Easter People

God's fingerprints are scattered across all His creation. They seem particularly abundant in springtime, as the world awakes from its winter nap. 

This week, I read a devotional from the United Methodist Church, giving me new ways of looking at the natural spring wonders all around me. It seemed particularly apt this Holy Week. As I read it, I was thinking of photos in my collection that I could gather to illustrate God's creation.

But even as I was writing this on Tuesday, the news was full of warnings. There was "catastrophic" fire danger forecast because of high winds and low humidity. The sky outside was again full of dirt. Later in the day, our area was on a line for potential severe weather, including large hail and possible tornadoes. (The severe weather missed us, but, unfortunately, so did the rain.)

This came just after a beautiful day when the wind was light, the sun was shining and the winter sweatshirt could get tossed aside.

And I realized that's kind of like the rolling emotions of Holy Week. 

I was playing the piano for the actual processional, but I got a "before" photo!

We'd all love the "Hosanna!" of Palm Sunday to last all week, wouldn't we? 

Cute kids, palm branches, big smiles? It's easy to feel the exuberance of the day. 

Even the tree outside the church seemed to be shouting "Hosanna!" on Palm Sunday.

 

It would be easier to just skip the hard stuff, right? That's human nature, after all.

But in the midst of this celebration, I've also been practicing the piano solos I will play for the community Good Friday service, which our church is hosting this year. The haunting minor chords of "What Wondrous Love Is This?" and the mournful melody of "Go to Dark Gethsemane" have quietly drowned out the exuberance of "Hosanna! Loud Hosannas!" which I played for prelude last week.

Not much seems "good" about Good Friday or Maundy Thursday, does it? Those are the days when Christ is betrayed and the dark shadows fall over the earth as the Son of God hangs from a cross, taking on my sins and those of the world. 

 

We know that it is our sins that nailed His hands and feet to the cross. It is we who are responsible for Jesus' suffering.

And yet, we also know the "rest of the story." We know that on Easter Sunday, we will celebrate a much brighter day, a day when Jesus fulfills the prophecy of old, and an angel proclaims:

The only way to see the beauty of a stained glass window
is if light shines through it.

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen from the dead."

Matthew 28: 5-6

And because we know the rest of the story, we can look forward to Easter Sunday, even on the dark days of this Holy Week. 

And, so even in the midst of my contemplation of Christ's sacrifice, I can return to the devotional about being an Easter people.

I can see it in the robins.  The robin, a very common bird in the U.S., has a red breast and a legend to explain it. It's said that a gray robin flew to Christ's crown of thorns to draw out a thorn, and when it did, a drop of Christ's blood fell on its breast, leaving a stain forevermore.

I can see it in the bees that spread the pollen and make flowers grow. The honey these creatures create is a biblical symbol of God's favor. The Torah agrees, for it describes God's promised land again and again as "flowing with milk and honey."

 

I can see the promise in flowers.

Long considered a symbol of hope and new life, the daffodil is one of the blooms most often connected to the Resurrection. Tradition says that giving a gift of daffodils will ensure happiness for the receiver. 

Tulips can also represent our Easter story. In the fall, the bulb is buried in the soil. But, come spring, the flower overcomes the darkness and bursts forth with new life. 

The flowering shrub known as the forsythia can also be called the Easter tree: When its spidery branches are moving with the wind, they seem to be arms waving in praise of the season. 

 

According to tradition, forsythia means anticipation—an appropriate companion word for Resurrection.

The traditions that developed around these spring symbols helped explain the concept that God in the flesh took on death and came back to tell us there is life on the other side. The Council at Nicaea in 325 AD gave the Church a revised creed. The last line reads:

 "We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come."

As Easter people, we don't have to look further than spring for an exclamation point to that affirmation. 

Even as I've been practicing the piano solos for Good Friday, I've also been playing my prelude for Easter Sunday morning, "Christ Arose!" It's probably my favorite Easter hymn, beating out "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today." 

Perhaps it's because it starts with the message, "Low in the grave He lay" and ends with the soaring, "He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!" (Too often, pastors don't choose that song. My family know that if it doesn't get sung at the Easter morning worship service, they'll be hearing it in the car on the way home. From the time I was a little girl at Byers Methodist Church, it's been a centerpiece to Easter for me. I was thrilled to see Pastor Kim chose it for this Easter Sunday!)

