(Un)cool: Hope for the Future & Barbecue Chicken

What a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning! Eddie and I couldn't wait to get outside and run around (for him) and take pictures (for me.)

For as long as can remember, since my very first week of existence, my Sunday mornings have been Jesus-filled instead of lazy. Ok, so I can't actually remember my very first week of existence. I'm sure I went to church, though. 9-12 AM on the first day of the week is always spent in Sunday School, church, and the inevitable 30+ minutes of talking (or, as a kid, waiting for mom to catch up with Mrs. Such-and-such, Mr. What's-his-name, the Joneses, and their next door neighbor. And the next-door-neighbor's cousin. And anyone else within a 12-foot radius)

Are there times when I've resented having to get up early, get dressed up early, and stay awake through an entire church service the morning after a wild night of Disney movies and countless sweets (or, in last night's case, ding-dong ditching on crutches - exhausting!) Of course what human being wouldn't? But I always walk out of there with a better attitude and at least a slightly more sunny outlook on life that when I entered - and don't we all need just that?

That's why I've chosen to bring a bit of my Sunday to you in the form of a little flip book that's sat on our windowsill for as long as I can remember. (Which, by the way, does not begin with my very first week of existence.)

Today's devotion is called "Hope for the Future." It reads:

"...But i say to you boldly, your future is not determined by your past or your present!

"Believe that with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26 KJV). With man some things may be impossible, but . . . we serve a God Who created everything we see out of nothing. Give Him your nothingness and watch Him go to work. All he needs is your faith in Him. He needs for you to believe, and He will do the rest . . . "

Regardless of your faith, it's food for thought, is it not?

Speaking of food. . . another of my favorite parts of Sundays is the afternoon, which more often than not I spend whipping up some knew experiment in the kitchen. Today's no different - I'm planning on making barbecue chicken pizza sliders (as long as I can avoid being banished to the couch. ) I'm going to make them with a whole wheat crust to accommodate my guests this evening - a group of lovely, athletic girls who are always conscious of keeping a healthy diet. Which is wonderful, except that it's made them completely useless for polishing off a tempting plate of Samoas or bag of chips.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza Sliders
Ingredients
Crust:
2 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
2 T olive oil
rosemary leaves
onion salt
1 t white sugar
1 0.25 oz packet active dry yeast
1 cup warm (110 F) water
honey
additional olive oil for topping
Toppings:
1/4 onion, chopped
2 large chicken breasts, thawed
1/2 bottle barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)
cheese ( I used shredded cheddar/jack)

To make the crust, first dissolve the white sugar and yeast in the water in a medium bowl. Preheat the oven to 300 F

Let the yeast dissolve for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is creamy. While you're waiting, combine the flour, salt, and a pinch each of rosemary leaves and onion salt.

Then, add in the olive oil.

After 10 minutes, the yeast should look like this on top:

Combine the yeast mixture and the flour mixture.

Mix together until the dough is smooth and there are no flour pockets.

Let that sit for 5 minutes, then lay it out on a lightly floured surface.

Roll the dough into 8-10 small balls.

Pat them into discs 1/4 inch thick using the side and heel of your hand.

Pop the discs onto a lightly greased pizza pan. Mis together 2 T olive oil and a drizzle on honey. The honey complements the barbecue flavor really nicely!

Use a rubber brush to lightly cover each disc with the olive oil-honey glaze.

Congrats, your dough is ready to go!

For the topping, use place the chicken breasts in a deep pan.

Smother them with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Add the chopped onions and bake the whole thing for 10-12 minutes in the 300 F oven.

When the chicken has been cooked thoroughly, use two forks to pull apart the meat. Up the heat in the oven to 450 F. Use one fork to hold the meat down and one fork to pull bite-sized pieces off.