The Time Proved Rich

Since going to seminary, Kyle and I look forward, very much, to Christmas. We enjoy Christmas like everyone else, for all the common reasons, but since moving, we especially enjoy it now because we know it's a time (and sometimes the only time during the year) when we are going to get to see our family members and friends. This year, we really hit the nail on the head. We saw just about everyone we could see in Kansas. And for that, we're grateful (and I'm proud!).

For some reason, though, this Christmas, when we were bouncing around from one place to the next, every time we had to leave, I felt a sudden, quick wave of extreme sadness. And as soon as it swept over me, it was gone. Then, that sadness was replaced by a deep sense of satisfaction. That satisfaction brought me great joy in the end.

Now, let me explain all of that, because the more that I've reflected over all of it, the more I've been extremely grateful to God for all of the blessings he's put in our lives.While I was sad to leave so many of our family members, I'm glad that I experienced that sadness. It made me realize how blessed we are. I've realized that good, deep, kind relationships leave us with a deep and rich sense of satisfaction even when we do have to go. Our time with our family was good. And even when we had to leave, we left feeling even more grateful, even more satisfied with time that we were given together. The time proved rich.

Living so far away has helped me to experience hospitality to the fullest. When we leave one place, we're always welcomed, with open arms at another. This is a blessing in life, and I realize that many others do not have this same blessing. Perhaps these are the types of relationships that God longs for us to have with others, especially our families -- deep, appreciative relationships where we value, in a rich way, time, conversation, and laughter. Where we welcome one another with open arms, at all times, and value, deeply, the time that we have together.

It was a Merry Christmas for us indeed! 

The Komlofske Sibling Clan

The Just Crew

How-to Host: A Cheese Party

When I was little, I remember having themed birthday parties -- think Disney Princesses, Little House on the Prairie and countless middle school slumber parties. As I've grown older, I've missed the excitement of a themed birthday party. Thankfully our seminary friends are really good at having themed parties. Last year we celebrated our friend, Lauren, with a "favorite things" surprise birthday party. All of her favorite foods were there. Our other friend, Quentin, had a beard birthday party. So, when it was my turn, I thought about a theme for me. One of my favorite things in the world is cheese. I told Kyle that I would love to have a cheese party for my birthday, so we did just that. It was such a hit. Do yourself a favor, have a cheese party sometime with your friends (birthday or not). It's just too much fun! Here's the scoop and a little "how-to host."

Having a cheese party can be expensive to host if you're planning on providing all the cheese. So, we asked each couple/family to bring their favorite block of cheese along to share. With a little bit of communication, the result was beautiful. We ended up with Sharp Wisconsin White Cheddar, Extra Sharp New York White Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Brie, Gouda, and a Cheeseball. And my wonderful co-worker, Sarah, made me a beautiful strawberry cake to share with our guests!

As hosts, we provided crackers, baguettes, jam, marinated olives and sparkling cranberry lemonade. The following are my best recommendations and recipes!

- Trader Joe's Cracker Assortment (the peppered crackers are my absolute favorite!)
- Kroger Country Club Wheat Crackers
- Wheat Thins Tuscan and Herb 
- Panera Bread Baguettes. The Seminary receives free bread every Monday, so I picked up four baguettes for the party and we really could have used more (to serve 16).
- Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves. Listen to me people, this stuff is straight from France. There's no messing around with Jam anymore. Bonne Maman is the real deal and you can even find it at Kroger!

 Marinated Olives Recipe

What you'll need: 
- 1 13 oz. jar of Kalamata Olives (pitted) or any olives that you'd prefer
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (leaves removed from stem and chopped; discard stems)
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary (leaves removed from stem and chopped; discard stem)
- 1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon peel
- 1 tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan

Directions: 
1. Drain olives, then chop all olives and move to a separate bowl.
2. In a medium skillet, over medium-low heat, warm olive oil, garlic, herbs and lemon peel until fragrant (2-3 minutes).
3. Add olives into the skillet; toss until they're well coated and warmed through
4. Remove olives from skillet to a bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until ready to serve.
5. Prior to serving, add Parmesan to the olive mixture and toss well.
6. Serve marinated olives with small toasts

Cranberry Lemonade

I don't have particular measurements for this. I just used a half/half mixture of lemonade and Cranberry Sierra Mist. I added cranberries and sliced lemons to garnish. Waaa la!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is that. The party was SO much fun. It was definitely one of my favorite birthdays. Wonderful company, golden baguettes, jam, cheese, friends, homemade birthday cards and flowers -- it was all so perfect. I'm so grateful for such a wonderful season at seminary and some really classy friends!

The spread.

Panera Baguettes. Delicious!

Extra Sharp New York White Cheddar Cheese! Sharp cheese is my love language.

