The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge from KFUO Radio

According to Lutheran Service Book, the commemoration of St. Monica falls on August 27 each year. But who exactly is St. Monica? And how does one celebrate her? To answer these questions (and more), the Party Planning Committee is back!

Monica, mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, is remembered today as an example of faith, patience, and godliness in the face of complicated family relationships.

In this episode, Rachel briefly tells Monica’s inspiring life story before suggesting an appropriate menu and party plan befitting the saint’s fabled austerity — featuring vegetable porridge, bread, water, loud weeping, and all-night prayer vigils. Thankfully, Erin and Sarah intervene with a much more festive set of ideas, including Erin’s original recipe for St. Monica buns (see below) and Sarah’s home-grown party games: pin the collect on the saint, “Aqueducts and Leviathans” (a fun “Shoots and Ladders” spinoff), and, of course, a hymn sing.

St. Monica's Buns

Recipe by Erin Alter

Makes 12 buns (can easily be doubled)

Dough

½ c (117 ml) milk, any kind, lightly warmed

1 ¼ t (½ packet) instant yeast

2 T (25 g) granulated sugar

¾ t salt

1 large egg

4 T (57 g) butter, softened

1 ¾ c (227 g) flour

Filling

3 T packed brown sugar

¼- ½ t cinnamon

Scant 1/8 t ground ginger

Good pinch of salt

2 peaches, pitted and diced

Garnish

Milk

Turbinado sugar

Whisk together warm milk, yeast, sugar, and salt a large bowl. Whisk in eggs. Add softened butter, chunked up. Use Danish dough whisk to incorporate flour. Stir vigorously for the duration of one of your favorite songs (ideally 4-6 minutes; the song will help it go faster). The dough will be smooth but still extremely sticky. This is proper.

Transfer the whole mess into an oiled bowl big enough to hold it when doubled. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and from here there are two possible schedules:

• Method 1: Let the dough rise at room temperature until it just shy of doubles, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer dough to the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. It is impossible to work with this dough when still at room temperature; don’t even try.
• Method 2: Let the dough rise in the fridge a minimum of 8 hours, and up to 2 days. It will be just about doubled when it comes out.

From this point, you are now back on the same track, regardless of your rising method. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a muffin tin. Combine brown sugar, spices, and salt. Mix in the diced peaches. Set aside to get juicy.

On a well-floured counter, divide the dough in quarters, and then divide each quarter into 3 pieces, so you have 12 pieces of dough.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball. On a well-floured counter, use a rolling pin to flatten it out into a circle, ~ 4 inches wide. Add flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Work fairly quickly, so the dough doesn’t get too warm.

Holding the circle of dough in your palm, add two heaping spoonful’s of the peaches to the center. Gather the edges of the dough up around the sides, forming a little nest. Nestle the nest into the muffin tin and repeat. If you have extra peaches at the end, you can see if there are any buns that you could scoop a little more into.

Brush the dough edges with a little milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Let cool at least 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tin and serving.

Optional: Serve with crème fraiche.

Note: If you add extra peaches to a bun, don’t let the peaches heap up over the dough much at all. If you do, they will probably overflow in the oven and you will have delicious buns that are very, very sticky to eat and an extremely messy pan to clean. And non-overflowed buns are just as delicious, and much more pleasant to eat.

Crème Fraiche

Combine 1 c heavy whipping cream with 1 heaping T sour cream in a container with a tight fitting lid. Shake for 15 seconds (don’t turn this to butter!). Leave it on the counter for 24 hours, covered. Stir it 2-3 times during that time. It will become thickened (similar to yogurt, but not nearly as thick as Greek yogurt) and delicious. Note: If your kitchen is too cold, it won’t thicken.

Resources referenced:

Accounts of St. Monica:

• St Monica – The Patron Saint of Alcoholics & Mothers! (bishoysblog.com)
• St. Monica - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
• Saint Monica - Wikipedia

Recipe for Roman puls porridge:

• Romans in Britain - Recipe for Puls Fabata (Fava bean porridge) (romanobritain.org)

Recipe for Roman bread:

• How to make Roman bread: a Roman bread recipe (vita-romae.com)

Aqueducts and Leviathans!

Want to play a fun game of Aqueducts and Leviathans? Download the PDF Aqueducts and Leviathans Board Game here!

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Sarah, Erin, and Rachel welcome their second guest — Elizabeth Pittman — to the Leading Ladies interview series, seeking to celebrate Lutheran women in notable positions of leadership or influence in the church or the world.

