5/23: Ending Eastertide, Celebrating Pentecost

Pentecost marks the end of Eastertide. Throughout the season of Eastertide, we have contemplated how the small, ordinary things can point us to God. Pentecost is a holy day in the Church Year, but it is also a season. This season is actually referred to as Ordinary Time, but more on that in a later post. 

Pentecost, in essence, is when Christians remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Early Christians. It has been viewed as the "birthday of the church" and feast day. Fun fact, Pentecost was originally a Jewish feast. In the Old Testament, it is translated as the feast of weeks or the feast of harvest, but in Greek, it was called Pentecost. For more on the Jewish history of this Christian holy day, you can check out this site here, this site here, and this other site here. The reason so many people from so many places were in Jerusalem was for this Jewish feast. It was one of the three holy days that required Jews to travel to Jerusalem. 

Celebrating Pentecost at Home: This site here and this one here each have 5 ways Pentecost can be celebrated at home. Our celebration doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate to be meaningful. This site here has more ideas for celebrating at home. They encourage utilizing the wind in our celebrations. This site here has more of a prayer service/liturgy for Pentecost that can be done at home. 

Celebrating Pentecost at Church: This site here covers the biblical basis for Pentecost and has a lot of ideas (including many craft ideas) on how Pentecost can be celebrated at church. (I loved their idea on reading part of Acts 2 in many different languages). This site here has some ideas for celebrating Pentecost as a Church. Since Pentecost is viewed as the Church's birthday, they recommend serving cake. 

Suggested Activities: 

Plan: Look through the sites referenced above for ideas that would work for your family and church. 

Read: Acts 2 is the story of Pentecost, so it can be read and discussed. 

Decorate: Red is the color of Pentecost, so try to wear red clothes, set out red decorations, and eat red foods. 

Feast: This is a feast day, so be sure to include special foods in your Sunday meals. Bonus points for including naturally red foods. 

Contemplate: Reflect on the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit as we remember the Spirit coming to guide us. 

2nd Sunday of Eastertide: Baking Bread

Our theme for Eastertide is finding joy as we faithfully do the small things, so today we will look at baking bread.

I have heard it said that cooking is an art, whereas baking is a science. When we bake bread, we must faithfully follow the instructions and carefully measure the ingredients. It may not be exciting to carefully measure out each ingredient, but it is this small, faithful act that leads to a consistent, repeatable, delicious bread. 

Likewise, in our faith, we must faithfully follow the instructions and carefully check our actions against God's commands in Scripture. The small, faithful act of checking our actions and allowing friends to call us out for ungodly behavior is a step we can take to nurture the virtues God wants us to embody. 

Making bread consists of stages: mixing, resting, kneading, resting, preparing, resting, and baking. Some stages are messy, some give us time to tidy up the kitchen. Kneading is hands-on and active work, whereas we step back in the baking stage, to let the oven do its part. The small, faithful act of following the rhythm of the directions, allows the bread to rise, develop, and finish.

Likewise, our Christian walk consists of stages, periods of work and rest, times of preparing and doing. Some stages are messy, whereas others allow us to recuperate and rest. Sometimes our time and energy must be heavily invested in a person or activity for a season, other times, we step back and let God work as we observe. The small, faithful act of following the Spirit through the rhythm of the day and seasons, allows us to grow, mature, and be molded into a more Christ-like person. 

The aroma of the bread permeates the house, as it rises, as it bakes, and once it is finished. It is not something that can be hidden away. If you are baking bread, any person entering your house will realize this. The smell may seem to be a small, insignificant thing, but it faithfully announces that bread is being made as it draws hungry bellies to the kitchen to await the finished bread. 

Likewise, we want the aroma of Christ to permeate our actions, our words, and our lives. We don't want to hide away our Christianity and faith. We want those who encounter us to notice this aroma. Through faithfully living in obedience to Christ and His commands, people will catch a trace of Christ's aroma in us as we go about our days. 

Baking bread is something that brings me joy. 

Bread recipes often make such quantities of bread that we are subtly encouraged to share with others. 

By looking at the loaf of bread and the process of bread-making, we can consider ways that it points us back to our faith and therefore towards Christ. 

