Thank the Lord for his faithful love
Psalm 107:8-9
and for the amazing things he does for people.
He satisfies those who are thirsty.
He fills those who are hungry with good things.
Once in a while – when there is nothing else especially pressing that I want to address – I will slip in a somewhat gratuitous “Foodie Thursday” post. Today is that day.
I am fairly obvious and predictable when it comes to my delight in good food. To be honest, it is one of my most challenging disciplines in life. I know that I write and speak a lot about how it is absolutely possible to combine wonderful flavor and satisfaction with healthy choices – and it is… but it is also true that I am a sucker for so many things that make that a difficult ask sometimes!
Bread (need I say more? warm and fresh). Pizza (something that involves bread!) Fried food (especially fried seafood). Potatoes of all sorts (a lot like bread!). Appetizers (completely unnecessary but amazing). Hamburgers (these involve serious bread and also potatoes as the favored side). Not to mention beer, and wine.
I think this is one of the reasons I enjoy and value cooking so much. It gives me the opportunity to at least try to control some of these variables. But then there is also snacking while cooking, because the good stuff is all right there!
I think the answer, for me at least, is portion control. I’m fairly sure my portions have – little by little – managed to grow in size. But food is just so darned good!
Air Fryer Fun:
I am a little surprised – and pleased – to hear myself saying this, but the new air fryer is coming through for me in a big way. 90% of the meals I have cooked in the new – and disarmingly complex – appliance have been improvements on my traditional preparations.
My air fryer is great at roasting vegetables, it bakes potatoes, it cooks filet mignon, it has perfected pork tenderloin, it works beautifully with chicken and it absolutely rocks at french fries!
There is a lot to be attempted, moving forward, but so far so yummy.
Not that I should get credit for all the food in these photos. Rebekah and I had date night Monday and we enjoyed a good experience at the Carolina Ale House. And look, I even substituted roasted vegetables for the french fries (Rebekah didn’t, she went all in – french fries included – with her impressive-looking hamburger!).
Food – and Rebekah talked about this Sunday as part of her Easter message – is such a powerful metaphor for how we are both sustained and invited into community by the nourishment and the consummate goodness of God.
Meanwhile Jesus' disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."
- John 4:31-34
May we all be satisfied; both with the bread of life and the living water too – DEREK
