Ezekial Bread Recipe

Ezekial Bread Recipe

Christian Gardening Blog

Joyful, Joyful,

 We adore Thee,

 God of Glory, Lord of Love.

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,

 Hailing Thee the Son above.

Japanese Tree Peony, unknown variety

May you unfold the flower of your heart to the God Who Loves You.

Christian Garden Blog

Consider...

the lilies,

of the field.

They do not toil or spin.

Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these.........

A. E. Housman Poem

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now

Is hung with bloom along the bough,

and stands about the woodland ride

Wearing white at Eastertide

Julie Magers

           Now, of my threescore years and ten, 

Twenty will not come again,

And take from seventy springs a score,

It only leaves me fifty more,

And since to look at things in bloom

Fifty springs are little room,

About the woodlands I will go

To see the cherry hung with snow.

National Geo

May you be blessed by the joy of looking at things in bloom!

From, Gwen

Spring Color Combos

Hello Friend~

            Years ago I bought the lovely book by  Rosemary Verey titled Good Planting.  Of course my plantings will never reach the splendor of that Englishwoman and I still dream of a walk dripping with golden laburnum and full of pale mauve Allium aflatunense. However, I came away from the reading of this book with a clear awareness of paying attention to what I plant together. It is the understanding that a plant is more than just a plant. Plants in a garden are part of a larger picture. They are for the most piece not viewed individually but are a component of a larger whole that encompasses color, texture, height, and shape.

     Rosemary Verey says, "It has always seemed to me that the gardener is most closely related to the painter. In some ways his task is more complex, since his palette is composed not only of living colours but also of changing textures, and his canvas is fluid in time- maturing, fading, finally ceasing to exist." What a magical endeavor gardening is; to paint in living colours!

                        Blue and yellow is one of my favorite color combinations.

      This is Kerris jopanica. I know some people do not like the strident school bus yellow flowers but planted with lots of blue grape hyacinth it shines! I actually enjoy this shrubby plant the most in the winter when it reveals its slender, naked, apple green switches

 

This is an now unknown medium yellow tulip. Comes from not keeping good garden notes!

This is a real favorite of mine. A grass that behaves it self and stays in a nice clump. It takes a bit of shade and does not like to be dry. It is a type of woodland grass. Meet the lovely  Hakonechloa macra Aureola.

I just realized the next combo also includes blue. I tend to go for monochromatic color schemes with a touch of blue. I guess I love blue and white as much as I love yellow and white!

These are a white daffodil, Misty Glen, fern tendrils, brunnera Hadspen Cream, and leaucojum Gravetye Giant.

What are some of your favorite spring plant combos?

Thank you for joining me. Today I wish for you the beauty of spring flowers and I wish for you that you know the God that made such beauty. I hope you know he loves you. Oh how he loves you...... Here; He wants to tell you for himself..........  A Love Letter

From, Gwen

Tommy Crocus

 Hello Friend~

   One of the first flowers of spring in my garden is crocus tomassinianus; affectionately called the tommy crocus. This is a species crocus known for its early, vernal bloom. On the first fine, sunny, day these brave little charmers put forth their color. I have only ever seen these crocus in shades of lavender. It has a silvery sheen that glows in the thin, syrupy, light of spring.

 Tommy crocus are considered a heirloom variety; they will persist in a favorable location for generations, self sowing and spreading happily. I have then planted in two different locations. I have sheets of them planted in a woodland garden and I have planted about 100 of then in a piece of lawn. The ones in the woodland have done better. They have spread and the clumps have really multiplied. The crocus I planted in the grass have persisted but do not seem to be as vigorously multiplying. This could be because  my husband mows down the foliage with the first grass mowing; thus the clumps are not as hearty and they do not set seed.

William Moss

William Moss

   Even if you have a small garden you can find a spot for tommy crocus. Plant a small clump. You will be be glad you did! May you be blessed by the small joy of tommy crocus. I leave you with the small joy of joan walsh anglunds poem~

Like a crocus
                     in the snow
           .......I stand
                           knee deep in Winter,
                   holding
                            Springtime
                                            in my heart!

