Farmer’s Market II

Two loaves of no-knead sourdough

Mixed: 10:30 pm

Molded: 7 am next morn

Baked: 8 am

Donated both loaves to the market

I’ve been tumbling from one event to the next this last week. I organized a dinner for 60, finished up the last giveaway of my books, ran a three-day sale, kept up with homeschooling my daughter, plus wanted to have some close friends over so actually endeavored to scrub the house. It’s that time of year…

So, when my husband gave me a hard stare and asked whether I really wanted to mix up a batch of dough for the farmer’s market at our church, I stopped and tried to weigh his words carefully. Sometimes we give too much–we stretch too far, and we end up sacrificing beauty for hurry. I don’t like to hurry–there’s very little peace found in hurry.

In the end I decided to spend the energy and make the bread. Thankfully it’s a recipe that only takes a few minutes to mix, and very little effort to bake. And the two loaves were purchased and carted off even before I got the camera out of the bag. I’m glad I baked, and the added money will help folks in need this winter season. But I’m heeding my husband’s words still, and trying to not end up on that hampster wheel of spinning in circles, unable to see beyond the cage.

Being Orthodox, this season of Advent is a time of prayer, fasting and introspection. Bread baking fits so beautifully into this scheme, and with the cold weather here, I plan on mixing batches and batches of dough as these forty days pass. Here are a few other things I’m doing, then, I’d love to hear from you.

• Crocheting a shawl made of wool from Peru–I’ve just started and am almost through with the first skein
• Planning on making an Advent wreath right after Thanksgiving. Can’t wait…
• Reading through all four Gospels with a group of very lovely women–two chapters at a time
• Hoping to do a wee bit of de-cluttering and giving away
• Need to trim the hedge!
• Continue to help John Ronan with his reading lessons
• Finish the story about Saint Romanos

Now, what about you?

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Farmer’s Market Fundraising

All week I’ve been baking and giving. Molasses bread, a new challa recipe with sesame and anise, sourdough… They’ve all turned out nicely, and I’ve given the extra loaves to good friends.

But one day of giving especially stands out for me–and I want to share it even though I TOOK NO PHOTOGRAPHS! It was so odd. I brought my camera, tucked it into the cutest little straw basket, but I was so caught up in the moment I forgot to be an observer, and instead was a happy, wandering, purchasing participant…

Our church decided to have a Farmer’s Market right after the service this last Sunday. People from the parish brought all sorts of garden goodies: lemons and limes, oranges, avocados, bags of lettuce, buckets of strawberries, guava, apples, tomatoes, zucchini, homemade granola and salsa… The list goes on, and all out of our own gardens and kitchens. So fun. Because our figs are not yet ripe, and our oranges aren’t terribly plentiful, and because my pomegranate tree is struggling (!!! such sadness) I decided to bake several loaves of bread and bring them to the table.

I started the bread the night before, (using the no-knead recipe, adding in some of my sour starter) mixing up two 1 lb loaves of sourdough, and one giant, 3 lb loaf. I rose early on Sunday and molded, then baked them off. Ooooohh, our car smelled so very yummy while driving to church.

All the money ($843!!!) from the sale went to the Pastor’s Fund, which our church uses to help send kids to camp, to use in emergencies, etc… The reaction from the church folk was crazy! Everyone was buying up the goods, talking about their gardens and trees. It was an ultimate Woman and the Wheat experience!

I hope I’ve inspired you to think about doing this in your own community. Folks are always looking for fundraisers that don’t hurt…

And today, after I ate some homemade granola, I pulled my camera out of my little straw basket

and shot a photo of some of the goodies we snatched up.

Next time I’m hoping I’ll remember to both shop, and shoot. We’ll see!