3 with a generous portion of the apple filling being careful not to get the filling on the outside flaps.

 Cut the sides into strips 1/2 inch wide, up to the filling.

 Fold the strips over the filling, being sure to tuck the strips into the side.

Now, drizzle the top with melted butter.

Transfer the strudel onto a baking sheet and put in the center of the preheated 425 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

It will look like this...

Now, I actually took a micro-zest to an extra lemon and then mixed the zest with a tablespoon of vanilla honey. With a pastry brush, while pastry is still hot, spread the honey over the entire confection. 

Quick...while you still have some will power left...call a good friend and walk it over. Go! 

P.S. yes...I'm still home. Come on over with your strudel...anytime.

Your Friend,
Chef Tess

Ham Fried Rice using 100% Food Storage

Last week I got to teach a class on food storage eggs at the Honeyville Farms retail store in Chandler, Arizona. Have I mentioned before how much I love that place? Well...they've been a hoot-n-hollar to get to know. In fact, I'm teaching again this Saturday on the 52 jar method at 10 AM. This will be a free class. The last one I taught was standing room only. The place was packed! It made me so happy to see the enthusiasm surrounding preparedness!  Now back to the eggs.  One of my favorite products I've found is the freeze dried scrambled eggs from Honeyville. I especially enjoy using them in breakfast skillet meals and recently discovered a great love for them in Fried Rice! I've used all freeze dried food in this post except for the rice. But...it's all food storage! How fun is that? Mondays I try to share a good food storage recipe and this is one of my delicious best!

Here are some details on the Honeyville Farms Freeze Dried Scrambled Eggs:


"Each can contains 20 ounces of Freeze Dried Cooked Scrambled Eggs. Each can makes 16 1/2 cup servings.Eggs are a staple of most diets and food storage plans. Honeyville's Ranchers Cut Freeze Dried Scrambled Eggs are fully cooked and make a great addition to your family's food storage. Our Freeze Dried Scrambled Eggs are the perfect solution to camping and hiking trips where weight and cold storage can be an issue. Simply add 1/3 cup of boiling water to 1/2 cup of eggs and let stand. Drain excess water and serve. Goes great with Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Flavored TVP. Ingredients: Freeze Dried Cooked Scrambled Eggs (liquidwhole eggs, non-fat milk, soybean oil, modified food starch, salt, xanthan gum, citric acid, butter flavor (maltodextrin, natural butter flavor,annato, and turmeric {for color}), pepper).
Shelf Life: Freeze Dried Cooked Scrambled Eggs can be stored for 10 to 15 years in the sealed #10 can (with enclosed Oxygen Absorbers)
under ideal storage conditions (a cool, dry place).


Directions: To make a 1/2 cup serving add 1/3 cup of hot water to 1/2 cup of Freeze Dried Eggs. Stir once, cover and let stand for 5 to 7minutes. Drain off any excess water and serve. Great when rehydrated with Freeze Dried Cheese and Bacon or Sausage Flavored TVP." (from the Honeyville Grain Website)


This is what they look like in the can. They're shelf stable and already cooked!

 They're remarkably easy to hydrate too!

 Now for the fried rice. This is a great way to use up left over rice, or any cooked grain for that matter! Get creative here folks! I love the ham for it's remarkable flavor, but it also works with chicken or turkey.


Chef Tess Ham Fried Rice
Ingredients
1/2 cup freeze dried scrambled eggs, hydrated (set aside)
4 cups cooked white or brown rice, cold (Kamut or quinoa also work) (after cooking measurement)
1⁄4 c dehydrated carrot dices
1⁄2 c freeze dried green peas
1⁄4 c dehydrated chopped onions
1c freeze dried ham
1 T sesame oil
3-4 T soy sauce (to taste)
1 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
cracked black pepper to taste


Here are the freeze dried players...

 Instructions
* In a pot, combine carrots, green peas, onions, and and ham with 4 c water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
* Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until vegetables and meat are reconstituted and tender. Drain and set aside.

 * Heat a frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. 

Add 1 tbsp sesame oil to the pan or wok, swirling to coat.Add rice, along with the ham & vegetable mixture, to the wok; stir fry for 2 minutes until everything is heated through.

  Stir in egg and soy sauce gently. Season with fresh cracked pepper and garlic powder.

 Soy Sauce is to taste. If you are needing more or less sodium go by your flavor preference here. 

 There you go!  

Hopefully this adds some fresh ideas to your food storage this week! Keep on creating...and I will too!
Your Friend,
Chef Tess

BFFF! Best Friends, Finds, and Food! Friday!

