Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Monday, December 3, 2018
Buñuelos with Jesus
This week, I am participating in a fun holiday recipes blog hop with friends. Every day, one of us shares holiday recipes with our readers. Today is my turn with this post. I'll include some links at the end for my friends' posts, and will update the list later this week to add all the others.
Almost 20 years ago, our mission started Christmas trips to remote villages high in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia where we are missionaries. My husband and Juan, a Quechua young man who was born in the Andes Mountains, began going to villages high above the tree line. These trips had to be made on quads because the roads ended before arriving to these villages. Then by foot, they reached the final destination––small
communities where life is hard, and the people are precious. Twenty years later, we still continue doing this ministry each Christmas, but now with the help of our Bolivian church.
Bread is a delicacy in the mountains. The highest regions don’t have firewood, but a little further down the mountain where there is firewood, flour is scarce. When the kids see bread their eyes light up––just like they do when they see toys. But, just as they readily accept the bread, they also accept the Bread of Life. They are hungry for both––bread to satisfy their tummies, and Bread to satisfy their souls. Every year we share the Christmas story in places where many hear it for the first time. Many now know the Lord.
In the valley and cities below the mountains live the more fortunate––although many still wait to hear of the Savior. But, bread is available and other delicacies as well. Here in the valley where I live, many wake up on Christmas morning to the aroma of Buñuelos frying I hot oil.
What’s a buñuelo, you ask? The sweet aroma in your kitchen of the finished product of this recipe will transport your thoughts to Christmas in the Andes Mountains. Can you imagine presenting a Bolivian donut (buñuelo) to a mountain child deprived of even bread? But, better yet, presenting the gospel to that child for the first time. Buñeulos with Jesus on Christmas morning!
BOLIVIAN BUÑUELOS RECIPE:
Buñelos are a popular snack throughout Latin America. While they can be eaten at
anytime, Bolivian tradition sees them eaten on Christmas morning with syrup and hot chocolate.
Buñuelos are a soft doughy sweetbread that is deep-fried in the same way doughnuts are made, with a similar flavor but a slightly more chewy texture, traditionally served drizzled with a syrup or honey. The buñuelos are often puffy with a crispy crust and air pockets on the inside.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons fresh yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon anise
2 eggs
2 cups flour
3 cups butter
Molasses to taste
1/2 cup sunflower oil to moisten hands
Preparation:
In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in water, add the fresh yeast, let it stand for about 7 minutes, then add the salt, anise, eggs and flour, mixing it slowly with your hand until you obtain a watery dough. Let the dough stand and rise twice before you start frying in hot oil.
To fry, first spread oil over your hands, take a handful of dough with the fingertips and stretch it into a 4-inch round; rotating the dough occasionally to form a circle. When about to fry, poke a hole in the middle, and put it in the frying pan with a stick (when in the mountains) or the back of a wooden spoon through the hole. Let it acquire a golden brown color on both sides before retiring and leave in a colander to drain away excess oil.
Serve with a jug of hot sugar cane syrup, molasses or honey (or maple syrup) for each person to add the desired amount on the buñuelo. Note: Some Bolivians prefer to eat their buñuelos covered in sifted powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Recent Posts:
Come join the fun in our Holiday Recipes blog hop!
Holiday Appetizers – Tracy Ruckman
Holiday Beverages – Rachel Hartsfield
International Holiday Foods – Peggy Cunningham
Holiday Breakfasts & Brunches – Betty Thomason Owens
Holiday Main Courses – Sheryl Holmes
Holiday Sides / Potluck / Buffets – Tracy Ruckman
Holiday Sweets – Rachel Hartsfield
Holiday Recipes Master List – Tracy RuckmanTuesday, November 6, 2018
Memories of Military Moments
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever."
Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
I live with a veteran––50 years and counting. But, I married an Air Force airman. Veterans Day brings back memories, both good and sad. Good memories and funny ones of our first year of marriage at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas––yes, theLas Vegas. And, the sad memory of standing with a three-month-old baby cradled in my arms while watching my young husband ascend the skies in an Air Force plane headed for Thailand during the Vietnam Conflict.
