Symbols

As a student of history, I have always been fascinated by the people of Japan.  They were, for centuries, an isolationist country, keeping out influences from both Western and Eastern religions, cultures, thoughts.  And yet, the Japanese loved new ideas, studying them, borrowing them, and then making them theirs – uniquely Japanese.  So they traded with people from the west over the seas, and people from the east over the lands, and their own culture became enriched.

Christians are a rather similar people.  We look at other religions, other cultures and traditions and think – wow, those are pretty neat.  If we just changed how we looked at it a little bit, then it becomes uniquely ours.  We might have been inspired by A, B and C, but with a little of the Holy Spirit mixed in, we've got the Alpha, the Omega and everything in between.

Christmas is one of those times of year when Christians are accused of taking over Pagan symbols, or in the more modern, PC vernacular, practicing cultural appropriation.  In some ways, they could be considered correct, but let's look at a uniquely Christmas symbol, and what it means around the world.  Here, I'm speaking of the Christmas Star.

Now, it's only in Matthew that we hear about the Star in the East that leads the three wise men to come and find Jesus.  But we all know about the star, how it guides, how it shines so brilliantly in comparison to all the other stars in the sky.  Over the years, the star has been depicted as having 5 points, 6 points, 8 points or 12 points.  So just taking those – essentially the ornaments we put at the top of our Christmas tree, to remind us that Christ is what it most important under that star – let's look at how other traditions look the various pointed stars.

A pentagram, or 5-pointed star can be found throughout ancient Sumeria, Greece and Egypt, often used in creation stories to represent the elements found on Earth, i.e. water, earth, fire, air and spirit.  The Chinese have the elements in a 5-pointed star of water, earth, fire, wood and metal.  Today, you'll find most pentagrams in use by modern Wiccans – a pagan religion that actually began in 1954, which takes on the original creation elements, adding in the Pythagorean definition of it symbolizing man.  This symbol is in use all over the world, and no one group or culture has a monopoly on the symbol.  The symbol means what it means to the person using it.

A hexagram, or 6-pointed star, is most often recognized in the west as the Star of David.  It has, however, also been used in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism – which would generally tell us that this is probably a regional symbol that then came into use by various religions.  Christians have been known to use a hexagram, and call it the Star of Creation.  Interestingly, Pascal and other mathematicians find the "Mystic hexagram" to be a fascinating use of geometry.

An octagram, or 8-pointed star, is familiar to us as the Compass Rose.  You'll note that as the stars gain numbers of points, they are more and more popular with mathematicians.  In any case, the 8-pointed star is regularly used by Muslims, Hindus, and Venus worshipers in Latvia.

A dodecagram, or 12-pointed star, is pretty much a popular symbol for when you have 12 of anything to keep track of – 12 apostles, 12 tribes, 12 months in a year or signs of the zodiac. 

So the point to all of this trivial knowledge is that a symbol is something used for or representing something else.  It can, of course, be popularized in one culture, be used by another culture and that symbolism takes over the meaning of the original.  A good example of this is the swastika – originally coming from the Sanskrit, and used by Hindus, Jainists and Native American religions as symbols of good luck, divinity and spirituality – and eventually taken over by the Nazi party in Germany to mean racial superiority and anti-semitism.  To use this symbol now is certainly asking for trouble.

But let's take the wisdom of a child about stars.  Mr. Harry Lauder told of a man and his small son who were walking slowly down the streets of a large American city one Christmas time. It was wartime, and the child was interested to see many service stars hanging in the windows of homes. Each star proudly proclaiming the fact that the son was in the service of his country. He clapped his hands excitedly as he approached each new home and each new star, and he was impressed by those homes with more than one star in the window.

Presently they came to a wide gap between the houses and through the black velvet of the Christmas sky there was clearly discernable the Evening Star. It shone brightly as a diamond. "Oh look, Daddy," cried the little boy. "God must have given His Son, for He has a star in His window."

Each symbol that we use stands for something.  It can be used to educate, to remind ourselves, or even to just use a short-cut, like writing X-mas, where the X stands for Christ.  Usually, symbols will help to teach more than one thing.  Let's take the 12-days of Christmas, which begin on Christmas Day and go through Epiphany.  First, it teaches counting, as well as a popular method of memorization – adding one item at a time.  It was probably played as a forfeit game.  Second, be aware that the words to this song have 21 different versions.  The original came from "The Twelve Days of Christmas sung at King Pepin's Ball", as part of a 1780 children's book, Mirth without Mischief.  The version of music and song mostly came from the 1909 version by Frederic Austen.

Rather than playing the game here, I'll give you something to think about when you hear each of the symbols in the song.  And if your question is, was the song written to portray these symbols, the answer is no, but Christians have adapted it to help us teach our children about Christmas.

The partridge in the pear tree is Christ, given to us by "my true love", or God.  Two turtle doves can represent the Old and the New Testaments, together bearing witness to God's self-revelation to us.  The three French hens represent the three theological virtues – faith, hope and love. 

Four Calling birds originally began as collie birds, or black birds.  However, we use them here to remind us of the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  Five golden rings are the first five books of the Bible, or the Pentateuch.  We slow down for this to remind us of the history of mankind, and our need for forgiveness, and thus God giving us his son.

Six is the number of the days of Creation.  Seven are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as outlined in Romans:  Prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading and compassion.  Eight are the numbers of the Beatitudes:  blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

The nine fruits of the spirit from Galatians are next, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Ten would be the ten Commandments, which I won't repeat here.  Eleven would be the 11 faithful apostles, excluding Judas.  And finally, 12 would be the number of points of doctrine found in the Apostles' Creed. 

Now if you could teach your children, grandchildren, or even yourself all of these points by the use of the song, then I think the Christian appropriation of the song might be well worth it.  We need to keep in mind that it was "our true love" who gave each of them to us.

We don't have to argue symbols with people.  Their symbol means to them what it means to them.  There's nothing to take away from them – they haven't tried to ban our Christmas season.  And, we haven't tried to take over their own traditions and symbols.  We do have symbols at Christmas that all relate to Christ in one way or another – they are uniquely Christian, but fortunately, we are all one people created by God, and we can decide on which symbols mean what to us.

Christmas Sermon: No Room at the Inn?

Merry Christmas!

          All month, I've been posting recipes and Bible verses to our blog about the concept of hospitality.  In today's Gospel, we've heard the story we all know so well about the journey Joseph and Mary took to register for the census.  But as you may come to discover as you listen here today, we may not have as clear a picture about the time of Jesus' birth as we might think.  Our culture has created a mythos, made popular by children's Christmas pageants everywhere.  I even included one of those stories in a previous sermon, where a little boy was devastated when he was playing the innkeeper and didn't have any room for Mary and Joseph – eventually shouting out, "Wait, you can have my room!"

