Monthly Archives: February 2012

lent, recipe

Looking for Lenten recipes

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120: Fish for dinnerLent not only means “giving something up” for 40 days leading up to Easter, it also means no meat on Fridays. I always say I could easily be a vegetarian. It not usual, when my husband is on the road, for me to go days on end without eating meat at all. But that’s my choice. When it comes to Lent, you would thinking cooking without meat was some sort of foreign challenge to me.

I do make a mean tilapia (as seen above). My parents and I discovered that last Lent. And I came up with this clam dip that I don’t know that I could duplicate now, since I didn’t write it down. I think it was just crab meat, mayo and garlic salt. I think. I really don’t remember, though.

Growing up, we made a lot of meatless spaghetti. And of course pancakes as a breakfast-for-supper meal. I love tuna fish sandwiches, and Tuna Helper is all kinds of awesome.

And you can’t beat one huge salad, either.

But this year… I want to try something new and different. I want to stretch my legs in the kitchen for Lent.

I definitely want to make hummus. I’ve been wanting to do that for a couple years now, and I think it is time I made that happen. I’m also thinking about stuffed bell peppers one night. I made a stuff tomato once when my husband was on the road, using a rice mixture I just made up, and then melted mozzarella cheese on top. That was yummy goodness. So I might do something similar using bell peppers.

Past that, though? I am kind of as a loss. I want recipes!

So help me out. What is your favorite Lenten/vegetarian dish? Throw me a cooking challenge!

flying

As I write this

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As I write this, I’m once again mid-flight from Nashville to Austin. Back to the tax work!

I think I’ve discovered the best time to fly: sunset. I took off just after the sun had dropped below the horizon, and as we taxied to the runway, the pale pink sky reflected off the wet asphalt. The photographer in me wished to be able to make the pilot stop, so I could dig out my camera and snap away. It was gorgeous. The kind of sunset you see in movies. The kind that makes you marvel in the world around you.

We lifted off, and Nashville sprawled out below me. It was bright enough still to make out all the buildings, but dark enough that all the street lights were already glowing. The pink sky no longer part of my view, slowly separating itself. A light haze, perhaps it was light rain, gave the city a romantic quality.

My eyes scanned the streets and buildings. An interesting thing happened… my city that has come to feel cozy seemed so much larger. I began to grasp the sheer number of people in one location.

Downtown came into view, and it made me smile. Not only do I love downtown Nashville, but it looks so small from above! When you are downtown, it feels much more massive. But as you take off, you realize Nashville is more spread out for its size and downtown it really not much more than maybe five or six tall buildings, reaching for the sky. In one instant, my city felt so big. And in the very next, it felt so very small.

As I cruise west, I am chasing the sun. I can just barely catch a glimpse of the bright crimson colors of the sun setting. It keeps making me stop and stare, craning my neck as I try to find a way to see it better. There is no orange or yellow in this sunset. There is bright, almost angry, red. A layer of clouds. Then the gentle blue of the sky fading into black darkness. Cities and towns glow from below. In some cases, you can make out the street layout and you wonder if there is someone driving there… and where are they going… what are they thinking about.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Many are starting Lenten fasts, giving up a vice or starting a new positive thing. I’ve failed miserably the last several years at following any sort of Lenten preparation for Easter. This year, my goal is to pick up journaling daily again. I also just want to do better in general. Make the better choice – in health, finances and emotions.

Best of luck to everyone making sacrifices for the next 40 days! If anyone needs a cheerleader, I’ll be happy to do that for you.

The sun has almost faded completely. The red is now a deep orange. It won’t be long before it is all gone and darkness falls on yet another day. Dreams are waiting to be dreamed, and a new day is waiting to begin.