Reflecting, there are many things to thank God for: his safe return a year later, traveling the country as a military wife, and the good and sometimes funny memories during those years.
This week we thank God for our veterans. Personally, I am thankful my soldier returned home and lived to become a veteran. But, that first year living on an Air Force base brings back one standout memory etched in my mind and heart forever.
The turkey tale I have to tell holds a special spot in my heart. It was a special turkey because it was the first turkey I tried to cook––two months after my wedding day. I have many precious memories to be thankful for this Veterans Day and Thanksgiving season. As the years pass, I realize that it is a blessing to be able to remember. This turkey tale wasn't funny at the time, but I can't help but chuckle each time I remember it now––decades after the event.
After many years of married life, I gained experience cooking turkeys, but as a new bride, I didn't have a clue. Nevertheless, I looked forward to cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner that year. Far away from our hometown in Pennsylvania, we celebrated alone but not as we planned. We lived on an airman's salary, so buying a turkey was a big expense for the special day. We got up early, and together we made the stuffing, packed it in the bird and shoved it in the oven. After a few hours, we checked the bird. We thought it strange that there was no wonderful aroma coming from the oven, and looking at it––well, it was still raw. Two hours more should do it––we reasoned. We closed the oven door and waited.
The table looked lovely with my wedding gifts of silver, crystal, and candlesticks placed on the perfectly pressed tablecloth. The potatoes were cooking, and the red cranberry sauce contrasted the green linen tablecloth––my decorating skills were developing. If only that turkey would cooperate. It didn't. After nine hours in the oven, it was tough and still raw. We were so disappointed that we took that bird for a long drive in the Nevada desert and threw it out of the convertible we were driving. Good riddance!
Did we ever know what happened? Never! But, I can tell you that story has been told over and over, and usually it sounds as though the cook messed up. I will never agree––it must have been the oven! My first turkey--tough and uncooked! That bird still haunts me today––every time its story is told. FYI, every turkey I’ve baked since exited my oven thoroughly cooked and delicious!
Remembering must be important to God. There are hundreds of verses in the Bible where God tells us to remember, or He remembers us and His promises. “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done” (Psalm 145:5). Memories!
I hope your turkey isn't a repeat of my turkey tale this Thanksgiving. It wasn't funny at the time, but what a good, funny memory now. We have so much to be thankful for this Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day. I hope you make some good turkey tales on this Thanksgiving Day––funny ones too.
And, be sure to remember to thank the veterans you know this Veterans Day. Without them, we would not have the blessing of the freedom we enjoy––or the turkeys on Thanksgiving Day.
The Hooray for Holidays Series Books 1-4 available on Amazon.
A Veterans Day Story
Hooray for Holidays Book 4: Veteran’s Day Special-needs Cat, Thanksgiving Blue Mouse, and Christmas Llama Ride
Celebrate Veteran’s Day with Gypsy, a special-needs cat. She can’t hear, but she knows sign language. Gypsy’s best buddy, Quasi, is also a special needs cat. Because of an injury from a fall, Quasi can’t jump, climb to high places or run. But, he can help Gypsy when she’s in danger. When a threat arises, Quasi risks his life to keep Gypsy safe––just like our veterans did for us.
Next, enjoy the first Thanksgiving Day with the McBlew family. They are a family of blue mice, but they also have another strange family uniqueness. On a long voyage in a big boat, the Mayflower, they meet their new friend, Sarah, who keeps them hidden and safe in the belly of the ship. Arriving in the New World, they face many dangers, but their new friend, Squanto, helps them.
Finally, experience Christmas Day with Paco, a little Quechua boy. When Paco treks up the mountain with his sheep, thunder suddenly roars and raindrops splash. He runs for cover and almost falls down a slippery cliff. Bolting to a nearby cave, Paco stops abruptly before entering. It’s dark inside, but that’s not what scares Paco. It’s the two bright eyes peering through the darkness that makes him shiver. Who’s there?
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