Thy Only Comfort

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to read more books. I am so excited that I’ve finished Money: God or Gift by Jamie Munson, The Secret Garden audiobook by Frances Hodgson Burnett AND I just completed A Steadfast Heart: Experiencing God’s Comfort in Life’s Storms by Elyse Fitzpatrick.

Sidenote – I’m currently listening to the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes audiobook and I surprisingly love it. It’s awesome.

Anyways… as the author is wrapping up A Steadfast Heart, she shares a question and answer from the Heidelberg Catechism. I absolutely love it and wanted to share it this morning:

Question: What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with His precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.

Jesus’s blood has fully satisfied the penalty for our sin. God is sustaining us and preserving us so that not a hair falls from our heads outside of His will. What a powerful and good God we serve! Praying this truth can permeate your hearts today and comfort your souls!

(Easier) Orange Cinnamon Sweet Rolls w/ Orange Glaze

I made cinnamon rolls twice… almost a year ago. I made Pioneer Woman’s recipe which makes approximately 7,382 even though I think I cut the recipe in half. Truth be told, I froze some of them and just finished them off last week. Are you really supposed to eat something frozen for a year? I took a risk and did it…once. I didn’t die or get any food borne illnesses, but I’m done tempting food fate.

If you’ve ever made cinnamon rolls from scratch, you know they’re pretty complicated. I’m still a bit of a dufus when baking with yeast, so that’s a part of it. However there are many steps and it takes SO LONG. I wanted to make cinnamon rolls again, but wasn’t committed to the long process. I saw these cinnamon rolls that don’t use yeast AND only take about an hour! I was sold! I needed to try them out.

But… I can’t leave well enough alone. Growing up, my parents use to always buy Orange Sweet Rolls. They were my favorite and so I knew I needed to use the cinnamon roll dough and make orange filling and glaze.

I mismashed two recipes together and I was happy with the result. Mind you, these are still cinnamon rolls so you’re going to get your hands dirty and your kitchen floury. However, it will be a much easier and quicker process than other recipes. Zesting an orange always takes me FOREVER… but these were still went from concept to baking in the oven in only an hour. And it was a cold icy Saturday morning, so I was moseying along pretty leisurely:)

This made for a pretty great Saturday morning breakfast.

Although let’s zoom out for how breakfast usually looks.

A little more cluttered and less pretty. Oh well, at least we have pretty rolls:)

Orange Cinnamon Sweet Rolls w/ Orange Glaze

Cinnamon Roll Dough from Bakingdom; Originally adapted from Baking Illustrated/ Filling adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe; Originally from My Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients for Orange Filling:

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted, melted butter
• 1 c. sugar (Feel free to do 1/2 c. white, 1/2 c. brown sugar… although the brown sugar caramelizes a bit on the outside, so beware)
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 T.  freshly squeezed orange juice
• Grated orange rind/zest from two large oranges (Probably around 2-3 T. – keep 1/2 t. for glaze)

Ingredients for the Dough:

• 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 1/4 c. buttermilk (or 5 T. cultured buttermilk powder, plus 1 1/4 c. water)
• 4 T. unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter or spray pam in a 9 inch round cake pan. Set aside.
2. Use a microplane zester to zest your oranges. Pop them in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. Then cut in half and squeeze until all the juices come out. (Putting them in the microwave helps the juices flow more freely). Set aside. Take out 1/2 t. of zest and set it aside for the glaze.
3. Make filling: Melt butter in a medium sized bowl. Whisk in sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, orange juice and orange zest. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. (If you are using the fabulous buttermilk powder, add this in here.) Whisk briefly to aerate.
5. Add in buttermilk (or water if using the powder) and 2 T. melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon. Mixture will be thick and sticky.
6. Set out parchment paper. If you’re terrible at dimensions like me, it’s a good idea to use a permanent marker and mark out a 12 inch by 8 inch rectangle on the underside of the paper. Flour heavily.
7. Transfer dough to a floured work surface and lightly knead a couple times with heavily floured hands. My dough was VERY sticky – I probably added 3/4 c. of flour just to be able to roll it out (and shockingly it still tasted fine!)
8. The dough will be very soft and still a bit sticky, but should be smoother and have less lumps.
9. Use your hands and gently form the dough into a 12 inch by 9 inch rectangle. Don’t make it too thin.
10. Spread the filling over the rectangle, keeping 1/2 an inch or so of a border.
11. Next, begin rolling very gently. You want to roll the 12 inch (longer) side from the bottom up. It might stick to your work space. Thats okay! Use a spatula to loosen it a bit or just use your finger to smooth over the tears.
12. The recipe said to turn the roll seam side down, but mine was VERY delicate, so I just left it the way it was:)
13. Use a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss and cut the dough into 8 pieces. They may be 2-3 inches thick… that’s great! Place each roll in your cake pan. Don’t worry if it looks a mess… they’re homemade and rustic! And we really just want them to taste good:)
14. Pour remaining 2 T. of melted butter on top. Pop in the 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Orange Glaze

from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe; Originally from My Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 3 T. freshly squeezed orange juice from about 1 orange
• 1/2 t. grated orange rind/zest reserved from the filling above

Directions:

1. After the cinnamon rolls are done cooking, begin making the glaze.
2. Whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest. It will be fairly thick. Add more orange juice/ milk to thin it or powdered sugar to make it more thick.
3. Pour over rolls and serve warm!!

