Kombucha Tea or Tea Kvass

 Kombucha Tea has been around for over 2000 years in China. It is a sweetened tea that is fermented with a scoby a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (sounds cheerful, doesn't it?).  Extensive research was done in the early 20th century in Germany on this drink in hopes of help with finding a treatment for cancer. They were able to pinpoint what it was this tea held that helped to fight against cancer (glucaric acids).

This tea is consumed chilled and the resulting beverage is full of vitamin B, probiotics, and glucaric acids.

It is important to start this in a clean environment so I sterilize my jars and such to make sure that everything is clean. To do this I boil water and pour into my jars, on my spoons etc.

1 Gallon-sized Glass Jar

 3 Quarts of Spring Water

 1 Cup of Organic Raw Sugar

 4 Bags of Organic Green Tea

 1 Bag of Organic Black Tea 

 1 Cup of Starter (your kombucha tea saved from your last batch)

 SCOBY  (This is your culture)

 Clean White Flour Sack Cloth 

 Rubber Band or Twine
A label of some kind.

Put 1 1/2  quarts of water in your gallon size glass jar and the other 1 1/2 gallons in your pan.

Heat and add your sugar and stir until dissolved.  Add your tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes.

Remove bags and add tea to your water in the glass jar. The tea in the jar should be about 96 degrees so if it is too cool warm it up in the pan again or if it is too hot, let it cool a bit.  

To this add your starter and stir gently.  Next, place your SCOBY on top of your liquid.  Cover with your flour sack and secure with rubber band or twine to keep bugs and things out of it.  Place your jar out of direct sunlight where it will be untouched from 5-8 days.  Check it and make sure there is no mold on your SCOBY.  I have never had this happen, but if you do, discard and try again with another SCOBY.

When the time has passed remove the SCOBY and 1 cup of the tea for your starter and put in your new batch of kombucha.  You will notice that your SCOBY has created another SCOBY.  Save that, and add an extra cup of the starter into your reserve.  The smaller story is no less effective than the large in making your kombucha and now you can make two batches or give the scoby and starter to a friend.

From here we strain the kombucha tea and bottle. The brown things floating in the tea is yeast.  This will not hurt you, but we like to strain it out.  You can leave your kombucha plain or flavor it.  We like to do both but the flavored is really yummy.  In this, we do a second ferment. We use some organic juice (we normally juice our own fruit) and pour in the bottom of the bottles.  Then we pour the kombucha on top of the juice, cork it and let sit an additional day or two.

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Cottage Girls Blueberry Pancakes

What says "Good Morning" like some beautiful blueberry pancakes?  I'm not sure but I think not much.  These pancakes are very light and airy and taste wonderful.  We put a little of the blueberry syrup below in the mix, but just a touch.  They were eaten up with none to spare.

Pancakes

2 cups of organic flour

1 - 2 Tbsp raw sugar or raw honey

2 ½ tsp. Non aluminum baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp Celtic Sea Salt

4 pastured eggs

2 cups of sour cream

1 cup of milk

2 cups of blueberries

honey

Organic butter

In a bowl mix your sugar, flour, baking soda, powder and sea salt. In another bowl beat eggs, milk, and sour cream together. Add to flour mixture, until well mixed and the batter is smooth. Heat your pan and add butter or coconut oil to it. When hot, pour about a half of a cup in your pan and sprinkle with a few berries. Wait for bubbles to appear and flip. Cook on that side until it is golden, edges are lightly browned and middle is cooked through. Place on a platter and keep warm. Continue to make pancakes until batter is gone. .

Blueberry Syrup

Place ½ cup of blueberries in blender and blend well Put in 2 Tbsp of lemon juice.

In a small pan put ½ cup of honey and add your berry puree. To this add another 1 cup of berries and heat gently. Keep warm and pour over buttered warm pancakes.

Mulligatawny Soup ( the RoseVine Cottage Way)

We wanted to make a hearty soup for lunch and found a recipe but just used what we had and captured the essence of the soup but not exactly what was called for. This is a great way to make a meal when your fridge is getting bare at the end of the week or you have a lot of left overs and want to make a dish with them.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

The history of the dish is a British curried lentil dish.  It has it's history in India, when India was British occupied and was a watered down version of their dish to be able to serve the required soup course for the British stationed there.

