Notes from Me
+Reading: Invitations to Abundance: How the Feasts of the Bible Nourish us Today by Alicia J. Akins. I loved this book. Here’s a quote from the beginning.
God knew Israel would need to jog their own memory, and we need to jog ours as well. What good are all the incredible and mighty works of the Lord on our behalf if we live as though they never happened? God does not desire a kingdom of amnesiacs, but of long-memoried people.
I want to be a “long-memoried” person.
With the Boys
+Reading: we listened to Levar Burton’s audio recording of The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 on a family road trip last month. Funny, memorable, and moving.
+Listening: Ella Jenkins has been called the “First Lady of Children’s Music.” She has a varied body of work that I’ve been slowly listening through. We especially like her commentary on many of the albums, the calming voice and sense of humor that come through as she interacts with the children she sings to. Here are four albums the boys and I continue to enjoy:
You’ll Sing a Song, and I’ll Sing a Song (1992)
Rhythms of Childhood (1992)
Play Your Instruments and Make a Pretty Sound (1994)
Get Moving with Ella Jenkins (2012)
In the Kitchen
+Pizza. It may seem cruel to recommend a pizza recipe that calls for setting the oven to 550 degrees while temperatures outside balloon to 100 degrees. Yet this recipe by Alexandra Stafford has become a mainstay in our home over the last couple of years, and since I made it last month, I want to share it with you now.
Some notes: I’ve tried this in ovens that reach 550 degrees and my current one which maxes at 500. Delicious either way. I bake the pizzas on cookie sheets. I dot the preheated sheets with drops of olive oil and sprinkle some medium-grind cornmeal across them. I scatter powdered parmesan cheese over the dough, then ladle pizza sauce, then sprinkle mozzarella, then place (lots of ) pepperoni on top. Bake 8 minutes, rotate, bake another 7-8 mins or until desired brownness/crispness. I mix some melted butter with garlic in a my tiniest mixing bowl and brush it on the crust when the pizza comes out of the oven. Then I transfer the pizzas (via a wide pancake spatula) to a large wooden cutting board in the middle of the dining table. Cut and enjoy. If you are looking to try a homemade pizza crust, I hope you try this one and love it too!
Small Joy
+I like seeing what Rubyellen Bratcher has done with Wovenfolk, her vintage style and resale project. She exudes unfussy elegance.
Until next month,
-Susie
P.S. I just came across this artist. Looking forward to learning more about her sculptures and prints.
*pictured at the top: the best gifts - the weed/flower bouquets my sons pluck from the backyard all summer
“Fussy elegance” I liked that. And the details that make the pizza especially yummy!
Thank you for this. You are the First Lady of children’s literature. I tried the pizza - it was awesome.