          However, right now, I'm going to mention the one thing I swore I would avoid after my New Testament class – Greek.  Luke was an educated man, and Greek was certainly within his bailiwick.  Within any of the "Hebrew" scriptures, we can certainly hear the echo of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures.

          But today, we're going to talk about hospitality:  the hospitality due to strangers, and the hospitality due to out of town family.  In Jewish tradition, offering hospitality is a mitzvah, or commandment, for which one receives a blessing.  It actually carries the rule of law, and if a Jewish family knows of strangers who are hungry or need a place to rest, it actually becomes a legal obligation.  These rules developed out of the fact that they were a desert people, and travel of any distance often left people in need of that hospitality.  The Talmud teaches that one's house should always be open and welcoming to strangers.  Now, at the same time, strangers have an equal obligation to be a good guest, and to not overstay their welcome.  In the Midrash Tellihim, it advises, "On the day a guest arrives, a calf is slaughtered in his honor; the next day, a sheep, the third day, a fowl, and on the fourth day, he is served just beans."  Guests are to offer extra blessings while they stay, and ensure that they do not eat everything on a plate they are given.

          When your guest leaves, you should escort them part-way to ensure their safety, but at a minimum, you should escort them at least 4 cubits from the doorstep  - which is about 7 feet.  Jewish hospitality was so well known that when the Roman Emperor Julian set up hostels for transients in each town, he recommended they mimic the Jews, "in whose midst no stranger goes uncared for." 

          Just one more example of how important Jewish hospitality is – in Genesis 18, Abraham is literally talking with God – it had been only 3 days since his circumcision, and apparently God was making a house call to see how he was – when Abraham sees three strangers in the distance, and rushes out – leaving God there – to greet them and offer hospitality.  In that instance, hospitality ranked higher than talking with God about his circumcision.

          So, let's go back to Joseph and Mary, who were in Bethlehem because they had to go register for the census.  Both of them were of the tribe of Judah, so both of them would have at least had distant family close to where they were registering.  Also keep in mind that they were descendants – very far distant descendants, but descendants, nonetheless, of David, the greatest King the Jews had ever known to that point.  Family would have been more than happy to take them in.

          And here's where we get to the Greek.  The Greek word for a commercial inn is pandokeion.  And with current archeological findings, there was no inn in Bethlehem.  It was a small village.  And Luke did not use that word in stating that there was no place for them – in what has been translated as "inn."  The word that he used instead was kataluma, which means guest room or upper room.  With all of the family in town registering for the census, it is highly likely that everyone's guest rooms were a little crowded. 

          When I was little, I lived in a tiny farming village in Germany.  In the wintertime, the livestock were brought in to what was essentially the ground floor, protected from the harsher weather and temperatures.  This served a few purposes – the heat from the animals would rise and help heat the household; the farmers' kids didn't have brave the elements to take care of the livestock, milk cows, gather eggs, etc. – they could just go downstairs.  The smell took some getting used to, but eventually you didn't even notice it.  I caught the train to school every morning, and the stop was right next to one such house.

          Archeologists have discovered the same sort of arrangement for the houses in Bethlehem.  They would often build their house close to a cave, or build it up, so there was space underneath for the livestock.  That's where the manger would be kept, since a manger is a trough out of which horses and cattle ate.  According to the historians, it is unlikely that homes had an additional heating source, beyond a cooking stove.  So keeping the baby in the manger was both a soft place, and one of the warmer places in the house.  As good guests who would probably be staying more than the three days acceptable for good guests, it is likely that Joseph took care of the animals in the barn/stable and the new family was afforded a bit of privacy in that way as well.

          This sort of puts a whole new spin on how Jesus came into the world.  Rather than an inhospitable innkeeper and a lonely stable, Jesus was welcomed into the world, surrounded by family – who were probably in the main room and the guest rooms until all the excitement was over – and a Son was welcomed and kept warm.  When the shepherds were told about Christ's arrival, even as they were out in the fields, they knew just where to go – they didn't need directions.  It wasn't a separate stable or cave, but rather the warmest room in the house of those descended from David.  Hospitality ensured that Christ's birth was a celebration and happy event, even if everyone else didn't quite yet know the story of who His father was. 

Advent Day 24: Lasagna with a Twist

Well, we have come to the final day of our Advent season, where we've focused on hospitality and grace, specifically with how food can play a large part in making people feel welcome and taken care of.  Sometimes this can include taking note of their allergies or food peculiarities.  Sometimes it can be seeing what you've got in the refrigerator to be able to make up quickly.  At this time of year, many people will have leftover turkey, and could certainly substitute that into this dish.  This would be a great dish for Christmas Eve, prepared before you go to church and popped into the oven upon your return for a nice dinner.

Be sure to check back for tomorrow's sermon, to see how the month's concept of hospitality fits into the story of Christ's birth.  Remember to keep your doors and hearts open to those who need your hospitality.  Invite someone to join you if you know they're alone for holy days.  The blessing will be yours.

Let mutual love continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.  (Hebrews 13:1-2)

CHICKEN ALFREDO LASAGNA

(From the Taste of Home Blog)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, cut into strips
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto or deli ham, cut into strips
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups shredded Asiago cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 9 no-cook lasagna noodles
• 1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, cook pancetta and prosciutto over medium heat until browned. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl; add chicken and toss to combine.
2. For sauce, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, 1 tablespoon parsley, pepper and nutmeg.
3. Preheat oven to 375°. Spread 1/2 cup sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with a third of each of the following: noodles, sauce, meat mixture, Asiago, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat layers twice.
4. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining parsley. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Best Kitchen Tips

• Swap bacon for the pancetta if you want a little smoky action in your lasagna. Mmmmmm.
• Rotisserie chicken keeps this dish ultra simple, but really, any leftover pulled or cubed chicken will do.
• Make it vegetarian by subbing 3 cups of sauteed vegetables for the meat. We like a combo of mushrooms and squash. Zucchini and butternut work well, too.

Advent Day 23: Beef Stroganoff

We all know the story of The Prodigal Son, and the feasting and celebration to be had when the younger son returned to the family.  "But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate."  (Luke 15:22-24)  While the younger son had been profligate, and spent all of his inheritance, he had come to his senses and at least returned to his family.  The realization of the consequences he suffered from his choices was a grace from God, and the hospitality shown him by his father was certainly more than he ever expected. 