Powell Gardens

May you be blessed by the God who made springtime and crocus and may His light shine in your heart!

                                                   From, Gwen

Ezekial Bread Toasting Loaf

Hello my friend~

   The color of March this year has been white and brown. We have had days of  snowy, chilly white and then a few warmer days when the world shows up in every imaginable shade and hue of brown. Suddenly, the white is gone and the browns of the earth are aglow with  clear liquid spring sunshine. There is the wheaten, bleached color of beech leaves still clinging to the trees and the dark, wet brown of mulch. I see the throbbing brown of mud and the fragrant brown of fallen leaves pooled in a corner by the barn
   Before the real work of spring starts I still have time to bake and so after a walk in the chilly wild wind of March I come in and start a loaf of Ezekiel Bread. I searched the whole World Wide Web over for a recipe for Ezekiel Bread that actually used fresh soaked grains- to no avail. Thus I was inspired to experiment and invent my own recipe.
   I love the Ezekiel Bread you can buy in the health food store but I get tired of the $6.00 price tag. For a little over a dollar you can have 2 lovely homemade loaves. It freezes well and I have kept a loaf in the frig for up to two weeks. Every morning I slice off a large chunk and toast it to a warm crispy deliciousness.
  I was surprised recently when I gave my new neighbor a loaf of this bread. She asked why it was called Ezekiel Bread. I guess I thought that most people knew that it was called Ezekiel Bread because in the Bible God tells the prophet Ezekiel to put wheat, beans, lentils, barley, spelt, and millet in a pot and then to make bread with it. He had to bake it over a fire made with cow manure. He had to eat it for 390 days. Read the story in Ezekiel 4. The Bible is so interesting!

                                        EZEKIEL BREAD TOASTING LOAF

 First measure out 1/2 cup lentils, 1/2 cup barley, 1/2 cup black-eyed peas. Now put these in a container and add 3 cups of water. Let the grains and water sit for 12 -24 hours. After the grains soak, try tasting one. You will be surprised that it has turned into something fresh tasting; kind of like a raw green bean. When you are ready to stir up your bread; dissolve 1 cup warm water, 2 teaspoon yeast,1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon ginger in a small bowl.  Next pour the grains and soaking water into a blender. Pulse the mixture until it is the desired texture. The more chunky you leave it the more texture you will have in your bread. Pour the grain mix into a large mixing bowl. It will look like a foamy, chunky mess!

Next add the dissolved yeast mixture to the grain mix. Note: do not leave out the ginger . It is an old fashioned yeast enhancer. It will help this heavy bread to rise. You do not really taste it in the finished product if you are not fond of ginger.

Next you will need to dump in the rest of the ingredients: 1/2 cup molasses, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup spelt flour, 2 cup whole wheat flour, 4 cup white flour. Mix well. I just do it by hand. I encourage you to use the molasses in this recipe as it gives the bread a wonderful depth of flavor. You could use honey if you prefer.

                                               You now have bread dough.

   Place your dough on the counter and knead for 150 strokes; using up to 1 more cup of white flour to keep it from sticking.

Divide the dough in half and place into two greased bread pans. YES! We are only going to let this bread rise once. A second rising causes this dough to get very soft as the enzymes in the grains start breaking down the gluten and then it does not rise at all.

     Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise up to two hours or until the loaves fully double in bulk. This bread does not rise much while baking so make sure to fully let it rise before placing in oven. In my fairly cool kitchen [66'] it takes a least 2 hours.

Bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from pans.

        Bread. Comforting and life sustaining. As you eat your bread remember The One who gives us our daily bread. God is the great king of the universe and by his hand the earth brings forth bread. He gives us bread for our bodies and he is The Bread. He gives us The Bread so that our spirits are nourished and have life. Today remember to eat some spiritual bread [your Bible] and then remember to share your Bread. As a poet once said, 'give bits of  fresh bread from the oven of your heart.'
      Here are some bits of fresh bread from my heart to yours: God loves you. God is for you. God will make a way for you. God has given you what it takes to make it in this world. Bread.....mmmmmmm !


