John Donne We are all connected

  In 1624, the English poet John Donne became very ill and thought he was dying.   In those days, the church bells would toll for the dying.  It was the Twitter and Facebook of the day.  Laying ill in bed, he heard the church bells toll, which was a call to pray for the dying, but then he realized it could be tolling for him.  He then wrote the famous poem.     Here are some of my favorite parts of one of them followed by the whole thing:




PERCHANCE he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill as that he knows not it tolls for him.  And perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that.  The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does, belongs to all.  When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that head which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body, whereof I am a member.  And when she buries a man, that action concerns me; all mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again, for that library where every book shall lie open to one another; as therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come; so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness.
....No man is an island,  entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were;  any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

 

Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions

MEDITATION XVII.
Now this bell tolling softly for another, says to me, Thou must die.

PERCHANCE he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill as that he knows not it tolls for him.  And perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that.  The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does, belongs to all.  When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that head which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body, whereof I am a member.  And when she buries a man, that action concerns me; all mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again, for that library where every book shall lie open to one another; as therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come; so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness.
There was a contention as far as a suit (in which, piety and dignity, religion and estimation, were mingled) which of the religious orders should ring to prayers first in the morning; and it was determined, that they should ring first that rose earliest.  If we understand aright the dignity of this bell, that tolls for our evening prayer, we would be glad to make it ours, by rising early, in that application, that it might be ours as well as his, whose indeed it is.  The bell doth toll for him, that thinks it doth; and though it intermit again, yet from that minute, that that occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God.  Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises?  But who takes off his eye from a comet, when that breaks out? who bends not his ear to any bell, which upon any occasion rings?  But who can remove it from that bell, which is passing a piece of himself out of this world?

No man is an island,  entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were;  any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Neither can we call this a begging of misery, or a borrowing of misery, as though we were not miserable enough of ourselves, but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the misery of our neighbors.  Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did; for affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it.  No man hath affliction enough, that is not matured and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction.  If a man carry treasure in bullion or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into current moneys, his treasure will not defray him as he travels.  Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it.  Another may be sick too, and sick to death, and this affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a mine, and be of no use to him; but this bell that tells me of his affliction, digs out, and applies that gold to me: if by this consideration of another's danger, I take mine own into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my recourse to my God, who is our only security.

Grief

In  "The Bully Pulpit" Doris Goodwin reports two very disparate grief responses.  On February 14, 1884, both the mother and the beloved wife of Theodore Roosevelt died.  His wife, Alice, age 22, was the great love of his life.   He resolved to put her out of his mind, and never mentioned her again.  He burned old love letters, as well as pictures of them together.  He tried to wipe out every memory of her. Even in his personal writings, many years later, no mention is made of her.    The page from his diary is shown:http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/at0054.2s.jpg


In contrast to young Roosevelt,  when Abraham Lincoln's beloved son, Willie, died in 1862, Lincoln visited the grave many times, treasured the items Willie had given him, including pictures Willie  drew for him.  Small toys that belonged to Willie, Lincoln kept on the mantle, and would point them out to visitors. 


There are so many ways to grieve.

Mary is not cooking because she is interpreting in France.

 That's her in the camel coat in the CBS broadcast.  I hope she brings home some French bread.

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Better than Reading

If you have enjoyed this blog or enjoyed a great meal recently, and if you want to express thanks for all your blessing and how easy it is for us to enjoy the fruits of our land, click here.

Thanksgiving Feast

This Feast of Consumerism occurred late Thanksgiving evening at the Vernon Walmart.  Do you recognize any of these early bird shoppers?   I sat in my car and read because deal seekers filled every parking space and every other space big enough to park in, including the edges of the field behind the store...

Beef Vegetable Soup: Page 45 Jeanette G.

The best word to describe this soup was "homey."  It was not the new love that consumes your thoughts and inflames your passions.  Rather, this is the faithful and true one you return home to at the end of a long day.    On a cold November evening, that's what you want, the steady and familiar.  A bowl of this healthy and nutritious soup goes well with a piece of bread at a table where you are asked, "How was your day today?"