BEEF STROGANOFF

(From The Pioneer Woman)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound Sirloin Steak, Cut Into Cubes
• Kosher Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Finely Diced
• 2 whole Carrots, Finely Diced
• 8 ounces, weight Cremini Or White Button Mushrooms, Stemmed And Halved
• 1/2 cup Brandy
• 2 cups Beef Stock
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream, Room Temperature
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Dijon Mustard
• Cooked Egg Noodles, For Serving
• Minced Parsley, For Serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Season the steak with salt and pepper, then heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add half the meat to the pan and brown it quickly, about 2 minutes. Remove the first batch to a bowl and cook the rest of the meat. Remove and set all the meat aside.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and add the onion, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until the mixture is deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the brandy and add 2 cups of the stock. Stir, scrape the bottom of the pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook to reduce the liquid by about a third, 3 to 4 minutes. 
3. In a small pitcher, make a slurry by mixing the remaining 1/4 cup stock and the cornstarch with a fork. Pour the slurry into the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream and Dijob. Add the beef and stir over low heat until the mixture is nice and piping hot. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like. 
4. Serve over cooked noodles and sprinkle with parsley.

Sermon: Protest Songs

          The most interesting thing about musicals is how the author fits the song into the situation on stage.  Unless you hang around with musical people – who are, let's face it, likely to break out into song at the drop of a hat – you're not quite used to songs just happening in regular conversation.  However, something to notice about so much of the New Testament is how much singing Old Testament hymns happens.

          The Psalms were sung.  Prophecies like those of Elisabeth and Mary in today's Gospel were sung.  Lamentations and prayers were often sung.  Song was a regular part of life, expressing joy, sadness, complaint and protest.  The interesting part about the Magnificat, so wonderfully sung by Kris this morning, is that it is not just an expression of joy and worship.  It was a protest song, threatening the status quo, challenging the societal mores that would ostracize Mary for being unmarried and pregnant, and Elisabeth for not getting pregnant until well past the time she should have been able to. 

          Elisabeth, being filled with the Holy Spirit, declares Mary blessed.  She declares the child Mary carried as blessed, and not illegitimate. 

          Mary, a teenager from Galilee – and what good can come out of Galilee – stands in the entryway of Elisabeth's house, and responds to that declaration, with some really bold statements.  "My soul magnifies the Lord"  When the Angel Gabriel came, Mary didn't just submit to the will of God, she consented to being the mother of the child God would give her.  She could have said no, but instead, she sang, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant."  And here, Mary may have been speaking for herself, but this song makes it clear that through Christ, she was singing about God's love for everyone who's been put down. Abandoned. Shamed. Abused. Pushed out. Bullied. Oppressed. Enslaved. Trafficked. Scapegoated. Denied justice. Whose dreams have been deferred. Who haven't been given an opportunity to have an opportunity.

          God has looked upon all these people who have been denied the fullness of life, throughout the fullness of time, (p) and favored them, through Mary.

          We may all be tools for God to use when we submit to His will, but that day, Mary went from being a nail to being a power drill.  Her soul would magnify the Lord, and everyone would know about it, and call her blessed.

          As a result of God's love, social mores were turned on their ears.  "He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty."  I'm not sure that there's a clearer protest against societal thinking – but with this song, it is clear that Christ is coming to change the world.

          Now, most people over time have looked at this song as belonging particularly to Mary.  But remember what I said at the beginning – songs were all through the Old Testament.  Mary's words repeated or rephrased several passages from the Old Testament, as protests and God's judgment were sung:

**My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God . . . The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor." (1 Sam. 2)

**"But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him." (Psalm 103.17).

          The Magnificat, itself, was banned in three countries at different points in history, for being dangerous and radical.  Imperial Britain, home of the Church of England itself, banned the singing of the Magnificat in Indian churches.  And in the 1980s, the military governments of Guatemala and Argentina, typically Catholic countries, wouldn't even let the words to Mary's song be displayed on signs.

          Last night, we watched a movie about the Christmas song of Silent Night.  It was a dramatization of a true story that happened in 1914, the first year of the War to End All Wars.  Just imagine how different our world might be if the singing of that song had ended the war right then.  But, sometimes just humming a Christmas song taught to you by a stranger in another army can be a protest and reminder to each of us that we are sons and daughters of God.  Through that, people can remember the gift that God gave us, (p) who changed the world.

          There's a new "protest" song that just came out – one that protests the focus of Christmas on commercialism.  It's a song by Darius Rucker called "I Wonder What God Wants for Christmas."  The center of the song says:  "What do you give someone Who gave His only Son?  What if we believe in Him, Like He believes in us?"

          As Meister Eckhart once said:

What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes place unceasingly, but does not take place within myself? And, what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace if I am not also full of grace? What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of time: When the Son of Man is begotten in us.

          As an Advent people, we are all helping to birth the changes Christ brought.  Like the people in Micah, we are waiting for the birth of the Lord.  And even as we wait in hope for both the celebration of His birth, and of His coming again, we have to prepare society.  We have to make this a place of justice, and maybe that means we need to sing these "protest" songs a bit more often, realizing that we're not just singing a song, but we're putting our hearts into the change Christ asked for – that we love God, and we love our neighbors as ourselves.  Might this not be what God wants for Christmas?

Advent Day 22: Meat Pies

Little things can be huge to another person.  Today's recipe reminds us that we don't have to be fancy, or have fancy ingredients, to create a filling, relatively healthy (well, there's lots of protein) dish without a lot of ingredients or effort.  What is offered more than food is the hospitality of caring for others. 

We all know of Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus.  What we often see in the Bible is Martha working to care for guests, ensuring dinner is prepared, rooms made up, everyone has something to drink.  Many of us know Marthas in our lives, and perhaps those who are looking at recipes for Advent might recognize themselves in Martha.  Without someone working behind the scenes, making sure that things go smoothly, ensuring cranky little ones are put down for naps or otherwise occupied, giving anyone with idle hands a job and purpose - we'd get very little done.  Christ acknowledges Martha's contributions in Luke 10, but admonishes her that everyone contributes in different ways.  Mary's fascination with His words and curious questions help to keep people learning the lessons He wants them to learn.  In John 12:2, "There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him."  This allows Martha to realize that each person has different gifts and capacities - one of her gifts is hospitality, and her heart is light, knowing that she, too, contributes.

HEIDENISCHE KUCHEN

(Misnamed "Heathen Cakes" from

Ein Büch von Güter Speise, 14th Century)

One of the interesting things about this recipe is that it has nothing to do with cake.  This would be better described as a meat pie, as you will see when you make it.  From personal experience, I can tell you that this is very popular when served at a wedding or large gathering.  As with all Medieval recipes, interpretation is fairly sketchy (the literal interpretation of the recipe here is:  "These are called heathen cakes. One should take a dough and should spread it thin and take a boiled meat and chopped fatty bacon and apples and pepper and eggs therein and bake that and give out and do not damage."), so substitutions, additions, alterations, etc. are encouraged.

