Lemon Cream Tart Recipe

Umm, hello Spring!!

This tart screams Spring, and I am happy to indulge.

I had friends visiting me this week, and I decided to make a lemon tart for them - and it turned out delicious!  I followed the recipe here, and it's great!  You can definitely go to the original, or scroll down for my breakdown. :)  Here's a quick tip: read instructions to the end before you get started, so you don't miss anything.

What you'll need:

- standing mixer

- tart or pie pan

- metal pot

- metal bowl that is wider than the pot

- whisk

- zester

- blender

Tart Crust:

Ingredients:

- 8 tbs unsalted butter at room temperature (plus a little extra for the pan)

- 1/3 cup powdered sugar

- 1 large egg yolk

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Beat the butter and powdered sugar together in mixer until creamy.

2. Beat in egg yolk until fully combined.

3. Turn the mixer on to a low speed, and beat in flour and salt just until the dough comes together, and no flour is visible.  Be careful not to overmix.

4. Butter your pan.

5. Press the dough into the pan, making sure it is evenly distributed.  Using a fork, prick the bottom of the tart.

6. Wrap loosely in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 410 F / 210 C.

8. Bake tart for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before filling with anything else.

Optional:

Using a double boiler method, melt down a bar of white chocolate, and poor on the bottom of the tart once it has cooled fully.  Recover with plastic, and chill in fridge until chocolate becomes firm.

*I found this made it really hard to cut into and eat, so I think next time I'll drizzle it on top.

Lemon Cream Filling

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup and 2 tbs lemon juice (for me it was 3 1/2 lemons)

- 3 large eggs

- 1 egg yolk

- 3/4 cup granulated sugar

- pinch of salt

- 1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes

(Optional: fresh strawberries and lemon zest.)

Directions:

1. Create a double boiler.  If you're not sure how to do that, here is a tutorial on youtube.

2. Combine lemon juice, eggs, yolk, sugar and salt in the bowl of your double boiler.  Whisk continuously for 10-12 minutes, until very thick.

3. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.  

4. Pour mixture in blender, then add a couple cubes of butter at a time, and fully incorporate. Make sure that the butter is fully incorporated before adding any more.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill for 1-2 hours.  (Or overnight - if you do, use a whisk to "fluff it up" before pouring it in the tart shell.)

6. Pour lemon cream into tart, top with fresh strawberries, some lemon zest, and you're good to go!

Store covered in the fridge for 2 days.

I've always been nervous about using a double boiler method, but it really wasn't that hard, and the result was GORGEOUS!!

What's your favorite "ode to Spring" dessert?

"...And Spouse"

"Coffee lounge for youth pastors and their wives."

The next year:

"Coffee lounge for youth pastors and their spouses."

"This morning we have missionary Dan and his family with us."

"Dan and his wife are here with us this morning."

Pastor: "Do you play the piano?"

Me: "Yes, I do."

Pastor: "Well then, you're a blessing to your husband!"

On a Facebook post:

"Taking the missionary wives to lunch today!"

On a seating arrangement at a missions convention:

"Missionary and spouse."

"... and spouse."

For much of my married life, I have been "and spouse".  I joke about it some, especially with other "and spouses", or with Dan. But it can get pretty discouraging. 

Sometimes I feel like a two-for-one special.  While Dan was a youth pastor, it didn't really bother me as much.  Dan was the one on staff at churches, and I had a full-time outside job.  (Sometimes 2 or 3.) When there was a mid-day staff meeting, and I was (inexplicably) expected to attend (remember - not on staff, and full-time job as a Kindergarten teacher), I resigned myself to the role of "and spouse".  Even though I was there for every service, every practice, went on every trip... I was not the pastor, and therefore was okay with my status.  There is no other job in the world, where the spouse is expected to devote as much time and effort as the one holding the position.  You don't see lawyers' husbands volunteering at their firms, or plumbers' wives tagging along on house calls.  It would be pretty weird if an accountant's wife sat in on every meeting he had with a client, or if husbands stopped by to bag groceries for their cashier wives.  We expect spouses in ministry to be ever-present, but then don't offer the associated acknowledgements.