As we continue to walk our way toward that "Hallelujah!" I pray for eyes to be open to see God's fingerprints in my life and the world around me. 

(The symbol information is from a UMC.org devotional written by Mark Price is Minister of Spiritual Formation and Facilities Manager at Christ United Methodist Church in Franklin, Tennessee).

***

This Easter will be the first to celebrate in person in TWO years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And just like finding hope in the midst of darkness, one of my friends, Linda, organized a way to share the Easter message in a non-traditional way through YouTube back in 2020.  I was one of those who provided a video during that time. I combined a vocal solo with some of my photography. I've shared the link below, if you're interested. I'm singing this song for the Good Friday service this week, this time, accompanied by Linda and in person. Thanks be to God!

Brooke, the Chef

 

Thanks to Jill for all the photos!

 

We aren't sending Brooke to the Culinary Institute of America - at least, not quite yet. But a monthly cooking box for kids is helping her develop culinary skills beyond chocolate chip cookies.

For the girls' birthdays the past several years, we've purchased monthly subscription boxes. Rather than add another stuffed animal to a menagerie that already threatens to push the girl out of bed or another toy that ends up neglected on a playroom shelf, they get "experiences" every month. Great Grandma and Grandpa Moore kick in what they would have spent on a gift, and Randy and I fund the rest.

This year, we tried a new subscription, Yummy Crate, for Brooke, a 7-year-old first grader. For the past several years, we'd ordered Little Passports for her. And while she liked them, she was ready for a change. 

Kinley has been receiving Kiwi Crates from the same company.  A couple of years ago, we switched her to Doodle Crates, also from KiwiCo,, which provides an art project each month. Kinley has loved them and has made some fun crafts. So, when a brand new alternative launched from the company, we decided to go with Yummy Crates for Brooke. So far, so good!

As a first-year member of the Auburn 4-H Club, Brooke chose foods and nutrition as one of her 4-H projects. The monthly crate will offer just one more excuse to get in the kitchen and get cookin'!

 

Here's what she gets each month in the kit, which arrives by mail:

• A porfolio of recipe cards: three family-friendly recipes that teach kitchen skills and explore the science of cooking;

• STEAM activities: Experiment with a specialty cooking tool (the bibimbap kit included a colander), plus 2 hands-on projects for more creative fun and learning in (and out) of the kitchen;
• Yummy Zine magazine: Kid-friendly science, comics, history, and fun facts about food; &
  
• Shopping List: A grownup's guide to customize the grocery list for the family’s preferences

With one of the boxes, she made Bibimbap, a Korean dish, a bowl of warm white rice with toppings. It was a hit at their house among all four diners.

The crate comes with illustrated instructions. Here's just an example from that kit.

Child nutrition experts always say that involving children in food preparation makes them more willing to try new things. With a mom who's a dietitian, our girls are already pretty good about that, but any extra boost is good.

Photo from https://www.kiwico.com/yummy

If you want to try it for yourself, here's the recipe for Korean Bibimbap:

Photo of Brooke's finished masterpiece!

Korean Bibimbap

From Yummy Crates

 

11/2 cups uncooked rice, rinsed

3/4 lb. ground or thinly sliced beef

1 medium cucumber, washed

2 cups shredded carrots

4 eggs

3/8 cup (90 ml) soy sauce, divided

3 tbsp. white sugar, divided

About 3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil, divided

2 tsp. garlic powder, divided

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

 

Optional:

1 tbsp. gochujang (Korean chili paste)

Additional toppings

 

Follow your package directions to cook rice in a pot or use a rice cooker.

 

In medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon garlic powder for marinade. Add beef; set aside for 30 minutes.

On a cutting board, cut cucumber in half long ways, with a sharp knife. Chop into thin slices. In a clean bowl, use a fork to mix together marinade of vinegar, water, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Add sliced cucumbers. Set aside while you cook the rest of your toppings.

