This week promises to be a challenging week: two early evening Little League games, two late afternoon doctor's appoinments, an evening meeting for Kathleen, a dinner-time meeting for me. So how will we manage to celebrate every day this week by gathering together around the table to share a meal to nourish both body and soul?
Stay tuned!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Genghis Khan?
Last night I started reading Genghis Khan: And the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford.
You may be wondering: why? Why would a United Methodist pastor who blogs about meals to nourish body and soul be reading a book on Genghis Khan?
One reason I am reading this book is because I was given a gift card to a bookstore. As I looked through the store, this book caught my eye. I thought, "Gee, I don't know a lot about Genghis Khan. This could be interesting."
I never considered how this book would intersect with my life.
Until last night.
Weatherford describes a particularly precarious moment in the life of the great conqueror. His father has been killed, and the young boy's very existence is in jeopardy. His mother was an outsider who depended on the clan -- not only for her own survival, but also for the survival of her young children.
Weatherford writes: "The message that she was no longer a part of the band came to her, the way Mongols always symbolize relationships, through food. In the spring, when two old crones, the widows of a previous khan, organized the annual ceremonial meal to honor the family's ancestors, they did not inform Hoelun (Ghengis Khan's mother), thereby cutting her off not only from the food itself but from membership in the family. She and her family were therefore left to feed and protect themselves. As the clan prepared to move down the Onon River toward summer grounds, they planned to leave Hoelun and her children behind." (p. 19)
Centuries later, in a very different time and place, we also symbolize relationships through food. We symbolize our relationships with God, with family, with friends, with enemies, with complete strangers, through food. With whom do we eat? Who is seated at table with us? Who is excluded?
You may be wondering: why? Why would a United Methodist pastor who blogs about meals to nourish body and soul be reading a book on Genghis Khan?
One reason I am reading this book is because I was given a gift card to a bookstore. As I looked through the store, this book caught my eye. I thought, "Gee, I don't know a lot about Genghis Khan. This could be interesting."
I never considered how this book would intersect with my life.
Until last night.
Weatherford describes a particularly precarious moment in the life of the great conqueror. His father has been killed, and the young boy's very existence is in jeopardy. His mother was an outsider who depended on the clan -- not only for her own survival, but also for the survival of her young children.
Weatherford writes: "The message that she was no longer a part of the band came to her, the way Mongols always symbolize relationships, through food. In the spring, when two old crones, the widows of a previous khan, organized the annual ceremonial meal to honor the family's ancestors, they did not inform Hoelun (Ghengis Khan's mother), thereby cutting her off not only from the food itself but from membership in the family. She and her family were therefore left to feed and protect themselves. As the clan prepared to move down the Onon River toward summer grounds, they planned to leave Hoelun and her children behind." (p. 19)
Centuries later, in a very different time and place, we also symbolize relationships through food. We symbolize our relationships with God, with family, with friends, with enemies, with complete strangers, through food. With whom do we eat? Who is seated at table with us? Who is excluded?
Friday, April 16, 2010
Celebrate Every Day Is Back
As you can tell, up to this point I have not posted much in 2010. Why?
It's not because I no longer make it a point to share meals that nourish both body and soul; in fact, as you will see below, this passion to celebrate every day is one of the reasons I have not posted frequently over the last several months.
My lack of posting is also not because I have lost interest in this project. I believe that Celebrate Every Day can make a difference -- it certainly has in my life.
Instead I have posted so rarely this year because life has been busy. Our church recently moved to a new meeting place, with our grand opening on Easter Sunday, April 4. The preparations for the grand opening included:
+ Wading through the process of obtaining the necessary permits from various government agenices on the municipal and state levels. This process was not completed until days before Easter!
+ Working with the landlord for needed improvements to the space that were the landlord's responsibility
+ Working with carpeting, electrical and sign contractors for their work to improve the space
+ Cleaning, painting, moving and arranging along with a host of volunteers. This was a lot of fun; it was also a lot of work.
+ Planning for the grand opening itself, two open houses and the follow up from each.
So, as you can see, life on the church-front has been busy. Very busy.
Life on the home front was busy as well. Don't worry, all is well. We've just been very busy with many appointments that have touched our whole family -- including the dog!