We started with 2 quarts of bone broth we chose beef because that is what we had.  You often see it with chicken stock but can have vegetable, or even lamb.
To that, we added 1 quart of chopped tomatoes in their juices.
1/2 cup of chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped sweet peppers
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dash or two of cumin (to your taste)
dash of coriander
1 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley (can substitute for dry parsley)
2 cups of chopped cooked chicken or other chopped meat (if desired)
1 medium cooking apple chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup of green peas
5 mushrooms chopped (not in original Mulligatawny but we love mushrooms) and sauteed in
grass fed butter.
1/4 cup dry lentils
cayenne pepper or black pepper to taste
Celtic Sea Salt 3/4 tsp. Or to taste

In large pan put broth, tomatoes, onion, apple, carrot, celery, peas, parsley, peppers, lemon juice, sugar, mushrooms, dry lentils, turmeric, ground cloves, 3/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt, coriander, cumin, and a dash of pepper or cayenne to taste with your chopped chicken, beef or lamb.  Can also just be made with only vegetables and taste wonderful.  We brought it to a boil and reduced heat. Cover your soup and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Makes soup for 6 to 8 people.

Passover Seder

What you will need:

Matza Crackers 

Parsley 

Raisins

Apple 

Walnuts (optional)

Grape Juice or Wine

Horseradish 

Boiled Egg

Salt Water

Candles 

Cups

Damp Washcloth  

Lamb Shank Bone

Haroset
1 Cup Organic Apples
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3 1/2 Teaspoon Honey
4 Tablespoon Grape Juice or Wine

Father: The Passover has begun.  We pray for the light of the Spirit of God to bring the special meaning of Passover to each of us and to the Jewish people around the world that have not yet received Yeshua as their Messiah.

The Lighting of the Candles

Mother:    Would all the mothers please stand with me and light the candles.  As the light of each candle is lit by a woman, we remember that Jesus, the promised Light of the World came into the world through the obedience of a woman.  May we as women obey the Word of God as an honor and privilege to bring forth the promises of God.

Father:    As it is written “A virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son and call his name Immanuel, a light to the Gentiles and the Glory of your people, Israel.”

Mother:    God told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do.  And he made 4 promises about how He would save His people.

1. I will bring you out of Egypt.
2. I will free you from slavery.
3. I will save you by My own hand.
4. I will take you to be My own people and I will be your God.

Father:    To remember these 4 promises we drink from our cups 4 times.

The First Cup: Kiddush

Mother:    The 1st cup is Kiddush the cup of Sanctification.

Father:    When Jesus began His last Passover supper He offered a cup to His disciples and said, “Take this cup all of you and drink from it.” 

Raise our cups to the LORD.

All:    Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread from the Earth. 

(drink)

Urkhats: The Washing of the Hands

Mother:  The ritual of Washing the Hands has been a part of Jewish life since God commanded Aaron to wash his hands and feet before approaching the altar of the LORD.  So we are washing our hands as a symbol of our desire to live lives of purity, acceptable to the LORD.

Father:    Husbands, please wash your own hands and then wash your wives’ hands as a symbol of blessing and serving them. 

Mother:    Mothers, please help your husbands wash each of your children’s hands as a symbol of blessing and serving them.

The Seder Plate

Father:    Look at the Seder Plate with its traditional symbols. 

The Karpas or green parsley is the symbol of life, but while the Israelites were slaves in Egypt their lives were miserable.  The salt water in the bowls represents their tears.  We dip our parsley in the salt water and eat it to remind us of the Hebrews’ tears and how miserable our own sin makes us. The salt water also reminds us of how God parted the salty Red Sea to deliver His people.  Dip the parsley twice in the bowl and as we taste it let us bless the LORD.

All:    Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread from the Earth.

The Four Questions

Father:    There are some questions to be asked. 

Child:        1. On all other nights we eat leavened bread.  On this night why do   we eat only unleavened bread?

Child:        2. On this night why do we eat bitter herbs?

Child:        3. On all other nights we don’t dip our vegetables even once.  On this                         night why do we dip the parsley twice.

Child:        4. Why is this night different from all the other nights.

Mother:    It is a special privilege to answer the questions of Passover and tell everyone the great things God has done.  We have talked about the salty water reminding us of tears and sin and now the Seder plate will help us answer the other questions.

Matzah:  The Unleavened Bread

Father:    When the Israelites left Egypt they didn’t have time to let their dough rise.  Instead they baked their bread flat. In Jewish homes this is always a very important part of Passover.  See these 3 pieces of bread in this white napkin?  What do you think it is a symbol of?  (let children answer)

Father God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  This is the mystery that we as Christians understand as the Holy Trinity.