Friday is the day I share some fabulous Friends, Food and Finds! 
If you're baking  or cooking something special, running a unique business or have a really outstanding product, I love sharing it here! So...this week we have some cool stuff going on!

Gingham Project updates! Oh I love you guys! Sister Daisy's Kids! Congratulations to both our sponsor families and TEN of our sweet kids who have now been connected with a family. Sponsor families provide hope, encouragement and faith in a world that has been pretty rough on these young kids. Thank you!


This week I'm hoping we can find a family for a beautiful girl named Raja.

Raja \r(a)-ja\ as a girl's name is of Arabic origin, and the meaning of Raja is "hope".
AIDS took her parents at age 4. At age 14, she needs help and a friendship with a family who can share in her hopes and dreams. If you would like to help Raja Kumari, please let us know. 

(please note: the child photographed is a 4 year old- the age that Raja Kumari was orphaned. She is now a 14 year old child.)

 I'm honored to be part of what is going on with Gingham! If you want to see how my "Gingham Masala" is being used to help feed the kids, look Here. To order the spices go here. 

They also have a few other items in their store that all benefit the kids 100%. 

Okay, so now I'm moving on to some of my friends! This is Tom. We met at the Honeyville Farms preparedness fair last month and totally talked artisan bread. He's awesome and knows a ton about grain!  I was so excited to hear that he was building an outdoor bread oven. Well...He recently sent me a picture of his outdoor artisan bread oven completed. Um...yeah, he built this! I'm so excited for him...and jealous! Tom is in Utah so if any of my amazing friends up there wants an oven built like this, Tom is totally available for hire as well. Contact me at chef-tess@hotmail.com and I'll connect you with this remarkable baker and oven maker!

I have to do a shout out to Linda Wachtel  the amazing apron seamstress! I ordered one of her aprons a few weeks ago and wore it on Fox 10 for the segment on Homemade Laundry Soap.  Her Etsy shop is called  Elsie's Flat and I love her work! The seams were perfectly even, the fabric was heavy, good quality and she got it to me really fast. So...here's another one she did called  Butterscotch Cupcakes! Isn't it adorable?!  Thank you my dear!

 On a sad note.

 Here's another dear friend who is dearly missed. Denna. Denna was shot in her home last month and died tragically. We used to sit in the foyer together at church and she grew up in my husband's family's neighborhood.  Her parents are beautiful people and we love them dearly.  


  Saturday, Oct. 8th there will be a Benefit for the Denna Strebe Memorial Trust there will be Indian Frybread to benefit the family. 

 The benefit will be in Mesa.
  
1912 E. Jensen Street Mesa, AZ 85203. 10 AM- 3 PM




That's all for now on this weeks BFFF! Thanks for all you guys do and all the love I feel everyday! It makes me so happy to be part of your life. 


Your Friend,
Chef Tess

My Vintage Modern Kitchen Photo Collection

I have to share some pictures I found to frame in funky 50's frames and put in my kitchen...but in a wild new way.  I think they're classic for what I want to do. Check them out. Seriously. Adorable. 

 Hello Lime Fizz! Does this go in the kitchen or an entire bathroom with a Lime Fizz theme? How many freakin' cool things could we do with limes?! Woah...I hurt my head thinking of it all...but now I'm excited to start in!

 Now if I have twin girls we already have the names picked out...(or maybe twin rat terrier puppies).

 Okay wait...doesn't this lady look like me?

 If I could just slip into my alter-ego 1950's cartoon version of myself...I think this would just about nail me...except more ruffles on the apron.

 Oh this makes me want a little girl! Look at those bangs she cut all by herself under the kitchen table when her mom was on the phone.

 Cut several beans at one time. Okay. Nice haircut on the little boy. Note to self, talk to boys about not using kitchen grease in hair.  So...where do I get hot pads like that?Man-oh-man...Those are cool.

Once I wore earrings that made my sister say, "those earrings  make your whole face *sparkle*!" So...you know this picture made my whole face giggle.

I need this chart so my kids can know what a can opener looks like...and when mom will be opening up a can. (Grin.)

Yeah. Saucy.

You know this will be on the cookie jar right?! 

 Oh. My. Heck. Doesn't this just have to go by the flour mill and where I make the bread?!

This is going on the counter by the blender...

Now I just have to get them all girlie cute and show you the final projects...but I think it will be one of my best projects yet!
Your Friend,
Chef Tess