Now that we are missionaries, I find the attitude towards my role much the same. The difference is that this time I don't have another job, this actually IS my job - and yet much of the time I feel like an add-on.  The difficult part is, that I even attach myself to my husband sometimes - because the "and spouse" role is one I've become used to.

Add to that, the fact that on paper my husband is the missionary - even though our leadership does work hard to make me feel like an equal - it can leave me feeling unimportant.

Once, we were shooting a quick video.  Dan was recording me on his phone. I started with, "Hi, we're Dan and Abigail, missionaries to Slovenia..." Dan stopped the recording and said, "Honey, you're the only one in the video, just use your name."

It made me pause.  I realized, that in all this time I had never used just my name, or the term, "I" when referring to our/my ministry.

I think women in general are more prone to refer to themselves in plural - meaning them and their husband, or them and the children...

"We are missionaries."

"We love Slovenia."

"We are following God's call on our lives."

It almost feels selfish to refer to just myself - isn't that crazy?

I think this is a uniquely female dilemma.  We give so much of ourselves to our husband, children, ministry, work... that we forget that we are our own person.  We are not just "and spouse", or "so-and-so's mommy". 

I know that what I do is important.  But a lot of the time, it is a support role to Dan.  I stay home oftentimes, so that he can go.  On Saturday Dan texted me pictures of him with a pastor, and the team that is visiting doing all sorts of things - just to check in, and let me know how things were going.  

I sent him a picture of the one kid showering, while I bathed the other.

But you know what?  I make what he does possible.  If I were not holding down the fort, there wouldn't be a fort to come home to.  If the kids weren't fed and bathed, child services would step in.  And to to be fair, Dan does that stuff when I have things going on.  But realistically, it does fall to me.  

Also, I have plenty of things/ministry that I do that have nothing to do with what he is doing.  They just aren't usually the "headliners" in the newsletters (that I write), or the things that people think of, when they hear "missions".

But God doesn't see me as an attachment, or an appendage.  Jeremiah 1:5 says 
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

God knew me, as just me, before any of the other people were in my life.  He sees beyond any title, status or role. God thinks I am unique, simply because he made me that way.  So, today I am affirming: 

I am not only "...and spouse".

I am a missionary.

I am a friend.

I am creative.

I work hard.

I am resourceful.

I make an impact.

I am not only a "relation" to everyone around me.

I am learning a new language, and trying really hard at it.

I find solutions.

I am a peacemaker.

I am me.

I am loved by God.

Meringue Cookie Recipe, Using Meringue Powder

I ordered meringue powder a couple months ago for royal icing.  I've been searching for recipes that also call for it, and finally found one for meringue cookies.  I modified the recipe a bit, and here you go!

What you'll need:

- stand mixer

- whisk attachment

- parchment paper

- piping bag with a 1m tip

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup Meringue powder (I bought my Wilton one from Amazon.)

- 1/2 cup cold water

- 1 1/3 cup sugar

- 1 tsp extract flavoring (we chose strawberry first, and lemon the second time - I think we preferred the lemon!)

- (optional) gel food coloring (I used Wilton red the first time- which of course turned pink, like I wanted :), and yellow the second time around.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 °F / 120 °C - don't use a convection setting.

2. In a stand mixer combine meringue powder and water until soft peaks form.  (Whip at high speed for about 5 minutes.)  Gradually add in sugar.  Whip until stiff peaks form.

3. Scrape down side of bowl.  Add extract and coloring.

4. Gradually turn mixer back on to high speed, until color is fully dispensed.  (Be careful not to over-beat, though.)

5. Spoon into piping bag with the tip you want. (Or, into a zip-top bag, with the tip cut off. That's what I did the second time.)

