What's my motivation?

Our Daily Bread
When I was younger, I tried taking some acting classes.  I thought they were a little silly at times when the students, not the teachers, got over dramatic.  One student having difficulty acting his lines said "Well, what's my motivation?".

As children of God, we don't have to ask that question!  We know from the Bible and church that our motivation is the love of God!  If we love God, then we have to show it by doing the things he told us to do.  It is important to note that people can tell if you are "just going through the motions" or "just saying the lines". Serving God with your whole heart shows in everything you do.  You have your motivation!  Go!

Lord, thank you for giving us direction and purpose in life.  We thank you and praise you!

Foodie Friday
My church dinner group is having a Super Bowl Sunday food theme for this morning.  It should be fun.  Here is the recipe I am taking.


Pigs in Blankets
Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson, 2007

Prep Time:25 minInactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time:15 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
50 pieces

Ingredients
2 cups plus 5 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 heaping teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated Red Leicester or Cheddar
1 cup whole milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
50 pork cocktail sausages (mini hot dogs)
For glazing:

1 egg, mixed with a splash milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Measure 2 cups of flour into a bowl, add the salt and grated cheese and mix lightly with a fork. Pour the milk into a measuring cup to come up to 1-cup mark and then crack in the egg and add the oil. Beat to combine, then pour into the dry ingredients, forking to mix as you go. You may, at the end, feel the dough's either too dry or too damp: add either more milk or more flour and fork together again until you've got a soft dough that's not too sticky to be rolled out.

Break the dough into 2 pieces and roll 1 piece on a lightly floured surface. Scone dough is a dream to work with; in fact, I find it deeply pleasurable. Just roll as clumsily and heavy handedly as you like: no harm will come to it. You want a thin, but not exaggeratedly so, rectangle. A square wouldn't be the end of the world either, so don't start getting out the geometry set: this is the roughest of instructions.

Cut the dough into approximately 1 3/4-inch strips, and then cut each strip at approximately 2 1/2-inch intervals so that you end up with a collection of small, raggedy oblongs (I just cut each strip as I go, but it's probably more efficient to do the whole batch of dough at 1 time).

Take a cocktail sausage and put it at 1 end of an oblong at a slight diagonal and then roll up, pressing on the infinitely compliant dough to squeeze it shut, and then place on a nonstick baking sheet, or 1 lined with parchment. Carry on until you've finished all your strips and then get to work with the remaining dough. Three baking sheets should do it.

Now, dip a pastry brush into the beaten egg mixture and paint on the pastry for a golden glaze. Put in the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, by which time they should be puffy and burnished. Remove from the oven and let cool a little before giving them to the children.


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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13