On top of all that we had a lot of snow this winter. And I mean a lot of snow! Three blizzards. Nine snow days from school. Three Sundays when worship was canceled. And a lot of shoveling.
With all of this busy-ness, something had to give. But what?
I have made a commitment as a husband and father that we will sit down to dinner and eat a delicious and soul-satisfying meal every day possible. I decided I would not give this up. And since I've posted about the importance of celebrating every day, shouldn't I practice what I preach?
So what I gave up -- temporarily -- was the Celebrate Every Day project. I knew that when some of the extraordinary busy-ness calmed down, I would return to it. After all, this is a passion.
The good news is the snow has melted, and no more is on the way till next winter. The busy-ness has calmed down. So Celebrate Every Day is back.
During these last several months, I have experienced much that I will share with you, bit by bit.
I hope you will also share with me: your experiences, your observations, your suggestions, your comments.
It is good to be back!
It's not because I no longer make it a point to share meals that nourish both body and soul; in fact, as you will see below, this passion to celebrate every day is one of the reasons I have not posted frequently over the last several months.
My lack of posting is also not because I have lost interest in this project. I believe that Celebrate Every Day can make a difference -- it certainly has in my life.
Instead I have posted so rarely this year because life has been busy. Our church recently moved to a new meeting place, with our grand opening on Easter Sunday, April 4. The preparations for the grand opening included:
+ Wading through the process of obtaining the necessary permits from various government agenices on the municipal and state levels. This process was not completed until days before Easter!
+ Working with the landlord for needed improvements to the space that were the landlord's responsibility
+ Working with carpeting, electrical and sign contractors for their work to improve the space
+ Cleaning, painting, moving and arranging along with a host of volunteers. This was a lot of fun; it was also a lot of work.
+ Planning for the grand opening itself, two open houses and the follow up from each.
So, as you can see, life on the church-front has been busy. Very busy.
Life on the home front was busy as well. Don't worry, all is well. We've just been very busy with many appointments that have touched our whole family -- including the dog!
On top of all that we had a lot of snow this winter. And I mean a lot of snow! Three blizzards. Nine snow days from school. Three Sundays when worship was canceled. And a lot of shoveling.
With all of this busy-ness, something had to give. But what?
I have made a commitment as a husband and father that we will sit down to dinner and eat a delicious and soul-satisfying meal every day possible. I decided I would not give this up. And since I've posted about the importance of celebrating every day, shouldn't I practice what I preach?
So what I gave up -- temporarily -- was the Celebrate Every Day project. I knew that when some of the extraordinary busy-ness calmed down, I would return to it. After all, this is a passion.
The good news is the snow has melted, and no more is on the way till next winter. The busy-ness has calmed down. So Celebrate Every Day is back.
During these last several months, I have experienced much that I will share with you, bit by bit.
I hope you will also share with me: your experiences, your observations, your suggestions, your comments.
It is good to be back!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Priorities
This blog is dedicated to giving recipes, hints and tips for everyday celebration, creating that meals can be spiritual, social, succulent, simple and special. This is truly an important goal.
Yet for all of the importance of this blog's purpose, I have added few new posts so far in 2010. What's going on? Do I not understand the importance of everyday celebrations?
Actually, what's been going on is that I do understand the importance of everyday celebrations. The first two months of this year have been filled with church obligations, family obligations, three blizzards and more. I have had many critical, short-term responsibilities that have filled my days.
I had a choice: I could continue to post to this blog, taking the critical time necessary to produce it well. Or I could re-direct that time to make sure that our family continued to have everyday celebrations. Should I write about the importance of everyday celebrations, or actually make sure our family has them?
The choice was obvious. And the lack of new posts in the last two months reveals the choice I made.
I posted a delicious recipe for one of my favorite desserts -- chocolate chip blondies (recipe below). I'll also be trying out some new recipes this week, and if they turn out to taste delicious, I will post them as well. I also plan to devote more time to research and writing, so you should see the fruit of that work in the coming weeks and months.
As important as this blog is, even more important is that I practice what I preach.
Yet for all of the importance of this blog's purpose, I have added few new posts so far in 2010. What's going on? Do I not understand the importance of everyday celebrations?