6. Pipe onto parchment paper lined baking tray, about the size of a mandarin orange.

7. Bake for 45-60 minutes.  Check on them at 45, and if they are not quite done, keep going for 5 minute increments.  It's okay if they're a little gooey on the inside, but the outside should be hard.  As they cool, they'll crunch up a little more.

8. In an airtight container they should keep for about 3 days. :)

And here are the yellow ones we made a few days later. 

These cookies are crisp and light - perfect for Spring! They're also easy to make with kids, and the added bonus is that you're not using fresh egg whites - therefore, if they lick their fingers (like mine did), you don't have to worry about salmonella! Score!

Happy baking!

Pavlova Recipe - First Attempt

There was a woman at our college who made Pavlova for her birthday one year, invited us all over, and I've been craving one ever since.  That was 10 years ago.  Pavlova is an Australian dessert named after a ballerina - so of course it's lighter than air.  Pavlova have scared me, and I really can't explain why.  The egg whites?  The possibility of it falling?  I don't know.  But, spring is FINALLY here, and I finally tried it today.  It was not perfect, but I think I know what I messed up, and overall it wasn't a bad first try!

So, here it goes!

You'll need:

- stand mixer

- whisk attachment

- baking sheet

- baking paper

- something that is a 9 inch round

- pencil

Ingredients:

Shell:

- 4 egg whites (separated chilled, but brought to room temp.)

- 1 cup granulated sugar

- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

- 1 tsp. corn starch

- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Lemon whipped cream:

- 2 cups (500 ml) heavy whipping cream

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- zest from 2 lemons (save some of this for garnish)

Strawberries (or any other yummy fruit to top with)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F/150 C.  If you have a convection oven, make sure you have it set to regular oven - I made that mistake, and after 10 minutes of it being on the convection setting, and it already started to brown - aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!  SO, mine got more "toasted" than I would've liked, but oh well.  It still tasted really good!

2. In the bowl of your mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment), beat your egg whites on a medium high speed for 5 minutes, until soft peaks form.

3. Add half the sugar, and beat for another 30 seconds.  Add remaining sugar and beat on high speed until glossy stiff peaks form (about another 2 minutes).  Add vanilla extract, and beat for another 1 minute.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in corn starch and cream of tartar.

4. Trace around your 9 inch pan (or whatever) on a sheet of baking paper, and flip it over.  Place it on the baking sheet.

5. Pour the Pavlova mixture onto the baking sheet.  Use a spatula to spread the mixture out to the edges - where the pencil mark is.

6.  Place Pavlova in the oven, and turn temperature down to 200 F/ 90 C.  Bake for 60-90 minutes, until Pavlova is firm and dry. (You can put your hand in real quick to touch it really quickly.)

7. Turn off the oven, and allow the Pavlova to cool for at least 1-2 hours, but overnight is okay, too.  I waited for 4 hours.

8. Right before serving the Pavlova, make the whipped cream.  Start by whipping together the cream, sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks start to form.  Next, pour in lemon juice and most of the zest.  Whisk until just combined.

9.  Top the Pavlova with the whipped cream and strawberries, adding a little more garnish to the top.  

Letter Board Chore Chart For 5-Year-Old

I did it!! You probably thought that hipsters had exhausted all the ways you can use letter boards - but no! I found a new use for them! You're welcome!

We've been reaching some new "big kid" milestones with our oldest.  I feel like it can be easy to forget how much he's capable of with a new baby around, but he really is ready and able to do so much!  There are many studies that show that kids who grow up doing chores end up being more successful and responsible.

We've always had him do things around the house, so this isn't a brand new concept.  However, I realized recently that he might enjoy earning some money, and that of course there were many chores that he could do!

