Mom's Cinnamon Rolls...they were worth publishing!

Thought I would post some of this effort here, for anyone interested in some great recipes. If you would like a copy of the whole recipe book, please e-mail me at marvinearlgray@gmail.com or leave a comment below. MARVALICIOUS: A TASTE OF HOME

GRAY KAUFMAN RADDATZ Family Favorites Recipe Book Christmas 2014 DEDICATION Dedicated to my mother, Marvelyn “Marvie” Gray, who loved to bake, cook, and bless others with her cuisine, especially with her cinnamon rolls. “Good for company” was inked on many a recipe in her hand. This short collection of tasty delights (yes, mostly sweets) come from her recipe collection and other friends and family members who similarly shared their talent in the kitchen and their favorite recipes with Julie and me. In the same spirit of sharing, we wanted to share these with you. Perhaps you’ll bless your family and others with them as well. Bon Appetit! ---Marvin Earl Gray, 12-13-14 COOKBOOK JOURNALING Let’s start with a few of my favorite comments by Mom on various recipes: “Delicious but Bill doesn’t like—take to potluck supper.” “OK but not exactly delicious.” “Delicious but the boys didn’t care for these.” “Looks very unappetizing—tastes fair.” “Something WRONG with this.” “Why not double recipe…make one to keep and one to give away.” Recipe Title: “Pie Crust—Even works for me!” with word “Doesn’t” inserted above “Even” On peppernuts, “Flavor improves after several days. Let friends help--much more fun!” On Shoo-Fly Pie recipe “Don’t make again.” Aunt Marvie’s Cinnamon Rolls Marvelyn Kaufman Gray McPherson KS Scald (bring to a boil) 3 1/3 c milk, 4 ½ tbs lard, and ¾ c sugar. Pour in large bowl and let set until lukewarm. Dissolve 2 packages yeast in milk mixture. Add 3 ¾ c flour and let rise about 45 minutes or less. Add 1 ½ tbs salt and 3 eggs. Stir well. Add 3 ¾ c flour and mix. Cover. Let rise in warm place about 45 min or until it doubles. Butter hands and shape into buns or doughnuts. For cinnamon rolls, roll out dough on well floured board. Smear with cream or butter. Sprinkle on cinnamon and about ½ c sugar. Roll up and cut across roll in slices. Place in greased pan or pan with brown sugar and cream. Can add nuts or raisins or cherry pie mix when rolling dough. For apricot rolls, skip the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Spread apricot or other fruit jam on dough and roll up as usual. Cherry pie filling also makes great rolls. Begin baking rolls as soon as they raise a little in a 350deg oven. Bake 16-20 minutes, depending on your oven. Do not OVERBAKE! Frost soon after removing from oven. Frosting: 2 or 3 tbs butter, 1 lb box of powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla. Milk, enough for desired spreading consistency—pour milk slowly in and stir so that you don’t get the frosting too thin. Hope this recipe helps you turn out delicious rolls every time!

Saan

I ran into Saan. Well, I ran around Saan. Well, I ran in front of Saan. I was running around the track at Franklin High School and saw a guy jump the fence from the convenience store with a paper-bagged can in his hand. As I continued to do laps, I thought I saw a man under some bushes...it was the same guy. After my workout I went and talked to him.

He had recently gotten out of jail, and was loathe to return to his family or friends for fear that he would get mixed up with the wrong crowd again. He had lost his mother and brother in the last year. His wife left him for his best friend. He had gotten beaten with a baseball bat at a nearby bus stop and was just out of Harborview Hospital's trauma center. A man in the store helped him buy a beer, and he was sitting under the bushes in the rain watching me run.

Before jail, Saan had lived for at least 6 months at the Laotian Temple down the street on Martin Luther King Jr Way, but his "master" had died and the new "master" didn't get on well with Saan.

I gave him my card and invited him to come stay with us at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission. I learned that he was Lao and that his name was Saan. I went back later and he was gone...I never found out what happened to him. Thanks for your prayers for this gentleman.

Paul

Paul is in his 90's and once served on the board of Seattle's Union Gospel Mission. I was out for a run this morning, and "ran" into him at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center, where he was waiting for the Seattle's Union Gospel Mission Senior Ministries Bus to come and pick him up and take him to Park Place for Bible Study. Park Place is an assisted living facility adjacent to Seattle's Union Gospel Mission administrative headquarters on Myrtle St.

Paul and I talked about him wheeling his electric scooter into Rainier Avenue Church, my place of worship, which he has attended several times. Paul is a Senior who is staying active and finishing strong. When I'm 90, I want to be out and about in the community engaging and getting to know God better, gathering to worship him.

Nicklesville

"I've been here 6 weeks," said Amber, a cute 25? year old with immaculate amber hair pulled back in a braid and a small tattoo on her wrist that said "Serenity." She was working security at Nicklesville, one of Seattle's tent cities currently located in Skyway on MLK and Monster Road. She and her boyfriend have recently set up camp with the other 100 residents which includes a few kids, dogs, and many adults. 3 Port-a-potties and 2 generators, no running water, a charcoal grill, a shared cell phone, and a trash container are the furnishings of this sparse quilt of dometents and tarps. Tex, a tent-city veteran of 14 years, said "I like to stick up for the misfits," and with a smile, "I am a misfit." They said they need blankets, food, and cash to pay the garbage and portapotty bill--about $2000/mo. And pallets to set up their tents on to prevent flooding.

I wonder if I could host 100 people in my back yard for $2000/mo. I wonder if Jesus ever stayed in a tent city when he was a refugee, camping along the road on the way to or from Egypt.

8 years later

Tonight I went to the Aki Kurose Middle School Girls Soccer Banquet. My friend Bobby just completed his 8th year as coach there. Melissa, one of the girls attending, played for his first team 8 years ago...she's now a beautiful young adult--I remember her as a beautiful middle schooler. Bobby recognized several young ladies who were the 2nd person in their family to play for one of Bobby's teams.

How many of us are consistently in the lives of youth and their families for 8 straight years? I know I had the same 10th grade math teacher as my Mom, and he was SHARP! What a legacy!

My boss was recently honored for being a Sunday school teacher for a group of 4th graders, and then moving up with them all the way through their senior year of high school. He still meets with some of them after a decade and a half.

Relationships matter. The longer term, the better. Courage.

Time Is Short and Hell Is Hot

Where's the urgency? Our president elect at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission mentioned this 7 word phrase several times this past week, as I had opportunity to hang out with him. It strikes me because it is Biblical truth that we don't emphasize very often as Evangelical Christians. Hell and God's wrath are not very popular doctrines, and seem to have fallen to the margins of a message about God's love and desire to be our friend.

If Christians really have a heart for people who are heading for eternal separation from such a friendly and loving God, wouldn't we have more urgency to share even a positive message with our friends, relatives, and neighbors?

Let us plant, let us water, that God may make His life in our friends grow.

Glacier National Park...worth the trip and only about 7 hours from Seattle. We saw 2 bears up close, a moose, and more spectacular water falls/mountain/lakes than I have time to post.