Agnus Dei                                                                       Francisco de Zurbaran
Oil on Canvas                                                                        14 x 20 1/2 in  
ca 1635 - 1640                                                               San Diego Museum of Art
            

Grocery shopping is on my mind today.  That' why I'm publishing my Easter Menu.  We're expecting twelve for dinner after church.

Roast Lamb
Brown Rice with Rosemary
Baked Eggplant with roasted Tomato Sauce
Glazed Carrots with raisins
Steamed Asparagus (or Broccoli)
Croissants

Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries

Red Wine
Iced Tea
Coffee

While a good theology is good for the soul, it also is good for the world.  Its spiritual vision gives vitality to all it touches -- from herb gardens and table settings to nation states and cultures -- simply because the integrity of what it sees ultimately depends as much on a balanced perspective of everyday life as on a solid comprehension of our highest aspirations.

A good meal, a joyous family celebration, or a seasonal feast effectively portrays that truth in a tangible way.

From the introduction of Bless This Food.

*A balanced perspective of everyday life* - I like that 

16 oz brussels sprouts (frozen)
3/4 C chicken broth
1 tsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/8 tsp pepper

Steam brussels sprouts in saran-covered microwavable serving bowl.  Set aside until ready for glazing with the sauce.  Frankly, the recipe calls for fresh brussels, but if I use fresh ones, I serve them plainly steamed, perhaps with some slices of lime available at the dinner table.

But the purpose of this particular recipe is to announce that it works well for taking to covered dish meals.  You know, those situations when food must be prepared ahead of time, transported and reheated.   We are limited with our vegetable choices at these gatherings and I'm always on the look out for sensible (read low calorie, no cream soup) options.  I consider it my mission to bring fresh veggies because there are never enough.

Okay, here are the instructions for making the lemon sauce.

In a small saucepan, bring the 3/4 cup chicken broth to a boil and lower heat to a simmer.  In a separate small bowl, combine 2 Tbs broth, cornstarch, lemon peel, lemon juice, and pepper.  Gradually add this lemon mixture to the hot broth in the saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook 2 more minutes.

Pour lemon sauce over cooked brussels.

Makes 4 side-dish servings.

What's your favorite fresh vegetable to take to a pot providence/church dinner?

Admiring Will Smith as an actor, I thought I'd watch his newest film over the weekend.  Seven Pounds is a tender story of redemption that fell flat for me.  It just seemed all wrong, not just the initial accident, but the entire way Ben approached the solution to his problem.

As I anticipated the *resolution*, I found myself unable to sympathize with any of the characters because their lives glorified man over God.  Ordinarily I can enjoy movies for the sake of the storyline, but in cases of life and death like this one - overshadowed by serious, slippery-slope ethical questions, I just could not lose myself in the plot.

However, watching Seven Pounds in a family setting with teenagers might be a good way to discuss these moral issues, i.e. organ donation/sales.  In addition, on the subject of moral issues and God, I watched a fascinating debate between Christopher Hitchens, Douglas Wilson, Lee Strobel, Jim Denison, and William Lane Craig.   We have time for two hour Hollywood movies, make the time to watch this two-hour debate.

Lastly, in honor of National Poetry Month, I plan to rewatch Dead Poet's Society and make a list of which poems are taught.  Poiema reminded me of this striking film which also might be a good one to watch with teenagers.  We (not us personally, within our circle of friends) just lost an older teen to a drug overdose, so there's no time like the present to engage discussion.

PS  Ooops almost forgot!!   The Widow's Might (Behemoth Films) is being released next week.  Search your area theaters for locations and time.  I plan to support this fine film by talking it up in a major way.

Amy Crews is the artist who painted this exquisite nest, so perfect for Spring and my affinity for eggs.  She has her own website and free lance business which I hope you will bookmark.  I have advance notice that she may be featured in an upcoming Sandra Lee promotion.

Today's entry about this new, young artist compliments the poem I highlighted on my blog today.  It's written by a young and coming writer from my church.

Who in your circle of family and friends is an artist/writer?

If I make dinner tonight for my family, nothing much will change in my family’s culture. But if I make dinner tonight, tomorrow night, next Tuesday and for the next fifteen years of our children’s lives, seeking to do so with creativity, skill and grace that grows over time—even if I never become an avant-garde chef and always follow the recipe—that discipline alone will indeed create a powerful family culture with horizons of possibility and impossibility that we may not even now be able to glimpse.

This quote is taken from Andy Crouch's book, Culture Making, which I do not own, but is referenced in a fine article in this month's Breakpoint Worldview Magazine.  It is written by an associate pastor of a Presbyterian church in Michigan, Robert Lynn.  I commend it to  your attention.

