All good friends share. They even share jobs. At least Megan and I did.

Many a Friday last summer found Megan on an early morning drive to my kitchen. She would join Maren (sister #1) and me for the day's baking, up to twelve hours at times. Megan brought much help and encouragement to our kitchen. Due to her deft hands Maren and I found a few formerly unheard of minutes for meals, coffee, and even a little story time. By sharing, I think I got the better end of the deal.

This fall Megan took her turn at sharing. A dream came true when Hannah (sister #2) and I got a behind-the-scenes view into a coffee shop.

Megan mixing up one of her many ice-blended coffees that day.

Hannah and I each got to make our own coffee. Here I am preparing grounds for espresso.

Caramel colored espresso. Beautiful!

Heating and frothing milk. Thankfully Megan helped me through this scientific process.

Adding flavors.

Almond Joy Mocha. Amazing!

Farmers Market Fare

There are many great things about selling at farmers markets.  One of the perks is the swapping of left-overs that takes place at the end of the day.  Often these swaps take us beyond the vegetable basics.  That was true one day last fall.

Upon receiving a bag of beautiful, blue potatoes, I began dreaming.  Blue Chips with a Twist. 

Crispy.  Crunchy.  Potato-y.  Yummy!

A Susie Homemaker Day

I love these days. Days I can put business and busyness aside. Days to delight in the joy of homemaking. Days to bless my family by restocking the pantry.

Basically no bread in the house? Time for Mom and me to try out a couple new recipes from last year's Christmas gifts -- no knead bread recipe books!

Two hours later and the dough was up to the top of the pails. Seven grain bread...

...and basic European white bread. Time for the dough to go into the refrigerator until tomorrow.



We are always trying to use up something in our pantry and freezer around here. This day my goal was to make frozen, leftover bread samples (served to customers at farmers markets) into croutons. A few of these seasonings are also on our to-use-up list.



Multigrain, Sourdough, Dill-Onion, and Cran-Orange Whole Wheat Breads, seasoned and toasted to perfection. (Sound like a strange combo? Think cranberry stuffing.)

Spiced herring makes way for croutons. It is just too fun to use old jars.

Time to fill up the granola container while making a bit to sell to a friend.

The next day -- Seven grain bread goes from fridge to oven to tummies.

Thick, chewy crust. Creamy and crunchy crumb. Yum!

"Though the weather outside is frightful..."

Twenty-some degrees.
Frost to scrape from windshield.
Brown, saggy plants frozen in their pots.

Frightful? Maybe not. Especially when I smell decaying leaves, hear the cheerful voices of chickadees, see the clear, star filled sky while crisp air meets my nose... Still I prefer to enjoy these pleasures in short snippets or wrapped mummy-style in warm clothes. I admit it. Cold and I don't get along.

I remember the cold Octobers of yesteryear, sitting like a bag lady in my parka along the street while selling my home-baked wares to regulars and passers by. But I only remember it. This year I got smart.

Bumping my farmers market schedule back a little, I used the month of September to catch up on the backlog caused by busy summers. The beginning of October then saw the launch of this year's once-a-month baking and delivery schedule... one month earlier than last year.

A stack of deliveries waiting to go.



Standing Order
This family chose a great variety of baking to enjoy every month.




Two Bread Subscriptions
Here is a peak into October's "edition."



Food and Family

There is something about food and family...

Family crowded into a home kitchen while cooking, washing dishes, and generally having a good time. 

Family sitting quietly around a table enjoying a good meal and each others company - two of God's good gifts. 

Family passing down the love of good, quality food from one generation to the next.

In the last years we discovered another connection between food and family.  It all began one winter day when my youngest foster brother, Ninh, and his wife, Hue (pronounced Hway), surprised us with a visit - our first contact with our three boys in fourteen years.  Since then we have enjoyed many great visits with Ninh's family... and much great food.

Last winter my family gathered around a table at Ninh and brother An's Vietnamese Orchid Restaurant in White Bear Lake, MN.

Ninh slipped away from his post in the kitchen to catch a few minutes of visiting.

Mom tried one of Ninh's favorite dishes, a fish dinner.  The Orchid's hand-cut lotus blossom carrots make a feast for the eyes.

Dad always loves a good sweet and sour. 

My noodle dish had great flavor!

Hannah (back) and Maren's (front) delicious and beautiful meals.

The next day found us once again feasting on Vietnamese (and Italian) food - this time at the Nguyen home.  Hue served us a full banquet!

Lillian and Athen (Lillian - behind girl in front; Athen - left) shared a meal with two of their cousins at the little table.

Han, Hue's sister, showed up later in the evening.  Before long she was on the floor mixing a batch of caramel rolls.

Lillian and Athen's cousin kept us well fed all evening long from her own little" kitchen." Feasts everywhere!

Keeper of Our Time

by Maren Stowman (guest writer)

Beep-beep-beep.  Ding-dong.  Ding-dong.  Come-come-come.  Several timers in the bakery call at once.  When this happens, Elsa, “the keeper of the time,” has to sort them all out. 