A delightful thing that I learned about bread was that in some places, such as Ireland, they have a legal definition of how much sugar to flour can be in a loaf of bread. (Spoiler, it's not a lot). So a lot of the baked products that we call bread, would be considered a "pastry" under Irish law or a "cake". I'm looking at you, banana "bread"! While sweet things are delicious and so enjoyable to eat, we can use this distinction to consider how much sugar we are adding into the flour of our lives. Are we investing our time in things that will satisfy us and bring us closer to God or are we filling up on mindless and worldly fillers that do not satisfy us. There are some bread recipes that are made with little to no sweeteners. It is a different taste, but I want to challenge us to find a hearty bread recipe that doesn't use sugar, sugar substitutes, or other sweeteners to bake, so we can chew on the "flour to sugar" ratio in our lives while munching on this hearty loaf. 

We are Connected

Back in 2014, I took a personality test called Strength Finders. After I took this long test, it told me my top 5 strengths and their summaries. It covered what they looked like at their best and their worst. I understood my top 4 strengths easily enough.

Then my fifth strength was "connectedness." As I read through the traits associated with it, I wondered why I got this strength. I wouldn't describe myself as spiritual or the holder of a strong faith. I'm still a sapling growing into a full-grown tree. I get caught in the details instead of looking at the big picture. I don't help others see purpose. But when I read the traits of my strength at its worst, it started to resonate with me. People call me naive and idealistic. That's me! In the summary for connectedness, it mentions the links between different events. Events happen due to reasons impacting it. There are few coincidences. Finally I start to relate to this odd-ball strength of mine.

The books I am drawn to start to make sense in light of this strength. Living More with Less. The More with Less Cookbook. Almost Amish. Seven. They all teach that we should live simply so others can have the resources to live.

It is easy for me to get frustrated when I read statistics about the American lifestyle versus the lifestyle of the majority world countries. Americans consume so much of the world's resources that if everyone on the planet lived like an American, we would need over 4 earths to support the world's population.

I don't like hearing comments along the lines of, "Well, I worked hard for my ____. If other people want ____, they should work as hard as I did." Except, when we are over-consuming, it is physically impossible for everyone else to get all the same ____ as we have when resources have finite limits.

Imagine there is one apple in a group of ten people. You get a quarter of the apple. That leaves 75% of the apple for 9 people. That means that you have 25% of the apple and if everyone else if fair, they would each get 6.75% of the apple. If other people tried to get a share like yours, then only 4 people could have the apple and 6 people would have nothing. For everyone to get a share like yours, there would need to be 2.5 apples instead of the one. The earth is a finite resource. There are limits to what it can give. When we consume more than our fair share, it is like we are stealing from the world's poorest populations.

Sadly, I am not over-exaggerating how much we consume.
"The United States, with less than 5% of the global population, uses about a quarter of the world’s fossil fuel resources—burning up nearly 25% of the coal, 26% of the oil, and 27% of the world’s natural gas." Source

Even worse, we aren't even using everything that we buy. We buy food and then throw it in the trash because we do not use it in time.

• Americans throw out 200,000 tons of edible food daily. Source

We grow plenty of food...for animals. Instead of focusing on low cost crops to send around the world to end malnutrition and starvation, we grow crops only animals can eat, so we can eat those animals.

• Eighty percent of the corn grown and 95% of the oats are fed to livestock. Source
• Fifty-six percent of available farmland is used for beef production. Source

Earlier this year, I watched a movie that had one line that really struck a cord with me:

"You've got simultaneous epidemics of obesity and starvation. Explain that one!" -Nix in Tomorrowland

Unfortunately, this statistic is true. "An estimated 65 % of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, leading to an annual loss of 300,000 lives and at least $117 billion in health care costs in 1999." Source

People around the world are starving because they do not have adequate access to food, but here in America, almost 2 in every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese. We have Americans dying because they are eating too much while others in the world are dying because there is not enough to eat.

Don't worry. I will not leave this post without practical tips to change the future into a more positive future.

1. Focus on eating right: the right foods in the right amounts. Source 1 and Source 2 clearly outline the ideal servings of grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and sweets in a day. When I started tallying how many servings I was getting in each category, I was surprised to learn that if I don't pay attention, I tend to skip vegetables!! Eating the proper servings of fruits, vegetables, and grains do help you to feel full and it is good for you to boot!!