Note:  Mary had decreased the salt for me.  The next day she and Jonathan ate it with more salt added and they liked it much better.  I enjoyed the soup for four days.  It was best on the third day.

No Meal Tonight

I am sorry, folks.  Because Mary is not feeling well and because the Packers are playing, there will be no meal review tonight.  Here is a picture of Michael at Lambeau Field that will have to keep you until tomorrow when Mary cooks again.

Cookbook Committee

Not only do they make for a delightful picture, but they can also cook!  Their husbands say Proverbs 31 accurately depicts them.  Thank you, ladies, for all your hard work, your contributions, and the great cookbook.  There are several other members of the committee who were absent at the time of the picture.  God bless all of you.

Tasting Tea Videos: Say it is so, Joe

Tasting Tea Videos: Tasting Desserts

Tasting Tea Videos: Eating in Line

Tasting Tea Videos: Desserts

Tasting Tea Videos: Finishing Touches

Tasting Tea Videos: Earthquake Report

Tasting Tea Videos: Thank you! Patti!

Tasting Tea Videos: First Arrivals

Tasting Tea Videos: Preparations Underway

Happy Reformation Day!

When it comes to trick-or-treating, our neighborhood is by far the most heavily trafficked in town.  Since we spent most of our evening answering the doorbell, Mary didn't have time to cook tonight.  Paul's Halloween antics scared off some of the more timid candy scavengers, but he estimates we had about 173 who were brave enough to stay to get their candy once the door opened (see video).

Chicken Potato Casserole: Page 179 Katy H.

When I served myself, my first thought was, "Wow, that's a lot of potatoes."   Jonathan said that it needed more cheese.   Mary said that if she were to make it again, she would be fine with adding more cheese to the meat mixture if that would make Jonathan happy, but that she would also use shredded hash browns instead of diced hash browns.  On the whole, this was not one of our favorites.  However, as the conversation kept returning to the overabundance of potatoes, we delved deeper into that issue until it was discovered that Mary had accidentally used almost twice the amount of hash browns than the recipe called for.  She was in a hurry and, instead of measuring, she just dumped in what she thought was about the right amount going by the serving size/number of servings per package from the nutrition label on the hash brown package.   In the words of Hamlet, "Ay, there's the rub."  If you try this recipe, please measure the potatoes.     

I apologize for neglecting my blog for the past two weeks.  We were out of town the first week, and a late trip to Wichita Falls kept us from trying a recipe the following week.  Tonight was good.  I got back to my blog and I learned something new - that Skittles really likes potatoes.


Paul

Another Country

We have added our fifth country to those who have come to this blog.  We welcome Denmark.

Banana Pudding Cupcakes: Page 301 Katy H.

We are just one month away from the Tasting Tea for the St. Paul cookbook.  To celebrate, Mary made these delicious pudding cupcakes.  Michael liked them a lot and wished we had not given so many way.  Both boys said they were better the next day, after they had been refrigerated.  With the heaping frosting, they were a bit messy, but I was the only one who seemed to be bothered at all by that.  These were some of the best cupcakes I have ever tasted.  Mary brought some to church to share with Judy S. and the staff at the school.  Everyone liked them, and J. G. said they were wonderful.  All the rest of them thought they were very good, even the one who withheld her opinion on the cupcakes from me because of my review of "The Help."  (She told Mary they were very good.)

Country Music and Canton Cafe Egg Rolls: Page 240 Karen G.