Marinated olives and toasts.

Bonne Maman Jam in action.

Birthday flowers from beautiful friends.

The Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade was a real hit.

Sarah's delectable strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting.

My lady friends (and Sheppy, too!).

Christmas Letter 2013

Christmas Greetings!

With Thanksgiving running later this year and finals taking over my life, I didn't have a chance to write a Christmas letter and send it out prior to leaving Wilmore. So, I thought a Christmas letter on the blog was a great alternative :). Without further ado, here is the Just year in review!

As many of you remember, last Christmas around this time, Kyle was offered a job at the Providence School, an alternative school here in town, literally a mile or two from our house. That was such a blessing to us! It was a constant job for Kyle, which is exactly what we needed. In March or so, we started thinking about what to do during the summer. Kyle needed a summer time job and I planned to take summer courses. However, mid-March, we received a call from Project Transformation asking us if we'd be interested in applying to serve with them in a couple of different leadership roles for the summer of 2013. The opportunity came at just the right time and was way too good to pass up. I was hired on as a house pastor and Kyle was hired on as a leadership training intern, working mainly with high school students.

We also moved into new seminary housing in May. We had to be in Dallas for leadership training at the end of May for PT, so we finished out seminary/work and moved during finals week. Then, we packed up and went to Dallas for the summer. It was a crazy couple of weeks of studying for finals, packing,  unpacking, repacking and traveling, but we made it! We enjoyed our summer in Dallas very much and enjoyed working with Project Transformation again. We were so blessed to meet and minister to/with so many other students from across the United States and catch up with old friends. Kyle and also discovered that, over the years, we've spent almost one full year of our lives living in Dallas. I don't always love the city, but I could totally see myself living in Dallas someday. It's so trendy and we have so many connections there. However, Kyle doesn't think he can see himself there. So he's quick to veto my ideas, probably for good reasons! All that to say, we enjoyed our time in Dallas and count ourselves blessed to have worked with Project Transformation. It really is a huge part of our lives. We wouldn't be the same without PT and all of the awesome experiences we've had in Dallas over the years.

At the end of the summer, prior to returning to Kentucky, we dropped by Kansas for a wedding! Our great friends, Isaac and Anna, got married and Kyle was a groomsman. The wedding was such a fun end to our summer because all of our friends from college were there. And, we enjoyed celebrating Isaac and Anna, of course! Right when we returned to Kentucky, Kyle headed back to work and I spent most of my remaining time off organizing the mess from moving in May. At the end of August, our house was finally a home. It became a home just in time, too, to host tons of visitors. My mom, sister, Trista, David and Jessica have all been to see us since August. And my parents and aunt plan on visiting in May of 2014 for the Kentucky Derby, too! We feel well-loved and have enjoyed showing our friends and family all around Wilmore and Lexington.

Otherwise, we've enjoyed everything that Kentucky and Asbury Seminary have to offer. Most of all, we've enjoyed our community. We couldn't ask for better friends here. We love living down the street from our friends; we love being able to pop into friends' houses at the drop of a hat or running over to grab a cup of sugar or sprig of cilantro. We love sharing meals with them and holding their squishy and perfect newborns. Most of all, it's a total honor and privilege to grow in Christ with them and the community at ATS. I honestly think everyone should go to seminary, if only for this experience! There's no season like it.

There are so many more things that I could say about 2013, but the main thing to say is that God is constantly faithful and ever-present in our lives. Kyle and I have experienced his loving kindness and pray that you have, too. We pray blessings over you in the coming year. May you all experience great expectation this advent season as you await the celebration of Christ's birth.

Cheers!

Kyle and Molly Just

A good fall photo from a birthday party!

Some of our seminary crew in Wilmore.

Our dear college friends at the Chua Wedding!

Isaac and Anna Chua -- we enjoyed their wedding and we enjoy having them live in our village at seminary, too!

Baking Sunday: Pizza Dough {With Herbs} using the KitchenAid

'Tis the season for...Advent, food, parties and many other things. I love this time of year. I love advent;  I love celebrating; I love food; I love parties; I love people and family. The list could go on and on. I have been doing so much extra cooking lately, I hardly know where to begin or what to share with you! On Saturday night, I made some excellent stuffed mushrooms. I was really excited because I made the recipe up by going off of some awesome stuffed mushrooms I once had. It's great how your taste buds can lead you in the right direction sometimes, isn't it? Sunday, we followed suite with the rest of our village and stayed in due to icy roads, so I spent the morning listening to Church of the Resurrection Online and making Strawberry Napoleans for a "Sip and See." Then, last night, for Baking Sunday, Jenny and I made homemade pizza! Asbury was supposed to host an Advent Vespers Service, but cancelled it due to the ice. Last year, after the Advent Service, we ate with friends and it's one of my very favorite memories. This year, I decided the same tradition must be appropriate. So, Baking Sunday and the After-Advent-Service-Meal-Gathering collided. It was too good.