                                                EZEKIEL BREAD TOASTING LOAF
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup black-eyed peas or other beans
1/2 cup barley
3 cups water
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup millet
1 cup spelt flour
2 cup whole wheat flour
5 cup white flour

   Place the lentil beans, and barley in a container with the 3 cups of water. Let soak 12- 24 hours. When ready to mix up your bread dissolve the yeast in the 1 cup of warm water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and the 1 teaspoon of ginger. Next place the soaked grains and all the soaking water in a blender. Pulse until desired consistency. Do not puree. Leave some texture. Pour this blended grain mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the dissolved yeast. Next add the molasses, the salt, millet, spelt flour, whole wheat flour and 4 cups of white flour. Mix well.
   Place the dough on the counter and knead for 150 strokes using up to one more cup of the white flour to keep the dough from sticking. Divide the dough into 2 parts and shape into loaves and place into 2 loaf pans. This dough only rises one time. Let dough fully double in bulk. It will take from 1 -2 hours for this to happen depending on the warmth of your kitchen. This bread does not rise much when baking so make sure it has fully risen before you bake it. Bake in a 350" preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from pans.

Sunday Morning in a Winter Garden

Sunday Morning in a Winter Garden

Music for you to enjoy....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4cLgcapk9A

      God is in winter. He is in the dead ends, cold, wind, problems, losses, sufferings, challenges, disasters. The seasons in our lives are overseen by God. They are not random or chance. Every season is designed and allowed by God.

                      In winter there is more going on than we think.

                                                  Things have to die.

                   
                      Winter is for trusting. Just wait. Just stand. Rest.

                                          New beginnings will come.

                                                                                  

                                    On our journey we pause and see....

                                                  

Out of the darkness God shines

Out of the ashes we rise.

There's none like him,

None like him.

Our God is greater.

Our God is stronger.

Our God is higher than any other.

And if our God is for us,

then who can ever stop us?

And if our God is with us than who can stand against us?

(Chris Tomlin)

Nature Coast Botanical Gardens

Nature Coast Botanical Gardens

1489 Parker Avenue

Spring Hill, FL 34606

www.naturecoastgardens.com

Hello my friend ~

    Last week we were on a trip to Florida for a  wedding in Spring Hill which is 40 minutes north of Tampa. While there I came across this delightful, little botanical garden. The gardens are maintained by the Spring Hill Garden Club. There was no charge to enter the gardens. When I arrived at the gardens the volunteers were scurrying around to  cover up the most tender plants as it was COLD and a freeze was fore casted. As we on the way to the airport the next morning in the predawn hours I noticed it was 35 degrees. I was happy that all the growing things had survived their near death experience!

I hope you enjoy these photos of  the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens.

     The gardens are divided up into 23 themed gardens though the general feel of the place is that of a shady woodsy retreat. Paths topped with wood chips and fallen scrub oak leaves meandered around and in and out of shoulders of azaleas and banks of tropical plants.

                                                                                                            
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        My favorite gardens were the Memorial Garden and the Desert Scape. I probably liked them the best because they were the areas with the most flowers blooming!

The Memorial Garden

 

      Along the perimeter of the Memorial Garden was some sort of evergreen hedge and behind the hedge  was a row of  interesting shrubs. They grew about 10 or 12 feet high and had red flowers that looked like bottle brushes.  Here they are:

      Guess what the name of this flower is? Yep, that's right, they are called Bottle Brushes.

The Desert Scape

 

      I have no idea what the large tree behind the hedge was. It looked like a giant cactus tree. My only complaint of this place was a certain lack of identification markers. A Yankee like me is not familiar with all the plants that grow in Florida. If anyone knows what it is, let me know! It was loaded with these fat, promising buds:

      I thoroughly delighted in wandering around this charming garden. I can never resist meandering down a garden path.

  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:26&27

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