INGREDIENTS

• Pastry Crust Bottom (leaving that up to you, whether you need regular or gluten free, make your favorite pie crust)
• 1 1/2 lb beef
• 1/4 lb. side of pork or fresh bacon
• 1 apple
• 1/2 tsp grated peppercorns
• 2 eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. Line pie tin with pastry dough. 
2. Roast beef for 1 hour. 
3. Cook bacon at the same time. 
4. Chop cooked bacon. Cut beef into bite-sized pieces.
5. Mix bacon and beef together, then layer into bottom of pie tin. 
6. Sprinkle pepper over the meat. 
7. Slice an apple and layer onto the meat. 
8. Beat two eggs, then pour over everything. 
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until it appears done. 
10. Serve warm. Makes 1 pie.

Advent Day 21: Eggnog Cheesecake

While eggnog happens to be one of my own favorite flavors, I believe that cheesecake is one of those perfect foods that you can serve to people.  Hospitality is rather a huge deal in many countries in the world, but note in the following, that hospitality is one of the marks of being a Christian:

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  (Romans 12:9-20)

NO-BAKE EGGNOG CHEESECAKE

(From the CincyShopper Blog)

INGREDIENTS
Crust:

• 30 Graham Crackers crushed or 3 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 5 tbsp melted Butter
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar

Filling:

• 16 oz softened Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Eggnog
• 1 tsp Rum Extract
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 16 ounce Heavy Whipping Cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Crush graham crackers in food processor.
2. Add melted butter and sugar and pulse to incorporate.
3. Press mixture into bottom an partially up the sides of a springform pan.
4. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm.
5. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy.
6. Add in eggnog, rum extract, nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat until fully blended.
7. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
8. Fold eggnog mixture into whipped cream.
9. Spread evenly into crust.
10. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving.
11. Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.

Advent Day 20: Savory Scones

Interestingly, there is only one chapter in the Bible that mentions "savory" food, or food that is pleasant to smell and taste, but is not sweet.  That chapter is Genesis 27, in which Jacob fools his father into thinking he is Esau, and receives the blessing meant for the eldest son.  Now, while we can legitimately look at this as Jacob stealing Esau's birthright, remember that Esau had actually sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of food in an earlier chapter.  Jacob was just collecting his due from his unsuspecting father - with the help of his mother, Rebekah. 

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father say to your brother Esau, Bring me game, and prepare for me savory food to eat, that I may bless you before the Lord before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my word as I command you. Go to the flock, and get me two choice kids, so that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he likes; and you shall take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” (Genesis 27:6-10)

Note that God has a tendency to bestow grace upon those we might not expect, but we will later very often hear that "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" or "I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."  These were men of great faith, but most definitely men who made mistakes and had to atone for them in their lives.  Jacob chose to banish himself from his family, his country, everything he knew, for almost 20 years.

While Scones are generally known for being sweet, rather than savory, this will give you a different, but pleasant tasting breakfast food.

BACON-CHEDDAR-CHIVE SCONES

(From King Arthur's Flour)

Ingredients

• 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Pastry Flour Blend
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 cup very coarsely grated or diced cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup snipped fresh chives or finely diced scallion tops (the green part)
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whipping cream, or enough to make the dough cohesive

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle to upper third. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, with some of the butter remaining in larger pieces.
3. Mix in the cheese, chives, and bacon until evenly distributed.
4. Add 3/4 cup of the cream, stirring to combine. Try squeezing the dough together; if it's crumbly and won't hang together, or if there are crumbs remaining in the bottom of the bowl, add cream until the dough comes together. Transfer the shaggy dough to a well-floured work surface.
5. Pat the dough into a smooth 7" disk about 3/4" thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife or bench knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.
6. Brush the scones with a bit of cream; this will help their crust brown.
7. Bake the scones in the middle or upper third of the oven for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
8. Refrigerate any leftover scones, well wrapped, for several days; reheat before serving. Freeze for longer storage.

Tips and Tricks

1. Want to make scones now, freeze and bake later? Make scones up to the point they're on the baking sheet, cut and ready to bake; don't brush them with cream. Freeze, then remove from the sheet, and wrap airtight in a plastic bag. When you're ready to bake, remove however many you want to bake from the freezer, place on a baking sheet, brush with cream, and bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
2. Make mini-scones: Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 5" round. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven till golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes; or for about 25 minutes if frozen.

Advent Day 19: Oh Root of Jesse

Many of you have probably heard of the "O Antiphons", so this may be old news to you, but many may not realize where these come from.  An antiphon is a short sentence sung or recited before (and sometimes after) a Psalm or canticle.  Beginning on December 17th, and continuing for 7 days, people are so excited, and wanting Christmas to arrive that they created songs to sing in anticipation of the birth of the Messiah - all beginning with "O".  For children, this can be a great way to teach the children counting, and at the same time give them bedtime prayers that lead them to Christmas day, focusing on what it's all about.

Today's is the Root of Jesse, and the antiphon is:  O Root of Jesse, you stand for the ensign of all mankind; before you kings shall keep silence and to you all nations shall have recourse. Come, save us, and do not delay.

There are symbols and music that goes with each of the O Antiphons.  You might take a look and learn more about them.  The Root of Jesse brings to mind the edible roots of our fields.

In the meantime, the grace of God gave the lineage of Christ through the line of David.  Jesse was the father of David, and this is all about Christ's heritage through His human family, even as he is also the source of the promise that the Messiah would come from this line.  The link above will give you more information.

OVERSTUFFED TWICE-BAKED POTATOES

(From Food & Wine)

Ingredients

• 5 large Idaho baking potatoes (about 1 pound each) 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 
• 4 ounces bacon, chopped 
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces) 
• 1 cup sour cream 
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Rub the potatoes with the olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Put the potatoes on the baking sheet and bake until fork-tender, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let the potatoes sit until cool enough to handle.
3. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and the fat is rendered, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
4. Peel 1 potato completely, discarding the skin. Place the pulp in a large bowl. Cut the top quarter from each of the remaining 4 potatoes and using a spoon, scoop the pulp from the potatoes into the bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch layer of pulp on the skin. Return the potato shells to the baking sheet.
5. Using a handheld masher, mash the potato pulp until smooth. Add 1 cup of the cheese, the sour cream, butter, bacon, chives, and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and mash until smooth. Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato shells, top with the remaining cheese and bake until hot and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Advent Day 18: Italian Turkey Soup

Leftovers.  If you're anything like me, your meals are often artistically or gastronomically created from leftovers:  what will taste good with this?  What do I have in the cupboard or freezer?  What can I substitute for this ingredient or that?  Will the kids eat this, or should I try that instead?  This is one of those very forgiving recipes that allows you to substitute what you have for what the recipe calls for.  And with the upcoming Christmas meals, you're likely to have some leftover turkey or chicken or even roast goose in your refrigerator that you're not quite sure what to do with.

