Comfort

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These days I'm needing a little comfort.  Sleep deprivation and a scary break-in at our house (everybody is safe) have left me feeling vulnerable and on edge.  It's interesting to think about where we turn when we need to be comforted.  And, here on What's for Meat, you know I'm going to suggest some comforting food.  But, there is one message I want to be clear about:  True comfort doesn't come from food.  I'm not just saying "Back away from the chocolate" but in the year long Bible study of Isaiah I'm doing with other women in Pasadena, we just learned about God's ability to truly comfort his people.

Here are some excerpts from Chapter 40:
"Speak comfort to Jerusalem."  v. 2

"He will feed his flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young."  v. 11

"The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Neither faints nor is weary.  His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength."  v. 28-29

                     (Read the whole chapter here)

So after you read the chapter and look to God's word to nourish your soul, you can make something to nourish your body.  For about 2 weeks, I eliminated refined sugar from my diet.  I was needing some extra energy and I knew it wasn't going to come from extra sleep.  It really did the trick - if you've never tried it, consider doing it for just one week and see how you feel.  Although I've done some backsliding over the past weekend, today I wanted some warm baked goodness without sugar so I made these pumpkin biscuits.

They really are biscuits - not muffins or cookies - but they were super easy to make and satisfying.  The original recipe (no idea where it's from) said to make a flat disk, about 2-3 cm thick and cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter but you'll see below that I made drop biscuits.  The cream cheese icing was a little lumpy (I think it was too cold) but both big sister and I loved them!  The sweetness comes from the agave and the pumpkin and there's no white flour either.

Hope you enjoy!

Iced Pumpkin Biscuits (makes 1 dozen smallish ones)

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 c. raisins
1/2 c. canned unsweetened pumpkin
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 T agave

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and raisins in a bowl.  Mix well.  Gently fold in the pumpkin.  The dough will be crumbly.  Add the milk and agave and stir until the dough becomes soft.  Drop heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheet and flatten to make little discs.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Let them cool a little before icing.

Icing:
Combine 4T cream cheese with 1T agave until smooth and smear on the biscuits.