2. Buy local and in season. Did you know that there are spring vegetables, summer vegetables, autumn vegetables, and winter vegetables? Buy local produce will direct you to the seasonal vegetables that are fresher, ripen naturally, and don't spend a lot of time/resources in transportation.

3. Buy enough, but not too much. Reduce what you buy and use what you have. This is the key to not throwing away food.

4. Prepare food quickly for convenience. On shopping day, I leave my produce on my counter as a reminder to wash and prepare my fruits and vegetables. When I take the time to wash, peel, chop, and slice my produce, I don't reach for convenience foods because I made the healthy food convenient!

5. Make it yourself instead of buying a pre-made version. It costs extra, both in money and resources to pay for pre-made convenience foods. I have seen pre-peeled oranges that you can buy in plastic containers...or you can buy your own oranges and peel them yourself.

6. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reduce the resources you consume. Find ways to reuse things you already have. Recycle your paper, glass, plastic, and tin.

7. Buy global. Liz, Tip 2 was buy local. Yep. And now Tip 7 is to buy global. Yep. Instead of buying the cheapest products that are made in sweatshops, buy fair trade items. Sometimes the cheapest item supports oppression and the pricier item pays a fair wage to the worker. Research fair trade companies and splurge from time to time on the quality pieces and foods you find there.

8. Try to eat like someone from a majority world country. (The phrase Majority World Country is replacing Third World Country since highly industrialized countries are not the majority of countries in the world). Research how someone from Sudan, Guatemala, or Thailand would eat. Then try to eat like them for a week.

9. Cut something out of your lifestyle AND use the money you would have spent to do good. Cut out carbonated beverages from your life. Spend the money you would have spent on carbonated beverages to help build wells in majority world countries. Cut out the majority of sweets from your life. Spend the money on projects that support sustainable agriculture.

How to Flash-Freeze Fruits and Veggies in a Small Freezer

I have a small refrigerator & therefore a small freezer. Therefore, I cannot flash freeze food in the way that my mother taught me (to wash, spread out on a cookie sheet to freeze, & then put in a bag).

I've come up with my own way of flash freezing and maybe it will be of good use to you. I typically flash freeze veggies like onions, carrots, chiles, tomatoes (I'm not as successful with tomatoes), celery, etc. and then use them in soups, stir-fries, and omelets.

Wash the fruit or veggies you wish to freeze.
Cut them in the size you want.
Put them in a sandwich baggie that you can seal.
Mush them around so it forms a fairly flat layer.
Place the bag in the freezer. If you stack several bags on top of each other, the middle one(s) will freeze slowest.
Occasionally take the bags out and move the pieces around. This prevents them from freezing in one solid lump.
If you wait to long & they are frozen together, slam the bag on the counter to break up.
Once they are frozen (after 2-5 bag movements), they won't refreeze as a chunk.

Making Faith Bread: A Baking Allegory

Sometimes the everyday, the ordinary, and the routine can become the routes through which God whispers a lesson.

For me, I learned about faith & trust through baking bread.

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It was a new recipe. My typical-go to recipes were unsuitable for my needs. I just wanted one simple loaf of bread, not 2 or 4. I found a new recipe and started to make it.

The directions were odd and different. Why was it necessary to mix 4 ingredients and then let it sit for 2 hours if I would then add 2 more ingredients and let it rise?

I did not see how it would turn out. At first I was convinced that I needed more water than the recipe called for, after 2 hours & more water, I thought there was too much water.

Internally, I rebelled against the recipe. I wanted to change it, fight it, bake my own way. It was wrong. It wasn't right for my circumstances. It needed tweaking to fit properly in my world.

My desire to change the recipe warred with my knowledge that the recipe was created by someone who knew best. It was created by someone with more knowledge & was tried & tested. I needed to obey the recipe, follow the recipe, trust the creator of the recipe, & have faith that it would turn out alright, but it was against my instincts.

I had to choose. Would I follow the recipe, would I submit to it, or would I follow my own path, untested and untried into new waters? I submitted to the recipe. I made a decision to follow it exactly, even if I didn't understand, even if I didn't see how it could possibly turn out well. I was no longer able to predict what would happen next or why it was happening. I took each step as it came & reviewed what the recipe told me to do next.