I'm reminded of the number of times in the Bible that angels came calling unexpectedly, and needed to be fed.  The example of hospitality in particular this morning comes from Abraham and Sarah when they were visited:

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.  He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant.  Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.  Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”  And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.”  Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.  Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.  (Genesis 18:1-8)

By this example, unexpected guests should be made comfortable, able to rest, clean their feet, and eat.  Maybe this example will help:

ITALIAN TURKEY SOUP

(From Leigh Anne Wilkes
of Your Home Based Mom)

Ingredients

• ½ box pasta I used Ditalini or a short macaroni type pasta
• 2 C shredded turkey or chicken
• 4 C chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ onion chopped
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1 whole jalapeno seeded and diced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 2 15 oz. cans petite cut tomatoes
• 1 can water
• 1 C heavy cream (Optional)
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 1 tsp dry basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions. Be sure and cook it al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. In a frying pan add olive oil, onion, celery, green pepper, jalapeno and saute until tender.
3. In a large soup pot combine chicken broth, water, shredded turkey or chicken, tomatoes with their juice and sauteed vegetables.
4. Add in herbs. Salt and pepper to taste
5. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add in pasta and cream.

Advent Day 17: Apple Cider Honey Caramels

Interestingly, the phrase "apple of my eye" was recently discussed at church.  In looking at the origin of the idiom, it actually comes from English (having made its way into the King James version of the Bible), where the original Hebrew in the Bible actually meant "pupil" or "dark part of the eye".  It carried the connotation of hidden depths found within one's eyes.

One’s almsgiving is like a signet ring with the Lord,
    and he will keep a person’s kindness like the apple of his eye.
Afterward he will rise up and repay them,
    and he will bring their recompense on their heads.
Yet to those who repent he grants a return,
    and he encourages those who are losing hope. (Sirach 17:22-24)

In the instance of this recipe, the other references to apples in the Bible are almost all having to do with romance, found most often in the Psalms and Songs of Solomon.  Honey, on the other hand, is often mentioned in the Bible, generally referring to perfection wherever it might be found.  The other ingredients here would be included among "spices" - something precious and valuable.  So thinking about it that way, these caramels would absolutely be a grace granted from you upon unsuspecting hosts as a gift for their hospitality.

APPLE CIDER HONEY CARAMELS

(From The Nerdy Farmwife)

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 stick of salted butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 cup honey
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (to taste)
• pinch of ground ginger

Directions

1. Pour the apple cider into a heavy duty, deep saucepan. Bring to a boil then add the stick of butter. Continue boiling until butter is melted then stir in the honey, cinnamon, and ginger.
2. Cook until the mixture reaches 255 to 260 degrees F on a candy thermometer, stirring frequently.
3. Pour into a parchment paper lined 8×8 baking pan and let cool.
4. (Quick cleanup tip: Immediately after pouring your candy, place the still-hot saucepan in the sink and fill with warm water to soak.)
5. Lift out the parchment paper and using a pizza cutter or knife, slice into rows and then small squares. If needed for easier cutting, chill the candy for a few minutes in the freezer.
6. Yield: 3 or 4 dozen, depending on how small you cut them.
7. You can either store these in single layers between parchment paper or wrap each one individually in wax paper. For extra kid-friendly fun, decorate with stickers!

Sermon: The Least of These

          "Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?"  Depending on when you were baptized, you may or may not remember promising to do this, with God's help.  But, you have promised this at every renewal of baptism.  If you didn't promise it yourself, someone promised on your behalf that you would be raised with this Commandment, this New Covenant.  Jeremiah told us, "The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant … I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."  Now, Jeremiah was addressing the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, but when Christ came, He realized that He was here for all people, not just the Jews.

          So in today's Gospel, John doesn't pull any punches as he begins his sermon in the desert.  "You brood of vipers!" he begins.  Well, that's not particularly polite or PC, but it certainly gets our attention.  He wants to know why they're out there to be baptized.  Who warned them to flee from the wrath to come?  And more importantly, have they done anything beyond sit on their backsides, claiming Abraham as their ancestor and expecting salvation and eternal life from the one to come?  Have they done anything beyond paying lip service, attending services and occasionally giving alms?  How many coats do they have?  How many spare rooms are in their household?  How much of what they have is far more than what they need, and is rather an accumulation of what they want?

          Today's Gospel is not a comfortable message.  It's not to make us feel good about ourselves or pat ourselves on the back for what upright, church-attending Christians we are.  It's asking, plain and simple – what have you done for Me lately?  God is actively at work, having guided our ancestors in the past, guiding us today, and guiding our children into the future.  As the reading from Zephaniah states, the Lord has forgiven us our sins, protects us from our enemies, renews His love in us.  That's something that we never have to doubt, and as our New Testament lesson reminds us, we should not only rejoice in that, but pray with both thanksgiving and supplication about everything, knowing that God will provide.

          Prayer is a powerful and awesome thing.  And then we also have to look here, at the words of John when various people ask him, what should we do?  The one who John is preparing us for is coming in judgment.  Have you borne good fruit?  Okay, but are you continuing to bear good fruit, or have you stopped watering and fertilizing that tree, because it's old?  Is the tree ready to become firewood, or are we having pie later?

          Are there no prisons?  No poorhouses?  Doesn't the government have programs to help take care of these people in need?  Have we all become like Scrooge – uncompromising in the face of the numbers of people in need?  Are they truly someone else's problem?

          And then we remember what Christ said in Matthew:  "I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.  … Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me."

          " Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?"  In the seventeenth century France a humanist scholar by the name of Muretus was an ailing fugitive. When he presented himself to the medical doctors he was dressed in the rags of a pauper. The doctors discussed his case in Latin, thinking he would not be able to understand them. While I could try to repeat the Latin, I would butcher it horribly.  But one said “Let us try an experiment with this worthless creature”. Imagine their shock when this pauper replied, also in Latin, “Will you call worthless one for whom Christ did not disdain to die?”

          John is not just speaking to the people who came out to the desert to him to be baptized.  He's speaking to each of us.  Paraphrasing the immortal George Carlin, just how much stuff do we need?  How much stuff do we keep for sentimental reasons?  And of those sentimental things – when was the last time you looked at them?  Are there things in closets or under beds that you haven't seen in years?  Do you have any plans for them within the next year?  So ask yourself – will it do more for someone else than it will for me, sitting here and collecting dust?

          A lot of these readings this week spoke directly to me.  As you know, I had a beautiful stained glass window that Richard made for our family, with the trinity knot on it.  It's gorgeous, and one of the last things Richard made before he died.  But it's been sitting under a bed for the last 7 years, and despite the fact that I'd love to give a trinity knot to Holy Trinity, we don't actually have the space for another stained glass window, without a whole lot of expense.  But there's a little mobile chapel being built with a round space, about the size of the window.  Do I want to keep the window for myself, sitting under a bed, or do I want people to see and appreciate the talents Richard had and give it away?  Seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it?  But it was actually one of the harder things I've done for a while. 