With that said, enjoy the pizza dough recipe below. This recipe is so versatile. I've made it so many times. Sometimes I make it plain; sometimes with garlic and herbs. My grandma has made it with wheat flour, by hand; I allow my Kitchenaid to do all the work. The thing I like most about it, though, is that you know exactly what's going into your dough. And, there's just something about bread that's intriguing to me. The world lives on bread, it's a simple food that we all have in common. I like to make my own because it makes me feel like I'm holding something in common with people around the globe. Is that weird? Maybe. I'm getting spiritual on you. Ok, really, enjoy the dough!

Recipe adapted from A Couple Cooks. 

Homemade Pizza Dough (Makes two medium pizzas)

What you'll need:

•  3 cups of flour
• 1 packet (or two teaspoons) of highly active, fast rising yeast
• 1/2 Tablespoon of oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/3 cups of warm water

To Add Garlic and Herbs to the dough (if you prefer, if not, skip this step):

• 1-2 cloves of garlic (depending upon preference and size of the clove)
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Directions:

1. In your KitchenAid bowl, combine flour, yeast, oil, salt, and about a cup of the warm water.

2. Using the dough hook on your Kitchenaid mixer, stir until a loose dough begins to form. Add in the remaining water as the dough begins to form. If the dough appears too dry after you add in the water, add a little bit more; if it appears too wet, sprinkle in a little bit of flour. The dough should start pulling away from the side of the bowl and begin forming into a ball after 30 seconds or so.

3. When the dough forms into a ball, gradually increase the speed of your KitchenAid to medium. The dough ball should remain intact on the dough hook. If it's not hooking, turn your mixer off and help it hook and gradually increase the speed again. This happens to me, every so often. Otherwise let the mixer knead the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes.

4. While the dough is kneading, prepare a floured surface for the dough to rise on. Then, prepare a damp towel to cover the dough. I normally use a spray bottle to dampen my kitchen towel.

5. When the dough is finished kneading, use floured-hands to remove the dough from the bowl. Divide the dough in half and form into two boules. Set them on the floured surface to rise. Rub a tiny bit of olive oil on top of each of the doughs so they don't dry out. Then, cover both boules with the damp cloth. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes - 1 hour. About 15 minutes into the rise time, preheat the oven to 500 F.

6. When the dough is finished rising, gently shape the dough into circles on pizza pans/stones. Do not overwork the dough.

7. Prepare the dough with your favorite toppings and cook for 6-8 minutes.

- I normally use an Airbake pizza pan (it has holes) and it cooks well on the top rack, and my normal pizza pan cooks better on the bottom rack, closer to the burner.

We Live Here

I remember how my mom used to host people in our home when I was little. She would make us help her clean up -- vacuum, dust (which is pertinent in Western Kansas), clean the bathrooms, put our things away, etc. Even when she wasn't expecting anyone, she would ask us to find places for our things. At the time, I thought it was so overrated, so menial. Now, I'm the same way. I've always been tidy, but now in my own home, I often find that things without a space annoy me. They provoke me -- Kyle's jeans that he always leaves on top of the dresser, our pajamas sitting randomly in our room (let's admit, pajamas never have a place! I mean, where do you even leave yours?), that one book laying on top of all the others because it won't fit on the shelf.  Those things can drive me crazy if I let them.

Finally, the other day I just had to say to myself, "Molly, y'all live here." Yes, like, we live here. A tidy home is a nice home, but a used home is welcoming, too. Actually, I think it's more welcoming. I'm not saying that everything should be out of place or misplaced all the time, but I think it's okay to let things just be the way they are sometimes because they represent our real, purposeful lives. Those books all over my couch? Yea, they're there because I read them to get this crazy 96-hour Masters degree. Those toys all over your floor? Yea, they're there because you have a three year old and a one year old and they're normal children who play. Here's to less stress about the small stuff  in our own homes because, you know what? We live here.

Baking Sunday: Pumpkin Spiced Scones

Yesterday was a rainy, cold Sunday in Wilmore. Baking was the perfect remedy -- the best indoor activity. As my friend, Anna Chua, says: "Baking is always more enjoyable on Sundays." I think I agree. With Thanksgiving ahead, the season of pumpkin everything is slowly drawing to a close. So, Jenny and I decided to make pumpkin spiced scones and take advantage of the season.