Cook your toppings. Spread 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil around a frying pan. Heat the pan on stovetop on medium heat, about 2 to 4 minutes. Cook shredded carrots in pan for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Move the cooked carrots to a small bowl when they're done. 

Cook the beef mixture in the same pan for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until it's browned. Move cooked meat to a small bowl.

Crack 4 eggs into the pan and cook for about 3 minutes or until the whites are firm. Flip the eggs over with a spatula. Cook for another 3 minutes or until the yolk is set. 

Build the rice bowls: 

 

Mix Sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 tablespoon gochujang (optional). 

Scoop 1/2 cup cooked rice into each serving bowl. Slide an egg on top of each scoop. 

Pour the cucumber mixture into a colander, draining off the liquid over a bowl or the sink.

Pile the toppings around each egg and drizzle some sauce. As you eat, mix everything together to get different flavor combos in each bite. 

 

Other suggested toppings:  Red cabbage, sauteed spinach, sauteed bean sprouts, sauteed zucchini, sauteed mushrooms, toasted sesame seeds.

All done? Tidy up the kitchen! (I'm sure the parents like that step!)

Photos from Boarding School

I can't imagine sending my kids off to boarding school. It was hard enough to put them on that big yellow bus when they were kindergarteners. Their little legs looked so short, stepping onto that first step of the bus in the dim morning light. (We were always the first stop in the mornings since we were right on the border of the school district.)

An aside: I just read a novel in which the boy was sent away to boarding school. Actually, he ended up in several different boarding schools because he was always getting in trouble. (And, by the way, I would highly recommend The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. It looks intimidating because of its 593 pages, but it really reads fairly quickly. Once you get past the author's refusal to use quotation marks for dialog, it's a great read!)

Anyway, in some ways, I feel like our Class of 2022 baby calves have been away at "boarding school." We don't have any babies in the corral just east of our house. They and their mamas aren't in the pasture just south of our house or in the pasture just north of Randy's childhood home. Since Tye and his dad, Todd, have had the responsibility for the daily care and feeding of their mamas, we just visit the "boarding school" on occasion.

They have the cows and calves fairly close to where we live. Sometimes I wonder if Randy is pushing their liberal "visitation" policy, but they don't seem to mind. The other day, Tye happened to be there and even opened the gate for us to drive in for a closer look. That's service!

Our cattle herd and the Millers' is mingled together at their calving location. The beige colored calf in the background is theirs.

Of course, I had to take my customary "class photos."

I am a sucker for pretty markings on a calf.

It looked like this cow had a day care center open.

Same goes for this mama. 

It's interesting to see how genetics plays out in the annual offspring. You could tell these two went together, even without their matching eartags.

 

This one looked like it was protesting its inclusion in my photo album.  

This one's eyelashes are the envy of any lady.

While the white-faced babies seem to naturally attract my attention, their monotone-colored friends are awfully cute, too.

It likely won't be the last time we visit the "boarding school" grounds. 

I think I've read about family days at boarding school.

Cooking Up A Surprise

 

 

No one who cooks, cooks alone. 

Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen

 is surrounded by generations of cooks past,

 the advice and menus of cooks present,

 the wisdom of cookbook writers.

Laurie Colwin, writer

I've been "cooking" up a surprise for Susan and Brent. And I finally got to share the results at Susan's latest bridal shower.

 

I compiled two volumes of recipes from family and friends and presented the cookbooks as my shower gift. I had done something similar for Jill and Eric a dozen years ago. But even in that short time, many of us have shifted how we approach cooking. Instead of pulling down a community cookbook from our kitchen shelf at mealtime, we click on a link on Facebook or Instagram. 

 

So, before I began this months-long project, I asked Jill whether she thought it was still something I should do. And even though she's the "queen" of pulling up recipes on her phone or computer, she encouraged me to do it.

 

Jill's & Eric's cookbook - still in use after 12+ years!

Jill still uses the two-volume cookbook I compiled for them. And, interestingly enough, one of the recipes she contributed to Susan's and Brent's book was a breakfast recipe she received in her homemade cookbook for a Sausage and Grits Casserole. (See recipe at the end of this post. Jill actually served it to Randy and me when we stayed at her house before the shower. And, no, we didn't arrange that ahead of time!)