          How much stuff do we have that could actually be put to better use by someone else?  How much are we saving for a rainy day?  This past week was St. Lucy's feast day.  In speaking with her mother, who was dying of an illness, she said, "...whatever you give away at death for the Lord's sake you give because you cannot take it with you. Give now to the true Savior, while you are healthy, whatever you intended to give away at your death."  And in this, Lucy was speaking of that divine spark, that dignity and noble nature belonging to every human being – "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

Advent Day 16: Gingerbread

So it turns out that the story of the Gingerbread Man actually has a great Biblical lesson behind it - or so claims Joel Murethi in his blog on "We Are God's Gingerbread Man."  Definitely worth a read!

GINGERBREAD MEN

(From Glutenfreeonashoestring.com)

INGREDIENTS

For Gluten Free

• 1 1/2 cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

For Regular:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (84 g) unsulphured molasses
• 1 tablespoon (21 g) honey
• 1 egg (60 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Royal Icing, for decorating (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, (or regular flour) baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar and whisk again to combine, working out any lumps. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, molasses, honey, egg and vanilla, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough will be thick and sticky.
3. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of unbleached parchment paper, cover with another sheet of parchment and roll into a rectangle about 3/8-inch thick (more than 1/4-inch, less than 1/2-inch). If you are concerned that the dough will be difficult to handle, place it in the refrigerator or freezer after you roll it out to allow it to firm up. Pull back the top sheet of parchment paper, dip a gingerbread man cutter in all purpose gluten free flour or cornstarch, and use it to cut out shapes from the cookie dough. With each cut, jiggle the cutter back and forth to create a neat shape. Place the dough on a flat, portable surface like a cutting board and place in the freezer until firm (about 10 minutes).
4. Once the dough has chilled, peel back the rest of the dough from around the cut-outs and gather the scraps. Then carefully peel off the cut-out shapes and place them, about 1 1/2-inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat the process with the remaining dough until you have used it all.
5. Place the cut-outs on the baking sheets in the refrigerator or freezer until firm (about 20 minutes in the refrigerator, or just 5 minutes in the freezer). This will help them keep their shape during baking. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until just set, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheets. Decorate the completely cooled cookies with royal icing, if desired. Allow the icing to set for 24 hours before stacking the cookies.

Advent Day 15: Old Fashioned Fudge!

Now, fudge, as we know it, didn't begin to exist as a sweet treat until cacao hit Europe in the mid-17th century.  Prior to that, it was well known well before the start of the Common Era in the South American cultures and used in religious ceremonies - certainly not as personal use.  The beans were actually used for bartering, and could pay for a wide variety of goods and services.  But the concept of sweetening the cacao bean didn't happen until much later, and a bitter chocolate drink was made from it. 

However, within the Bible, while they might have been unaware of cacao, they used sweetened cakes and wines as treats and foods to be used in celebration.  And as is pointed out in the quote from Nehemiah below, those who had nothing were to be provided for - for holy days were days of hospitality and grace.

Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Let that run through your mind the next time you make fudge - and give some to someone who doesn't have, or can't cook.

OLD FASHIONED FUDGE

(Recipe from Rosemary of An Italian in my Kitchen)

Ingredients

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa (unsweetened good quality)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Line an 8 inch square pan with buttered parchment paper.
2. In a medium heavy saucepan stir together sugar, cocoa and salt, then add the milk and stir with a wooden spoon (not a whisk or metal spoon).
3. Cook over medium heat stirring continuously until mixture starts to boil (a strong boil), approximately 15 minutes.
4. Turn heat to low and continue to cook without stirring until temperature reaches 234 °F.  Approximately 30 minutes.
5. Remove pot from heat, add the butter and vanilla.  Do not stir.  Cool to room temperature (110°F), approximately 30 minutes.  Then beat with a wooden spoon just until mixture begins to lose some of it's gloss (approximately 6-8 minutes).
6. Then spread quickly in prepared cake pan and let cool completely, even overnight (at room temperature).   Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
7. You can also freeze the fudge in a double bag, well wrapped.  Freeze either in pieces or the whole slab.  Can be frozen up to 3 months.  Keeps in an airtight container for approximately 2 weeks or in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. 

A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT TIPS TO MAKE THIS THE BEST FUDGE.

1.  Line your pan with parchment paper.
2.  Use a wooden spoon and not a whisk or metal spoon.  Apparently it is easier on the fudge.
3.  Once the fudge boils, stop stirring and continue to cook on low heat so you don’t burn the fudge.
4.  Make sure your candy thermometer isn’t touching the bottom of the pot because you want the most accurate reading.
5.  Stir only until the mixture starts to lose it’s gloss.
6.  Be patient when making this fudge and enjoy every bite!

Advent Day 14: Shrimp Fajitas

One of the interesting graces to come with Christ was the advent of a New Covenant, made with His body and blood.  As our Eucharist service (and the Bible, Mark 14:24) indicates, this is the blood of the [new] covenant.  The older covenants had included some pretty strict dietary laws, which precluded the eating of shellfish (or anything that comes from the sea without scales or fins).  Now, there are certainly some reasons not to eat shellfish that have more to do with biology than Biblical law, but that's another topic.

Christ said:  "there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile."  (Mark 7:15)   We Christians have taken that to mean that it's not the food that can be unclean, but rather ourselves, our words and actions that show themselves to be unclean.  It's an advisement to watch ourselves and be good representatives of the word that Christ brought us.

That said, by request, we have:

SHRIMP FAJITA BOWLS
(Taken from Skinny Taste)

INGREDIENTS:

For the shrimp:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound large peeled, deveined, tail-off shrimp

For the veggies:

• 2 medium red bell peppers, sliced
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the rice:

• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Juice of ½ lime

For the salsa and topping:

• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped white onion
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• Pinch kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 small (4-ounce) Hass avocado, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For shrimp:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the shrimp ingredients from olive oil through pepper.
2. Add the shrimp and toss to evenly coat.
3. Set aside and allow to marinate while you make the veggies.

For veggies:

1. Combine all veggie ingredients in a large bowl.  Use your hands to toss and evenly coat veggies with oil and seasoning.
2. Transfer to a sheet pan and roast 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the rice and salsa.  In a medium bowl, combine rice with cilantro, salt and lime juice.
4. In small bowl, make the salsa by combining the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, salt and pepper.
5. Remove veggies from oven and place marinated shrimp (leaving excess marinade in the bowl) evenly among the veggies.
6. Return to the oven and roast 8 minutes.
7. Place ¾ cup rice in each of 4 bowls.  Evenly divide the shrimp, veggies, salsa and sliced avocado among each bowl and serve.

