Monthly Archives: November 2023

Quotation Station

November 24, 2023 By in Quotation Station, Writing Toolbox Tags: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

I usually post a Quotation Station with Shabbat blessings for everyone on Friday, and today will be no different. However, this time, you’re going to receive a little more because Thanksgiving was yesterday, and I’m still experiencing an abundance of gratitude that I’d love to share with you. If you noticed that my post is late today, well, that’s also because of Thanksgiving and the days of preparation leading up to it!

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have noticed a post wherein I mourned the loss of my challah rising bowl. The unexpected destruction took place with my own hands as I lifted the bowl from the bottom rack of the dishwasher, knocked the edge against a plate, and then cringed when I heard the sickening sound of glass breaking.

I thought for sure the plate was a goner because my challah bowl was thick and sturdy. Unfortunately, a chunk of the edge of my beloved bowl was missing, and a crack had snaked up the side. I literally expressed my disbelief and grief aloud.

So, yes, I posted on Facebook because we all know how much misery loves company. What I didn’t expect was the outpouring of sympathy over the loss of my bowl. I was so touched. Better yet, my dear friend, Theresa Weber, offered me the option of one of two bowls she had on hand.

Flash forward to Shabbat services that week where Theresa allowed me to choose a bowl. They were both lovely, the type of bowls one hands down as a family heirloom. I chose the larger of the two because my challah recipe makes two loaves.

In addition to this heartwarming story, I’m going to share my new challah recipe with you. The dough in this recipe is more forgiving, more pliable, and I find that it meets my challah expectations. It’s a great beginner dough if you’ve never tried challah or bread baking. I tweaked the recipe just a titch, incorporating a little from the first challah recipe I shared on my blog, and I’m quite pleased with what I’ve achieved.

Heather Gibson’s Foolproof Challah

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a most wonderful day full of opportunities to express gratitude for all the blessings experienced throughout the year. Shabbat Shalom to everyone. Don’t forget that Shabbat is a weekly opportunity to express gratitude and enjoy fellowship.

Back in business!

With Much Thankfulness

November 22, 2023 By in Lightning Juice Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

As we use these final moments preparing for celebration, the Gibson Household would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for this year in the way of family and friends. Please know how greatly we treasure you.

 

Thank you to everyone who made the launch of my novel, Realm, a smashing success. I hope your journey through the Realm was even better than you anticipated.

 

Our goodwill wishes are in no way diminished toward those we don’t know personally. Thank you, faithful followers of my blog, for your presence here. It’s because of you, too, that I write at the higher standard I do.

May Adonai bless each of you and may all your creative dreams find fulfillment.

~The Gibsons

Quotation Station

November 17, 2023 By in Quotation Station, Writing Toolbox Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Shabbat Shalom to all the creatives

raising the mundane to the holy

by making great art.

“The Sabbath is a day of rest, of mental

scrutiny, and of balance. Without it,

the workdays are insipid.”

~Chaim Nachman Bialik

Tuesday Tea – Apple Orchard Bliss

November 7, 2023 By in Tuesday Tea Tags: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Hold on to your tastebuds, my friends, because Apple Orchard Bliss is one of the best teatails we’ve ever created. While black teas comprise the backbone of my hot tea drinking experience, Candy Apple tea from Ohio Tea Co. has made me sit up and take notice.

I purchased a one-ounce packet for my husband, who adores flavored teas, and it smelled so good that I tried a cup for myself. I prefer my hot tea clear, i.e., without cream or sugar, and Candy Apple delivered on flavor and mellowness. Of course, my brain went straight to how can I turn this amazing beverage into a warm teatail?

My mother’s candy apples, whether covered with hard candy or caramel, are among my favorite childhood memories. This brought Smirnoff Kissed Caramel vodka to mind, and while vodka can sometimes peter out even in a cold cocktail, it was perfect for this warm tea toddy.

“The Sri Lankan black tea that is used as the base for the blend carries smoky, woody notes that pair well with the lighter, candy-like flavors” according to Ohio Tea Co.’s website. The addition of apple pieces, cinnamon, and natural candy apple flavor perfectly compliment the black tea and will conjure fond memories of eating candy apples at carnivals, fairs, and grade school functions!

This was our initial experience keeping tea hot for a teatail, and we nailed it. So, treat yourself to this delicious teatail that you’ll want to enjoy throughout the coming winter.

Apple Orchard Bliss

6 t Candy Apple tea

6 c fresh water

1½ c raw sugar

1 c fresh water

½ – 1 oz. Smirnoff Kissed Caramel vodka

Bring six cups of water to 212° F in a stainless-steel pot on the stove. While the water heats, measure out the Candy Apple tea into a large, mesh tea ball. When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, carefully pour it into a two-quart crockpot. Place the tea ball in the hot water, taking care to trap the chain under the edge of the lid. Turn the setting to Keep Warm and brew for six hours.

