In my continuing effort to introduce liturgy into our domestic church (aka, the home), today I cooked something similar to a Passover supper. I got the idea from "The Year and Our Children" by Mary Reed Newland.
I served lamb because the Jews normally served a roast lamb and were to eat every single part of it. They roasted the lamb because they were making haste and roasting is the fastest way to cook the meat. Because I needed lamb for only one person (Chris), we picked it up already prepared from the Shomars drive through a mile away! (And we got some falafel as my main dish.)At Passover, Jews eat a salad of bitter herbs to remind themselves of their bitter sufferings as slaves in Egypt. I got a bag of mixed spring greens (which are bitter) and tossed it with some feta and Kalamata olives.
Jews eat unleavened bread (matzoh) because at Passover, they didn't have time to let the bread rise. I substituted pita bread--which is also unleavened--because I like it more.
I also served the traditional charoset. I have learned that there are as many recipes for charoset as there are for meatloaf (see here). As long as you use some kind of ground meat, some kind of bread or cracker crumbs, and spices, you've got mealoaf, and every housewife has her favorite, personal recipe. The same is true of charoset. I made mine with Golden Delicious apples, golden raisins, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and allspice.
I also set out a "cup of Elijah." The Jews set out an extra glass of red wine in hopes that the prophet Elijah may appear to announce the coming of the Messiah. As Christians, "we might keep the extra goblet filled to remind us of our beloved brothers, the Jews, out of whose faith and tradition our faith has come."
My meal was certainly not an exact Passover meal, but it was reminiscent of the Last Supper and was a fun way to commemorate Maundy Thursday.
As an aside, I've found myself guilty of looking at other mothers' blogs and thinking I am seeing a complete picture into their lives, which are perfect and wonderful. My husband reminds me that I'm seeing only a tiny window. I've had friends comment about my blog, as if what they see is a complete picture. It's not! For example, today I felt crummy sick most of the day (and hope I'm not coming down with something), Mary pooped through two outfits, John ate take-out French fries for dinner (to my embarrassment) and repeatedly got time-outs for putting his feet on the table, and he is currently watching a television show, which is the only reason I can post this to the blog. I doubt anyone could possibly think I'm a "supermom," but this should clarify that I'm not!
I am a random blogger who happened to come across your page. I'm offering a different perspective you won't see for 27 or so years - grown up babies. Enjoy all of the years between.
ReplyDeleteWe have a daughter, Mary Clare (31), who is raising our first grandson, James. And a son, John Michael, who is 28 this year. They are wonderful people raised in a glorious (happy) traditional catholic environment. For years I wondered if maybe we were swimming upstream and against the norms. Faith is faith, however. Believe and go with it, or not. You will someday watch your John and Mary raise their children in the same way you raised yours.