*Rolls will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Warm them in the microwave before enjoying*

“There is Nothing Happy About Infertility”

My husband stumbled on this article on The Gospel Coalition last night and I wanted to share:

Don’t Waste Your Infertility

The Gospel Coalition Blog

by Courtney Reissig

It’s been a few months since we received the hard news that our struggle with infertility would require more treatment before we are able to proceed with trying to get pregnant. Few things feel worse than waking up from surgery and hearing the words, “It was worse than the doctor thought, you will need more treatment.” I went into surgery hopeful and came out feeling like I had been punched in the stomach (physically and emotionally). This is not how we planned. This is hardly what we wanted. And this diagnosis only prolonged, and solidified, that we weren’t just a couple who was having a hard time getting pregnant again. We were infertile, at least for the time being.

I wish I could say that my response to this news has always been Christ-like and admirable. It hasn’t. But through this trial, God has taught me some specific things about his character, my depravity, and his goodness in all things. I believe that God is absolutely sovereign over my infertility in the same way that I believe he was sovereign over my miscarriage. It was not a surprise to him. In fact, it was designed by him for my good, and he doesn’t want me to waste this suffering. What I’ve learned is hardly exhaustive, but it’s a start. If you are struggling with infertility, too, I pray that God uses these words to encourage you as we walk this road together.

Not wasting your infertility starts with a deep and abiding trust in the God who knows the end of your infertility.

He knows the end of it because he gave it to you (Gen. 50:20; Job 2:10; Ps. 88:6-7). But he also knows the end of it because only he can truly heal your body and give you a baby. Know God’s Word. Study it. Live off of it. It is in his Word that you will see God and know him more deeply. You will find that he is good all of the time, that he loves you more than you know, and that he wants to give you a greater knowledge of himself through this devastating trial. In his Word you will find comfort for your soul. Not wasting your infertility is a constant fight to see God as good, but it’s a fight worth having.

Not wasting your infertility means you worship even when your heart is breaking.

John Piper says that the “unwasted life is the one that continually puts Christ on display.” That’s what worship is, giving God the glory due his name. Worship means treasuring Christ above all things, even a baby.

Not wasting your infertility means praying boldly.

Only when we trust God as the all-sufficient creator, healer, and sustainer can we worship him and also pray to him boldly. Knowing God enables us to pray to him with confidence that he can and will act in our best interests. Infertility is a disease of the helpless. You can’t change your condition. You can’t make two blue lines show up on a pregnancy test instead of one. But God can. Your experience with being utterly helpless to change your circumstance puts you in fellowship with many biblical characters. Pray like King David in the Psalms (see Psalm 27, 28, 30, 56, 62 and many others). He faced great difficulty and tribulation. His prayers were honest, bold, and worshipful because he trusted in God to be his hope and salvation.

Not wasting your infertility doesn’t mean you can avoid grieving and pain.

This might seem like an odd addition, but the unwasted life isn’t the triumphalistic life. The apostle Paul accurately described walking through this life as, “sorrowful yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10). That applies to infertility as well. We are sorrowful because it’s devastating, painful, and sometimes neverending. But we are rejoicing because we have hope that this is not all there is to life. It’s not that we are happy with our circumstances. There is nothing happy about infertility. Oh, but there is a great Savior who has given us everything we need through his death—including comfort in our pain.

Not wasting your infertility means taking your thoughts and emotions captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

Infertility brings with it a minefield of scary scenarios and questions (What if I can’t get pregnant? What if I miscarry again? What if I can’t afford treatment?). Those thoughts tend to bring emotions, which then bring stress and worry. Infertility, like all suffering, has a way of putting pressure on us and our relationships. Infertility doesn’t bring with it a free pass on how I treat people, my husband especially. Nor does it give us license to daydream about the many “What if’s” that come with infertility. I have learned this the hard way. God gave us real emotions and feelings, but they are not morally neutral. And our husbands are real people who hurt just as much as we do. Talking to yourself, instead of listening to yourself, is especially helpful when you feel your emotions taking over. Ask yourself, “Is this feeling true?” (Phil. 4:8) If it is, you have a faithful, sympathetic Savior who understands your feelings. If it’s not, that same Savior is able to comfort you and change your feelings for his glory.

