Sweet Olive Jam

I love B&D*, the small grocery outlet blocks from my home. I shop there for simple things like canned beans, almonds, spray starch and come home with sushi rice, sesame seed butter, coconut milk and if I’m really, really lucky, wasabi paste. I’m definitely not a food snob, and I guess that is why I like B&D: it is a garage sale of canned goods. A place to discover new stuff and try things I’d never pay full price to try. Many times I find a $5 or $6 price tag on an item and the familiar B&D marking pen marking it at $1. It gives me the opportunity to try wasabi paste or for my friend Ellen to buy me a jar of Sweet Olive Jam.

Sweet Olive Jam? Never heard of it? Me either. But tonight I tried some. Today we had the honor of having Matt’s mother from Wisconsin here for worship and lunch. One of her goals for this trip was check out B&D and buy some cheap balsamic vinegar. So after lunch (meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, green spring salad, corn casserole, green peas, and fresh strawberry shortcake with whipped cream**), Ellen and I introduced Nancy to B&D. The above photo is of Nancy finding bargains and balsamic vinegar. Ellen discovered the Sweet Olive Jam imported from Greece, so she bought it for snacks tonight after the visitation evening. Sweet Olive Jam is made from green olives, sugar, permanganate juice and spices. I wasn’t brave enough to try it with a meatloaf sandwich, but I did try it on a small cheese sandwich and found it really delightful. A bit like chutney, but definitely different and well worth the $1 Ellen paid for it. Thanks E!

Sometimes I long for Africa. I long for our friends, the different food, and living with many different cultures. Today I was reminded that I at times overlook gifts in front of me: friends like Ellen and Nancy and B&D. I know that if I was not here, I would long for my friends and the little store that brings the world to me through strange and interesting new food.

God………help me to see and soak up the blessings you put in front of me each and every day.

*For another story about B&D, click here.
**Last week we had such a busy week, I didn’t plan a Sunday Lunch. So 6 of us after meeting for worship went to the local pizza buffet. We paid $44 for lunch and I decided that eating out was over rated and over priced. Every effort I make to cook at home really matters. I made lunch today for around $15.…and we have leftovers! I cook with a bit more purpose after last week.

Dishwashers are a good thing.

On most Monday mornings for the past five years I’ve met with a friend from the local Catholic parish in our living room at the parsonage. Conversations with Betty are about all things spiritual and we often include periods of silence, prayer, laughter, sharing and debate. It is a great way to start the week. It is a relationship in which we hold each other accountable to what God is teaching us and a relationship where we encourage growth in each of our lives. Each Monday morning is different and each is a blessing. I am thankful for Betty’s friendship.

This morning Betty and I started our time together with silence. I was exhausted from a busy week and an even busier weekend. Before Betty arrived, I loaded the dishwasher with the third load of dishes from Sunday evening and turned it on. As Betty and I settled into silence to begin our time together, I was distracted by the soft, swishing of the dishwasher and angry with myself for not waiting until Betty left before starting the dishwasher. I did not want to interrupt the silence to get up and turn it off.

In those moments of distraction, God spoke. Instead of the distraction, I saw the purpose of the dishwasher. A valuable machine to help me start all over again. Just like my dishes, I am often dirty and unusable, and just like my dishes, I have the opportunity each day to be washed and cleaned. And just like my dishes, I am useable once again and valuable to the world in which I live. And just like my dishes, I can be a vessel for what God needs dished up in our world to nourish it, to treat it, to satisfy its longings and desires.

I get tired of dirty dishes. Sometimes on a busy day, I run four loads in the dishwasher and the end never seems to come. It is much like life. I get tired and overwhelmed with the mountain of work to be done to build community, to help and support institutions, to meet the needs of individuals I love and individuals God has placed in my life.

I do not have much of a choice about doing dishes. It is just something that has to be done to live a healthy good life. The good thing with dishes is that I start over again each day. They are cleaned and sterilized with each washing and I don’t have to do them all at once. I do one load at a time and I depend on the dishwasher to help me not feel so overwhelmed.

From now on, I’m going to use the dishwasher each time I run it to remind me of an opportunity I have every day to start over again. I don‘t have to do and be everything to everyone all the time, but I can do what I am able and do one thing at a time. As my dishwasher washes my dishes clean, I will say a prayer for God to wash me clean and to restore my strength to be a clean, usable vessel for God’s use one more day. It is good to be distracted sometimes………

These are a few of my favorite.....salads

Ahhh..Spring time! The time of the year when our attention turns to fresh things. The photo of Matt has nothing to do with the topic....it is just a photo for his mother. Matt does eat my salads though. I received two phone calls last week asking for salad recipes. One from Tonda asking about a dressing for a Greek Salad and one from my mother asking for the recipe of a salad we ate at Val's house. Below are the recipes I gave over the phone and a recipe I love during the springtime when strawberries are fresh from Florida. Nothing profound about this entry, but just a reminder of how important it is to eat fresh vegetables and fruit.

Val's Apple Pear Salad

Fill salad bowl with romaine greens (I also add radicchio and endive)
Add: 1 apple, diced
1 pear, diced (Bosc pears hold up well in this salad)
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Toss above with dressing just before serving:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar (I use balsamic, white balsamic, or red wine)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup oil (I use olive or a mix of canola and olive)
2-3 teaspoons poppy seeds

Strawberry Spring Salad

Fill salad bowl with fresh spring mix greens (about 8-10 oz). Add about ¾ lb. of sliced fresh strawberries, quartered and a ¼ cup of sliced pecans. I then make a dressing in the food processor using 2 T. olive oil 2 T. Balsamic vinegar, 1 T. raw sugar and 4-5 very ripe strawberries. Puree and pour over the salad just before serving.

Greek Salad

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano or a tablespoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon of lemon pepper

Pour over a bowl of diced roma tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced green pepper, and diced red onion. You can also add romaine lettuce. Pour dressing over salad and add cubed feta cheese and kalamata olives on top. A hint for the dressing.....adding a bit of mayo will help the oil and the vinegar mix better and keep from separating quickly.