Blessed in Heart, Hearth and Home

Thanksgiving day saw me way too busy with food preparation and house cleaning to write but I am hoping all reading tonight had a wonderful day with their families. The house was so warm yesterday with everyone bustling about that my bread dough rose beautifully. A gift of chives and rosemary from someone in our SCA group, the Barony of Thor's Mountain, made a beautiful topping for the honey heath loaves.

Hearth bread with herbs about to go in the oven :D

In addition to fresh chives and rosemary, poppy seeds and salt went toward topping the loaves, then they were brushed in melted butter. I was in charge of all the baking this year, in addition to hearth bread I also make a bourbon chocolate chunk pecan pie. All day the kitchen and living room was filled with the scent of roasting turkey with stuffing, honey hearth bread, pecan pie, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and baked squash. Colin made a delicious batch of gravy, flecked with pepper and enriched with turkey giblets. Just to remember it makes my mouth water and my heart brighten.

Baking done!

With all this love and thanks to be had, it also turns my mind toward those who are less fortunate. Winter is hard on all living things and humans are no different.  On December 11 I will be making a donation to my local charity, the Blount County Food Bank and I will be giving blood soon to the Red Cross. I have jackets I will be donating to Give a Coat, for people who are in need of proper winter clothing. Every little bit helps, so while we busy ourselves toward our Holiday plans do keep in mind those who have less this year and give the gift of just a little more.

I know I am blessed in hearth and home. Not all are so lucky and so I do my best to share the wealth I have. It costs me little to give of myself.

Just around the corner is my niece Rhiannon's 19th birthday and I am happy to tell you that I am done with her birthday present! Even as I write, Rhi sits across the room for me, flipping through Desserts by the Yard (Sherry Yard)  and Naked Cakes (Hannah Miles). With two of my favorite cook books in her procession, I am sure she can find something fabulous for me to bake on her birthday. She smiles as she makes her selection; a zesty cheesecake. I know exactly what I am going to do for her. It is another blessing to be able to make a cake from scratch for someone I love as dearly as I love this girl, for her quick wit, bountiful work ethic and skill. It fills my heart with joy to imagine her beaming face.

December 1st sees me driving out to Turning Point Farm to pick up two Californian white bucks. Rabbit will be on the menu and white fur to be tanned for the coming Solstice season. I have eaten rabbit rarely in my life and am looking toward to it with much excitement. Home processing of stock is something we did on several occasions in Georgia and it will be good to get back into it. I have never tanned rabbit fur, just goat and sheep. Hair off for the goat and fleece on the sheep. I have a knack for it, I think. At least, I never had a hide go rancid on me and I am skilled with a sharp knife. The rabbit pelts will go toward making someone very happy this year, I think.

Blessings of Heart, Hearth and Home. They are around us everyday, half hiding in the eyes of our pets and made flesh in our fresh baked bread, pies and cakes. Blessings abound in a family coming together to sing a lullaby to a young child, woken from sleep by a nightmare. They are a little off tune and one head a head cold but love shines in their eyes brighter than the sun. They are a Clan, stronger together than they are apart. They are the thread that stitches together this Heart of Home.