Monthly Archives: March 2014

Feed Those Kids!

Miscellaneous

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”- James 1:27

Hello, all! Today’s post discusses something I’m incredibly passionate about. Yes, it’s still about food, but from a very different perspective. Let’s talk about world hunger.

Friends, we have so much food in America, yet 20 thousand children die daily, many from starvation. I’m sitting here choosing between dinner options in my dining hall, and kids all around the world are wondering when and if their next meal will ever come. This really bothers me, and it also bothers the people of VisionTrust International, a fantastic international nonprofit organization.

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But what can we do about world hunger, you might ask? Well, VisionTrust has formed a daughter organization called Latte Losers. It’s a national collegiate organization that raises money to feed children in danger of starvation, other health risks, and sex trafficking. The idea of this is “Lose a latte, save a life.” For only $5 a month (the approximate cost of a latte or some other small luxury), you can feed a child for the entire month. The entire month. This money feeds the children, and also helps them get an education. For these children, food and education means that they don’t have to sell themselves as prostitutes, become involved in the drug trade, or steal food. This is big. And even bigger is the fact that these children hear the Gospel while they are being fed. Could this get any better?

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At my school, my co-leader and I formed a chapter of Latte Losers, and held an event today to raise support and awareness for Latte Losers, and particularly for the children of Liberia, where this semester’s funds are being sent. We were hugely blessed by many people from my church, as well as by Panera Bread and Aroma Joe’s (a local coffee shop). I had so many donations that I actually couldn’t fit more than one passenger in my car. Now that’s what I call a blessing.

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So much food!!
So much food!!

All told, we raised $282.98 in just cash donations today. That’s amazing! We also got many one-time donations online, which is super. What our most exciting news is, though, is that we got 5 new monthly sponsors who signed up to give $5 each month to feed a starving child. This is absolutely incredible!

So what can we do to end world hunger? It’s simple: go to www.lattelosers.com and sign up to give $5 a month. Give up your coffee, or snacks,  or whatever it is, just for one day a month and give a child a better life.

My co-leader and I have been donating $5 a month for almost a year, and I can personally say that my checking account information is secure on their website, and I get monthly receipts in my checking account, as well as an email confirmation at the time of signing up. It’s so easy; you sign up once, and then they take the $5 out of your checking account regularly, and you don’t have to remember to donate. All you need is a debit or credit card at the time of signing up. You can also do a one-time donation online at www.visiontrust.org, and specify that you want the money to go towards Latte Losers.

Thanks for listening, everyone. As you can tell, this is near and dear to me. If we have enough food to feed everyone, why not give it? This blog is all about inspiring community; why not strive for a global community? Go for it! For more information, check out www.lattelosers.com and www.visiontrust.org.

Liberia projects

On behalf of my coworker and I, we say thank you for your support!
On behalf of my coworker and I, we say thank you for your support!

Grandma’s Cardamom Bread

Breads

Well, it’s snowing outside again. It seems like every time I make a post, I get another few inches of snow. But a little snow can’t stop me from baking! This time, I decided to make an old family favorite from my Grandma’s kitchen: cardamom bread. It’s a beautiful braided bread with sugar sprinkled on the top, and really soft, spiced insides. My family makes this bread for special breakfasts, ski trips, and sometimes just for the heck of it.

This recipe takes a little while, but a lot of it involves the bread just rising. Trust me, though, it’s worth every second! This recipe makes such a soft, moist bread, and the sweet crust on the top is the perfect complement to the warm and spicy cardamom. I’m going to write the recipe exactly how Grandma wrote it (with a few tips added in), because I figure if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Here are the ingredients:

  • 1 cup milk (to make this recipe lower-fat, use 1% milk)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 packages dry yeast
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 egg (plus 1 more for top)

“Heat milk and butter to lukewarm (115-125°F). Put into a mixing bowl, warm milk and butter, yeast, sugar, salt, egg (room temp.), and enough flour to make a gruel-like mixture. Add cardamom.” The gruel-like mixture should be pretty liquid with a few lumps in it.IMG_0912

“Keep adding flour, and when dough becomes quite stiff, knead it in bowl till it doesn’t stick to sides. Shape into ball and pat melted butter on top. Place transparent wrap over dough loosely. Cover bowl with towel. Set in warm place- let it rise to 3 times its size.”IMG_0914

“Cut into 6 sections- 3 for each braid. Form each section into long strip and bread them together.” Here’s a play-by-play of braiding the bread. It’s not hard!

First, cut the bread dough into 6 sections and stretch the section out into long strips.
First, cut the bread dough into 6 sections and stretch the section out into long strips.
Lay the strips next to each other. Start braiding either from one end, or from the middle. It's easier to start from the end, but looks prettier if you start from the middle.
Lay the strips next to each other. Start braiding either from one end, or from the middle. It’s easier to start from the end, but looks prettier if you start from the middle.
Braid the sections together, trying not to tear the dough. When you come to the end of the sections, tuck the ends under the braid.
Braid the sections together, trying not to tear the dough. When you come to the end of the sections, tuck the ends under the braid.
Once one half of the braid is done, turn it around and braid the other half and tuck those ends under.
Once one half of the braid is done, turn it around and braid the other half and tuck those ends under.

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Here's the finished braid!
Here’s the finished braid!

“Place on greased baking sheet and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and then sprinkle with sugar (or sugar and cinnamon).” I use Sugar in the Raw, but you can use white sugar too! The beaten egg on top not only acts as a glue for the sugar, it also creates the beautiful golden brown color on the bread.

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“Bake 350°F oven for 25 minutes (I cook 15 minutes on low or high shelf, then switch for the last 10 minutes). Cover with towel to cool, after removing from baking sheet and placing on cooling rack.”

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And that’s all there is to it! Be warned, though, this bread gets eaten very quickly, so make sure to snag a few slices for yourself before putting it out! Sometimes, it’s best not to change an old recipe, but just appreciate it for what it is, and for the memories it brings us. Yay for Grandmas!