Hunger is the most basic of needs. We all feel hungry at some point. Some more often than others. Some with more intensity than others. We hunger for food, for relationship, for stability, for safety, and for peace in our lives. I lived in Costa Rica for a summer, and my host mom there would always pray before meals “Danos hambre y sed para tí Dios” – Give us hunger and thirst for you Lord. She’d pray, not just thanking Him that our everyday need of hunger was satisfied and our thirst satiated, but asking Him for more feelings of hunger and thirst. This has stuck with me for years. A need, not just for food, but a need for the Lord. That’s exactly what it should be and what it becomes if you let it – a hunger and thirst for the Lord – the most basic of needs. He is our most basic of needs. He is present with us, and we need Him every day.
This blog is an outpouring of many things – my heart mostly, my desire to bring friends and family together with food, my love for deep conversation shared over drinks and dessert, and my longing to cultivate a home that is warm and welcoming, where people feel comfortable to simply be themselves. One of the chief goals I have in creating this blog though, is not just to be an excuse to make and eat good food, but also to use it as a way to provide for others who hunger. I am so privileged to have food in my pantry and filling up my fridge, but not all are quite so blessed. It’s only fitting that what is shared here – the stories and the recipes surrounding community and joining around the table – benefit not just my little community in my own home, but the community beyond my four walls.
I know that blogs can take a while to get going, to get followers, advertising, and sponsors to the point where they turn any kind of profit, but my goal is that once we’re to that point, we’ll donate a portion of what we make to provide for people who hunger – those who hunger for food, for shelter, for security, for the Lord. My thought right now is that each quarter we’ll choose a different non-profit to donate to, and we’ll highlight them here on our blog so you’ll be able to donate directly if you wish! So go ahead, share this blog with your friends! Follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Every bit helps!
Let me know if you’re familiar with any wonderful organizations that provide for those who hunger! I would love to compile a list of non-profits and such that we could potentially give to!
Since we’re talking about our most basic needs, I thought it was appropriate to share a recipe for the most basic of foods – bread! If the thought of making bread terrifies you, fear not! This is the EASIEST bread I have ever ventured to make. My goal is to learn how to make one of those round crusty artisan loaves that crunches when you break it open. Mmmmm. One day. For now we’ll settle for this bread, which is pretty darn delicious straight out of the oven. If you have a bread machine (or can borrow one from a friend – I’ve been “borrowing” my mom’s since Christmas) then you’re in luck! This recipe specifically calls to use the Dough setting on your bread machine, and then you can bake it in a well-greased 9×5 pan in the oven to get a beautiful loaf of bread! I’ve been making this at least twice a week for the past month or so and it always disappears quickly! It’s great for sandwiches, french toast, dipping in olive oil and spices (bonus if you add in the vinaigrette we made yesterday!) I’m sure this bread would be delicious with parmesan and garlic mixed into the dough – I’ll let you know how it turns out when I try it!
Fun fact: This bread made its internet debut in a styled shoot we did last month! Check out the featured post on The Lovely Find and the full story on our photography site!
Basic Bread Recipe for Bread Machine
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 Tbs butter softened (or shortening for crispier bread)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbs honey or sugar
- 2.5 cups bread flour
- 1 packet yeast 2 1/4 tsp
Instructions
- Place ingredients into bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
- Mine recommends to put the water, salt, butter, and honey in first.
- Add the flour on top of that.
- Make a small well in the flour and add the yeast.
- Adjust your bread machine to the Dough setting, 1.5lb loaf and let it run. I like to check on it about 5 minutes in to make sure it's not too wet or too dry. If it looks too wet and sticky, add a tablespoon or two of flour. If too dry and flaky-looking, add a tablespoon or two of water. Let the machine run through its whole cycle and try not to peek at it too much! (Bread machines heat up slightly which helps the rising process, each time you open it you let some of the heat out which can cause it to rise slower.)
- Once the dough cycle is finished, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Gently press into a rectangle about 9-10 inches long (you can measure it along the side of your 9x5 pan). Fold one of the long sides in toward the center and fold the other long side on top of that - you're essentially folding it in thirds. Gently place the dough, seam side down, in your well-greased 9x5 pan. Use a knife to cut a small slit (about 1/4 inch deep) down the middle of the dough - this will allow it to expand.
- Let the dough rise for 30 minutes or so until it looks good. If your house is colder, this could take up to an hour or more. I like to heat my oven for a few minutes, turn it off, and place the dough in for about 30 min to speed up the process. Whatever it looks like now is approximately the size it'll be when it's done baking. Toward the end of this final rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. (Take the bread out at this time if you used the oven to let it rise.)
- Once dough is finished rising, bake for 25 minutes at 375.
- Bread is finished when you tap it with your finger and it sounds hollow.