A few years ago, a friend sat at my kitchen counter while we talked about big and little things. Then they asked me if my Thinking Room was my prayer closet, my war room. I had to really think about that. . . it seemed like it should be, but it didn’t feel like the truth to say, “Yes.” Yes, I pray there. I have quiet time there. I read my bible there. I write there. I’ve gone to war there. It’s not my prayer closet, my war room, though. It felt wrong to admit the location of my real prayer closet.

They were sitting on the other side of it. You see, if we’re being honest, my kitchen is my prayer closet, my war room. As I’ve stirred pots to warm the heart and soul, created things that tasted like celebration, measured and poured ingredients that baked into comfort, ladled into bowls and plate for filling up, I’ve prayed. I’ve praised. I’ve thanked. I’ve broken down and told Him the hard stuff. I’ve listened. It’s where I’ve gone after I’ve reached the bottom of myself, where I’ve found myself when I’ve grabbed on to Him. The heart-to-hearts, the encouragement He’s given me in my kitchen I remember more than anywhere else, though I am sure there’s a wealth of wisdoms He’s given me in other places, too.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” ~ Luke 5:16

Once my children reached a certain age, my kitchen was probably a lonely place, a place where my heart and my thoughts could roam, and in that roaming, down those rabbit holes, I found my way to my Father. He sat in the kitchen with me, listening to me pour out my hurts, my confusion, my challenges. It’s where I learned to listen for Him, to Him.

““Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never go hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
~ John 6:35

In the kitchen, so many things were kneaded out, truths once hidden rose and revealed themselves. It’s where time didn’t rush itself because there was list of things to do – like it did in The Thinking Room. Time breathed down my neck there, rushing me. Because time didn’t rush itself in my kitchen, there was time for His Word to stretch in my soul and come alive. How ironic that in an environment where oven and microwave timers set the pace, I had more quality time, more real intimate time with God than I did in a quiet room. Over the years, kitchen-living transformed into something unexpected.

At a retreat once, a speaker asked us a series of questions, the first one being: “What’s your happy place?” Mine was my kitchen – and that answer led me into a mental pickle a few questions later. You can read about that here (because I am now digressing). Maybe it’s my happy place because He meets me there, or maybe we meet each other there – like God met Adam and Eve in the evenings in the garden. My Prayer Closet, my War Room became my Happy Place.

My kitchen seems in disarray right now. My nest emptied out, a couple of my sons and their sweet wives now live over an hour away. Yeah, there are little grandsons who pull up to the counter during the day, but my kitchen and I are adjusting to the changes in cadence, conversational content, and dinner for two. My routine for meeting God in my kitchen has changed. . . and I find myself missing how my feet would just take me there. . . like going into my Father’s study, where it was quiet and space to talk.

“Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
~ Psalm 34:8

I miss baking pepperoni rolls for one son and his sweet wife. Another daughter-in-law loved soup beans – so, much to my husband’s delight, I’d make soup beans about once a month. They’d come for dinner and take a container home. This one daughter-in-law loves peach cobbler. I tried for two years to come up with the right recipe but kept missing the mark. I’ve finally nailed it down. While I wasn’t necessarily a peach cobbler fan before (I’m more of a morning peaches and cream with a spoon full of sugar girl), this recipe has won me over. I think it’s a top five favorite now for desserts.

It’s been a good thing, being back in the kitchen, making something to hug someone with – and to spend time with God in my favorite meeting place. I haven’t baked much for awhile. I either need to start baking more – or choose another space to become my prayer closet. I’m going to let God help me sort this conundrum out. He knows how to use my space better than I do anyhow. We’ll be talking about it this week. I have wedding shower cupcakes coming up–and a strawberry birthday cake to make–and another peach cobbler to make because that peach-cobbler-loving daughter-in-law is coming with my son to make a big announcement. She doesn’t know about the Peach Cobbler Gravy!

I’d like to know: Where’s your Prayer Closet?