This past Saturday night, a time when I am usually huddled in my quiet corner typing up my sermon, found me sliding down a wet country road on my way to give ear to not one, but two Country bands.  Mark W. had his band together, and his brother's band also came to town for a barn jam session.  We were fortunate enough to be guests at this event and to hear them singing and strumming away to the beautiful rhythm of raindrops falling on the metal roof and a drummer who played for both bands.  I enjoyed both of the bands, and I always like listening to Mark sing.  While his brother's band was playing, Mark brought out two large trays of egg rolls.  I had three and a half, and tried three different types of sauce.  My favorite sauce was the orange sauce, and it brought out all the flavors of the egg roll perfectly.  Each bite was followed by a taste explosion.  They had a full and rich taste and I could have eaten many more, but the rain kept coming down out there, and I knew I had to drive through the muddy road and needed all my wits about me.  So, after enjoying my egg rolls, a hot dog, some other food, three cookies, and a piece of cake, and after enjoying another set of country music, with both of my wits fully engaged I rolled out of the barn.  Just as I left they started playing old rock, and it sounded great, but I knew if I stayed later I would probably slide off into a ditch and become so overwrought that I would only be able to write an 1,100-word sermon.  As we pulled out into the road, I noticed that water had filled up the tracks from earlier tires.  But, armed with knowledge that my GM Savana is built Ford tough, I drove down the muddy road and almost slid off only once.  Back on solid pavement, I savored the memory of the egg rolls I had eaten, and was inspired to write a sermon about a feast (from Isaiah 25).  God describes heaven as a great feast, for there is rejoicing and fellowship, and as there was at our evening with the Woolleys, there will be music in heaven as well.  But you better eat your egg rolls here.

Mummu's Pasty: Page 159 Irene Harma

Long ago, in mining towns in Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, wives would wrap the leftover meat and vegetables from the evening meal in pie crusts and then in foil and send that to work with their husbands the next day for their lunch.  When the men got to work they would put those packets on the tops of the hot mining machines as they dug out the ore.  By lunchtime, the pasties were cooked and ready to eat.  Our dear friend, Irene, who is now 90, grew up in one of those towns and passed this recipe onto us.   While they were cooking in the oven tonight, I could almost imagine I was one of those miners, anxiously waiting for the noon bell so I could dig into the delight I was smelling.  To reduce the calories of my portions, I give chunks of the crust to Skittles.  She loves it, especially if she gets a piece that is covered with the ketchup I use liberally with this.  Jonathan does the same and tonight made the comment, "This is my favorite thing to eat ketchup with."  I heartily agree.  Ketchup adds just the right spice to zest up this dish.  Mary eats it without ketchup, but you will never see her eating anything with any kind of condiment - no mayo,  no mustard, no tartar sauce, no Arby's sauce, no BBQ sauce, etc. - so her opinion doesn't count.  This food was much better than last Monday's dinner which, as you may recall, was nothing because we went to see "The Help" instead of helping ourselves to dinner.  One last interesting note:  The pasty shows up in Shakespeare's  "Merry Wives of Windsor" (1600),  and even earlier in some Robin Hood ballads of the 1300's.  Eat a pasty; enjoy some literary history.

Review of "The Help"

I went to the movie with high expectations since others told us how much they enjoyed it.  I should have known something was up when we arrived and there were 50 women waiting in line for tickets.  Okay, there were a couple of us brave males there as well, but women constituted 97 percent of the audience.  I learned something interesting from this experience, though.  That is that when women go to the movies with other women, they flood the concessions stand.  I am serious.  I have never seen anything like it.  I think they all bought drinks, popcorn, and candy.  With their husbands at home snacking and watching the Cowboys on MNF, they were making an evening out of it.  The movie was okay, above average.  I will give it 2 1/2 enchiladas.  The movie opens a window for the viewer to answer the question asked of Jesus, "and who is my neighbor?"    Since this is a food blog, I better comment on the food.  I thought the fried chicken looked delicious and the chocolate pie was well presented, but I am glad the recipe is not in our church cookbook.  I planted an Easter Egg here to give you a recommendation for a movie that I thought did a great job with the theme of race relations and friendship.

Addendum on September 29:   After persistent rejection of my opinion and threats to my person by my sister (Laura M.), teachers at St. Paul (Pam W.) and church ladies (especially Judy N.), I am revising my rating of this movie.  It was very good, worthy of 3 1/2 enchiladas on a 5-enchilada scale.  In fact, the movie was so good that if I did not have a sermon to write, or a Bible Study to prepare, or a Brewer playoff game to watch, or a Wisconsin football game to watch, and if the electricity happened to go out at my house and I could not find any candles to read by, I'd consider going to see it again on Saturday...............not.