Here's the recipe which is really never the same because it is based on the ingredients that MUST GO out of the refrigerator or freezer. Basically it's made from leftovers, which I prefer to call *planned-overs* and no matter the weather, my DH is always thrilled to find out that soup is for dinner.  Here's a link to how it turned out another time.

In a large stockpot, I started with 2 quarts of boiling water in which I cooked a 16 oz package of mixed vegetables.  After cooking for five minutes, I added the following leftovers from my refrigerator.

2 cups roast venison with mushroom gravy, 1/2 cup white rice, 1/2 cup baked beans, 1/2 cup green beans, 1 cup cauliflower, 1/2 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup peppers 'n onion saute, 3 tsp beef bouillion powder, 15 oz stewed tomatoes, and 4 cups bloody mary mix.  Bring to a boil.  Immediate reduce heat to a simmer for five minutes. 

Serves a crowd.

Freezes well.

Just for my own record-keeping, I'm reading what Mr Henry has to say about Nabal in I Sam 25.

On my blog today I've highlighted a poem entitled The Calf Path by Sam Foss.  It explains the dangers of blindly following precedent.  But it also implies that there is a another way, a straighter path that when followed yields better results.

Today we US citizens are trampling the clear-cut map called The Constitution by not expecting our elected officials to uphold the principles of this fine historical document.  Whether leading the land as President or serving in State office, all legislators swear to uphold the Constitution.  That's different from voting according to the whims and desires of their constituencies (read *herd*) just so s/he will be re-elected.

This is a lesson I learned from my parents, but was re-enforced in all areas of my upbringing.  In civil government, it was most modeled by a family friend, employer, and true statesman, Larry McDonald.  Larry would have been 74 years old today, but died in 1983, when the Russians shot down the commercial airline, KAL007.

In today's Congress, Ron Paul votes similarly to Larry and is even using an old Crossfire clip to promote his message.  Search for it on YouTube.  Note that there are two parts to the interview.  Look to the right-hand side of the page in order to access Part Two.

The way will be straighter because you listened to Congressman McDonald's calm, factual efforts to expose those who keep pushing us down the crooked path.

He was the first person to tell me about the white-faced bumblebee, too.

Daffodils aka jonquils are blooming profusely at this time of year, although most of the ones in my yard are not.  Hence, today's topic at Hiddenart springs from my lack of blossoms.  I mean, I thought these bulbs multiplied on their own.  So, how come I cant collect a bouquet like this one that I did just a few years ago.

Several years ago my poet cousin, Hask, gave me this particular species, Narcissus Poeticus.  I dutifully planted it in the yard, by the walkway to the front door.  It bloomed once   But I'm on a mission to secure more such bulbs since they have such an auspicious history:  that is, being written about as early as 287 BC.

William Wordsworth's I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud is probably one of the most recognized poems about daffodils, but I leave you with one, shorter and sweeter, to help you get ready for National Poetry Month.

Daffodils Over Night
(A Short Tale for Children)

I think the ghost of Leerie
  Came by with ghostly tread,
And lighted little tapers,
  When we had gone to bed, -
Past gravel-walk and garden,
  As he was wont to go,
And lit these yellow lanterns,
  Burning where they blow.

by David Morton
American Poet
1886 - 1957

Do you have any daffodils in your yard?

Do you know which species?

Celtic Knot                                                                            by DD#2
Wood Cut                                                                              High School Art Project

Before March is over I wanted to follow up on my reading of T M Moore's book, Culture Matters, and pay attention to the artistic contributions of the early Brits, aka Celts.  Chapter Two focuses on how these pagans were Christianized and forged a new culture:  rebirth in an age of darkness.

Celtic Christian art is a form of abstract art.  It makes wides use of geometric forms and patterns, spirals singular and in combinations, especially triskeles, interlocking patterns of steps and keys, stylized twisted crosses, and varieties of lacework.

There are numerous excellent examples of Celtic Christian art, and the range of genre in which they occur is impressive. They (Celtic Christians) recognized, in the elegant brooches, buckles, mirrors, and other everyday items they created, the importance of culture in everyday life.  Next are the liturgical vessels.... Most impressive are the illustrated manuscripts (Lindesfarne Gospels) and the immense stone crosses (at Moone and Monasterboice).

The key to legitmizing contemporary forms will be in the unique ways that they are remade to serve the gospel of Jesus Christ.    Here, too, our Celtic foreears show the way, drawing as they did from forms, themes and techniques of surrounding pagan cultures in order to enhance their own work and proclaim their distinctive message. 

These quotes are taken from pages 46-57 of Culture Matters.  But if you dont own this book, there is a similar essay published this week in Breakpoint's Worldview Magazine.  I hope this link will work for you. 

While I dont have any Celtic-specific art displayed in my own home other than this treasured knot made by my daughter, I do find that I can appreciate Celtic style. 

Even their music....  especially if it's presented by Fiona Ritchie's Thistle and Shamrock.