The bread turned out differently than I typically make, but it was still good, in different ways. I'm glad I submitted to the recipe, even if I didn't understand the "why."

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Suddenly my thoughts weren't about baking bread anymore, but about my walk with God.

It was a new situation. My typical verses & methods of dealing with the situation were unsuitable for the present time. I found a new passage in the Bible that I hadn't studied before and started to read it.

The instructions were odd & different. They told me to do things differently from the world's methods. Why would I put others first or pray for my enemies?

I didn't see how it would work it "real life." I was convinced that my methods were better, that my system was more reliable.

Internally, I rebelled against the words on the page. I wanted to fight them, change them, live my own way. The instructions were wrong. They weren't right for me, for my circumstances. They needed tweaking to fit properly in my world & to be applicable.

My desire to change the instructions warred with my knowledge that these instructions were created by Someone who knew best. It was created by Someone with more knowledge (all knowledge) and was tested & tried by the saints before me. I needed to obey & follow the instructions, to trust the Author of the Book, and have faith that the situation would turn out alright, even if it went against my instincts.

I had to choose. Would I follow the instructions, would I submit to them & to the Author, or would I follow my own path, untested and untried into new waters? I submitted to the Author. I made a decision to follow Him exactly, even if I didn't understand, even if I didn't see how it could possibly turn out well. I was no longer able to predict what would happen next or why it was happening. I took each step as it came & reviewed what the instructions told me to do next.

The situation turned out differently than I expected, but it was still a good outcome. I'm glad I submitted to the Author, even if I didn't understand the "why" of His instructions.

Favorite Recipe Involving Beans & Rice?

My hubby & I will be moving to a country (you can read more about it here) where one of the main staple food is beans & rice. I have some recipes that build around them, but I want more recipes and more variety. 

If you have a favorite recipe centered around beans & rice please send it to me (including ingredient list & how much of each ingredient and directions) with an optional photo of it.

My husband and I look forward to hearing about and trying new recipes!!

A Crash Course in Home Economics: Maximizing Food

Ever wondered how to stretch the food in your pantry/cupboard/fridge/etc. for another day(s)/week(s) or until that next paycheck?

Many times, it pays to use simple foods and less meats (I said less, not none).

My husband and I had company last weekend. I grabbed two sandwiches baggies full of marinating chicken to thaw for dinner. My hubby wanted grilled chicken (i.e. one piece of chicken per person), but we fortunately remembered that *he's* the master griller, not his lovely bride. I opted to make a chicken stir-fry with rice. Instead of using all 5 slabs of chicken, I diced up 2 and had enough meat to serve 4 people. The other 3 slabs of chicken were grilled after all, for later. I grabbed a bag of mixed frozen veggies that I made myself. When I was slicing veggies a while back, I put a variety (carrots, bell peppers, celery, broccoli) in a bag. Since I was planning on using these veggies for stews or stir-frys or casseroles, I put some of the non-traditional parts in too (like the sliced up truck of the broccoli). Add in rice, baked potatoes, and a dessert and dinner was done. A chicken-veggie stir fry, rice, baked potatoes, and apple-strawberry jello filled us up. We had a full serving of everything left over. I wasn't too enthusiastic about the leftover stir fry, so I combined the rice, stir-fry, extra carrots, and chicken bouillon cubes to make a soup.  I'm estimating that this soup will be 4 meals for my hubby and I.

What could have been 5 chicken servings became 3 grilled chicken servings, 4 stir-fry servings, and 4 servings of soup. Instead of of 5 servings, I get 11, effectively doubling the stretch of the meat.