Susan's mom, Becky, also thought the project was worthwhile. She helped by sharing names and addresses of family members, her friends and important people in Susan's life. One of Susan's friends, Mallory, supplied names and addresses, as did one of Brent's friends, Ben, and his wife, Tori. 

I had to laugh when I opened the envelope with Becky's recipes. On the top was a recipe for Bar-B-Cups.

 

That was a recipe that also appeared on Brent's childhood table. (I still make them and so does Jill.) My mom started making them when the recipe was a winner in the Pillsbury Bakeoff back in the day. (A quick internet search revealed that, yes indeed, the recipe was entered in the 1968 Bake-Off!)

On the back of the card, Becky wrote: "I get the urge to make these every February 16 - no matter where you are!" Those were often Susan's childhood birthday menu request. 

 

 

Even the youngest members of the family got involved. Brooke and Kinley both contributed favorite recipes. 

 

 

I figure it will be fun to look back and see their handwriting from their 1st and 4th grade 

years. 

 

This would have been a project that Randy's mom, Marie, would have loved. And she's not left out. I had a Chocolate Oatmeal Chippers cookie recipe written in Marie's own hand in my own recipe box. I included it in the cookbook. And Becky had a recipe for Susan's Grandma Welch's Toffee Dip, also in her hand, which is nestled in the Appetizer pages. 

 

Randy's sister, Kathy, also used Marie's go-to shower gift as her gift - a pizza pan and other utensils and ingredients needed to make homemade pizza. Kathy used one of her cards to include the same recipe that Marie also always included with her gift.  

Several family members from Brent's side of the family attended. They all shared recipes, too.

 

To get the recipes, I wrote a note to friends and relatives from both sides of the family. I enclosed matching recipe cards and asked them to send two of their favorite recipes. After I sent the letters, I loved going to the mailbox and discovering recipe cards and notes tucked among the bills and newspapers. It was like getting Christmas cards and letters, but it lasted longer since I'd given people plenty of time to respond. Once I had the cards back, I compiled the recipes into two volumes.

 

 

Like I'd done with Jill's book, I had a Hutchinson shop engrave metal labels to affix to the cookbook spines, noting that Volume I had soups, salads, vegetables and main dishes and Volume II had baked goods, desserts, appetizers, beverages and holiday. 

I could have typed them all or sent the requests for recipes out by email, but I liked having each friend or family member write out the recipe card in their own hand. It seemed more personal that way. 

 

 

Remember that favorite recipe from Jill's own wedding cookbook that I mentioned earlier? She has served it to the family - including to Susan and Brent - at several holiday brunches. It was from Wanda Morrison, who has since passed away. But the recipe lives on in Susan's and Brent's cookbooks. And I guess that's the whole point, isn't it?  

Country Grits & Sausage Casserole

From Jill's and Eric's Wedding Cookbook

2 lbs. ground sausage

4 cups water

1 1/4 cups quick cooking grits, uncooked

4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

4 large eggs

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown sausage in a large skillet. Drain fat and set aside. Bring water to boil in a large saucepan; stir in grits. Return to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add cheese and next three ingredients, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in sausage and eggs to grits mixture.

 

Spoon mixture into a lightly-greased 13- by 9-inch pan. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown and thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 8-10.

 

Note: Casserole may be prepared the day before. Do not bake until morning. 

 

Jill's note: This is one of our favorite recipes we got in our wedding cookbook and wanted to pass it along! It was from Wanda Morrison.  

 

***

And here was a recipe from Randy. It just makes me laugh. And I hope it does the same for Susan and for Brent, who went on many a Ninnescah fishing expedition with his dad.

Fried Catfish

Randy Fritzemeier

After a successful day of fishing on the Ninnescah, bring fish home and filet them. Start cutting behind the ribs to the tail. Then flip piece of fish over and cut off skin. Clean off pieces of fish with fresh water and put in a bowl of water. Add salt and seasonings; let soak for an hour.

Heat pan of oil to frying temperature.

Shake water from fish. Roll fish in Louisiana Fish Fry Mix. Drop in frying oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Don't overload pan. Put in basket with paper towels in bottom to soak up excess oil.

Then eat.