"The Help" May Interfere With Monday Night Meal

This morning at St. Paul Lutheran School several people told Mary that we "have to" go see the movie "The Help."  The last time it will be showing in town is at 6:00 p.m. tonight.  However, this is Monday, the day of the week I normally chain Mary to the kitchen floor so she will make a meal for the Blog.  I  hate to do it, but I am afraid I am going to have to give in and go to the movie.  Thankfully, Betsy H. has stepped in to save the day and submitted a post about the feast she prepared for Logan and Gary Don.  I am so envious.  Since misery loves company, come join us tonight at the theater to eat popcorn instead of a feast from the cookbook.  By a strange coincidence, yesterday I almost bought the book, The Help, but instead wound up buying one on the Johnstown Flood.  Now if this turns out to be a chick flick in disguise, you will see me leaving the theater with red and teary eyes because of the great meal I will have missed.

Sending Food to College

Logan was home from college last weekend and it was time for me to renew my cooking skills. (One of the reasons Gary Don is always happy when Logan comes home!) I love the new cookbook and have decided that I will try to only use recipes from it for the next few months.

• I planned ahead and first cooked the Sloppy Joes from Katy H. on page 161. They are great. The recipe makes enough sauce that you can use 3 pounds of hamburger meat. Gary Don and I ate them for 1 meal then I froze the rest to send with Logan.




• Next I made the Cheeseburger Mini Muffins on page 160 by Pamela J. It is a recipe I am going to remember for parties. I think they would go great with pinto beans. To serve to my guys, I put them in the freezer until I have time to make the beans.




• So Gary Don would not feel cheated, I made Lana C's Barbeque Pork Chops on page 164. Wow, they are really good. I was not sure what time we would eat so I started cooking with the lid on the dish. It made them a bit soupy but gave me the idea of adding rice next time.




• I love Chicken Pot Pie and the recipe from Ashley K. on page 177 is excellent and easy to prepare. Gary Don is not a great chicken lover (or very high on vegetables). He is a beef man. I am kind of glad because the Chicken Pot Pie reheats great in the microwave and fed me for three days.




• When Logan arrived home, I fixed Katy H's King Ranch Chicken on page 183. It is excellent. Logan said his friends would like it which is always a compliment. Since the casserole can be frozen before baking, I think I will make it for the college rodeo next month because I always have a house full and never know how many I will be feeding. For this recipe, we ate it once and I froze the rest to send back to school with Logan.




• It is here I should probably note that because I was freezing everything, my guys only had doctored up bean dip nachos for supper when Logan's rodeo was rained out and we ended up back home.




• I also made Katy H's Banana Pudding Cupcakes on page 301. I was in a hurry so turned the recipe into a layer cake. The filling is mouth watering good. Logan said it was really good. I fed it to more company for Sunday lunch and sent the rest back to school with Logan. Next time I make this recipe, I am going to put it in a trifle bowl.



• Mike B's County Potatoes on page 122 were another addition to Sunday lunch. It was handy to make the day before. I was feeding mostly guys and they enjoyed the dish. She mentions that green chilies can be added which sounds like something my bunch would like. Some leftovers went to college and Gary Don used the rest when making soup.




• To add to Sunday lunch, I also made Meme's Jello on page 98. My mom created this recipe years ago and it is a favorite. I use it often because men like it and I can prepare ahead of time.

Thanks so much to the cookbook committee for organizing such a wonderful book. It is a great gift for family and friends. I already have a lot of my Christmas shopping completed. Whoo hoo!

Betsy

Gary's Famous Enchiladas: Page 200 Judy N.