What are some strategies I use to stretch food in my home?
1. Chop up the meat. Mix it with something. Don't let it be the focal point of the plate.
2. Use staples (rice, beans, bread) to fill the rest of the gap we're typically fill with meat.
3. Think of ways to get more fruits and veggies on the table. Instead of a bowl of pineapple, I made strawberry jello with apple pieces inside. Much better received.
4. Research your nutrition needs and stick with them. A girl of my size needs 45 grams of protein a day (i.e. 15 grams per meal). So yes, a cup of milk and 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter does count as enough protein for a meal (allowing me to focus on cinnamon rolls and orange slices). [Mom, my meals typically have more planning and preparation than this]
5. Plan ahead and prepare fruits and veggies so you can grab and eat when you're wanting a snack, as an alternative to filler foods that really don't fill.
6. Stick with proper portions (especially for expensive foods). Just because you can finish that 16 oz. soda in one sitting doesn't mean it's good to do so. 2 servings, 2 sittings.
7. Go old school. War-time (WWI, WWII) and Great Depression cooks were experts at stretching meals and maximizing foods. My new favorite cookbook is "Foods that Will Win the War and How to Cook Them (1918)" This cookbook is free for Amazon kindle (and yes, you can download the kindle app to your computer and use the cookbook from the computer). It focuses on ways to reduce our usage of wheat, meat, sugar, fat, and stretches food in general.
8. This one may seem odd, but only eat when you're hungry. It's a bit embarrassing that I can be awake for hours before I'm hungry for breakfast or that lunch might occur between 2 & 3pm or that supper might not happen until 8pm. I like to snack. A lot. When I'm hungry/bored/watching tv/to mourn/to celebrate/because it's there/to comfort/and many other times. Waiting to eat until I'm actually hungry shows me what hunger is and shows me that I have very rarely ever been SEVERELY hungry.
9. Downplay meat even more. Beans & rice cost less than steak. Go meatless for a few meals. It can be tasty (if you cook the foods right).
10. Eat foods that fill you up. Sometimes the best solution to prevent me from wiping out that whole package of potato chips is a big bowl of oatmeal (and when I eat the oatmeal, the fridge gets a break when I get a full stomach).

*note* I am not a dietitian or nutritionist. These are simply things I do when I try to maximize foods.

A Feast Worth Attending

What does a feast consist of?

Lots of food, alcohol, scantily-cladness, and gluttony? No, thank you.

Fellowship, special food, and prayer? When's the feast?

In Jewish life, there are about 7 major festivals: Passover, festival of unleavened bread, offering of firstfruits, festival of weeks, festivals of trumpets, day of atonement, and the festival of tabernacles. (Details about these feasts can be found in Leviticus 23.)

In Christian life, there's Christmas dinner, Easter breakfast, and Thanksgiving day.

Feasts should have fellowship. In my mind, a one-person feast is so lonely. People living alone sometimes have trouble with leftover portions to meals going bad before they eat it. It's hard to cook only what one person needs. When I'm home alone, I don't break out special dishes or plates. I eat simply; typically in front of a tv.

Feasts should have special food. If we made a Thanksgiving dinner once a week, it wouldn't be so special and wouldn't be so anticipated. Feasts are a time for special foods, that aren't typically made, or classics that never lose favor.

Feasts should have joy. Feasts shouldn't be sad, mournful occasions. Laugh. Giggle. Chuckle. Rejoice in the Lord and the friends He has blessed you with!!

Feasts shouldn't forget the VIP guest. Feasts should have prayer. If you can have a feast, you can thank God for how He has blessed you.

I challenge you to have a feast. Invite others over to celebrate what God has done in your life. Don't go into debt to have a feast, but kill the fattened calf. Break out the special dishes, the special food, and the special tablecloths. Share stories. Ask questions. Share in laughter and prayer.

Have a feast.

From Scratch

Mmm-mmm good. I'm not talking about that mass-produced, full of preservatives food. I'm talking about good home-cooked (from scratch) cooking. Tasty!!

I'm a big fan of from scratch cooking. It's a point of pride that my hubby prefers some of my homemade alternatives to mixes and packaged foods.

Up until this fall, I have worked part-time, but have also been a full-time student. How did I make home-cooked meals?

I planned ahead. I made menus and shopping lists and only cooked once or twice a week. The rest of the times, we ate leftovers. I also don't have kids, only do laundry once a week, make use of my slow-cooker, and don't watch a lot of tv. I worked with computers all day, so when I came home after a long day of school, studying, and work, I was alright not being on facebook or the internet.

This is my busiest semester yet. How am I making home-cooked from scratch meals now?