Elizabeth Pittman is director of public relations for Concordia Publishing House and host of the CPH podcast. In this episode, Elizabeth tells her story: from high-profile PK to law school graduate to Capitol Hill staffer to wife and mother and publishing professional. Along the way, she offers special encouragement to women who are struggling with work-life balance, seeking to exercise their leadership skills in an out-of-the-spotlight way, or striving to use their voices in a winsome, faithful way in the public sphere.

To hear more from Elizabeth Pittman, check out the CPH podcast at CPH.org or on YouTube, and browse CPH’s latest new releases here.

Revisit our first Leading Ladies interview with Teresa Todd here.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Inspired by the August issue of The Lutheran Witness on education, Rachel's asking a (really) Big Question:

How should I educate my kids?

It’s a quandary that arises regularly for many families, especially at this time of year — and rightly so. We love our kids and want them to be well equipped to take our places as leaders in the church, their families, and society at large. While the law of the land requires young people to receive at least a basic level of education in subjects like math, English, science, and social studies, Scripture also encourages parents to be intentional about raising their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” How can we as Lutherans navigate these often conflicting sets of priorities and choose the educational options that work best for each family?

Getting vulnerable and sharing her own family’s labyrinthine educational story, Rachel carefully examines the pros and cons associated with a variety of different schooling options and offers practical, Gospel-centered takeaways for anxious families.

To find an LCMS school near you, check out the school locator at LCMS.org.

Click to learn more about:

• Homeschool laws in your state via the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) website
• Classical options through the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education
• Saint Paul’s Lutheran School (boarding school in Concordia, Missouri)
• Wittenberg Academy (online LCMS classical school)

Revisit Bri’s Big Question episode on “Does Lutheran education make you a Lutheran?” and listen to other Big Question conversations at KFUO.org.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Q: Why shouldn’t you tell secrets in a cornfield?

A: Because the corn has ears!

It’s a “cornival” of craziness as Erin leads Sarah and Rachel in an all-new Iron Ladle Challenge celebrating the joys of "corn culture" (or “corny culture”) in midsummer.

After discussing results from a pair of lively listener polls on how to cook and butter corn-on-the-cob (Facebook group members can find those here), the Ladies share their own favorite sweet corn recipes. Which will you try? Rachel’s creamy corn chowder? Sarah’s cowboy caviar? Erin’s colorful confetti corn salad? Or all of the above???

Still can’t get enough corny goodness? Check out this adorable music video on YouTube.

Erin's Confetti Corn Salad

Vegetables:

• 2 cans corn, drained
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped

Dressing

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons mayo

Directions

• mix dressing
• toss with salad
• add pepper to taste

Rachel’s Corn Chowder

(Measurements are all approximate.)

Dice ½ yellow onion and ¼ green pepper. Sautee in 2 T butter in a heavy pot over medium heat until soft.

Peel, wash, and dice 3 or 4 medium potatoes. Add to pot with water or chicken broth to barely cover.

Add *either* 2 cans creamed sweet corn or 1 quart garden corn from the freezer.

Add salt and pepper (and chicken bullion in place of broth) to taste.

Simmer until potatoes are soft.

Add 2-4 cups whole milk and return to low simmer. (Be careful not to boil after this point.)

Thicken in one of two ways (or both together):

1. Melt ¼ cup butter and 2 T all-purpose flour in a small skillet and stir slowly into chowder.
2. Use potato masher to mash some of the potatoes to release the starch.

Serve with crusty buttered bread.

Sarah's Cowboy Salad

Mix together:

• Cowboy Caviar Salsa (Trader Joe's)
• Lettuce
• Shredded cheese
• Taco-spiced beef
• Any other fun salad ingredients because there are no rules.

Sarah just loves cornbread

Betty Crocker recipe with lots of variation: bettycrocker.com/recipes/traditional-cornbread-recipe/8990e15c-fc1d-4a8d-b8b3-4b37f45eca49

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Johann Sebastian Bach — whom the Lutheran church commemorates on July 28 — was not a Lutheran lady ... but his two wives sure were!

In this Story Time episode, Sarah introduces us to the two wives of J.S. Bach: Maria Barbara Bach (1684–1720) and Anna Magdalena Bach (1701–1760). Between them, these faithful, capable Lutheran women bore Bach 20 children (ten of whom lived to adulthood; four of whom grew up to be composers like their father) and supported the composer throughout the long and fruitful years of his illustrious musical career.

For further reading:

• https://www.grahamsmusic.net/post/bach-s-wives-and-children
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Barbara_Bach
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Magdalena_Bach
• https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Bach-Maria-Barbara.htm
• https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Bach-Anna-Magdalena.htm
• https://www.classicfm.com/composers/bach/news/magdalena-cello-suites-goldberg-variations/

A helpful guide to Bach’s many children:

• https://www.classicfm.com/composers/bach/guides/children/

And just for fun (for anyone surprised to find that Barbara is a German name):

• Barbaras Rhubarb Bar (feat. Marti Fischer) (youtube.com)

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Author and fellow Lutheran lady Katie Schuermann joins Rachel, Sarah, and Erin in a recap discussion of the latest Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club selection, The Saints of Whistle Grove.