Advent Day 13: St. Lucy's Crown

St. Lucy said to her mother, "...whatever you give away at death for the Lord's sake you give because you cannot take it with you. Give now to the true Savior, while you are healthy, whatever you intended to give away at your death."   [Ælfric's Lives of Saints". Walter W. Skeat, ed., Early English Text Society, original series, vols. 76, 82, 94, 114 [London, 1881–1900], revised)]

Today is St. Lucy's day, one of eight feast days where the mass is celebrated within the Catholic Church on behalf of a woman.  St. Lucy had dedicated herself to God, unbeknownst to her mother, and when her mother became ill, she arranged a marriage for Lucy with a wealthy pagan nobleman.  According to medieval accounts, the scorned suitor put out Lucy's eyes, and she was martyred for being a Christian during the Diocletian Persecution in 304 CE. 

Lucy's wish to grant her dowry monies to the poor wasn't going well with her mother, and thus the conversation above may have taken place.  Her grace and hospitality towards all makes her worth remembering this day.

Saint Lucia's Braided Bread

(Source: Catholic Cuisine Blogspot)

INGREDIENTS

Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 1/2 o 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze and Garnish:

• 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• Candles (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan, then pour 1/2 cup of it into a large bowl.
2. Add the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar and let it set for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the remaining milk.
3. Add the butter and milk mixture to the yeast mixture. Whisk in the eggs, juice, 1/4 cup of sugar, orange rind, and salt.
4. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes, adding more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic and does not stick to your hands.
5. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turning it once to coat it. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Punch down the dough and divide it into 3 equal parts. Roll each part into a 30-inch rope and braid the ropes together.
7. Transfer the braid to a greased baking sheet, pinch together the ends to form a circle, and let it rise until it has again doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
8. Heat the oven to 375°. Bake the bread for 25 minutes or until golden brown, then let it cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
9. For the glaze, stir together the confectioner's sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl until smooth.
10. Drizzle the glaze mix over the bread, then garnish with the cranberries. Finally, add candles, if you'd like. Serves 12.

Advent Day 12: Hot Chocolate Variations!

We have heard it said that "Variety's the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavour." (Taken from William Cowper's The Task, published in 1785.)  Now, while Cowper was the first one to phrase it in this manner, we note that spices were often a costly and welcomed gift within the Bible.  An interesting passage can be found at 1 Kings Chapter 10, when the Queen of Sheba came to challenge the wisdom of Solomon:

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon (fame due to the name of the Lord), she came to test him with hard questions.  She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. When the queen of Sheba had observed all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his valets, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

So she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your accomplishments and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. Not even half had been told me; your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard. Happy are your wives!  Happy are these your servants, who continually attend you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again did spices come in such quantity as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. (1 Kings 10)

Solomon exhibited hospitality for a monarch who had no bearing upon his reign, but handled her questions with the grace and wisdom God had given him.  So today's all about adding variety and spices to hot chocolate.

HOT CHOCOLATE VARIATIONS

Basic Hot Cocoa Recipe
Pour 4 c milk into a 1-qt measuring cup. Add 1 capful (about 1/2 t) vanilla, and set aside.

Place in a medium saucepan:

• 1/4 c cocoa powder
• 1/2 c sugar
• pinch of salt

1. (Save yourself some trouble, as well as the juggling of multiple small measuring cups, by making several individual batches of these dry ingredients and storing each in a small zip style plastic bag. You'll be amazed at what a time saver this can be!)
2. Whisk in 1/3 c hot tap water, and place over medium heat. Watch carefully and stir frequently until the mixture comes to a full boil; then continue to boil, stirring constantly, for two minutes.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in the reserved vanilla milk. Return to the stove at a low to medium setting, until heated through.
4. Serve as is, or topped with marshmallows or whippped cream. Guaranteed to "warm the toe bones," as we say at our house! :) Makes four (8 oz.) servings of hot cocoa.

German Chocolate Hot Cocoa

1. Substitute 1/2 c. brown sugar for the granulated white sugar.
2. Substitute 2 c. of coconut milk for half (2 c.) of the milk in the recipe.
3. You can use a 15.5 oz can of coconut milk, or use this recipe for Coconut-Infused Milk:
1. Place 2 cups of shredded coconut in a heat-safe bowl.
2. Bring 2 cups of milk to a boil in a small saucepan. It will foam, then boil over very quickly, so watch carefully!
3. Pour over the reserved coconut, and let stand for about one hour.
4. Place the coconut and milk mixture into a blender, and process for about 30 seconds.
5. Strain into a 1-qt measuring cup, pressing the coconut to extract as much milk as possible. Discard the coconut.
6. Fill the measuring cup to the 4 cup mark with additional milk, then continue the basic recipe as written.

Tastes great with gingerbread cookies!

Mexican Hot Cocoa

1. Prepare basic recipe as written; whisk in 2 t cinnamon and 1/2 t chili powder with the milk.
2. If desired, top with sweetened whipped cream and a few shavings of dark, sweet chocolate.

Serve with Mexican Wedding Cakes for a special treat!

Scandinavian Orange Chocolate Hot Cocoa

1. Prepare hot cocoa as directed in the basic recipe above.
2. Whip 1 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form.
3. Gently fold 2 T orange marmalade into the whipped cream.
4. Place a large dollop of the orange whipped cream on each serving of the hot cocoa; top with freshly-grated orange zest, if desired.

There are plenty of other options (including some slightly alcoholic, that I'll let you look up on your own), and links are below for the non-alcoholic:

Roasted Chestnut Hot Chocolate with Toasted Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Pasilla Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Lemongrass-Lavender White Hot Chocolate

Advent Day 11: Fish Tacos

Hospitality.  One of the best examples of hospitality was Jesus taking two loaves and five fish, and feeding thousands.  But that hospitality wasn't just about feeding a physical hunger, but also about realizing that people had come to get their daily bread from Him, and they were there as a result of that.  He had a responsibility to ensure that their bellies were filled enough that their minds and hearts could hear, understand and inwardly digest His words. 

When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”  Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”  And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:14-21)

So think about that - if we don't help take care of the immediate needs (food, shelter, drink, clothing), are people able to hear the Word we try to give to them?

BAJA FISH TACOS

(Recipe from Ortega)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 package (1 1/4-oz)ORTEGA Taco Seasoning Mix - divided
• 1 pound (4 total) cod or white fish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbls. vegetable oil
• 2 tbls. lemon juice
• 1 package ORTEGA Taco Shells (12 ct), warmed (I will probably fry my own corn tortillas)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro and 2 tablespoons seasoning mix in small bowl.
2. Combine cod, vegetable oil, lemon juice and remaining seasoning mix in medium bowl; pour into large skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until cod flakes easily when tested with a fork.
3. Fill taco shells with fish mixture. Optional: Top with cabbage, tomato, sour cream mixture, lime juice and taco sauce.