Actually, what's been going on is that I do understand the importance of everyday celebrations. The first two months of this year have been filled with church obligations, family obligations, three blizzards and more. I have had many critical, short-term responsibilities that have filled my days.
I had a choice: I could continue to post to this blog, taking the critical time necessary to produce it well. Or I could re-direct that time to make sure that our family continued to have everyday celebrations. Should I write about the importance of everyday celebrations, or actually make sure our family has them?
The choice was obvious. And the lack of new posts in the last two months reveals the choice I made.
I posted a delicious recipe for one of my favorite desserts -- chocolate chip blondies (recipe below). I'll also be trying out some new recipes this week, and if they turn out to taste delicious, I will post them as well. I also plan to devote more time to research and writing, so you should see the fruit of that work in the coming weeks and months.
As important as this blog is, even more important is that I practice what I preach.
Chocolate Chip Blondies
I love blondies. Let me modify that: I love some blondies. Blondies at their best are moist, chewy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet and satisfying. I have eaten blondies at some bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants that just do not measure up. I have tried to choke down bone dry blondies. I have wondered whether my teeth would shatter when I have bitten into some hard-as-rock blondies. I have wondered whether my teeth would develop instant cavities as I munched on some way-too-sweet blondies.
Just as I have been disappointed in some blondies I have purchased, I have also been disappointed in every blondie recipe I have come across. Each seemed to be missing something.
And yet, there are times when I absolutely crave a blondie. What to do? I realized that my only option was to develop my own blondie recipe.
But first, a warning: if you are looking for a quick dessert you can whip up in a flash, this blondie recipe is not it. This recipe calls for two different waiting periods that can seem to take forever, but the wait is necessary. Trust me, these blondies are worth the time.
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) – plus about ½ tablespoon room-temperature butter for greasing the pan
2/3 cups brown sugar – packed (I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar is fine)
¼ cup sugar
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips (I prefer semi-sweet chocolate)
Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan. When the butter has melted, increase the heat to medium-high and boil while stirring constantly, until the butter has turned a golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. (Be sure not to let the butter burn.) Remove the butter from heat.
Add the brown sugar and sugar and stir until well incorporated. Cool for at least 10 minutes; this is the first critically important waiting period.*
While the butter and sugars mixture cools, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-3 inch overhang on two opposite sides of the pan (you will use this overhang later as a handle). Grease the foil with the ½ tablespoon of room-temperature butter.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large sieve or sifter. Sift this dry ingredient combination into a large bowl; set aside.
When the butter and sugars mixture is cool, add the egg, egg yolk, corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Then, while stirring, slowly add the flour combination. Finally add the pecans and chocolate chips; mix lightly until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the foil-lined pan, being sure to scrape so you get every drop of batter possible. Spread the batter to the edges of the pan to form an even layer.
Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the top is golden brown. To be sure the blondies are baked through, insert a toothpick in the middle; if it comes out clean, it’s done.
Then for the second critically important waiting period: place the pan on a wire rack for 40 minutes to an hour until the blondies are cooled completely. I know you’ll be tempted to eat right away; the smell is wonderful. But if you do not wait, the blondies will crumble. While they will still taste good, they won’t look their best.
After the blondies have cooled, use the foil overhang “handles” to lift the blondies out of the pan and unto a cutting board. Peel off the foil and cut into bars. I like nice big bars, so I cut the blondies into 9 squares.
Enjoy!
*If you do not let the butter and sugars mixture cool before adding the rest of the ingredients, the eggs may begin to cook resulting in scrambled eggs (not what you’re looking for here!) and/or the chocolate chips may melt. While the resulting chocolate streaked bars look interesting, the taste is not nearly as good. So be patient and let this mixture cool before continuing; your patience will be rewarded!
Just as I have been disappointed in some blondies I have purchased, I have also been disappointed in every blondie recipe I have come across. Each seemed to be missing something.
And yet, there are times when I absolutely crave a blondie. What to do? I realized that my only option was to develop my own blondie recipe.
But first, a warning: if you are looking for a quick dessert you can whip up in a flash, this blondie recipe is not it. This recipe calls for two different waiting periods that can seem to take forever, but the wait is necessary. Trust me, these blondies are worth the time.