We enjoyed this tasty meal, and Mary was happy that it was very easy to prepare.  That's a big plus when you are in a hurry.  And who is not in a hurry these days?  That is the great folly of our day.  All that hurrying robs us of so much joy.  I think you can find more enjoyment by leisurely eating a peanut butter and honey sandwich than in rushing through a meal from the best recipe in our cook book.  The Lutheran philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote, "most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it."  If we slow down we will better enjoy the gifts of God, including food, and God himself.  Oops.  I forgot that this is a blog and not a sermon.  So, back to food.  We like hot sauce in our house and I poured Tostitos Chunky Salsa on my portion and found that to make it even better.  Jonathan said, "It tasted better than it looked.  It looked decent, but it tasted really good."  If I was preparing it (and it is my goal to make at least one recipe myself during this next year), I would have used just four tortillas instead of six.  Jonathan disagreed, saying it was just right the way it was.  Excellent choice when you have a small window of time to prepare.  Now it is time to see what Sheldon Cooper, my favorite theoretical physicist, is up to.  One last thing.  Here is a quote for those who cannot wait for our first write-up on oriental fare:  "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" (Lao Tzu).

Pork Chops 'N Potato Bake: Page 166 Lynn L.

This recipe inspires you to read Acts 11:7-11 to make sure it is okay to eat pork.  It is, so the next time United puts their pork chops on sale, run out there and get some.  Then prepare this recipe.  It is a winner.  As is often the case, we were up against the clock.  We got home from the college pool at 4:00 p.m. and we had the St. Paul School Open house at 6:30 p.m.  Mary also had to go back and set up 130 chairs during that time frame.  Was it time to try those burgers from Vernon Burger that we have heard are so good?  NO!  It is Monday, my day off, and it is Recipe and Blog Night at our house.  As soon as we arrived at home, Mary went right to the kitchen, and I went the other direction so she could get this done.  At 4:35 p.m., I heard the outside door close and she was gone!  That could mean only one thing:  She got it in the oven in time.  And indeed, it was true!  While she was off setting up chairs for anxious preschool parents, I was home taking in the sweet aroma wafting from the oven to the outer reaches of our home.  Yum.  It passed the smell test.  She made it home in time to take it out of the oven and "steam" some broccoli in the microwave.  We all thought it was delicious.  A meal like this is not meant to be rushed, but the clock was ticking and we barely made it back to St. Paul by 6:28 p.m.  We  plan on making this one again, on a night when we have more time to enjoy it!

Santa Fe Soup: Page 57 Jean G. [Prepared by Pastor Paul's sister Laura]

"From your sister Laura:
Thanks for the great cookbook! It is really attractive. This cookbook has the type of food I like to make and that my family will eat.
Tonight I made Santa Fe soup found on page 57. My family loved it. Due to family preferences, I left out the pinto beans and hominy and used shredded Mexican cheese instead of Velveeta which I put in right before serving. I served this with sour cream and tortilla chips. This was quick to make. I will definitely make this again."

Note from Pastor Paul to readers:  Laura is the sister on the left.  My other sister, Elaine, is on the right. Any stories that I tell about my family members in Bible Class are used simply to illustrate Biblical Truths.  These stories are not to be repeated on this blog to get me in trouble with my sisters or any sister-in-laws that may somehow come across this blog.:)

Have You Prepared a Recipe?

If you have prepared a recipe and would like to blog, please send me an e-mail and I will give you blogging rights.    I am waiting to hear from you.

Okra Patties by M. Baker

When okra is in season we are always looking for new ways to fix it so when I came across this recipe I decided to give it a try. I added a few fresh chopped jalapenos and they turned out great!

A Taste of St. Paul: Monday, November 7 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

You've asked for it.  We've done it.  Dozens of the best recipes from the cookbook will be featured on November 7.    Sample as many dishes as you like for lunch that day.   A limited number of tickets ($5.00) are available from Jeanene G., Linda C. and Judy N.   Is there any better way to show all your office mates that you are thankful for them than by treating all of them to this once in a life time smorgasbord for the taste buds?   Who will be the fortunate 250 that will live to tell about this meal?  I plan on being one of them.   I wonder which one of those women I can call this early in the morning to get my ticket.    

Lana C. on Katy's Cupcakes and Mike B's Chicken

Thank you Lana for the Following:

"Back in the spring I was typing in some of the recipes for the desserts.  Katy H. had submitted a recipe for Banana Pudding Cupcakes.  I was involved in a function where I wanted to bring something sweet to eat.  So I made these.  Everyone who ate them, loved them!  I still have people asking me about them.  So, I know this recipe is really good!
Also, last Friday evening I made Mike Baker’s Oven Fried Chicken Breasts.  Very tasty.  I think the fact that you pour a stick of melted butter over them before you bake the chicken has something to do with it!"