“Beep-beep-beep.”  One timer reminders her to start the mixer after giving the dough its autolyse  (rest) . 

“Ding-dong.  Ding-dong.”  A crusty loaf needs a thermometer probe to determine if it is baked to perfection.

“Come, come, come, come.”  Another oven reminds us that it is ready to be emptied of its contents.  Time plays a vital role in our bakery.

This year as we have baked, we have marveled at God’s perfect timing.

Summer 2009: We replaced the windows on our house.  Meanwhile our bakery operation was cramping our bustling home.  Four windows came the wrong size.  An idea grew.  Why not add on a bakery?

Summer 2010: We got a late start building after asking an architect relative for advice and starting the plans all over.  Due to that set-back, we love how every inch of our work-space has turned out!

2011: Bakery completed!  This was just in time for…

§  Our source for organic, unbleached flour fell through…  This meant taking a day trip across North Dakota for flour from another mill.  To make the trip worthwhile, we had to get lots.  We had the space to store it all which we wouldn’t have had a year ago!

§  Health required we get more help.  Again we had the space for extra people!

§  Two friends came to work for us each bearing their own story of God’s perfect timing.  Yay!

§  We had dreamed of whole wheat products being our nitch, and when the time was ripe, it took off—this year!  We have the space to store our wheat berries, too, and the grinder can blow flour all over the bakery.  J

§  Our aunt’s Alzihmers worsens, and she requires a quiet, orderly home.  This year with the bakery addition this need is provided for.

§  Dad has a new workshop below our bakery. He has been using it to build us more travel and display racks.  Each new piece has been crafted on the very weeks we have needed to fill them with bread and pack more into our market stand.

And so…  amid the activity and noise of our timer-filled bakery, we have constant reminders that our heavenly Father is lovingly caring for us.  We echo the Psalmists words to the Lord, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15).  God’s actions are not dictated by demanding timers.  Rather He is the creator of time and the great Timer Himself.

Beep-beep-beep-beep.  Back to work we go praising our Heavenly Father, who is the true “Keeper of the Time.”

"Count your many blessings..."

1)  A new and spacious prep-table in a 2) new and spacious work space.

3)  I haven't maxed out my new 30 quart mixer yet!

3)  The view from my forming table - graceful tree trunks... a spring blossoming plum tree... grapes climbing a home-made arbor... puffy, white hydrangeas... a pathway of pink roses... thriving vegetable plants...  (This is only a fraction of the amount of dough the mixer is able to handle.)

4)  The aromas of baked goods.  I can smell the dill and onion as I scale (weigh) the bread dough into 1-1/2 lb. loaves.

5)  One of my greatest blessings - Maren/family.
6)  Maren's new oven which has joined mine in "The Kilns" -- the small room that houses our ovens.  This is the place everyone wants to be on a cold day.

"...see what God has done."

To market, to market... [Detroit Lakes, MN]

New year.
New location (behind Zorbaz).
New banner.
New bread (Three Pepper Cheddar)!

Old standbyes.  You can't go wrong!

New granola is on its way soon.


Old friends.
New friends.


Old vendors.
New vendors.

New, healthy tomato plants.

New varieties of bedding plants.
New, fresh bouquets coming soon.

New, fresh from the ground produce (and plants).

October 29th is a day made special by two special people. Two of the dearest women I know (true, I know a lot in this category) were born on this day. To help them celebrate last fall, I made a cake for each of them. Through the process I learned I love making cakes for those dear to me. I also learned that cake making will likely never be my vocation. Lets put it this way. If I were to be paid by the hour, it wouldn't take many cakes to make me a wealthy woman.

#1: Mom's Orange Marmalade Cake
Mitford book fans will recognize this as Esther's famous cake.

Three layers of moist cake soaked with an orange syrup and topped with orange marmalade.

Frosted and ready to eat. (Birthday girl on the right.)

#2: Tessa's Triple-Layer Raspberry Cake

Cream cheese frosting over three layers of white cake with home-made (and home-grown) raspberry filling.

Gifts

Birthdays = Gifts

That was true on December 18th when Grandma Stowman turned 90. Her son, David, surprised her with a gift of 90 dozen roses. Yes, you read it correctly. Dozen! Those roses became gifts to around 100 friends.

Grandma lost amidst her roses.

Happy 90th birthday, Grandma! Your life has been a gift to so many. Thank you for the best gift you could give me, a godly heritage.

November 29 - December 3, 2010 -- Painting Walls

Dad and Mom made up the roller team.

Maren and I were the primary edgers. This ladder work was left for me. Do not look down!

Looking down.

Hannah is thinking of becoming an electrician. (He-he!) We can hardly wait to get lights and outlets.

December 4, 2010 -- Installing accent lighting & paint touch-up

Dad drills into the ceiling for our cable lighting over the future work table area. Mom covers up wall paint that somehow jumped onto the ceiling.

Track lights for Dad's future photo gallery. I wear gloves to protect the halogen bulbs as I pop them into place.

Done!

December 5, 2010 -- First meal in the enclosed addition

The banquet table.

Loving the view.