Larks

Larks (http://thescrumptiouslife.blogspot.com/2013/03/st-oliva-and-bread-larks.html):

6 cups flour (I am using half whole wheat and half unbleached white)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups warm water
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. vanilla extract
orange zest (optional)
cloves, raisins, or cranberries for eyes
sunflower seeds or whole almonds for beak

Mix the warm water, yeast, honey, oil, flour (a cup at a time, stirring well before adding the next), salt and the vanilla or orange zest (if using) together well. Knead about ten minutes. Place in a bowl and let rise until doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 40 pieces. Roll each piece into a long round shape. Tie each piece into a knot (we did not do this, but just formed it into a nice bird shape). Make one end into the shape of a head for the bird. The other end will be the tail feathers with a knife cut little lines. Put two cloves, raisins or cranberries (you can get creative) on each bird for the eye and a whole almond for the beak.
Bake until lightly browned atop, for maybe 20 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. We didn't got 20 out of this batch, so I made 2 batches, in honor of the 40 martyrs of Sebaste.

*****

I went to church 9 times in the past 9 days.  There were a total of 11 services in the past 9 days, though.  We are fortunate to live just 3 miles away.  Yesterday in church, we celebrated the restoration of icons.  I thought this would be a fun craft to do:   

Thank you to Presbytera Angela of The Orthodox Children's Press for sharing that!  Also, she is doing a feature on kids, and both Olivia and Hannah were featured last week.  I asked them if they wanted to join in after we saw David's article and they typed in the answers to the questions and chose the pictures themselves to send in.  

For Sunday school yesterday, the older kids had been working on presentations of their patron saints (for about a month) and shared the poster boards they'd been working on with the younger children.  I think their Sunday school teacher took pictures and if so, I'll see if I can get them and share them.

I ordered a copy of this book The Hidden Garden as a present for someone.  ♥

I plan to get some raw cashews from Trader Joe's to try this recipe this week.