In a book full of memorable Lutheran characters, which are the most lovable? The most frustrating? How does identifying with a problematic character help us identify and own up to our own faults and frailties? What can we learn from the story of a legacy Lutheran congregation about what it means to be members of Christ’s church? How do the tombstones in our cemeteries bear witness to our hope of resurrection?

At the end of the episode, the Ladies introduce the next Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club read: Johann Gerhard’s Meditations on Divine Mercy, translated by Matthew C. Harrison. Order the book at CPH.org.

To learn more about Katie Schuermann and her work, visit katieschuermann.com.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Class is back in session, ladies!

Once again, Sarah’s sharing study notes from her graduate courses at Concordia University Irvine’s Townsend Institute for Counseling and Leadership. In this episode on responsible decision-making, she covers:

• Why pro-con lists aren’t necessarily the be-all-and-end-all of decision-making tools
• How to recognize and defeat the “Four Villains of Decision Making” — narrow framing, confirmation bias, short-term emotion, and overconfidence
• How widening your options first can help you avoid decision-making pitfalls
• Why preparing to be wrong can increase the odds of a right decision

“If you’re a human person, you have to make decisions. That’s just life,” Sarah says. “At the end of the day, people want to know the process for making change was fair and their input was appreciated."

To dig more deeply into the material covered in this episode, check out Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Happy (Belated) Independence Day! To celebrate in a very "Lutheran Lady" way, we're revisiting a favorite episode from 2022 all about hymns for the nation.

Hymns for the Nation, or Patriotic Songs? Or both? As Americans are celebrating Independence Day, Lutherans once again consider the worth of hymns and songs that focus on God’s gift of land and government. Within the context of our Two Realms (or Two Kingdoms) theology, Sarah considers the hymns found in the “Nation and National Songs” section of the Lutheran Service Book, along with some popular American favorites.

Hymns featured in this episode include “God Bless Our Native Land,” “Before You, Lord, We Bow,” “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” “God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Arm,” plus a few American songs you’ll likely know.

The third hymn in the Nation and National Songs section, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was featured in the Hymns Sing with Sarah episode for Black History Month.

Read all 101 additional verses for “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” in this PDF from alliedmerchantnavy.com.

To learn more about these and other hymns in Lutheran Service Book, check out CPH’s two-volume set Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Inspired by the upcoming 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music (July 9–12), the Ladies are turning their attention to the book of Psalms. In the last episode of this five-episode series, they welcome listener submissions in a new “Write This:” creative challenge, this time showcasing original psalms.

Building on their earlier conversation with Sarah Reinsel about the poetry of the Psalms, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel read and discuss 13 listener submissions and share their own psalmic poetry.

Featuring contributions from fellow Lutheran ladies including ...

• Lisa M. Clark
• Lauren Schaidt
• Melissa Hecht
• Joanna Lee
• Becky Rohde
• Jean Engebritson
• Erin Forsberg
• Hannah Pennell
• Kelly Nava
• Katrina Jurica
• Lisa Rhonemus
• Annette Skibbe
• Alli Bauck

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].

Inspired by the upcoming 2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music (July 9–12), the Ladies are turning their attention to the book of Psalms. In the fourth of a five-episode series, Erin, Sarah, and Rachel attempt Psalm-inspired menu planning in a new twist on the Iron Ladle Challenge.

From the “apple of your eye,” to “manna from heaven,” from “wine to gladden the heart of man” to “burnt offerings of fattened animals” — and beyond — the Psalms are full of food references. Can the Ladies find them all and suggest a range of recipes that celebrate both the beauty of the Psalms and the goodness of the Lord?

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

— Psalm 34:8

Recipes mentioned:

• Honeycomb Bread (Khaliat Al Nahl) | FalasteeniFoodie
• Baklava Recipe, Honey Baklava, How to Make Best Baklava (natashaskitchen.com)

8"x8" wall print of Psalm 4:7

Download the 8"x8" wall print of Psalm 4:7 here.

5"x7" card of Psalm 4:7

Download the 5"x7" card of Psalm 4:7 here.

Download the 5"x7" card of Psalm 4:7 (with bleeds) here.

5"x7" card of Psalm 104:14-15

Download the 5"x7" card of Psalm 104:14-15 here.

Download the 5"x7" card of Psalm 104:14-15 (with bleeds) here.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].