You may swirl the tea ball gently, otherwise do not remove the lid from the crockpot. The long, undisturbed brewing time ensures the tea is strong enough to stand up to the liquor added later without being bitter.

While the tea is brewing, add the raw sugar to one cup of water in a stainless-steel pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring gently, until a rich syrup has formed. Remove from the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. The syrup can be stored for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

When the tea has brewed, you may swirl the tea ball once to ensure evenness of color. Remove the tea ball and discard the expended tea. Do not press out the contents into the brewed tea. Test for desired warmth. If you prefer your teatail hotter, turn the crockpot setting to Low and allow to come up to temperature.

To Prepare

Measure ½ – 1 ounce of Kissed Caramel vodka and pour into a mug that holds at least 12 ounces. Add ½ – 1 ounce of the sugar syrup depending on how sweet you like your teatail. Ladle warm Candy Apple tea into the mug to within ¼ inch of the rim, stir to blend, and serve immediately.

This teatail is best when the quantity of tea prepared is consumed in one sitting. Since we’ve never had leftovers, I honestly cannot say if it reheats well.

Let me know in the comments if you try our first warm teatail, Apple Orchard Bliss, and how you liked it.

Challah Lessons

November 6, 2023 By in Lightning Juice Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Writing for my blog took a backseat in my thoughts during the month of October. In fact, I also haven’t written anything toward my current WIP since I arrived at Shabbat services on October seventh to discover that evil had ramped up its game. What followed has left me dumbfounded, angry, but also with an overwhelming desire to speak truth. And not HL Gibson’s truth, but rather Adonai’s truth.

If you spend any time perusing my blog or social media, you’ll come away with a very good idea of who I am based on what I believe and how I write. Transparency on my blog is always my intention because I want to forge a connection with my readers. This is why my blog has a relaxed presentation that invites comments. I want to have a conversation with you rather than have you feel that I’m constantly trying to sell my novel, Realm, to you or preach at you about writing.

So, the purpose of this post is to help me build back to a place of peace. More than ever, people need to make strong connections to help each other through the dark days. I hope that you’re encouraged to do the same, especially if you’re one of the creatives. A return to art and the creative process is healing from the inside out.

I started by trying a new challah recipe that I’m sharing with you. The simplicity of making bread starts as a return to routine and the need to keep my hands busy so that my brain doesn’t overload. It’s always so beautiful as the dough comes together and, even though still raw, smells delicious.

The first rising time is best used for studying scripture and reading. Dividing the dough and braiding each half into loaves is a time for prayer for those who will eat the challah and anyone who comes to mind. The second rising time is when I organize other parts of my day into productive tasks. The beauty of the whole process is that I’m practicing the concept of laboring so that I can enter Adonai’s rest and experience true shalom.

Peace is the goal here, but bread is the reminder of what is important to me, and what’s important is peace. It’s cyclical! It’s also a reminder that family and friends are the true treasures braided into my life. Making the challah is a blessing because it occurs in my little home, where we’ve lived safely for thirty years with a parade of pets from the four-footed to the winged to the finned. (Although I still don’t have a horse.)

Most importantly, making the challah is a warning—yes, warning—to not mistake complacency for peace. It’s work to not become so content that I drift into decadence and laziness. The next step is indifference and forgetfulness, and every stage of that downward spiral is a bad place to be. It is a grave danger to ignore the truth, no matter how painful, because then we become useless to ourselves and others when we fall into the wrong belief that the evil taking place out there will never touch us.

Bread is life, and life must be fought for. I cannot always predict when and where the battlefronts will open in my life, but I can be prepared to fight that evil even if it’s through the simple task of baking challah. I will stare evil in the face and say, “You will not disrupt my process. Not today.” And then, in the name of Adonai, I will share the fruits of my labor, the work of my hands, with those I love, thus defeating evil.

Quotation Station

November 3, 2023 By in Quotation Station, Writing Toolbox Tags: , , , , , , 4 Comments

Shabbat Shalom to all the creatives

in need of rest and peace!

May inspiration come to you this Shabbat.

Local Author Book Signing

November 3, 2023 By in Writing Toolbox Tags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments

I’m so excited to be part of this upcoming event!

Come out and meet FIVE local authors, enjoy cookies & hot chocolate, enter the door prize drawings, shop for fresh greenery, wreaths, Christmas-themed plants, and as always, the most beautiful poinsettias you’ll ever see!

All this at Kern’s Home and Garden, 2438 Canton Rd., Akron, OH.