Best Whole Wheat Bread

 

This is a little (just a little?) off topic.  I have spent time modifying my favorite bread recipe so that it is entirely whole grain.  It makes 2 regular sized loaves.  Here’s how you make it.

 

Start with:

• 4 cups of Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 packages or (1 T + 1.5 t yeast)
• 3 T vital wheat gluten

Mix these together until well-blended.

Run your tap water and measure until it is 120 degrees (if it is not that hot, microwave the water until it is.

In large measuring cup or bowl, mix together:

• 3.25 c. hot water
• 1/2 c. honey (wild honey tastes the best)
• 1 T vegetable oil

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just blended.  I use a Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook, but you can mix by hand.  Put one more cup of flour on top to keep it warm, but do not mix in.  Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or more.   After the 10 minutes have elapsed, mix in the dry flour and gradually add 2-3 more cups of flour.  You want the dough moist and not forming into a ball. 

When it is moist but stiff enough to form, form it into a ball and then knead it a few times.  Form it into a ball again.  Spray a large bowl with cooking oil and roll the ball in the oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place to raise.  You do not want the volume to double.  If you are using the quick yeast it will take about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes at the proofing temperature of my Bosch oven.  It will take longer at cooler temperatures.

When it has risen, it will be almost twice as big as it was before and be filled with air.  Punch it down, divide it in half.  Take each half and form it into a cylinder and put in pre-oiled 9 x 5 loaf pan.  (If your pans are smaller you will use a smaller amount, but the dough should come up about 3/4 of the way on the pan.)  In the pan, punch it down again until it is filling all parts of the pan.

Put the pans in a warm place, cover with oiled plastic, and let rise until the bread is about 1 inch above the top of the pan.  Then raise the oven temperature to 375.  Brush or spray the top of the bread with water to make a nice crust,  and bake for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 120 degrees. (I recommend an instant read thermometer like the Thermo Pop or Thermo Pen). 

Remove from oven and let cool in pans 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on a rack.

Spread with butter and enjoy!

Goals, Goals, Goals and A Snippet

 

This year I finally found the impetus to begin writing again due to a beautifully written memoir of an author’s year in Rome  (Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr).  Unlike that memoir, my historical fiction psychological thriller series (Eli’s Scrolls) takes place in the ancient Near East, in today's nations of Jordan, Israel, and Syria.  So, here's a snippet, in fact two paragraphs, to celebrate the 2nd month of the year, plus 5 sentences for the 5th day of the month.  The beginning of the first chapter of Eli's Scrolls: Book 1:  The Search. 

The night was darker than the coals of a long dead fire.  He had never seen a night like this one.  In the past, there had been times when the moon and stars had been cloud-blotted, but there were always sounds:  cricket chirps, a fire’s crackle, sheep’s baa’s.  In the deepest quiet of the night the wind would whisper and tickle his ears.  But this night was different.  There were no sounds, no stirrings, nothing at all.  Without any memory of arriving there, he thought he must be deep in some ancient cave.  He knelt and groped for the feel of anything, pebbles, dirt, a puddle, a twig, but wherever he reached he grasped only air. He shivered, hugged himself, and tried not to panic.  He struggled to breathe normally as he pushed against the ground, a surface like smooth rock, flat and slick like nothing he had ever felt. He stood, tremulous, and slid his feet forward ten paces without feeling a single ridge or undulation.  He reached for anything, hands grasping, reaching to the front, now to the side—but felt nothing.   Another ten, paces and he reached again.  How long could he go on like this: finding nothing, feeling nothing?

He strained to feel, to see, to hear, even the whiff of a breeze, the spark of a star, the gentle sounds of sleeping sheep.  He had no sense of direction or purpose, but on and on he strode, grasping, reaching from one side to the other, hoping only for the brush of a feather, a point of light, a sound in this night beyond all nights.  On and on he went.  But for Eli there was no illumination, no rumble of thunder, no stars above.  Into the silence he cried out the ancient words, “Baruch atah Adonai Elohenu Melech H’Olam.  Hineni. hineni”  Over and over he entreated the One whom he longed to know.  “Blessed are You Our Lord, King of the World.  I am here.  I am here.”  His feet faltered as he dragged himself onward.  He listened to his own breath whistling and wheezing, and he  flung it toward the heavens until his voice became hoarse.  He sank to his knees, his face bowed.  “Baruch atah Adonai Elohenu.  Hineni, hineni” he whimpered, flattening himself, and retreating into his own darkness until he was no longer conscious of the surface beneath him.  The darkness concealed him.  In it, he ceased to exist.

Suddenly, he felt his shoulder shaking under a weight and in that instant thoughts of Yahweh flittered through him and as quickly disappeared.  He grabbed the weight, finding it warm and soft,—an arm,  rolled onto his back, and dragging the weight with him clutched it close to his chest in the split second before a large body plummeted onto his torso and threatened to suffocate him.

“Watch it, Eli!” Ben yelled.

Ben. Eli struggled and pushed away hearing his reed mat crackle beneath him, and rolled onto the ground.

