Back to Routine

We arrived home from vacation yesterday. We had a great time enjoying the beach with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Restful, no. Fun, yes. My older sister laughs at my attempts to rest. Her children are older and she can actually set up her station in the sand and sit there the entire day if she chooses. Not so for my younger sister and myself. It becomes a game to see who can sit the longest in our beach chairs. The longest time was 8 minutes. Oh well, memories, right? The children had a blast with their cousins. Now mom and dad get to come home and catch up on things. That said, it has been an incredibly busy summer for us. Our feasting has been hit or miss and we are anxious to get back into our routines. This weeks feast I will cook everyone's favorite. My husband will choose the main dish and the children will pick the side dishes. I will try to make it extra festive as we get back into our routine. I will let you know the menu in the next day or so.

I read this in A Return to Sunday Dinner and thought it was a great explanation of one of the reasons we feast. " The Sunday table, too, has always been a center for family celebrations. Restful Sundays provide us with unhurried hours for enjoying our shared lives-exploring our heritage, remembering the sacrifices of those who made our lives possible, and giving thanks for God's kindness and blessings. But the Sunday dinner offers even more than true rest and joyful celebration. It also provides something often overlooked in this casual age: the gift of encouragement and inspiration. It helps us remember that there is indeed something above and beyond our commonplace world."

This is a great cookbook. I will post more on what he has to say later, but I thought he said so well what I have been trying to say.

This and That

We have had guests all week and are now preparing to be at the beach for the next week or so. Needless to say, not a lot of time for blogging. I did want to tell you about a new tea I have tried. Portsmouth Tea sent me a gift of three different teas to try. They were wonderful! My husband is not a hot tea drinker but enjoyed them. Especially the Apricot Peach Fruit Tea. Thank you Portsmouth Tea!! I will be adding their link to my sight. By the way, when we get back from vacation we will very quickly be getting back into the routine we have lacked for the last 2 or 3 months. Just wanted to let you know that I will be back to regular blogging then. Thank you to those who have not given up on me!

This Week's Feast

This will be the first feast we have had in our home in a few weeks. We will then be at the beach for the following two weekends. We also have company arriving on Monday for a few days. Therefore, because of all of the busyness we will keep this feast very laid back and enjoy our family as we prepare for worship. I have a London Broil in the freezer. I will marinate that and grill it. We will have corn on the cob. Broccoli casserole and asparagus. We have been grilling our corn wrapped on foil with chili powder or Old Bay and butter on the corn. VERY GOOD!! There is also a garlic,basil butter that is really good on corn. I will copy that at the end of my post. For dessert we will more than likely go out for ice cream. If you are trying to find ways to make your everyday meals more special, there are an abundance of ways to do this. When you are doing beef just caramelize onions and mushrooms to serve with the beef. Then add feta or blue cheese. I have even done this to a hamburger. It is delicious and turns something simple into something special. My broccoli casserole is one on my most popular dishes, but it is nothing special. I will bake it in little ramekin dishes and the kids will think it is great to have their own individual servings. What are some ways that you dress up your everyday meals?


Garlic, Basil Butter

1 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup basil, clean and dry,chopped fine
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1. Place the butter in a mixing bowl.
2. Add basil, garlic, and cheese and whip with an electric mixer until mixture is smooth and evenly blended.
3. Add salt to taste.
4. Pack butter into four crocks.
5. Allow flavors to blend for at least 4 hours before serving.
6. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Why do We Feast? Part 3

Another reason our family feasts is because we just like the time it forces us to carve out of our week to devote to the family. I am thinking the entire week about how not only to make this a special time that prepares us for worship and how to set the day aside for God, but I am also thinking about each member of my family. I think of ways to include everyone in the celebration. From helping prepare the food, making center pieces, setting the table, and giving input about the after dinner festivities. I want this to be an exciting night for the entire family. My desire is that everyone would look forward to coming together to celebrate Christ. I realize this may sound overwhelming. It really is not. It does not require a detailed written out agenda. It simply means as you are thinking about your feast through the week, make sure you are taking mental notes to include everyone. As my son gets older my husband has allowed him to do some of the scripture reading. This is a great way to include the boys. We have also allowed him to be more involved in planning the after dinner fun. His suggestions range from just playing football or something in the yard to going out for ice cream or a game of Putt-Putt. Above all I just want to be sure they all feel included and are enjoying themselves. It defeats the purpose if it is something they dread.

This Week's Feast

This week we will feast with our church family. Once a month we have a fellowship meal after church. We typically choose a theme, and a menu is planned and everyone contributes. We take turns planning the meal. It is a rather large undertaking. However, your turn to plan only comes around once or twice a year. Well, this month is my month. It was December when I last did the planning. Somehow I seem to pick our family's busiest months to do this. I have decided to do a summer picnic theme. We will have fried chicken, corn on the cob (because in Lancaster County you cannot have a picnic without sweet corn), a variety of salads, sliced melon, and pies and cobblers for dessert. So for those of you who have been to our fellowship meals and have inquired as to how we do it, this is it.

Why do we Feast? Part II

Okay, I was a lot busier last week than I had anticipated. Sorry it has taken a week for me to get back to my blog. Last week I said one reason we feast is to set the Sabbath aside as a special day. The second reason is, we use it as a time to prepare ourselves for worship the following day. For years we have always done something to prepare ourselves for worship. It has always been a pet-peeve of my husband's to think we could enter God's house to worship Him without preparing our hearts in some way. We have prepared in different ways through the years. When we heard of Sabbath feasting we thought it was a perfect way to do this. We start our Sabbath with a celebration which gets our hearts and minds prepared to set the day aside for God. My feasts are not always perfect, in fact rarely ever, but it is always a time with the family to put everything else aside, and to focus on God and all He has done for us.

Why do we Feast? Part 1

So, my husband was asked recently by someone, "this whole feasting thing, do you guys do it?" This of course led to a whole discussion as to why we do it. It seems as though we are having these conversations on a regular basis. Therefore, I thought I would think through our reasons for feasting with you guys. We have always felt a need to set the Sabbath apart from the rest of the week. We have done little things for years like making it a restful day, concentrating on quality family time, and of course going to church. When were first heard of Sabbath feasting we thought it was a perfect way to make the day even more special. Some may ask, why set it apart? First, God commands us to in the 4th commandment. As a culture we have drifted to such a casual view of God, we forget to honor Him and set His day apart. You have heard me say I believe your view of the Sabbath has a lot to do with your view if worship. If you do not have a high view of worship, which also shows your view of God, then of course it will not be a priority to set the day aside and honor Him. So, in feasting we have developed a tradition which sets this day apart from the other days of the week as something special. A day worth celebrating. I'll be back tomorrow with reason #2.