The bread itself is a symbol of the promised Messiah.  Remember that Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life.

Mother:    The unleavened bread also must be striped and must be pierced according to the Old Testament prophecy about the One who would come.

Leaven or yeast is the symbol of sin.  The yeast itself is not bad.  It is just an example of how sin spreads through our lives just as the yeast spreads through the bread dough.  Jesus was sinless.  The stripes remind us of how Jesus was whipped and stripes covered His back.  He was also pierced with nails and a spear.  He was pierced for our transgressions.

Father:    This bread was made in the Jewish Orthodox tradition. It has to be made comepletely in 17 minutes or less from the time water touches the flour because the nature of the flour is to rise even without yeast.  The Lord showed me the first time I made it in the Orthodox tradition that we are like that dough.  It is our nature to let sin rise in us.  As Don Finto said, “If we are not actively seeking rightousness, we are passively seeking evil.”

Mother:    (Break the middle piece in half.)  The middle piece is always broken in half during Passover.  One half is shared before the meal and the other half is wrapped in the white cloth just as Jesus’ body was wrapped for burial and saved for after dinner.  Now we share this bread made with no yeast as a symbol of Jesus, who had no sin. 

Children, what does this bread and juice remind you of?  (Let children answer.)  Yes, it reminds us of communion.  As we take it and eat it let us bless the LORD,

All:    Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread of the earth.

Maror:  The Bitter Herbs

Father:    Tonight we eat Bitter Herbs to remember how bitter life was for God’s people in Egypt.  The Maror is horseradish. Scoop some Maror onto a piece of matzah and let the bitter taste bring tears to your eyes and remember with compassions the tears the Israelites cried in their slavery long ago.  Also remember the bitterness of our own sin when we do not allow Jesus to set us free.  As we taste it let us bless the LORD.

All:    Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread of the earth.

Haroset: Mortar

Father:    The Israelites worked very hard to make bricks out of straw and clay to build cities for Pharoah.  We remember this with the sweet mixture that looks like mortar, made from apples, honey, cinnamon and nuts.  It is sweet because it reminds us that even the bitterness of slavery is sweeten by the promise of redemption.  Scoop some Haroset onto a piece of matzah and eat.

Mother:    On all other nights we eat a regular meal but tonight we eat a meal to remind us of how God our Father has been working to bring people out of slavery to be His own children ever since Adam and Eve first sinned.

Father:    The first Passover was celebrated by slaves.  As Christians we celebrate Passover today to remember our freedom in Jesus, our redeemer and Messiah. 

The Second Cup: The Cup of Joy, Cup of Plagues

Mother:    We drink a 2^nd time from our cups, the Cup of Joy but it is also called the Cup of Plagues.  As we say the name of each plague let us dip our finger into the cup and let the drops fall on our napkins.  These drops remind us of the precious Blood of Jesus, making it our Cup of Joy.

All call out:  Blood, Frogs, Lice, Flies, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Death of the Firstborn

Let us drink from our Cup of Joy, our Cup of Deliverance.

 

Father:    (Hold up the shank bone.)  This bone stands for the lamb whose blood was put on the doorposts of the Israelite houses.  God told Moses that the Lamb must be perfect.  Since Jesus has become our Perfect Passover Lamb, God has allowed the Temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed.  No more lambs need to be sacrificed.  Jesus, the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

The Hagigah: The Egg

Father:    The last thing on the Seder plate is the Hagigah, the egg.  It is a symbol to the Jews of the traditional offering brought to the Temple on Feast Days.  The egg is also a symbol of mourning and sadness with the hard shell reminding us of the hardness of Pharoah’s heart; and the hardness of every heart that will not accept God’s love.

But the egg now is a symbol of new birth.  It is also a symbol of eternity with its shape having no beginning and no end.  When you see Easter eggs this year, think about how God wants all His children to be born into new life with Him.

Dip a piece of the egg into the salt water to remember Jews who do not yet know Jesus, the true Passover Lamb.

Mother:    The first Passover meal had to be eaten in a hurry but tonight we can relax and enjoy our meal because Jesus has already set us free.  After we eat we’ll remain at the table for our last cup. 

After the Meal

Father:     Remember this piece of Matzah.  It was hidden away and now it is back just like Jesus was hidden away in the tomb and then He rose again.  This is why we celebrate Easter.  Take a piece to finish our meal and as we do let’s remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us.  