 

WIPpet Friday is a weekly blog hop where authors post snippets from their current Works in Progress. The Christian Fiction Edition is hosted by Alana Terry and Hallie Bridgeman.

Darkness and Light

 

I was recently enlightened to write again by a memoir I read.  Something about darkness in a scene the author described lit a spark.  I realized that light and darkness (especially in our dark days of winter) are significant to everything we do and everything I write.  If nothing is hidden, there is nothing to be discovered; If everything is disclosed mystery vanishes.

I have an almost excessively bright reading light I inherited from my mother.  I think she purchased it because the stand looked cool.  She had a real eye for design.  She never used it for reading or any other task lighting so the original bulb is still in it.  And that bulb is a little scary.  CAUTION! it warns.  .  . RISK OF EXPOSURE TO ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION.  I dread having to replace that bulb or leaving it alone with children.  Nevertheless, it shows me every jot and every tittle on every page, the fingerprints on my Kindle, and the dust and cat hair everywhere.

But, what if we lived in a land of darkness where Jesus provided the light.  And what if that light was both risky and revealing.  And what if that light was both partial and full.  What if it was a light full of paradox and promise?

The memoir I read earlier this year prompted me to remember what happens when the light comes on.  All of a sudden our attention is redirected from the indistinct shapes of gloom to a point of clarity. 

And now that we’ve seen the light and know where to look, what about the darkness?  Why only a point of light?  Why not a light that casts it beam everywhere on everything.  Why not display the evil in the world so that it can be destroyed.  Why not burn through the walls of drug houses, sex houses, murder houses, theft houses so everyone can see the evil?  Why not expose everything?

Exposing evil generally leads to a better outcome.  That’s what the Fourth Estate--the news organizations—are supposed to do in our day.   The missing women in Chillicothe, OH have been highlighted, but we don’t know what happened before they disappeared or died.  Why do we see in part but not in whole?

What would it take to wipe out the evil around us? God promises to do that in the end, but what about today?  What about slavery and the evil people who enslave others on drugs?

And now a digression.  I recently read an article (really a commentary on a book) in Psychology Today that posits that fewer children are diagnosed with and taking drugs for ADHD in France than in the USA.  The theory is that French people raise their children in families with a frame and structure that makes the kids feel secure.  They know that have 4 definite meal times and they are not allowed food in between.  They know that the have set hours and duties.   Christians have that also:  we have the frame and structure of God’s way of living.  Other frames and structures are sweet but inadequate.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

--The Solid Rock 

So, we need the light, but the darkness is comfort and protection, mystery and paradox.  My prayer for the year is that all would turn toward the light that is Jesus and that evil deeds done in darkness would be exposed, everything lost would be found, and that all might be able to live freely in Jesus’ frame.

 

Star picture "Merope" by Henryk Kowalewski - http://www.ccd.neostrada.pl/HTM/Merope.htm. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merope.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Merope.jpg

Just Say No To Sex

Yesterday I listened to a news report on WOSU radio.  Ohio universities are taking measures to stop campus rape.  All good, right?  "Consent is Sexy."  That's the slogan.  

I thought back to the stresses of my own college days.  The coursework was difficult--nothing like high school.  I had to navigate new methods of study.  I had to find my place in the campus social scene.  I had to discover where I belonged in that society and where my future was heading.  Tough stuff for an 18 year old.  And I--armed with close friends, good study habits, a knowledge that sex outside marriage was wrong, and a natural curiosity--did not always steer my course well.  

You'd think that my alma mater OSU (or is it THE OSU?) would try to make things easier, wouldn't you?  But this is how the coordinator of Ohio State's Sexual Violence Education program described the campaign.  

“Students really need to recognize and understand the different facets of consent, the different layers of consent, and how to properly look for consensual or nonconsensual situations they may see around them."

Sounds like a course description, doesn't it?   They have taken something so incredibly simple to express (Say no until you are married) and believing that if, and only if, students can  "recognize and understand the different facets of consent, the different layers of consent," then students will act with maturity and wisdom and stop cavorting like cats in heat.

Is OSU still an educational institution?  Traditionally such institutions, especially those with residence halls have stood in loco parentis, in the place of the parents. How difficult would it be for OSU and other universities to say, "We stand in the place of good parents and as good parents we are telling you, "No sex.""  

But, that won't happen.  Why?  Not practicing sex before marriage is healthier, mentally, emotionally, and physically.  The students won't contract sexually transmitted diseases, saving heath care costs and future agony.  They will suffer after break-ups, but not to the extent as if they had sex.  Sex binds people in a dangerous manner unless a long term commitment (marriage) is involved.  And breaking up after a sexual encounter makes other romantic relationships more difficult.  Do these universities try to prevent these problems No. They are telling our young adults, get involved in pre-marital sex, practice same sex interaction, but by all means, make sure that that you recognize the layers and facets of consent.  

WOSU had their soap box; This is mine.  Let me know what you think.


