A lot of us girls feel that we’re constantly on the go, don’t we?... Busy! Busy! Busy! Perhaps you wish you had MORE time to sit down to read and meditate on the Word of God during the day. “But,” you sigh, “It’s time to make supper,” or “It’s time to sweep the floors...” Well, yes, I’ll admit that having lots of work to do, can pose a problem...but smile! There is an answer! Why not meditate on the Word of God while you’re working? While reading the Bible during your morning devotions, simply choose a good verse that speaks to you, memorize it quickly, and then when you’re hard at work during the day, you can quickly call it to mind for meditation! - Ed.

By Hayley Weikert

Many families are discovering that “Bread...[is] the staff of life.” and we have discovered it too.. Breadmaking is my job, and I enjoy all of the steps except grinding wheat! :-) The noise is so loud, but I guess I’d rather plug my ears than grind it by hand! Here is our basic recipe & the many variations that our family enjoys:

Whole Wheat Bread:

Mix with bread mixer or with a spoon: 3 1/2 c. hot water, 1 c. oil, 1/2 c. honey, 3 eggs, 1 T. salt, 1/4 t. vitamin c powder. Add slowly: 6 cups w/wheat flour, 1-2 T. dough enhancer (opt.), 3 T. instant yeast. Mix. Add 10-12 more cups flour until dough is soft and not sticky. Knead for 5 min. in bread mixer. Form into 4 loaves and place in greased bread pans.. Let rise until double in size. Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 min. Or, you can make any of the following recipes:

Pecan Rolls:

Before you make the bread, in a small saucepan, melt, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 c. molasses. Pour into 1-9x13 pan. Use a pan that doesn’t burn easily. Now crunch about 1/2 - 3/4 c. pecan nuts over syrup. - Now you can start the bread. Sometimes Mom will make up the pans & I’ll make the bread at the same time. Now take 1 loaf portion of dough & roll it out on the greased countertop into a 12"x 7" rectangle. Lightly butter the top and sprinkle cinnamon on it. Optional - Drizzle honey over and sprinkle raisins on. Roll up and pinch the edge of roll. Cut with string into 12 rolls. Place in the pan. Let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees or until brown/ Turn out onto cookie sheet or another 9x13x2 pan. If you turned it out onto a sheet, wait a couple minutes and then, with spatulas, (You may need to recruit help.:-)) lift rolls back into pan sticky side up. These are best warm. You can also freeze and then reheat later. Delicious!

Orange Rolls:

Makes one 9x13 pan - uses 1 loaf portion. Beat 3 T. butter, 1 T. grated orange peel, 2 T. orange juice & 1/2 c. powdered sugar, until creamy and smooth. Roll dough into rectangle, 12"x7" rectangle; spread with half the orange filling. Roll up, beginning at wide side. Pinch edge of dough to seal. Stretch roll to make even. Cut roll into 12 slices. Thread works best. (See diagram.) Place in greased 9x13 pan. Let rise till doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes. cool until just slightly warm to touch. Frost with remaining frosting: Can freeze. These are favorites with the Weikerts! We love them!

Pizza Bread:

Roll 1 loaf portion into 9"x7" rectangle; spread with 1/3 c. pizza sauce. Sprinkle with monzzarella cheese. Roll up. Pinch and put in loaf pan. Let rise. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Serve warm with butter - nice for lunch. You can make pizza with more sauce and more cheese - but leave unrolled, of course! :-)

Dinner Rolls:

(These are nice for sandwiches, too.) Uses 1 loaf portion. Form 12 balls and place in greased 9"x 13" pan. Let rise until double. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

I encourage you to think of your own variations. For example, you can make cinnamon rolls, or a different filling - Swiss cheese & cuked ham - for the Pizza Bread. We love bread. Toasted bread, buttered bread, bread with soup, etc. Meals can be so simple! I remember the first time I made dinner for my family. I went to a lot of work - it took me all day because I chose an elaborate menu! (Bean salad, cheese / egg / Bacon pie, a ginger / apple cake.... I bit off more than I could handle! :-) ) I don’t think meals have to be fancy. Bread may seem plain, but so what?! It fills hungry tummies! :-)

Breadmaking is a womanly art - an art we should cultivate as we girls prepare to be godly mothers someday.

May God Bless You! Hayley Weikert - Waterloo, IA

Thanks, Hayley, for spending the time and effort to write down and send all of these delicious looking bread recipes!

Here are two verses for you girls to meditate upon as you make these recipes...

He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. - Proverbs 28:19

If thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head and the Lord shall reward thee. - Proverbs 25: 21-22

submitted by: Lisa Eller

Put on the bottom of a 9x13 pan: The topping: 12 cups apples, sliced 1 cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or... 1 cup flour a little flour and cinnamon, mixed well 1/2 cup honey & 2 cups oats

Mix all the ingredients for the topping together in the sauce pan you used to melt the butter. Let the oatmeal absorb the liquid for 5-10 minutes. Drizzle on the top of the apples, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm. (Variations- use any fresh or frozen fruit (peaches, pears, plums, etc.) - use chopped prunes or raisins in with the fruit.)

Thanks so much, Lisa, for submitting this apple crisp recipe! It’s one I’ve been looking for, and wishing that I had for quite a while now. I guess I’ve been sort of making up my own recipe for apple crisp. (Just throwing things together!J) Here’s a good “apple” verse for deep meditation... A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. - Proverbs 25:11

submitted by: Jana Baldridge

Brown meat separately. Cook celery, carrots, onion, garlic, in oil. Add tomatoes, tomato paste & seasonings & meat. Simmer for 1 hour. Cook spinach and drain well; add with noodles to sauce. Turn into casserole dish (May be frozen at this time.) Top with cheese before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes if warm; or 45 minutes if cold. - This is one of my favorite dinners!! Enjoy!!

Thanks, Jana, for sharing this casserole recipe. Sounds good! Here are 3 verses that I think will be good ones to close this section with... 6. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8. And having food and raiment let us therewith be content. - l Timothy 6:6-8