The Third Cup:  The Cup of Redemption

Father:    Now let’s drink from our cups the 3^rd time, the Cup of Redemption.  This was the “after supper” cup that Jesus drank with His disciples. 

Jesus said, “This is the cup of the New Covenant of My Blood which is poured out for you.”  Just as the Blood of the Lamb brought salvation in Egypt, the Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God brings salvation to all who believe and receive Him.

Let us bless the LORD.

All:  Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread from the earth.

The Fourth Cup:  The Cup of Praise

Mother and Father  :    Now it is time to end our Passover celebration with the

4^th cup, the Cup of Praise.  We’ll say a verse and then everyone respond with

“His love endures forever.”

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord, God of all creation.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord who destroyed the demon gods of Egypt.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord who destroys the works of satan today.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord who saved Israel from slavery.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord who saves us from sin.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to God, our God, who chose us to be His people, who gave us Himself as the ultimate sacrifice to take away our sins and the sins of the world.

His love endures forever.

Lift your Cup of Praise and say together:

Your love endures forever.

Spicy BBQ Chicken Rub

This was a great recipe, very flavorful and tasty.  We have tried to be creative about meals because we don't have an oven or stove top at this point so we are cooking using an electric roaster, gas and charcoal grill, smoker and a plugin cook top and, of course, a crock pot.  Our goal is to make incredible tasty foods that are pleasing to the eye and the tongue and not boring.  This chicken dish is colorful and flavorful and is anything but dull.  I hope you try it out.  Let us know if you do!

 

1 whole chicken or 10 chicken thighs  (This is one of our own raised free range chickens.)

1 Tbsp organic butter

RUB:

¼ cup paprika

½ tbsp Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper

1 Tbsp Celtic sea salt

½ tsp cayenne (less for less spicy)

1 ½ dry mustard

1 ½ tsp garlic powder

1 ½ tsp onion powder

Directions:

Rinse the chicken and set aside.  Mix rub ingredients WELL.  Place on a plate for thighs.  Rub 1 Tbsp organic butter on chicken put rub mix on chicken. Grill outside until juices run clear or at 350 degrees F. in the oven until juices run clear.

Served with green beans seasoned with sauteed onions, onion powder, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, Celtic Sea Salt and organic butter.

Bread Machine Pizza Dough

This is a more of a thin crust pizza.  It does not get the same rise as our other recipe.

5/8 cup of spring water

1 tsp coconut oil

2 cups of organic flour

1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

½ tsp raw organic sugar or honey

½ tsp yeast

Related Post: Homemade Pizza

Pour coconut oil warmed if solid into a liquid and water in the pan of your bread maker.  Next, add your organic flour on top of your wet ingredients. Add salt in one corner of your bread pan and sugar in another.  In the center make a small well and place your yeast in this well.  Set it in your bread machine and set for dough setting.  When it is finished then place a small amount of flour on your counter top or cutting board.  Push the dough down into the pan and place on floured surface.  Pre-heat to 425 F (or 220 C )  Roll out the dough into a 12” circle.  In your pizza pan or on your pizza stone place a little organic cornmeal and garlic powder.  Place your dough on the round.  Top with your favorite pizza sauce and toppings.  Cook for 15-20 min or until golden brown.

Related Post: Auntie Betty's Pizza Sauce

For 1 1/2 lb loaf bread maker

Mixed Berry Galette

 This was to be the crowning jewel of my planned dinner the day the stove blew.  Yep, fireworks under the glass top of the stove.  So, not to be stopped by a small (ok, not so small) problem, we pulled out the electric roaster and cooked it in that.  It came out quite well and tasted wonderful.  This is a really fresh and not too sweet dessert that just hit the spot after a busy day.  We all sat out and enjoyed a beautiful spring evening and ate dinner under the stars.  I really hope that you try this sometime.  It is not a dish that has to be perfect as it is supposed to be a rustic dish so you perfectionists, don't go crazy over this.  Enjoy!  Let us know if you try it.  We LOVE to hear from you!!!

We girls made this one evening and it came out so good.  The fact that it was at night for an outdoor meal means the photos of the finished product are not all that good.  This means we need to make it again to get good shots of it. Oh darn!

