Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody!This is one of our favorite fall dishes and I am getting ready for fall!
"It was the food that made me love you!" said an anonymous boy.
Feasting is one of our favorite pastimes. And it was the most often entertainment we enjoyed in our family--3 X a day, plus teatimes makes thousands and thousands of meals where we talked, laughed, and rested together with food as the final reward.
What a great invention Jesus made when he created us to eat.
Warm smells of onions, apples, thyme and roast fill our home with delectable temptation as my sweet children come through the front door. Usually bread is rising and the yeasty aromas mixed with the lovely herbs of roasting pork is enough to calm frayed nerves, soothe exhaustion from a day spent in busyness. And all of this speaks to my children and their friends of a sanctuary where all will find life and peace.
When people ask me how I influenced my children to love God and to love home, I often try to come up with something deep, spiritual, insightful and wise and hopefully I have learned some principles of wisdom that have influence my children's hearts.
Yet, often, I have realized that it is the times shared over meals, the time filling our hunger with wonderful tastes and smells and delight that has wrought as much pleasure and comfort--all of this, that has reached the depths of their hearts for Christ and His ways.
The colors God made, the pleasures he wanted his children to enjoy, the tastes and smells and sounds and life itself stirs a heart alive, inspires a soul to hope in the beauty of the life shared moment to moment each day. This week we have had a celebration of an engagement, two birthdays, mother's day a week late and lots of eating. But the fellowship and laughter and conversation around the table has set memories for years to come.
The food was the frame that set up the picture of our days shared. I thought I would share with you my own roast pork concoction--so very easy and so very satisfying and impressive.
Pork Roast a la Sally
Two pork loins
1-2 cups apple juice (depending on how big the loins are--I usually just pour it in to the top of the meat.)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 package onion soup mix
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 apples sliced thinly
2 onions sliced thinly
1/2 -3/4 cup dried cherries according to preference (optional--some don't like this--but most of my family loves it)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Stir the apple juice, garlic, soup mix and worcestershire sauce together in a crock pot. Place the pork loins in the sauce. Cover the meat with apples and onions. Sprinkle the dried cherries over the top. Put lid on and cook slowly all day. Salt and pepper to taste. The meat is so luscious and literally falls apart. Always a hit for crowds or for my kids and so very easy to do. I make an easy gravy out of the juice that is left over. I have a great source for natural, organic pork, so though we don't have it often, it is a real treat.
Mashed potatoes
I almost always use red potatoes lately as they have less of a sugar base when cooked. I also use a pressure cooker and do them in four minutes. Add 1-2 teaspoons of condensed chicken bouillon (natural, no msg) when you drain the water from the potatoes and then you don't have to use as much butter. The bouillon gives it a rich taste. Salt and pepper to taste and a little butter and milk and whip away.
Steamed green beans
I love the green beans this time of year. Fresh is best, but there are frozen, thin beans that you can get at the grocery store. Steam over boiling water until just tender. While steaming, I sprinkle the beans with French herbs. When finished, I sprinkle lightly with sea salt and toss them in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. They taste fresh and melt in your mouth.
Since the children were little, we have often used the sparkling white or red grape juice with this meal.
Celebrate, enjoy and make a great tradition of a favorite meal.
Off to cook yet again!
Any fall favorites you are dreaming of making?
And tomorrow, I will tell you about something fun I am working on to mentor more mamas. Just wish I could have you all in my home. I love having friends over.......