so everybody is looking forward to easter, the end of those lenten disciplines, chocolate and liquor returning to the everyday routine of life.
have i mentioned what i gave up this year? i haven't? oh. that's because i didn't. i haven't done the give something up for lent thing in awhile. i'm all about being in relationship with god and nurturing my spirituality and living into the lenten wilderness journey, but i'm just not good at the giving things up. i used to try taking things on, but now i don't even do that. it's too much like new year's resolution, too much like an attempt to make a diet "holy." so, while i am soooo looking forward to easter for a bunch of reasons, i am not looking forward to a return of some forbidden food or drink or habit to my life.
that said, i've decided to take on a new project for the season of easter, the great 50 days. my parents were (are?) great cooks. i didn't know it as a kid. i just thought our food was different. while my friends had bologna and bread for their lunches, bottled salad dressings in the fridge and potpie for dinner, i didn't. my mother would make these dream salads and pack them for me in high school, along with crudités (my high school friends elizabeth & tanya, from france, would top that with escargot, but still) and fresh pineapple. my father made dishes rich in spice and flavor (always hot!) and they, simply put, didn't look like middle america meals. i'm told they got a lot of inspiration from julia. true or not, i imagine their bible to have been one of her cookbooks. and i love to cook, even thought i'm not terribly skilled at it. so....
i'm buying myself this book for easter. and my goal is to make a dish a week. i'll photo it and post it here and tell you how delicious or awful it was. that's the plan. of course my follow through can be iffy, so, dear readers, hold me to it!! this should start in the easter season!!
but for now, hit your knees and say your prayers. holy week, the holiest week of the year, begins in 12 short hours.