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) – plus about ½ tablespoon room-temperature butter for greasing the pan
2/3 cups brown sugar – packed (I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar is fine)
¼ cup sugar
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips (I prefer semi-sweet chocolate)
Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan. When the butter has melted, increase the heat to medium-high and boil while stirring constantly, until the butter has turned a golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. (Be sure not to let the butter burn.) Remove the butter from heat.
Add the brown sugar and sugar and stir until well incorporated. Cool for at least 10 minutes; this is the first critically important waiting period.*
While the butter and sugars mixture cools, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-3 inch overhang on two opposite sides of the pan (you will use this overhang later as a handle). Grease the foil with the ½ tablespoon of room-temperature butter.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large sieve or sifter. Sift this dry ingredient combination into a large bowl; set aside.
When the butter and sugars mixture is cool, add the egg, egg yolk, corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Then, while stirring, slowly add the flour combination. Finally add the pecans and chocolate chips; mix lightly until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the foil-lined pan, being sure to scrape so you get every drop of batter possible. Spread the batter to the edges of the pan to form an even layer.
Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the top is golden brown. To be sure the blondies are baked through, insert a toothpick in the middle; if it comes out clean, it’s done.
Then for the second critically important waiting period: place the pan on a wire rack for 40 minutes to an hour until the blondies are cooled completely. I know you’ll be tempted to eat right away; the smell is wonderful. But if you do not wait, the blondies will crumble. While they will still taste good, they won’t look their best.
After the blondies have cooled, use the foil overhang “handles” to lift the blondies out of the pan and unto a cutting board. Peel off the foil and cut into bars. I like nice big bars, so I cut the blondies into 9 squares.
Enjoy!
*If you do not let the butter and sugars mixture cool before adding the rest of the ingredients, the eggs may begin to cook resulting in scrambled eggs (not what you’re looking for here!) and/or the chocolate chips may melt. While the resulting chocolate streaked bars look interesting, the taste is not nearly as good. So be patient and let this mixture cool before continuing; your patience will be rewarded!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Getting Dinner on the Table While Fasting
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
Every Lent I fast at least for two days: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. I fast for approximately 24 hours. So for Ash Wednesday, I eat nothing after dinner on Tuesday evening until dinner on Wednesday evening. I will drink water during that time, but no other beverage. Every hunger pang I feel is a call to pray. When my stomach growls, I also remember that as much as I need food, I need God even more.
For years it never seemed to fail that I had to head to the supermarket on a day I was fasting. Talk about poor planning! Not only did I face extreme temptations to break my fast early as I navigated through aisle after aisle of appealing food, I also faced the extreme temptation to buy far more food than I needed because I was so hungry. After a few years, I learned to plan better: make sure to do my grocery shopping before and after fast days, not during them.
Yet I still faced another challenge – getting dinner on the table on a day I fast. Preparing a labor- or time-intensive meal while in the most difficult final hours of a fast is a struggle. Smelling food, seeing food, handling food can make my hunger pangs more intense – and can make me increasingly cranky. Not a good way to end a soul-nourishing fast!
After a few years, I again learned to plan better. Now I plan for an easy-to-prepare or already-prepared meal to break my fast. One of my favorite easy-to-prepare fast-breaking meals is pasta. All I have to do is make sure I have the needed pasta on hand (I normally have a wide assortment of pasta shapes in the pantry and freezer) as well as leftover sauce in the freezer to accompany it. This means, of course, that I need to plan ahead so I make sure to actually have leftover sauce in the freezer, so we will have spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna, baked ziti or some other pasta dinner in the week or two before a fast day. I’ll prepare extra sauce at that time, and stash the planned leftover sauce in the freezer. Then on a fast day, all I need to do is thaw the sauce in the refrigerator that morning, and right before dinner heat the sauce while I cook the pasta. That’s a great way to have a nourishing meal without adding to the struggle of a fast.
Every Lent I fast at least for two days: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. I fast for approximately 24 hours. So for Ash Wednesday, I eat nothing after dinner on Tuesday evening until dinner on Wednesday evening. I will drink water during that time, but no other beverage. Every hunger pang I feel is a call to pray. When my stomach growls, I also remember that as much as I need food, I need God even more.