Muddy’s Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

Peach Filling:
6 Cups Peaches (fresh)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1/4 cup water

Cobbler Topping:
(If this looks familiar, it is because it’s my scone recipe)
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Butter, cut up (5.3 tablespoons)- cold
1 Cup Whipping Cream – cold
Zest and Juice of one lemon

Directions for the Peach Filling:
Peal and slice the peaches into wedges. Add the sliced peaches, brown sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt to a pan. Let cook to a simmer for about five minutes, then add 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water. When the sauce thickens, remove from heat.

Directions for Cobbler Topping:
Combine all dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk to blend. Add cold butter (not room temperature) with a pastry blender until crumbly, the size of peas.

IMPORTANT to READ BEFORE YOU ADD WHIPPING CREAM: While cakes need a good two minute mixing (you definitely need a mixer for a cake) and muffins need a less thorough mixing (for example, hand mixing works and you still want to see a small bit of white flour), Scones demand even less mixing. Imagine a teenager who keeps saying, “Don’t Touch Me” – and you get the idea.

Make a small indention into the dry mix. Add the juice of one lemon and its zest. Then add 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream.

Using a spatula, turn only until the flower has loosely moistened the dry mixture. Turn onto a floured counter top or pastry mat. The Old Testament Girl in me is usually terrified at this part – because it looks like such a mess. Gently press the mixture together until it’s about 1 1/2 inches in height. It may still be a little crumbly – and that’s a good thing.

Putting It All Together:
Butter a dish (I use an 11 X 7 dish). Using a slotted spoon, ladle the peaches into the bottom of the dish (Keep the remaining peach gravy for later).
Cover the peaches with the cobbler topping. It doesn’t need to be neatly done. Drizzle some of the peach gravy over the top.

Bake at 425° for 5 minutes to get that golden-on-top look, reduce to 375° and cook for 18 more minutes or until golden brown. (Cook time varies for convection ovens and regular ovens. Check after the 12 minute mark and then take out when the top turns lightly golden.)

When you serve, be sure to pour some peach gravy over the top.

Remember Me Monday: #142 Link-up

“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
.    love extravagant.”
~ Isaiah 63:7, The Message

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly, quietly and loudly, tells his children, “You have forgotten me!”  (Jeremiah 3:32, Ezekiel 22:12, to name a few). It’s a heart cry from a father to a child who has forgotten all the love, all the saving, helping, little and big blessings – and it leaves me stunned when I realize our Father, the creator of the universe, who knows things I cannot begin to fathom, who authors storylines that leave me amazed, delights in all of us so much, He cries out, “Remember Me.”

While every day is a Remember God Day, I am inviting you to join me on Monday mornings to come by and remember what God has done for you, for your family. Maybe God sent a cardinal darting out in front of you, as if to tell you, “I’m here,” or broke a child’s fever after you laid it all down at His feet in a 2 a.m. bedside vigil. Maybe He stood with you in the wait of a prayer sent out, or brought someone you loved to Christ. Maybe He healed your broken heart, gave your courage, or you gave Him your dreams as a love offering only to have Him give them back in an unimaginable way. Maybe God helped you survive to bedtime after a crazy Monday, or forgive yourself for missing it with your kiddos –– Whatever it is, let’s Remember Him. . . in a “Remember Me Monday” love letter.

“My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
Of your salvation all the day long,
Though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord”
~ Psalm 71:15-16.

Let us delight in Him by telling the  stories of what He’s done!  If you wrote a blog post remembering what He’s done for you, join the linky. If you didn’t but still want to praise Him for what He’s done – write it in the comment section. Then visit a comment before or after yours! One of the beautiful things about the blogging community is the relationships it builds!

Rules?  Write long or short, a list or a story, include photos or not. Just Remember Him and what He has done, and let the gratitude of your heart guide you. Let’s make Monday so Rejoice, that the goodness of God spills into the rest of the week! (Link opens Mondays at 6 a.m.)

Places I’m Linking at This Week:
  Instaencouragements, Legacy Link-Up, 
Let’s Have Coffee Wednesday 
Recharge Wednesday, Scripture & a Snapshot
Grace&Truth, Sweet Tea & Friends