Faraway Hearts

 

I don't understand how or why, but God has given us the gift of  hearts that are spread in pieces around the world. 

 

 

Here's the proof that it affects each one of us:  Katherine recently drew a picture of herself (complete with dimples) and Auntie Naris, one of our dear friends in Marulaon Village.  

I love Zucchini, Part 1

I've always loved to eat summer squash, even before we discovered “swimming bean” in the Solomon Islands. But the longer we have lived overseas, the more I missed eating yellow crook-neck squash and zucchini. I actually craved zucchini!

Now that we find ourselves living deep in the South, in the midst of summer, zucchini is everywhere. And I'm really enjoying all the things we can cook with zucchini. This will be the first post in a series of some of the zucchini recipes we are making at the Choate B&B.

 

Our family decided to compare two zucchini bread recipes: one “healthy”, the other not-so-healthy. We thought the addition of fruit (to compensate for less sugar) and double the zucchini in the healthy recipe made a wonderful moist bread, however that recipe tasted bland to us. Our vote was for the not-so-healthy recipe:

Zucchini-Carrot-Black Walnut Bread

from “The Great Holiday Baking Book” by Beatrice Ojakangas

2 large eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

½ cup packed shredded zucchini

½ cup shredded carrot

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup wheat germ

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped black walnuts

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter one 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch or three 5 ¾ x 3 ½ -inch loaf pans.  In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the oil, sugars, and vanilla and beat at high speed until the mixture is very thick and fluffy.  With a spoon, stir in the shredded zucchini and carrot.

Stir the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and walnuts together in another bowl. Blen into the zuchini mixture just until the flour is no longer visible. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan or pans.

 

Bake for 1 hour for the large loaf, or 35 to 45 minutes for the smaller loaves, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

Man at Work

A lot of people have asked what Aaron does all day, since he is working on the Lavukaleve project remotely.  Obviously, we'd rather be working face to face with the Lavukal, but this is where God has put us for now, and we've learned to work hard and play hard wherever He puts us!

Today, Aaron's work includes diving into the Hebrew and Greek and linguistics that is all way over my head.  I'm so proud of his diligence to study and show himself approved as he leads the Lavukaleve translation team closer and closer to having the Bible in their own language.

Close to Home

 

Aaron has been putting in some extra long hours so the whole family could go work in my grandma's yard this morning.

My brother came, too, and we did all kinds of work.  It's so much more fun to tackle a "to-do" list when you have a whole bunch of people you love all pulling together.



And when the backdrop is as beautiful as Lake Conway, that makes the work easier, too.



It's a treat for me to be close to "home" again.  Our hearts are parked in so many different places around the world that we're not sure where home is.



I loved watching the team work and laugh together.

 

One of our family mottos is, "Choates can do hard things."  The kids like to remind me that Choates can do easy things, too.  Like pick a few ripe blackberries when we had a moment to pause and catch our breath.

 

 

This morning, home meant living close enough to help out my grandmother, with my brother, husband, and children by my side.  And I loved every sweaty minute of it.

Driving!

 

Our house now boasts two teenagers with driving permits.  Super proud of these kiddos!

Weekend Wonders

Living in the States again bears fruit in my life a couple of ways.  The first way it affects me (and the rest of my family) is that I am more grateful for everyday little things that we don't get to experience when we live in the Solomon Islands.

Sarah and Benjamin took the ACT on Saturday morning, something they can't do where we usually live.  And Olivia and Katherine went over to my parents' house to wash their dog, something else that doesn't fall into the "normal" category.



I took fresh veggies from the farmers' market to one of my grandmothers on Saturday morning and went to church with the other grandmother on Sunday morning (she also graciously fed lunch to our family!).





The air conditioner ran all weekend, helping us escape from the heat and humidity in central Arkansas this weekend.  We feel extraordinarily blessed to be able to experience all  of those things, and recognize them as exquisite gifts, because we usually can't do them. 



The other result of our move back to the States?  We are more intentional with the way we spend our time. 

When a friend mentioned that she would be "close by" on a road trip in Oklahoma, we jumped at the chance to drive and meet her and two of her sweet kiddos somewhere along the road.  We hadn't even met sweet Wesley yet.  Thanks to their flexibility, we ended up meeting at a little locally-run Mexican restaurant in Clarksville with absolutely fabulous food and service!

I would never have chosen the life that we usually live, far away on the other side of the planet, but the results of gratefulness and living intentionally are certainly sweet fruit.

Flag Day Blackberry Cobbler

 

Living in the United States is especially sweet during the summer, when most of our patriotic holidays occur.  With fresh blackberries from the farmers' market, blackberry cobbler is the perfect way to celebrate Flag Day!

 

 

And a vase of my mama's gardenia's also means that sweet summer has finally arrived.  These beautiful flowers make my whole house smell good.