Chicken Pot Pie: Page 177 Ashley K.

These pictures speak for themselves.  The four of us absolutely loved it.   I even enjoyed the aftertaste.  Both boys described it as delicious and each ate half of a pie tin.  It should be noted that Mary doubled the recipe (making two pies) since she knew this was likely to happen and she wanted dinner too.  Michael said he loved the bottom crust that just melted in his mouth.   People say that the more colors an item has, the healthier it is.  As I look at the leftovers (which will be eaten at lunch tomorrow), I see orange, green, white, brown, and silver.  I think this recipe would also work very well  on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, using some leftover turkey.  Yum!

Cream Cheese and Sausage Dip: Page 4 Patti J

The ladies' Thursday night LWML group emailed me last night to let me know they had left some chips and dip in the church kitchen for my mid-morning snack.  Recalling words of Hebrews 13, "Do not forget to do good and to share," I brought the chips and dip to our school to share this treat with our teachers and get their culinary reviews.   Before I even opened up the container, one of them remarked, "what if they are trying to poison you, then we will all die too."  The teachers do not know the fine relationship I have with our Thursday night group.  They have never tried to poison me.  Back to the dip.  Most of them liked it.  Some of the responses were: "Delicious," "I like it," and "I can taste the sausage."   On my way back to the office, I spotted our DCE Dan and Joe A. working in Dan's office, and I shared some with them.  They also liked it.  I myself thought the dip tasted good, and it went better with tortilla chips than with regular potato chips.   This is a good dip for those who like sausage and don't like their dips too spicy.    Thank you, ladies, for the snack.

Roasted Asparagus: Page 105 Katy H.

Nothing disappoints more than mushy asparagus.   It is like getting a mouthful of slimy seaweed while swimming in the ocean.   This recipe, however, leaves the stalks slightly crispy and sweet, not mushy at all. All four of us enjoyed them immensely.  I give this top marks for taste and texture.   Before the Packers' explosive victory over the Saints, and during President Obama's speech, we enjoyed a  meal of asparagus, salmon patties, and baked potatoes.  I would also like to have this as a side dish with pork chops from the grill.

First Meal: Indian Corn Soup Page 51

We needed something quick this evening because I wanted to get to church early for the Elders' Meeting.   It took Mary about 70 minutes to prepare and cook this recipe.   Since I had to eat right away, she put some ice cubes in mine to cool it down.  

Right away, Michael said it was "good and healthy."   Jonathan stated that this would be excellent in winter, but hot soup in summer is not his favorite.   We all thought it smelled like Taco Soup.   We talked about the heat level (spiciness), and Jonathan stated that he had destroyed his taste buds this weekend at Pluckers in Austin by taking their hot wing challenge.  (He made it through 10 hot wings, but stopped there because he knew that he was never going to make it to 25.)  Anyway, he also liked the soup.  Mary and I also thought it was tasty.  Mary prepared this soup with organic, super-lean hamburger from the farm of Keith Kubitz, elevating this soup to an exceptional level on the health meter.   Once the bread was done, we all dipped the bread in the soup, and there were several "mmms" hummed by the four of us.  We all liked this meal.

Recommendations:  Make it during cold weather.  Bake bread with it.   Ideal for when you only have 90 minutes to prepare and eat.

The Beginning

The women of our church have put together an outstanding cookbook for the 100th anniversary of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Vernon, Texas.  Each week I'm having my wife prepare a recipe from the cookbook and, perhaps along the way, others will bring me one or two dishes from the book.  I will comment on these meals, and provide other random thoughts.

What qualifies me to undertake such a project?  I have been a regular at church pot lucks in three time zones, from Wisconsin to Michigan, Missouri, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas.   However, you will find no reviews of potato salad on this blog.  I consider that a plus.  Please add your comments on your favorites from the cookbook and tell us how much you liked it and why.  I look forward to your postings.

Shalom,
Paul