Mixed Berry Buckle

1 ½ cups of organic flour

1 ½ tbsp of raw organic sugar

¼ of a cup of grass fed butter (cold)

¼ tsp of baking soda in 5 Tbsp of spring water

Mix your flour and sugar in a bowl or in your food processor, add the cold butter and mix until it is crumbling. Slowly add the water until it makes a ball. Roll out to a 4-inch circle and put in saran wrap and put in the fridge for an hour or two. On a lightly floured counter top or cutting board roll out your dough to fit a 9” baking round pan or an 11x 7-inch rectangle dish. Let 2” of the dough hang over all sides.

5-6 cups of mixed berries or your favorite berry

½ cups of raw organic sugar

4 tbsp of grass fed butter

Pour your berries in the middle and sprinkle with sugar. Place some pats of butter over the top and then fold your edges toward the center. The edges will not meet but it will leave an open center. It will look rustic, it is supposed to enjoy it's rustic beauty. Place in a pre-heated 425 F oven for 45 minutes. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Smoked Roast Beef on Toasted Bread

Well, this beauty was a meal I had planned when my stove blew up.  I was cooking on the glass range top and what looked like fireworks went off under the glass with some pretty fearful popping.  So, this was cooked all outside on the grill with the exception of the bread that I cooked using our electric roasting pan and a canning jar of water (don't ask). It all came out so well I am not sure you could get this wrong.  Ha ha.  I really hope that you enjoy this.  Do let us know if you try it out and how you made the recipe your own. 

Bread:

1 ½ pkg yeast

 2 c lightly warmed spring water

1 tbsp raw sugar or honey

 2 tsp Celtic sea salt

7 cups organic flour 

 Melted coconut oil or butter

Pour yeast into a cup that warm water has been poured in and add sugar or honey and let stand until it bubbles. Add flour and salt together and stir. Slowly add flour a cup at a time and stir until it is a smooth dough. Let set for about 5 minutes. Remove from your mixing bowl and place on a lightly floured board or counter and knead your dough for 10 minutes or so. Place in an oiled bowl. Coat all sides of your dough with the oil and cover with a light apron or cloth until it has risen to double its size. Remove from your bowl and punch down, kneading again for just a couple of minutes. Separate into two round pieces and place on a baking stone or cookie sheet that has been rubbed with coconut oil and sprinkled with corn meal. Let dough rest for a few minutes again then place in a cold oven. Put a pan of boiling water on a rack under the bread and set your oven for 400 degrees F. Bake for 35-40 minutes

Beef:

1 pot roast

¼ cup Sea Salt

1 qt. Spring water

Add meat and let sit in a refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Place on charcoal grill to sear and smoke until done.

Slice the beef thinly and set aside.

3 Tbsp. Butter

5 small sweet peppers thinly sliced

1 tomato sliced

1 onion sliced

1 tsp of Dijon or yellow mustard

1 ¼ pounds of sliced roast beef

Dash of Mrs Dash

Celtic sea salt to taste

In a pan place butter, sliced peppers, onion and tomato. Add mustard of your choice

and seasonings to taste. When the peppers are done to your liking add some of the beef

and stir.

Slice your bread thickly and melt 4 Tbsp butter with a clove of minced garlic. Brush on bread and broil or cook on the griddle until done. Place the meat and vegetable mixture on the bread and serve.

When Blessings Turn Into Curses

 When Blessings Turn Into Curses

Numbers 21:4-5

Then they traveled from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people wanted to give up because of the long way. They spoke against God and Moses, saying, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? For there are no food and no water. And we hate this bad food.”

We have all been there. We have something –or do something- for so long it becomes a curse instead of a blessing that it was meant to be. And then we begin to grumble and complain about the very same thing we originally considered a wonderful blessing.

Why is it that once the wonder wears off it becomes a curse?  Why can’t it continue to be a blessing? My guess would be that it’s because we are no longer thankful for it. We get used to it being there and then we look around and see what everyone else has and we begin to grumble about what we don’t have compared to what our neighbor down the street has.  

Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

I read something on Facebook once that said what if you woke up tomorrow morning with only the things you had thanked God for. What would you have left?

We get so caught up in the world we don’t realize that the blessings we prayed for have become a curse. We all say we are so thankful for what God has given us but is that always true? When was the last time we TRULY thanked God for what he has given us from the house we live in every day to the clothing on our backs or the computer you are reading this on?

When was the last time you thanked God for allowing you to hear the birds singing in the tree’s or the butterfly fluttering in your path or the summer breeze on your skin or the amazing sunshine, or how about for allowing you to live in this country where you are free to speak your mind?  Or for waking you up this morning? 