Photo by Michael Barera (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Ragamuffin Movie

 

Ragamuffin is a movie for everyone—for everyone that has felt a hunger for more. The film is based on the life of Rich Mullins a musician who died at a fairly young age.  I saw Rich in concert in the 1970’s or 80’s and he was one of the few musicians who moved me to the point where I purchased almost everything he produced.  The film’s writer, director, and actors ably aided me in identifying with places and situations in Rich’s life.  The lead actor impressed me with his ability to capture Rich's mannerisms and style of speech. As someone with a degree in film, I found it well directed and well edited. Some of the minor actors appeared wooden, but they did not detract from the overall feeling of the film. The theme of this sometimes coming-of-age film dealt with universal (and Rich's) issues of father hunger, hearing God, and growth. Interestingly, my husband, who likes only action movies, was as riveted as I was. The approximately 2.5 hours sped by. The cameos with Brennan Manning were an honor to his life and ministry. I have urged my friends to see this movie because it has something for the generations who never seen or heard Rich Mullins or Brennan Manning.

Note: for those with a sensitivity to swearing, there are a few well-placed and appropriate "damns", but no other words of that sort.

Food for Thought

 

Have we grown reluctant in the age of power to admit mystery and beauty into our thoughts, or to learn where power ceases? --Loren Eiseley "The Illusion of Two Cultures"

When you see something that is technically sweet, you go ahead and do it and argue about what to do about it only after you've had your technical success. That's the way it was with the atomic bomb. --Robert Oppenheimer

Both quotes are from the current issue of Books & Culture

Theology Made Crystal Clear

 

I was sent a copy of

Exploring Christian Theology: The Church, Spiritual Growth, and the End Times

to review. Having read other theology books I was prepared for slanted views, undefined terms, and assumptions. I was unprepared for how eminently readable these books are. Yes, “books” because they are two books in one. The first is “Created in Christ Jesus: Church, Churches, and the Christian Life”. The second is “When He Returns: Resurrection, Judgment, and the Restoration. While they are organized similarly, they are very different in tone and subject matter so I will examine them separately.

“Created in Christ Jesus” by Nathan D. Holsteen is like sitting at my friend’s dinner table. The dessert is digesting and we are sipping our glasses of wine or cups of coffee. Now that we are warm and comfortably well fed, I might ask “what do different churches believe about the church in history and what the Bible tells us?” My friend, an expert in theology and church history, would reply by conversing on a level I could understand, using analogies from film (The Bourne Identity) and books (The Cat in the Hat) to illustrate and firmly plant in my mind the current scholarship about the church and major differences. As he spoke, it would become clear to me what I believed and why, and why others might be persuaded to believe differently about these matters. My friend and now spiritual mentor would suggest some short Bible passages to learn and would make sure that I understood the both the dangers that threaten a church’s vitality and simple principals to remember so I could help my own church grow. Finally, if I was still interested, my friend would provide me with a few paragraphs pulled from some of the historical sources so I could read and think about them for myself and a reading list for further study. Yes, that’s all in the book

“When He Returns” by Michael J. Svigel is much more labor intensive. Now my friend has brought his friend along to study with me the sources and Bible passages affecting my beliefs about the End Times. Through Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Zechariah, Mathew, Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 2nd Peter, and Revelation I am led through the quagmire of what the Bible teaches and what churches believe about resurrection and restoration. In a group setting, I would allow many weeks for discussion. My friend’s friend assigns Bible verses to learn as a bedrock for my belief and includes a brief historical overview of the subject. At the end of the evening (which has now stretched into the early morning hours) I am left with some simple facts to remember, common dangers to avoid, and that ubiquitous list of historical sources and future resource material.

Beside their basic layout what is common to both books? Both authors urge us to hold Jesus central and remember the basic beliefs which all believers share even while we discuss the diversity in the details. Both give us hope that we can learn and share our beliefs in a cogent manner and provide us with renewed confidence for the church’s future and our own future with Christ.

What is wrong with this book? There is no perfect book but the issue I take with this (or these) is in only one minor detail. Each book includes a reading list with a brief synopsis and an indication of the difficulty level for each book on the list. The lists are too short and missing some authors. Where is

Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ

Dallas Willard  His book, “Renovation of the Heart” is a careful explanation of spiritual growth. I found only one book each by N.T. Wright and Phillip Yancey. I am not aware of any other highly respected authors that may have been omitted because these are not my areas of expertise, but how about Gerhard von Rad’s “

The Message of the Prophets

” or even C. S. Lewis’ “

The Last Battle

”?

All in all, my quibble with the authors is of lesser importance than some of the potentially divisive details they warn of. This is a fabulous book for your own study or to study with a group. Or why not study it for yourself, and then start a group to study the church and end times. What a great gift for a new believer! The two of you could study it together. Or purchase multiples then give them away to others for their own study. If the other books in this series prove to be as strong, I’ll want all of them to read, study, and give away. This is the best non-fiction book I have read in a long time and it’s one you’ll want to pick up right away whether you are a new Christian or a long-time believer, a pastor or a member of the church, a student or a teacher. Suitable for middle school ages and higher.

NOTE: This book was provided to me for review purposes by Bethany House. I was not required to provide a positive review, but with this book I was compelled to do no less.