Monday, March 3, 2014

Shrove Tuesday!

Gluten Free Crepes with Chocolate Almond Filling and Strawberries. One is lopsided and broken, but hey, it's Lent and nobody is perfect.
My brothers and I have a favorite turn of  phrase. This phrase describes that moment when you are too lazy to get your butt off the couch so you ask somebody else to hand you a remote, or when you want to stuff your face with ribs and cheesy fries. Both situations can be referred to as "fat-assing it". 

Now in the liturgical year, there is one glorious day when you get to "fat-ass it". In different traditions it's know by different names, Catholics generally call it "Fat Tuesday" and Anglicans, "Shrove Tuesday" or if you are Eastern Orthodox, it's "Shrove Thursday". "Shrove" comes from the word "shrive" meaning to confess or to repent. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. It is a day to prepare for the Lenten season's call to repentance. How does fat-assing fit in with this heavy idea of repentance? Shove Tuesday is an important part of the Lenten season. Feasting as well as fasting are both an important part of Lent. Lent is a season where we live in the reality of the Cross illuminated in light of the Resurrection. Decluttering our lives and thought patterns through fasting and prayer help us to see with more clarity the broken parts of our lives and the world we live in. Feasting on Sundays help us situate the brokenness of our lives within the context of the Risen Christ who is making all things,(especially you and me) new. Secondly, on a practical note, feasting on Shrove Tuesday helps prepare your body for Ash Wednesday, which is a day of fasting.

As Matthew, our British-American-transplant pastor, reminded our congregation on Sunday, Shrove Tuesday is about crepes, not American pancakes. Since we have freedom in Christ, we should probably- no, definitely-enjoy both tomorrow. Gluten free crepes are a hard thing to make. Since today was a snow day I decided to experiment. The results are nothing short of amazing- like Julia-Child-is-my-imaginary-grandmother kind of amazing.

The recipe is a modified version of Against All Grain.


Here are the good things you will need: 


·  3 eggs
·  1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
·  1 1/2 tablespoons coconut flout
·  1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
·  1/2 teaspoon arrowroot flour
· a pinch of salt



 Wisk all together just like how you make regular crepes.  And then cook like regular crepes in a non-stick pan.


If you don't know how to make regular crepes, then I really can't help you. For that, you must ask the master and read Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One by Julia Child Knopf. 



In the spirit of fat-assing it, I melted together some almond butter and chocolate.

As Ecclesiastes says, "two are better than one", speaking prophetically about almond butter and chocolate (obviously).






Then I sliced and neatly placed some strawberries in symmetrical rows. Chocolate, almond butter AND strawberries?! As Proverbs says, "A chord of 3 strands is not easily broken". I bet you didn't know so many proverbs were really about food, did you?



The seasons of the church year are a gift to us...they help us create space for increased intentionally to be with God.  Lent creates space for us be with God with all of who we are, including our sin, and our weaknesses, and the places in our life we want to see changed.  May this season of Lent draw you closer to the grace and love of our Lord.

P.S. Don’t forget to kick back and fat-ass it tomorrow.  
 




Saturday, April 14, 2012

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Diet Coke

Being a grad student is rough... and sometimes you just need some diet coke to keep those nasty sleep sharks away! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKVvi9iVkPo

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Bioethical Dilemma of Skinny Jeans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2GNO5Llxdc&context=C404f633ADvjVQa1PpcFMgv10BZfIhFJgFH8rL5qXsUER7lp9YXg4=

"Youth Pastor" types are catching on the the skinny jeans fad as quickly as bird flu is spread! What does this do to their models of theological reflection, and does this change the intelligence levels of how they will raise their future offspring if they insist on dressing like this NOW?