 

Blackberry Cobbler

from "The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook"

Serves 8-10

 

For the Topping:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3/4 cup heavy cream

 

For the filling:

6 cups fresh blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)

 

heavy cream for brushing

2 tablespoons flavored sugar or granulated sugar

ice cream for serving (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

 

To make the topping:  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl.  Drop in the butter and, working quickly, cut it in with a pastry blender.  You should have various-sized pieces of butter, from sandy patches to pea-sized chunks, ad some larger bits as well.

 

 

Pour the cream over the flour mixture and toss together with rubber spatula or your hands until you have a very soft dough.  If there are still a few bits of flour in the bottom of the bowl, gently knead the dough until it is fully incorporated.  Be sure not to overwork the dough; it is better to have a few dry patches than a tough dough.  The dough will be soft and sticky.

 

 

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper and cover with another sheet.  Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a 9-inch round.  Place the dough on a baking sheet, still covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you make the filling.  (You can make the dough up to 6 hours before baking the cobbler.)

 

 

To make the filling:  Combine the berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl, tossing together to mix.  Pour the filling into the prepared pie plate.

 

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and cut a hole in the middle with a 2-inch-wide cookie cutter, in any shape you like, to create a steam vent.  Gently place the dough on top of the filling.  Brush it lightly with cream and sprinkle with the flavored sugar.

 

 

Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the top is golden and puffed and the fruit is bubbling with juices.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

 

 

Serve the cobbler warm or at room temperature, with your favorite ice cream, if desired.  The cobbler is best served the same day, but it can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to three days (if it lasts that long).



  

Enjoy with some of your favorite people, and there will still be plenty left over to take the extra over to your next door neighbors!

 

Hot stuff

 

Our family has adjusted to the Solomon Islands heat and humidity.  We knew it already, but when we finally turned on the air conditioner this week and found that the comfortable place on the thermostat was no lower than 78 degrees (and that still produces cold toes on some of us!), we knew the transformation was complete.

Backyard Hospital

"Scripture and nature complement each other well.  Through both, God speaks to us daily.  Quietly and eloquently, he reveals himself in sacred Scripture and in his creations which are, after all, his handiwork."  ~Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette

My backyard is turning into a hospital for me - a place to be still and quiet, a place to listen, a place to read my Bible, a place to heal.  Katherine and I were following an elusive rabbit this morning and decided to check on our tiny patch of baby blackberries.  They are growing well, and it might be a race between the birds and the Choates to see who gets to eat them first.

 

A few minutes after we came back inside the house, we saw a pair of mourning doves alight on our garage roof and begin pacing back and forth on the peak. 

 

We're not sure what they were doing up there, other than enjoying the backyard hospital.  We stood just inside the back door and watched them for a while,

 

 

snapping photos and giggling at these peaceful, humble birds that we don't ever see in the Solomon Islands.

 



I love...

 

that I can drink my cup of coffee first thing in the morning without breaking a sweat!

Testing, testing...

 

It's quiet at our house this morning as Sarah and Benjamin practice for the ACT.  Testing is a brand new experience for these amazing teenagers who have lived on the other side of the world for most of their lives.

Moving Again...

But it wasn't us this time!

 

What a joy it is to be close enough to help friends move to serve in a new ministry.

Both families worked hard all day long, but made sure we took breaks to be silly and to replenish our energy with a yummy blueberry coffee cake that Sarah made to encourage us.



We know that moving is hard - physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually - because we've been there so often. 





 

So grateful to be able to come alongside friends and share the load!

Blueberry bars

Blueberry Bars

(from "The Great Holiday Baking Book" by Beatrice Ojakangas)

 

Saturday morning, the kids and I found fresh blueberries at the farmer's market, and we knew we had to search one of our favorite cookbooks to whip up something yummy for my parents' anniversary celebration at our house.  Here's what we chose to make:

 

Butter Pastry

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 egg, slightly beaten

 

Blueberry Filling

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons cornstarch

dash salt

1 tablespoon sugar

 

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar.  With the electric mixer, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add the egg and mix until a smooth dough forms.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

 

In a medium saucepan, combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice and zest, cornstarch, and salt.  Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture is blended.  Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring until thickened.  Cool to room temperature.

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 13x9-inch jelly roll pan.  Remove 1/4 of the chilled dough.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the large portion of dough to fit the bottom and sides of the baking pan.  To transfer the dough, roll it around the rolling pin and then unroll onto the baking pan.  Spoon the cooled filling evenly onto the pastry-lined pan.  On a floured surface, roll out the reserved dough to 1/8-inch thickness and about 12 inches square.  With a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/2-inch strips.  Lay the strips in a latticework pattern over the blueberry filling.  Trim and crimp the edges of the pastry to seal.  Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon sugar.

 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the lattice is golden brown.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack.  To serve, cut into 1 1/2 x 3 inch bars or 3-inch squares for dessert.