Or, thanking  God for the clean cold water we drink every day while in Africa where my friends are serving to care for the orphans the wells are dry and it’s hot and the dry season.

Lord forgive us for forgetting to be thankful.  Forgive us for letting your blessings turn to curses.  

Have you thanked Him today? 

There is no time like the present. 

Organic Hot Cross Buns

W
e made a batch of Hot Cross Buns for our bible study tonight and they were a pretty big hit.  Have you ever had some?

Hot Cross Buns have been a tradition since about the 12th century when it is said that an Anglican monk put the sign of the cross on a bun to honor and remember Christ.

These are traditionally made on Lent and on Good Friday when we hold dear the work of Christ on the cross  There is much folklore about them.  It is said  that the buns made on Good Friday will not spoil the entire year and sailors would travel with them to keep them safe on their voyages.  A bun shared is said to ensure lifelong friendship and one hanging in the kitchen would keep away evil.

Well, we are not sure about the folklore but we are sure they are good.  You can slice them and eat them toasted with butter and will delight you while you read your bible and remember the one that overcame evil.  These are nice rolls, slightly sweet and really tasty.  We sure hope you like one.  They went over well for our bible study.

                                  Hot Cross Buns

Buns

1 cup organic milk                                                                

1 free-range organic egg

4 cups organic flour                                        

1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt       

1/4 cup raw sugar or coconut sugar

1/4 cup grass fed butter

1 1/2 tsp yeast

1/2 cup raisins or currents

Cross:

2 cups organic powdered sugar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Organic Milk

Directions:

I use my bread machine to make the dough for me.  I warm my milk a  little (making sure not to get it too hot) and pour it in my bread maker pan and add the egg.  I then pour in my flour making sure it covers all of the milk. In one corner I put salt, the other I put my spices, the next I put my butter, the last I put my sugar and in the center I make a little well to put my yeast.  I then put the breadmaker on the dough setting and start cleaning my mess while it goes.  When the machine beeps I add my dried fruit.  

When it has finished I remove from the machine and place it on a floured cutting board or counter top and punch it down a little.  I divide the recipe into 12 pieces of about equal size and shape them into a round.  Using a nice sharp scissor or knife cut the shape of a cross in them and then I put them on my baking sheet on parchment paper (don't like to cook directly on the baking sheets) to rise covered with an old lightweight apron or flour sack towel.  Leave for 45 min. and they will about double in size.  

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. or 200 C. 

Bake them for 15 -18 minutes depending on your oven.  They should be pretty and golden brown.

Then begin the mix for the crosses. 

For the Crosses

In a bowl mix the lemon juice, milk and powdered sugar. When smooth place in a piping bag or spoon the glaze in a cross shape over the buns. 

Chicken Breast with Salsa

We have been talking about ways to add color and in doing so vitamins to your meals. Here is another way we like to add a little splash of color to our dinner. It is with a great fresh salsa that is so tasty. I think you will really like it.

Salsa

¼ Cup Chopped Sweet Organic Onions

4 Cloves of Garlic Smashed and Copped

¼ Cup Chopped Black Olives

3 Tablespoons Refined Coconut Oil

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Chopped Capers

3 Chopped Organic Tomatoes

1 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce or any other hot sauce

½ Teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt Finely Ground

2 Teaspoons Fresh Thyme or 1 Teaspoon of Dried

¼ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Heat 2 tablespoons of the Coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat, add onion and garlic and cook stirring frequently until softened (until the onions are transparent and the garlic is a light golden). Then add the olives, vinegar, capers, tomatoes, tabasco sauce red pepper flakes, thyme, and salt to the mixture and cook for five minutes and then set aside.

Meat 

4 Boneless Skinless chicken breasts

Garlic Powder 1/4 tsp (to taste)

Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper

Onion Powder 1/4 tsp (to taste)

Celtic Sea Salt (pinch or to taste)

Fresh or Dry Parsley 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil or Grass Fed Butter for pan

Grill your choice of meat or cook on the range in a skillet in coconut oil or grass fed butter. Season with Celtic Sea Salt, Mrs. Dash, onion powder and garlic powder and parsley on both sides and cook covered until juices run clear.

 When your chicken or fish is done, plate it and spoon the salsa over the top. You can serve with steamed broccoli and rice or even with a tortilla to be cut and placed on it. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.