Let me start by saying that these scones are incredibly fantastic. Really. I'm not a pumpkin pie person (unless it has a lot of whipped cream), but I enjoy other, subtle, pumpkin-y things. These hit the spot. And I love how versatile they are. You can eat them for breakfast, a snack or dessert; or have them with some tea or milk. They're just that good. I'm thinking of making them again the week of Thanksgiving since we have friends visiting. And I might even make them after that for a baby shower. So, enjoy this recipe just in time for Thanksgiving gatherings.

This recipe is courtesy of Joanne and Adam Gallagher from inspiredtaste.net. We changed a few things within the recipe, which I've noted below. Enjoy!

What you'll need for the scones:

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces (1 stick)
1/2 cup pure pumpkin
1 tablespoon of unsulphured molasses (you can go without, if need be or try substituting with a little more brown sugar or honey) 
1 egg
3 tablespoons of half and half
2 teaspoons of vanilla

For sugar glaze: 
1 cup of powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of half and half (we used around 2 tablespoons)

For pumpkin spice glaze: (I cut this recipe in half from the original, you just don't need it all, double it if you think you'll want more.)
1/2 cup of powdered sugar 
1/2 tablespoon of pure pumpkin
Dash of cloves
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of ginger
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of half and half
*Technically, you only need about 1/16 of a teaspoon of cloves, nutmeg and ginger. I just sprinkled some of each across the top.

To Bake: 
Heat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all the spices together. Then, add the cold, cut butter to the mixture. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal or crumbs.

In a separate medium bowl whisk together the pumpkin, molasses, half and half, vanilla and egg. Whisk until blended well.

After that, stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour/butter mixture and stir with a spoon until a soft dough forms.

After that, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it until it comes together. Pat the dough out into a 10x7 inch rectangle. Then, you can either make 8 regular sized scones or 12 smaller scones. We made 8 regular sized scones. To do that, cut the dough in half both lengthwise and width-wise to make four smaller rectangles. Then, cut the rectangles into triangles (making 8 scones).

To make 12 smaller scones, cut the dough in half lengthwise. Then, cut the the dough twice width-wise, so you have six small rectangles. Then, cut those rectangles into two triangles. Voila.

Make sure your baking sheet is sprayed, transfer the scones over and bake for 10-15 minutes. Ours were done in 10 minutes. You can insert a toothpick in the middle of one of the scones to make sure they are finished. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.

While the scones cool, make one or both glazes (We made both!).

For the Sugar Glaze:

Add powdered sugar to medium bowl and add one tablespoon of half and half. Judge the consistency. If it's too thick, add more half and half (we used around 2 tablespoons). The glaze should be set when it slowly drizzles off the spoon.

When the glaze is finished, ice the top of each scone (using a spoon, or the like). Then, let the glaze set while you make the pumpkin glaze.

For the Pumpkin Spice Glaze:

Combine powdered sugar, pumpkin and spices. Then, add in the half and half. Stir and judge the consistency. The glaze should be set when it slowly drizzles off the spoon.

When the glaze is finished, use a spoon to drizzle the pumpkin glaze over the scone in a zig-zag pattern.

Last of all, let the scones cool and set for a few minutes and enjoy! They are delicious warm.

Baking Sunday: White Chocolate Bread Pudding

This past Sunday, Jenny and I made White Chocolate Bread Pudding for Baking Sunday. It was delicious. After we made it, though, Jenny noted that it's one of those desserts that you order at a restaurant and never worry about asking what's in it. Because, my fellow bakers and readers, there's a lot of heavy cream. I mean, like, a lot. That's what makes it so delicious and pretty rich. So, if you're going to splurge on dessert during the holidays, I would recommend this White Chocolate Bread Pudding. Enjoy!

An overview of what you'll need:

• 18 ounces of quality white chocolate chips (about a bag and a half)
• 3 cups of milk
• 1 quart of heavy cream (1/2 quart to be used for the pudding and 1/2 a quart to be used for the white chocolate sauce)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 5 eggs, well beaten
• 2 loaves of french bread, cubed

Directions:

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Cube both bread loaves. When finished, place cubes in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
3. Next, place 12 oz. of white chocolate chips in large bowl and set it aside.
4. Then, in a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix the milk, 1/2 quart of cream and sugar. Bring it to a gentle boil and then pour the mixture over the white chocolate chips in the large bowl. Let the mixture sit for about a minute and then whisk until smooth. 
5. Add the eggs to the mixture and mix well. 
6. When finished, pour the white chocolate mixture over the cubed bread. 
7. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until the center is set. 

For the White Chocolate Sauce

1. While the bread pudding cools, place 6 oz. of white chocolate chips in a separate medium bowl. 
2.  In a sauce pan, bring the remaining 1/2 quart of cream to a gentle boil. Then, pour the cream over the white chips. Let set for about a minute and then whisk until smooth. 
3. Drizzle the white chocolate sauce over each individual serving of pudding when you're ready to serve.