In yesterday’s post I shared about how God thinks about preparing food and how we are also like God when we care about preparing food for our families and for others.I’d love to share an example with you. On Sunday evening, Erin Harrison, who lives on the Hilltop here prepared a special Ladies’ High Tea for my 80th birthday. She called it “Fancy for Nancy” and everyone was asked to come really dressed up and with a hat to match!
Each person was asked to bring a dessert or savory dish, but the day before Erin got an idea, which was a surprise. She decided to turn it into a really royal Tea Party, and she set to work to bake 10 different English recipes for the party! Did I say 10? Yes, 10 different recipes that would have taken most people a day to do one of them!
At the party, one of our lovely ladies brought each dish around to show everyone and they had to guess the name of the recipe. I have to confess that even with my English background I didn’t win the competition.
Anyway, let me tell you about what she made. And I’d love to know how many you would have guessed!
No. 1. Scones. Well, we all knew what they were. It is very English to have scones with jam and cream. In our family, often on a Sunday evening we will make scones with jam and cream, a favorite because we come from New Zealand.
No. 2. Victoria Sponge. Erin made such a beautiful six-layered sponge with whipped cream between each layer.
No. 3. Chelsea Buns. They are made with currants or raisins, and cinnamon, allspice, and lemon peel. They look a little like cinnamon rolls.
No. 4. English Shortbread. We could all guess this one. Shortbread is a favorite of most people, but I think this was the best shortbread I have ever eaten in my life. Erin made all her dishes with freshly ground einkorn flour. so they were so healthy.
No. 5. Figgy Pudding. We sometimes sing about this when we are out caroling at Christmas time . . .
“Now, bring us some figgy pudding,
Now, bring us some figgy pudding,
Now, bring us some figgy pudding, and bring it out here!
The funny thing is that I had never eaten figgy pudding until Sunday evening! I didn’t even know what it was! But wow, I have never eaten anything so delectable I’ll post a picture of it. It includes dates and figs and raisins and eggs and flour. Erin made a beautiful job of them.
No. 6. English Trifle. This is a familiar one of course, made with sponge cake, custard, jelly, whipped cream, and berries, all layered. It's always a favorite at every party back home in New Zealand. We could purchase packages of custard powder (from which we make the custard) from the supermarket but it is difficult to procure here in USA. However, not to be outdone, Erin made her own custard with eggs which was even healthier.
No. 7. Spotted Dick. This was another one I hadn’t heard of. Apparently, it was also a favorite of Queen Victoria's. It is a boiled pudding with lemon undertone and is spotted with raisins. Dick was another name for pudding, derived from the word “dough.”
No. 8. Cornish pasty, made perfectly by Erin. Couldn’t get better at any restaurant.
No. 9. Mincemeat pies. These aren't made with meat, but with raisins and such in little cases of pastry which they make especially at Christmas time.
No. 10. Bubble and Squeak, made from leftover potatoes and cabbage. I sometimes made this for the children when they were growing up. You can also include eggs and other leftovers when frying them up.
How many of these would you have guessed correctly?
But what I am really wanting to share with you is the time, effort, creativity, and thoughtfulness Erin put into making all these recipes in order to make it such a special evening for all the ladies.
Food is a beautiful way to show love.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Pictures:
Erin’s table laden with food
Figgy Pudding
Spotted Dick
1109 Hits
Elijah was running from wicked Queen Jezebel. He’d been running for two days and was exhausted, so exhausted he was ready to end his life.
Lying in the bath the other night I read the words in Psalm 30:9: “Shall the dust praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth? No. We have only one chance to declare God’s truth and make known the glory of God and that’s while we are here on this earth. When we meet the Lord, all our opportunities will be gone.
What’s happening in your home today? Is everything piling on top of you--laundry, dishes, and teaching the children all waiting to be accomplished? Don’t despair, dear mother. Don’t look at everything waiting to be done. Just tackle one job at a time. Priorities first. But do each task with ALL YOUR MIGHT. Not half-heartedly, grumblingly, or lazily. And teach your children to do their chores with all their might too. You will inspire this attitude in them as they see the way you work in the home.
I remember seeing a cartoon many years ago. It was a picture of a mother looking at the adverts in the newspaper. Around her were children out of control and the house in utter chaos. The caption read: “I’m looking for a job, I need a rest!”
Do you remember the account of Jesus when he was only twelve years old? The family came to the Feast of Passover at Jerusalem. On the way home, along with all the other hundreds of families returning from Jerusalem, his parents noticed Jesus’ was missing. They immediately returned to Jerusalem, but it was three days before they found Him.
Words and ideas are indivisible with God. It is the same with us. Our ideas and thoughts about any issue determine what we confess about it. And get this. What we confess is how we live! Our confession determines our lifestyle.
It is important to have purpose and vision in our lives, isn’t it? In our great role of mothering and homemaking we also need purpose. Purpose keeps us motivated. Purpose keeps us going even as we face trials.
King David was passionate about building as house for the name of the Lord, although his son, Solomon completed the vision. 1 Kings 8:17-19 says: “And the LORD said unto David my father . . . thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house UNTO MY NAME.”
Oh yes, time to get a new Bible too. This is the Bible I use daily. My favorite. It is the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, edited by Spiros Zodhiates. I use the King James Version, but you can get it in other versions too.
Oh my, it’s time we got a new DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH! We have worn this copy out. We use this devotional every morning and evening at our Family Devotions. After reading it day after day, month after month, and year after year, we really wear it out. We love it because it is only the Scriptures—verses put together on a particular theme for each reading.
Dear manager of the home, beloved of the Lord,
I am replying to a frequent comment on the thread of the post below, GOD’S MANDATE FOR OLDER WOMEN. A number of older women shared how they feel the younger generation are not interested in listening to them. There are many who are desperate for the teaching of older women, but there are also many who would rather do it their own way.
It seems that many older women are not aware of the mandate God gives to them. Titus 2:3-5 tells us that the older women are to teach and show the way for the younger women.
This morning at our Morning Devotions we sang the beautiful old hymn written by Isaac Watts. I’d love to share the words with you:
Do you want God to come to your home? I do. I am looking for the Lord’s coming, but I am looking for Him to come before He comes! In other words, I need Him now. I want my home to be filled with His presence.
Dear mother, may you be blessed today. Of course, you are already blessed. You have the privilege of revealing to your children, and to the world around, the nurturing character of God. You reveal the tender and compassionate heart of God. Your work is powerful. Your influence is enormous. As you raise your children you determine the future of the nation. You impact future generations. Your work is eternal. Every other career will one day be left behind, but you have the privilege of taking your children into eternity with you. Be encouraged today.
Dear ladies, I discovered something new this morning! It’s radical, but I love it. But you are used to my sharing radical things with you, aren’t you?
We frequently pray the Lord’s prayer from Mathew 6:9-15, praying “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” What an amazing statement! Do we fully understand what we are praying?
It’s amazing, isn’t it, how we think so differently to the way God thinks. Especially about children coming into the world.