Practical suggestions and ways to stay busy can be helpful, but even more important, the practical cannot happen unless we embrace Christ as our greatest treasure in our season of infertility. Sure, we can find ways to stay busy to take our mind off the pain, and those are good things to do (I’ve done it). But busyness in order to run from the suffering is not the same things as busyness in order to fill the season with good things. God has designed suffering to chisel us more into the image of Christ, to draw us closer to himself, and to give us a greater vision and understanding of his glory. We could easily miss that if we fill our schedules in order to forget.

I don’t know the outcome of my journey of infertility. Right now, I know that I’ve still got a road ahead of me that needs to be traveled. I don’t know where you are, either. But I do know this: no matter where we are in the journey of infertility, God has a sure and good purpose for us. He will test us, he will chisel us, and he will show us more of himself every step of the way. And after he has tried us, by his grace, we will come forth as gold (Job 23:10).

(Emphasis mine)

Tasty Tuesday – Chocolate… for Breakfast?!?

I saw these on Pinterest and wanted to make them immediately! Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones… so delicious!!!

Scones are a different type of baked good. They have the texture of a biscuit and are not as sweet as a similar flavored muffin would be. These particular scones have a hearty texture and a healthy amount of chocolate chips to make them extra special. Enjoy this breakfast treat!!

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Slightly adapted from Skinny Taste

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. cold buttermilk
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 1 c. white whole wheat flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2-1 t. instant coffee powder or espresso powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3 T cold butter (from the refrigerator)
• 3/4 c. chocolate chips
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• Extra sugar for sprinkling! You can use raw sugar if you want a crisp topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Spray baking stone or cookie sheet with Pam.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combined buttermilk, sugar, vanilla and egg. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
3. Combine both flours, baking powder, espresso or coffee powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk briefly.
4. Cut chilled butter in small cubes and add into the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender, two forks or your fingers to combine. It should look like coarse meal when you’re done. Don’t worry if there are some rogue bits of butter lingering.
5. Add in chocolate chips and gently fold in with a spatula.
6. Pour in buttermilk mixture and use a wooden spoon to stir until moist.
7. Flour a parchment paper or clean counter. Pour out dough and knead lightly three or four times with floured hands. My dough was pretty sticky!!! I ended up adding some extra flour (feel free to add a couple tablespoons at a time… you don’t want to add too much!!)
8. Use your hands and form dough into a circle (about 9 inch diameter.) You want it to stay pretty thick – about 3/4 to an inch.
9. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 8-12 wedges. Brush egg whites over dough and sprinkle with sugar.
10. Bake until golden brown, about 17-21 minutes. Serve warm.

*This will keep well in airtight container or ziploc bag for a few days. Pop in the microwave about 10-15 seconds before serving.*

And if you eat one of these with a big mug of decadent dark hot chocolate… I don’t hate it.

Decadent Dark Hot Chocolate Mix

I always find myself drinking A LOT of hot chocolate in the winter. It’s such a warming, delicious treat!

I usually drink regular Swiss Miss mixes. However… they’re not usually chocolatey enough for me so I end up adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that until it’s at my liking:)

Enter a customized homemade mix. This recipe was made with ingredients already in my pantry (although the normal person may not always keep powdered milk on hand.)

It went from idea to reality in about 5 minutes. And oh boy, it is DELICIOUS!!

Why have I not done made this before??

This recipe is made with deep dark cocoa powder. It also has chopped up chocolate chips to add an extra punch.

Make sure to heat your milk up until nice and warm so it’ll melt the chocolate chips. You’ll probably still end up with some specks of chocolate throughout your mug…. Which I kind of love. However if you want completely smooth hot chocolate or are worried that will make it too rich, feel free to omit.

Feel free to change up the type of cocoa, add in cinnamon, substitute semisweet or white chocolate chips, sprinkle in chopped up peppermint – whatever! Also if you really want to customize, after you heat up your milk, add in nutella or caramel, raspberry/ orange syrups or even Bailey’s or Frangelico! And don’t forget to top with marshmallows or whipped cream! The winter is just beginning. Go crazy!!

Slightly Adapted from La Bella Vita

Ingredients:

• 1 c. Dark cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
• 1 c. Sugar
• 1 c. Powdered milk
• 1 t. Finely ground sea salt (If you want to make it Salted Hot Chocolate, add in 2 more t.)
• 1/2 c. Dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop chocolate chips in mini food chopper, food processor or with a knife until fine.
2. Add all ingredients into a bowl or a 24 ounce mason jar. If using a bowl, mix with a wooden spoon until combined and put in an airtight container. If using mason jar, close lid and shake well. You might need to use a soup spoon to make sure it’s all mixed.
3. When ready to make hot chocolate- heat up one mug of milk for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in the microwave. Add 3 T. of mix (less if you’d like).

*This recipe will keep for a long time as long as it’s in an airtight container. Store in pantry. This would also make a GREAT gift!!