Advent Day 10: Honey Cake

The first time we hear in the Bible about the Lord leading the Hebrew people to the "land of milk and honey" is in Exodus, where he describes the land that he will lead them to after Moses leads them out of Egypt.

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey..."  (Exodus 3:7-8)

This land was mentioned 27 times in the Bible, split up between ten other books.  A land that flowed with milk and honey would be indeed be their idea of heaven on earth.  Again, the symbolism was that of a grace provided by God to an undeserving people who, even as he spoke the first time to Moses on the mountain, became bored and demanded that Aaron create a golden idol for them.  Is it any wonder that Moses lost his temper with them?  Or that God did not allow any of that generation to enter into the promised land? 

HONEY CAKE

(Taken from Deb Perelman of the Smitten Kitchen Blog)

Ingredients

Cake Layers

• 1/2 cup (170 grams) honey
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups (455 grams) all-purpose flour, divided

Frosting and Filling

• 32 ounces (just shy of 4 cups or 900 grams) sour cream
• 1 14-ounce can (400 grams) sweetened condensed milk

You'll want to start this a minimum of the day before you want to serve it, but can make the cake layers up to a week before, stored at room temperature.

Directions

1. The day before, get ready: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Get 2 baking sheets (or even better, round pizza pans) down, more if you have them. Tear off 6 sheets of parchment paper large enough to have a 9-inch circle on it.
2. Make cookie/cake dough: In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar, honey and butter over medium heat. Once simmering, cook for 3 to 4 minutes (no specific temperature needed), it should get a faint shade darker and smell wonderful. Whisk in baking soda.
3. Remove from heat and set aside for 2 to 3 minutes. It’s not going to significantly cool off, just settle a little. Lightly beat your eggs in a spouted measuring cup (for easiest pouring) or small bowl. Take a deep breath. Whisking the honey mixture vigorously in the pot the whole time, drizzle the thinnest stream (think: 1/2 teaspoon at a time, that slowly) of the eggs into the honey mixture. Do not stop mixing. Continue until all of the eggs are thoroughly whisked in.
4. Stir in the salt and vanilla and 3 cups (390 grams) of the flour with a spoon. The dough is going to be thick like a bread but you’ve got this. Stir in the last 1/2 cup of flour 1/4 cup at a time; you’ll get a bonus arm workout.
5. Shape and bake the cookies/cakes: [Plus, a bunch more layer tips at the end.] Lightly flour your counter and divide the still-warm dough into 8 even pieces. Roll the first one between two sheets of parchment paper (no flouring needed) to a slightly-bigger-than-9-inch round. Remove top sheet of parchment paper. Very lightly dust the top with flour if you’re going to put something on it (such as the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan or the rim of a 9-inch bowl) to trim the shape to an even 9-inch circle. Save the trimmings — put them aside on one of the sheets of parchment paper, it’s fine if they overlap a little. Dock the circle all over with a fork. Slide your 9-inch round onto a baking sheet and bake for 6 to 7 minutes; it should feel firmish and get slightly darker at the edges. Slide the cookie onto a cooling rack. Go ahead and reuse the parchment for another layer.
6. Meanwhile, while the first layer is baking, roll out your second piece so it’s ready to go into the oven as soon as the first comes out. If you’re making good time, get the third ready too and continue to bake them two at a time. Keep adding the unbaked cookie trimmings onto one piece of parchment paper. Repeat this process as you bake each round and you’ll have all 8 baked before you know it.
7. Finally, take that last sheet of parchment with all of the cookie scraps on it and slide it onto a baking sheet and bake it, checking in at 4 minutes, because the thinnest scraps will want to burn quickly. By 5 minutes, all should be baked until pale golden. Let cool completely and save until you’re ready to decorate the cake tomorrow.
8. Fill and frost the cake: Whisk sour cream and sweetened condensed milk together in a large bowl. Once cookies are cool, place a dab of the sour cream mixture on your cake plate and place the first cookie on top of it to help adhere it.
9. Cut or tear one of your used pieces of parchment paper into strips and tuck them all around the underside of the cake to protect your cake plate. Trust me, if you do not do this, you will regret it.
10. Scoop 3/4 cup sour cream mixture onto the center of your first cookie layer. Spread it only a little from the center, leaving a good 1- to 2-inch margin of unfrosted cookie. Stack the second cookie on top and repeat until you have 8 layers.
11. This will quickly become a huge mess. The sour cream is going to spill out and down the sides anyway (hear hear for those paper strips) and you’re going to start yelling at me/drafting an angry comment in your head. It’s also going to want to slide around and not stay neatly stacked. It’s totally okay because the filling will thicken as it absorbs into the cookies. Put the cake in the fridge for a couple hours (1 to 3) and when you come back to it, nudge the stack gently back into place and use a spoon and icing spatula to scoop the spilled-out filling back up the sides and onto the top of the cake. Don’t worry about it looking neat. Let it chill overnight.
12. The next day, finish the cake: Grind your baked, reserved cookie scraps in a blender or food processor, or bash them into crumbs in a bag with a rolling pin.
13. Take your cake out and do one final frosting clean-up. Spread any newly puddled sour cream back up the sides and across the top. If you’d like to make a decoration on top of your cake, take one of those used pieces of parchment paper (see how much Deb hates wasting parchment) and cut a stencil with it. Place it gently on top of the cake.
14. Use a small spoon to sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the crumbs. In the coolest trick I saw on a cooking video, use a pastry brush (or extremely clean paintbrush, I won’t tell) to gently brush the crumbs off the stencil and across the cake in a thin layer. It sounds crazy but it works — on the sides too. Remove the stencil and parchment paper strips and look at that clean serving plate! (Bravo, you.)
15. You can serve the cake right away, or keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. When slicing, I found that a knife dipped in hot water made picture-perfect cuts.

Extra Tips

1. The dough is a bit stiff, but it will stretch to the size you need with pressure. If you’re finding it to be a huge pain, that the dough clearly wants to go to 8 inches but not 9, just go ahead and make the cake 8 inches round. It will be just as good of a cake; the layers might need a single extra minute to bake.
2. Ovens will vary, especially for such thin cookies, so keep an eye on the first round as of the 6-minute mark, checking in each minute after as it can brown very quickly, and then you’ll know how much time you need for the remaining ones.
3. This dough is easiest to roll/softest when it’s still a little warm; if yours has cooled quickly, I found that you could put each piece in the microwave for 5 to 7 seconds (only!) to get it a touch warmer again, without prematurely baking the cookie.
4. Go ahead and save all of those used pieces of parchment paper for the next step and beyond. We’re going to use them again.