For years it never seemed to fail that I had to head to the supermarket on a day I was fasting. Talk about poor planning! Not only did I face extreme temptations to break my fast early as I navigated through aisle after aisle of appealing food, I also faced the extreme temptation to buy far more food than I needed because I was so hungry. After a few years, I learned to plan better: make sure to do my grocery shopping before and after fast days, not during them.
Yet I still faced another challenge – getting dinner on the table on a day I fast. Preparing a labor- or time-intensive meal while in the most difficult final hours of a fast is a struggle. Smelling food, seeing food, handling food can make my hunger pangs more intense – and can make me increasingly cranky. Not a good way to end a soul-nourishing fast!
After a few years, I again learned to plan better. Now I plan for an easy-to-prepare or already-prepared meal to break my fast. One of my favorite easy-to-prepare fast-breaking meals is pasta. All I have to do is make sure I have the needed pasta on hand (I normally have a wide assortment of pasta shapes in the pantry and freezer) as well as leftover sauce in the freezer to accompany it. This means, of course, that I need to plan ahead so I make sure to actually have leftover sauce in the freezer, so we will have spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna, baked ziti or some other pasta dinner in the week or two before a fast day. I’ll prepare extra sauce at that time, and stash the planned leftover sauce in the freezer. Then on a fast day, all I need to do is thaw the sauce in the refrigerator that morning, and right before dinner heat the sauce while I cook the pasta. That’s a great way to have a nourishing meal without adding to the struggle of a fast.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Blizzard Chicken
February of 2010 brought unusually severe weather to our region of the country. During the most stormy week, two blizzards hit, dumping a total of approximately three feet of snow! While it was fun to have off of school and work, build a snowman, and go sledding, it was also a lot of work shoveling.
One day while I was shoveling the driveway and sidewalk yet again, Kathleen decided to create a satisfying dinner. She came up with a winner that warmed my body – and my soul. Blizzard chicken is a great recipe for a cold winter day and when you have some extra time to cook.
3 chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil - divided
5 ½ tablespoons butter – divided
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion
3 ribs of celery
2 carrots
1 small butternut squash
½ cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Cut up chicken into 1-inch chunks. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the chicken, salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked, and then set it aside.
While the chicken is cooking, dice the onion, cut the celery into ¼-inch slices, peel and cut both the carrots and squash into 1 – 1 ½ - inch chunks. When chicken is cooked, add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the vegetables for 5-7 minutes stirring frequently, until they are slightly tender.
To make the sauce, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk, cooking for at least 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and continue to whisk so there are no lumps, cooking for 4-5 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the milk and nutmeg, then cook (whisking occasionally) until the mixture bubbles around the edges for several minutes.
Butter a large baking dish with the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter. Combine the vegetables and chicken in the baking dish, add chopped parsley and pour the sauce on top. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until bubbly.
Biscuit are a great addition to this delicious casserole.
One day while I was shoveling the driveway and sidewalk yet again, Kathleen decided to create a satisfying dinner. She came up with a winner that warmed my body – and my soul. Blizzard chicken is a great recipe for a cold winter day and when you have some extra time to cook.
3 chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil - divided
5 ½ tablespoons butter – divided
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion
3 ribs of celery
2 carrots
1 small butternut squash
½ cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Cut up chicken into 1-inch chunks. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the chicken, salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked, and then set it aside.
While the chicken is cooking, dice the onion, cut the celery into ¼-inch slices, peel and cut both the carrots and squash into 1 – 1 ½ - inch chunks. When chicken is cooked, add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the vegetables for 5-7 minutes stirring frequently, until they are slightly tender.
To make the sauce, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk, cooking for at least 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and continue to whisk so there are no lumps, cooking for 4-5 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the milk and nutmeg, then cook (whisking occasionally) until the mixture bubbles around the edges for several minutes.
Butter a large baking dish with the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter. Combine the vegetables and chicken in the baking dish, add chopped parsley and pour the sauce on top. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until bubbly.
Biscuit are a great addition to this delicious casserole.
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