Freezer cooking. I am cooking once a month and freezing large quantities of food. I will then thaw things out in the fridge to pack for lunches and eat for supper. I am counting on my hubby to help me with grilling (cuz that's men's work??) and clean-up.

Now we do buy some canned, frozen, and packaged foods. We do eat out sometimes. But the majority of the time, I like to cook and do my own thing.

Hubby and I are going into missions. Which means we might go to another country. Which means I may not have access to all my instant foods and mixes. Which means I may be doing a lot more from-scratch cooking in the future. So now is a season for me to prepare, learn, and gather weapons...er recipes...to use when I won't have access to bisquick.

I don't think a cookbook should publish a recipe that will make cheesy biscuits that require cheese and a tube of biscuits. Seriously. Teach me how to make it from scratch instead.

Personally, I find the kitchen relaxing. I've learned that I really enjoy preparing fresh fruits and veggies for eating, even if I'm home alone, working silently, with no music. The smell of home-made breads and the joy of a hubby liking home-made foods better than their store-bought alternative keeps me going.

So make some mashed potatoes from real potatoes. Roll out the biscuits like mama used to make. Prepare a feast of from-scratch home-cooked goodness. Then invite me over. Or a neighbor, or a college student, or a lady from church. Good food is meant to be shared.

A New Sort of Frozen Meal

OAMC (once a month cooking). Freezer cooking. A giant challenge I have accepted. From June through November, I will be cooking once a month and then freezing the tasty tidbits for suppers and lunches over a month. And I'm excited.

I'm health conscious. I know fast foods and eating out isn't good for my waistline or budget, but I do need to eat each day.

I won't have time or energy most of the fall semester for cooking at night, so I'm planning ahead. Way ahead.

I'm not fond of store-bought frozen meals, so for the rest of this year, I'm making and eating my own.

I'm excited about the potential this idea has.

Let's say a friend is sick, or in the hospital, or just had a baby. I have pre-prepared foods I can send her way.

Unexpected company? Let me pull something out of my freezer and get it thawed!!

Bored with yesterday's meal? Thaw out a new one!!

Planning ahead with my meals promises to offer me greater freedom, flexibility, and ways to minister.

Let's get the freezing on.

Preparing for a Siege

This fall, I'll be student teaching for 16 weeks.

I've been keeping a mental list of things that I won't be dealing with during my student teaching: cooking daily, people's pointless drama, politics (above and beyond being an informed social studies teacher), and non-essential activities. Ideally, I will only get on my facebook once a week and will only check my email twice a day.

It's a big transition from being a student to being a teacher-in-training. Lesson plans, grading, and joining in my assigned school's activities will be a main focus of August, September, October, and November.

Sometimes I feel as though I'm preparing for a siege, instead of preparing to leap that final hurdle before graduation (not counting the Praxis II tests I will need to pass).

I am making sure my fridge, pantry, wardrobe, and spiritual life won´t suffer during the 4 months of student teaching. I am making plans to ensure that none of the above will run on empty.

In preparation for the long hours I will be dedicating to student teaching, I have been researching how to cook a month's worth of main dishes in the course of a day, as well as what to cook. Essentially, during my 8 weeks at a high school and 8 weeks at a middle school, I'm not dealing with cooking more than 4 days. Fortunately, I had two practice months during the summer to work out the kinks in my once-a-month cooking system. I had a good experience with my first and second months cooking.

My wardrobe is stocked with teacher clothes. Teacher supplies are being collected.

More important than having perfectly prepared lesson plans, is planning for my spiritual renewal during student teaching.

-How early will I need to get up, in order to start my day in the Word and in prayer? (And to eat a good breakfast, in an unhurried manner).

-How am I planning on meeting my need for community and fellowship, despite the mound of papers that I will need to grade?

-What are my plans to still invest time in my hubby so he won't feel neglected?

-When I am faced with 4 months of lesson plans, grading, and whatnot, will I still obey God´s command to rest on the Sabbath? I sure hope so. Knowing that I only have 6 days before I get to rest again, as opposed to anticipating Labor Day, Fall Break, and Thanksgiving Break as my only forms of rest, makes the high workload seem so much more manageable.

A 4 month siege seems long, but preparation should make for a smoother transition.