You can search "chores by age", and find lots of great ideas for what kinds of jobs kids can do at certain stages.  Aidan already does a lot of them just out of habit, but I wanted to make some chores more consistent.  Also, we have a unique situation, where Aidan "works" all day at school - he is busy learning a new language.  When he comes home, he's usually exhausted.  So, I didn't want it to be way too much.  Anyway, here's what you'll need:

12x16 inch letter board, like this one

Exacto knife

Piggy bank (we went with a 12x12 shadow box one, similar to this.  I like it, because you can see the money accumulating!)

Desired skills:

- fostering good work ethic

- learning to tithe

- valuing money

- learning to save

Directions:

1. Use the exacto knife to get a clean cut when you're cutting out the enclosed letters.

2. Title your board if you like (kids love seeing their names).

3. Write out the (abbreviated version of the) days of the week on the left, leaving two lines between each word.

4. At the top, list the chores.

5. I added the chores that are only weekly at the bottom.

Another layout option for more chores would be to have just the first letter of each day at the top, and then the chores down the side.  Your choice! :)

We're using all the little symbols that came in the pack to "check" off the days.

And there you go!

What we've achieved so far:

- all week, Aidan has come out of his room with his bed made! Now, I'm not delusional, I know the excitement of it will wear off, but for now I'm loving it!

- he loves "checking things off" his list, and is enjoying the sense of responsibility. Yay!

Hooray for big kids, and new milestones!

6 Children's Books To Read For Women's Day

I'm a day late with this, but I'm choosing to extend myself some grace because, you know.  Teething baby.  Also, we've decided to make it a Women's Weekend, so there! :)

Here are my top 6 books to read to your kiddos this weekend (and anytime) that feature strong women!

1. She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton

This is a great book that highlights some of the women in US history who left their mark - from Ruby Bridges to Virginia Apgar, Maria Tallchief to Helen Keller and many more, it's a great way to introduce your child to women who wouldn't take no for an answer.  There's an "Around The World" version I'd love to own, too!

2. I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont

This is a great book that teaches kids (especially young girls of color) about healthy body positivity.  It's an important message about natural beauty and strength, and speaking about yourself in a positive way.  I used this in my classroom a lot as a kindergarten teacher.  It's important to read books like this to caucasian kids too, so that they too recognize the beauty and individuality in their peers who may not look like them.

3. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

I recently bought this book for Jocelyn.  The illustrations are scrumptious! It's the story of a young woman whose grandfather encourages her to see the world, live by the ocean, and make the world a more beautiful place.  I especially like this one, because she remains single, but it's a a total non-issue, it isn't even mentioned.

4. When Jessie Came Across The Sea by Amy Hest

This thoughtful and beautiful book is the story of Jessie, a 13-year-old young girl from Eastern-Europe.  Her rabbi gives her a ticket to sail to the new world, America.  My favorite part, is that she saves up enough money to send for her grandmother (who raised her) to join her.  Talk about powerful!  She becomes a seamstress specializing in bridal gowns - eventually making her own, as well.

5. Be A Star Wonder Woman by Michael Dahl

This one is a little more lighthearted, because often kids remember things better when it's wrapped in something that already interests them.  Aidan is crazy about superheroes, so I loved getting him this one that featured a strong girl.  My favorite part of this book, is that being kind, helping your friends and asking for help when you need it are all shown as strengths.

6. Historical American Girl Books

Someday maybe I'll write a whole post about how amazing the original Historical American Girl books are.  If you're interested in these, you can find them in 6 book box sets, each set featuring one girl, in a specific era.  They are great representatives of the times, and teach kids about history, bravery and strength of character.  I had at least 8 sets of these growing up, and they heavily influenced me!  Names (girls) to search for: Molly (World War II era girl), Kit (Depression era girl), Kirsten (pioneer era girl), Kaya (Native American girl from the 1760s), Josefina (Mexican American girl from the 1820s), Samantha (Victorian era girl), Addy (African American girl, whose family escapes slavery), and Felicity (Revolutionary War era girl).

There are many-many more, but these are my top picks for this year. What is your favorite children's book about a strong girl?