You Sacrificed Eating Meat? (OUTSPOKEN_DIVA'S Favorite Recipes)

That's how some sound when you tell them you observe Lent. Lent is a religious observance in the Christian calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends around six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. The purpose is the preparation of the believer through prayer, repentance of sins, and self-denial. Many Christians commit to fasting, by relinquishing certain luxuries in order to replicate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ's time in the desert for 40 days. Many also add a Lenten based reading a daily devotional or praying through a Lenten calendar, to draw themselves near to God. All Christians do not participate in Lent. I was introduced to Lent in college, but didn't fully incorporated into my life until my late 20s.

One of the luxuries given up is eating meat. Most go meat free on Ash Wednesday & every Friday leading up to Easter. Some eat meatless meals all 40 days of Lent. Eating meatless can be difficult, if you let it. Dinner for me can be the hardest, but I pray throu it. Breakfast is easiest, because most of morning meals ideas are meatless. My favorite Lenten recipes are my go to meatless meals, even outside of the season of Lent.

My mother watches food & dining television with & without me. And it is not an unusual sight to see her take mental notes on a recipe. Pecan-Cranberry Salad is the result of her tv watching. It is a bright in flavor & simple to make. 

Pecan-Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 cups packed torn fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cranberries, onion, and pecans. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, & garlic, until blended. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. 
3. Serve immediately.

In classical cooking, this is considered a peasant meal. Pasta Puttanesca means spaghetti for whores in Italian. Traditional puttanesca has anchovies not zucchini in it. I'm not a fan of the little fishes, but zucchini is a good & less salty substitute. Peasants like their blood pressure low.
Zucchini Pasta Puttanesca

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 lb linguini
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 3/4 cup pitted black olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup green olives, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 ounce can crushed tomatoes 
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the onions and saute until soft.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt abundantly, and add the pasta. Drain when al dente.
3. Add garlic, olives, zucchini, red pepper flakes and oregano to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes more.
4. Add the tomatoes and parsley and simmer until sauce is thicken slightly.
5. Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet with the sauce and toss well.
6. Serve immediately.

Imitation Crab a*k*a Krab is actually made with Surimi, a whitefish that is ground then  joined with wheat starch & egg whites to resemble a crab leg. Imitation crap tastes good to me. It is also rather affordable than the seafood it intimidates. And even though the protein is not the highest quality product, it goes great with fresher ingredients like yogurt & celery to make simple dish.

"Crab" Salad with Herb Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 cup of chopped imitation crab
• ¾ cup of plain non-fat yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon of Mrs Dash Onion & Herb
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup carrot, shredded
• 1 celery stock chopped

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl add the crab, yogurt, seasonings, garlic, carrot, & celery.
2. Mix together and chill for at least 1 hour
3. Serve with crackers of your choice

I also like making veggie patties that do not contain beans, peas, or tofu. And thanks to IHop for inspiring my favorite meat-less breakfast, a spinach-mushrooom hashbrown stacker.

No matter how one chooses to commemorate Lent, remember the ultimate sacrifice it symbolizes. An innocent man who laid his life for his friends. That's why I observe Lent, I am his friend.

As AlwaysTalking to You In Adult Terms.

Preparing for Easter (My Favorite Holiday)

It almost times for my FAVORITE holiday, Easter. If you are new to my blog, go read these blogs HERE & HERE and you will find out fully why Easter is my favorite holiday. I plan to be enjoying services at my church. They are having Good Friday & Easter productions this year. If you would like to watch both or either click this Link on Friday, April 3 at 7:30 pm or Sunday morning at 9:00 am. I hope you will enjoy it. I've been told we will be blessed.

Fun Fact about Me: Yes, that is me as a little girl with Deacon Easter Bunny after an annual Easter program. My Foundation church was a Baptist church that didn't shy away from adding a few Secular symbols to all holidays. If you noticed beside us are some palm branches also. There was probably a cross and a tomb behind us also because of the play that performed earlier. So, you can partially blame them for some of my quirky ways of celebrating Easter.

I have added more facets to my Lenten observances, this year. I grew up Baptist so, I didn't grow up observing Lent. Oh, what is Lent? Here is a definition here on Wikipedia. I didn't start until my second year in college. I shared a suite with two students that were Catholic. One day in their warning me about their increase in eating tuna they explained to me what was Lent.

Well, that year I decided just to sacrifice my vice at that time, Little Debbie Zebra Cakes. Over the years, I studied and incorporated more facets of Lent to my observances. A few years ago, I began going meatless on Ash Wednesday and every Friday leading to Easter. This year, I sacrificed two things this year, Soda & Candy.

I've sacrificed them both at different times but never both at the same time. I have to say my desires for them are lessening for them. Maybe these soda & candy devils will get the behind me for good. But my biggest incorporation this year was in my morning devotionals.

This year, I've been doing very well reading a morning devotion. During Lent, I decided to dedicate my reading solely to this season. The Lenten devotionals were very educational for me. I being a believer that believes the whole Bible (Old & New Testament) is the infallible word of God, loves when Biblical readings bridge both testaments. Most of the Lenten readings linked scripture from the Old to the New. Ok, for example, an easy one God provided a lamb for Abraham instead of him sacrificing his son, Isaac like God had previously asked him to. (Genesis 2:2-18) This incident is one of anticipation of God's sacrifice of his only son, Jesus Christ, on the cross at Calvary, for the world's sin. God's great love required of himself what he did not demand of Abraham. My Lenten readings were like that. I loved them.

Fun Fact about Me: When I was in elementary school, I thought (no one told me) Good Friday was a Baptist holiday that we took the day off to celebrate. Can you imagine my feelings when I learned the truth that my mother just didn't send us to school on that day because she was off? (The truancy laws were Not stringent when I was a kid so taking a personal day was common.)  

Also, this week, which is called Holy Week in the Christian religion, I am reading scriptures & listening to prayers that reference the days that guide us on the path Jesus took to the cross and in the morning he rose. Very simple prayers that acknowledge and thank our God for all that he went through on our behalf. Because God did not have to do it. But he did and he is due all manner of adoration for it.

Some time ago I told the Lord I needed a way for him to pour into me in new ways. God really showed out with this devotional. I am happy to add it to my life.

So, what do you do to "spiritually" prepare yourself for Easter? Observe Lent? Observe Holy Week? Other ways? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Easter to you all.
Remember Christ rose for us so, we should always rise for him

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms