Buy one GIVE one

I don't own a pair of Toms yet... I watched his story on CNN tonight and was inspired to go with your heart even when it "naturally" doesn't make sense.

Our Movement - Official Store - TOMS Shoes - A Pair of New Shoes is Given to a Child in Need With Every Pair Purchased - One for One - TOMSshoes.com

From Farm to Table

Got some pumpkins from a dear friends farm. Decided to try my hand at making pumpkin biscuits. The biscuits were light and tasty. Everyone seemed to enjoy them with a little honey and butter. It was fun to try a variation of sweet potato biscuits. The pumpkin biscuits were good but my vote goes to the sweet potato.

Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or (combination of half whole wheat and unbleached)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
optional 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup fresh pureed or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk,or(regular milk,or soy milk)
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon sugar,(or honey,or maple syrup)

1. Preheat oven to 450F makes a dozen large or about 20 small.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and allspice in a large bowl

3. Combine pumpkin, milk, oil, and sugar or honey to dry ingredients

4.Mix just until the mixture holds together; avoid over mixing, or biscuits will be tough

5.Pinch off amount desired roll in palm of hand then pat on pan.

6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until tops are golden brown.

"Live simply. Love Generously. Care Deeply.
Speak Kindly. Leave the rest to God."

~Ronald Reagan

What Happened to Grits?

Mind you, I live in the south AND in the southern Appalachians...I was doing some grocery shopping last evening and remembered we were out of grits. I proceed to the oatmeal, grits, area where I find all sorts of pre-packaged,sugared ,high fructosed ,"quick sample sized" expensive fake flavored packets in overly sized boxes...of grits, oatmeal... Where is the 5lb bag of grits we always purchase?? Finally down in a corner, on the bottom shelf I find a forgotten looking small 2 lb bag of JUST grits..This made me sad. What is this world coming to? I will try another not so citified grocery store in my search for 5 lbs of grits... Better yet, I think we will drive "across the border" to a local TN mill that grinds the real thing. So,all is not lost...We will be giving our money to a local mill for our grits!

A Good Clip on Fair Trade

Caring-Sharing

Ten Thousand Villages. One of my favorite stores. I especially like the one in Raleigh. I was first introduced to the Mennonite Central Committee through the cookbook More- with- Less. A copy given to me by my husband-friend on my birthday 28 years ago. The book is so much more than recipes. It brings awareness to the world hunger crisis and a call to eat better and consume less of the limited world's resources. To quote from the book,"The More-with-Less cookbook will best reach its goal of helping Christians respond in a caring-sharing way in a world with limited food resources when placed in full view of family members rather than simply adding it to the collection on the kitchen shelf. There is a way which gives not less but more. More joy, more peace, less guilt; more physical stamina, less overweight and obesity; more to share and less to hoard for ourselves."
A woman with a passion to serve and make a difference within the MCC was Edna Ruth Byler. If you have not met her, I would love to introduce her. Edna. Edna had a Spirit given passion and simply started with what she had where she was. I honor you Edna. Here is a recipe from the cookbook.
Edna Ruth Byler's Potato Dough Baked Goods
You can bake goods all at once (saving time and energy) and freeze baked goods to warm up for future meals or treats.
OR........
They can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Immediately after kneading, oil top of dough lightly, cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Refrigerate, punch down occasionally as needed. When you're ready to bake, simply take what you need for desired recipe, shape accordingly, let rise until doubled and bake.Usually about 2-21/2 hours for cold dough.
Dissolve:
3 pkg. dry yeast in
1 cup lukewarm water
Mix in large bowl
1 quart scalded milk
2 cups mashed potatoes (no milk added)
1 cup fat (half butter, half margarine)
1 cup sugar
Let Cool to luke warm, then add:
Yeast mixture
6 cups Flour
Let stand until mixture foams up (about 20 minutes).
Add:
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. Salt
11-12 Cups additional flour
A little more flour may be needed, but dough should be soft. Turn out on floured board and knead until satiny. Let raise in warm place until doubled in bulk or refrigerator for later use as stated above.

my well used, back and front fallin' off MWL cookbook.