Don't you just love that yummy cinnamon bready toasty buttery smell of hot cross buns? All my family has been indulging in them, toasted with butter melting on top, or fresh straight from the packet, or smashed in your chubby fingers and shoved in your mouth like Simeon is doing. yum yum yum. Of course, my gluten free diet doesn't allow it, so after suffering for days of wanting, I decided to make my own gluten free version (with choc chips instead of sultanas, because they are evil), and gluten free flour.
Now this is a tried and true recipe, for someone else. But actually, I think its the first time I've ever used yeast in a recipe. Of course I didn't think it would matter that the yeast was out of date. Maybe when it didn't froth up in the cup, like the recipe said it should, when mixed with sugar and warm water, maybe then I should have thought twice about continuing. But I continued nonetheless and put those yummy cinnamon dough balls under a tea towel in the warm sun on top of the tv. When they didn't rise... at all... I still had faith and put them in the oven. Timer on, ducked out to do some errands, leaving trusty husband to take them out at the bell.
I was soooo looking forward to eating at least half a dozen of them on our train adventure with nana and three munchkins up to the mountains that day. And when I came home from the shops, there they were ... beautifully smelling, small, hard, hot cross rocks. With a carving knife I was able to save a soft morsel in the middle of a few, but it wasn't quite satisfying.
Who knew that yeast was so important? I had thought that at least the baking powder would work some magic, but those buns really needed that yeast to be alive and growing and forming bubbles, bringing lightness and breadiness and air.
Well, I am still yet to put my lips on a hot cross bun this Easter, but I came across something that Jesus said about yeast and thought I would share what it spoke to me. I was surprised that Jesus knew much about yeast, he obviously had a great mum who taught him stuff about cooking and other 'women' things. I've also been thinking about lately, how much Jesus spoke to women and about women. For his time, that would have been unusual, counter-cultural, revolutionary and emancipating. It certainly makes me feel a sense of value from God.
Jesus was always talking about the kingdom of heaven. He wanted people to see what he could see about God and heaven and he would bring it down to simple everyday things that people could relate to, like yeast.
"The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises."
Something so little, like yeast, when it is alive and active, can make something grow to double, even triple its size. It can make something that is heavy and dense into something light and airy. It can make the difference between rocks and buns, the inedible and the delectable.
I think Jesus is saying that when you get just a little of the kingdom of God inside you, it grows and multiplies, it brings life, it brings softness to hard places, it brings dead things in your heart to life. It takes the heavy things, like worries and stresses, and makes them light and momentary.
For me though, personally I was thinking about why Jesus talked about putting the yeast into three batches of flour, and then finally all the dough would rise. I've got three children, and I couldn't help thinking that the woman putting yeast into the three batches of flour was like a mum putting the kingdom of God into her three little kids. Each day she seasons their lives with the word of God, with the love of God and the truth of God. She can't always see the yeast doing its work, but 'finally' all the dough rises. With time and warmth and love and patience she begins to see the kingdom of God forming in their hearts, she begins to see the word of God taking the place of authority in their minds, she begins to see them grow in love for others and for God.
The word of God is an amazing thing, alive and active, when it gets into little hearts in can't help but grow.
I love sharing bible stories and verses with my kids. They are full of wisdom, adventure and excitement. I can already see the kingdom of God forming and growing in them, and I can't wait to see how it is going to multiply in their lives.
Now this is a tried and true recipe, for someone else. But actually, I think its the first time I've ever used yeast in a recipe. Of course I didn't think it would matter that the yeast was out of date. Maybe when it didn't froth up in the cup, like the recipe said it should, when mixed with sugar and warm water, maybe then I should have thought twice about continuing. But I continued nonetheless and put those yummy cinnamon dough balls under a tea towel in the warm sun on top of the tv. When they didn't rise... at all... I still had faith and put them in the oven. Timer on, ducked out to do some errands, leaving trusty husband to take them out at the bell.
I was soooo looking forward to eating at least half a dozen of them on our train adventure with nana and three munchkins up to the mountains that day. And when I came home from the shops, there they were ... beautifully smelling, small, hard, hot cross rocks. With a carving knife I was able to save a soft morsel in the middle of a few, but it wasn't quite satisfying.
Who knew that yeast was so important? I had thought that at least the baking powder would work some magic, but those buns really needed that yeast to be alive and growing and forming bubbles, bringing lightness and breadiness and air.
Well, I am still yet to put my lips on a hot cross bun this Easter, but I came across something that Jesus said about yeast and thought I would share what it spoke to me. I was surprised that Jesus knew much about yeast, he obviously had a great mum who taught him stuff about cooking and other 'women' things. I've also been thinking about lately, how much Jesus spoke to women and about women. For his time, that would have been unusual, counter-cultural, revolutionary and emancipating. It certainly makes me feel a sense of value from God.
Jesus was always talking about the kingdom of heaven. He wanted people to see what he could see about God and heaven and he would bring it down to simple everyday things that people could relate to, like yeast.
"The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises."
Something so little, like yeast, when it is alive and active, can make something grow to double, even triple its size. It can make something that is heavy and dense into something light and airy. It can make the difference between rocks and buns, the inedible and the delectable.
I think Jesus is saying that when you get just a little of the kingdom of God inside you, it grows and multiplies, it brings life, it brings softness to hard places, it brings dead things in your heart to life. It takes the heavy things, like worries and stresses, and makes them light and momentary.
For me though, personally I was thinking about why Jesus talked about putting the yeast into three batches of flour, and then finally all the dough would rise. I've got three children, and I couldn't help thinking that the woman putting yeast into the three batches of flour was like a mum putting the kingdom of God into her three little kids. Each day she seasons their lives with the word of God, with the love of God and the truth of God. She can't always see the yeast doing its work, but 'finally' all the dough rises. With time and warmth and love and patience she begins to see the kingdom of God forming in their hearts, she begins to see the word of God taking the place of authority in their minds, she begins to see them grow in love for others and for God.
The word of God is an amazing thing, alive and active, when it gets into little hearts in can't help but grow.
I love sharing bible stories and verses with my kids. They are full of wisdom, adventure and excitement. I can already see the kingdom of God forming and growing in them, and I can't wait to see how it is going to multiply in their lives.
