First Wednesday of Great Lent ~ the making of lentil loaf

Loving the beauty of these flowers!

Recognize this? A Tupperware flower shaped 'mat' to help open jars...

I could not find it for a bit and thought of how I would be lost with out it!

I made the lentil vegan "meat" loaf today; I just call it lentil loaf... :)

Though in this one there is also 3 cups of mushrooms!

(which was 1.5 containers worth of fresh mushrooms FYI!)

I think after I chopped the onion, garlic and most of the mushrooms,

I had to stop to make lunch.

I did not get going until after 10 (maybe 10:30?) and by 12:30 I was done cooking lentils

and then cooked noodles instead... 

It took a long time to get everything done in part because I had look up how to cook lentils and how many lentils to make 1 cup cooked (answer 1/4 cup).

So lunch was salad with cooked pasta noodles, oil and these two newer

Trader Joe's seasonings, the mushroom seasoning and vegan 'chickenless' seasoning salt. 

I added a can of (drained) clams to the hot noodles with sunflower oil and the

2 seasoning salts. 

 After lunch a little siesta was had and then back standing in my kitchen,

finishing the mushrooms....

I had to figure out a thyme substitute as I did not realize I was pretty much 

OUT of it.  Such  pantry depletion always surprises me as I try to always keep

what I use fairly often in good supply.  Needless to say,

more thyme is coming in tomorrow's grocery delivery! 

(And dried parsley as I am low on my pantry supply of it)....

I re-hydrated 4 mushrooms for the gravy for this recipe. 

My immersion blender in my small gravy pan worked perfectly. 

I found by the end (and with a quick trip to the garage to freeze some dairy things

to use after Great Lent DV) of making this lentil loaf that I was a 

bit frustrated to be honest; so many ingredients to use, to measure; 

I used oats not walnuts btw and spelt flour; 

and more measuring spoons needed for the gravy...

it began to feel a bit over the top in ways,

and making sure it did not burn, covering the meatloaf tightly afterwards while

it rests.... I was feeling a bit frantic...

and needing dinner to be on the table so we had time to eat and

go to church again tonight! 

I made (vegan) instant mashed potatoes and a quick salad

and WHEW.  Dinner was served...

The gravy absolutely made this dish. Without it I would not want to eat it.

The really good news is that I got a total of 12 (unevenly done) slices 

and am going to freeze 10 of these.

That way we will have one meal of this per week for the following 5 weeks of

Great Lent... so that's a real blessing! 

(I made the vegan instant mashed potatoes with oat milk and vegan margarine,

I added a bit more potato flakes as the vegan products are very watery.) 

It was great to be in church again.

I love this week and how much we see our local

church family.

It's a real blessing.

***

Well, even though I felt a bit overwhelmed by the end of my 

culinary adventures for today

(the huge amount of clutter and dishes from both the lentil loaf

and lunch and other things did not help) 

but I am really quite happy that I made the lentil loaf because

I can freeze it for the next while; I hope it freezes well!

The recipe itself did not say...

I am not worried... if it falls apart, I will just make more gravy

and it will still be super that way. 

I liked how it was warm and tender. Again, the gravy really makes this.

***

BTW, if you either can't make it to church for a service this week

or you are not Orthodox but want a sense of what services are like,

I am really enjoying listening to services I can't make here.

***

I am thinking of making a simple lentil soup in the next while

and also baking Koek, my accidentally vegan spice bread

that is so good and travels really well.

***

May God have mercy on us all and save us! 

First Thursday of Lent. Pressed down but not destroyed.

Today started with a heavy heart and ended with

a much lighter heart.

My sister-friend texted me the cutest pictures this morning of my 

godson and his baby sister, 

and I got word that my godson wanted to talk to me on the phone!

He was so cute, he just tells me what he is doing or about things he is thinking about...

he got Danny the Champion of the World and the BFG, and 

preceded to tell me what BFG stands for 

(Big Friendly Giant of course!)...

and how he is bouncing on things and that he wants to 

eat chocolate chips...

I can hear so much his Dad's voice and enunciation of words,

with a lovely Canadian accent...

He's over 5 years old and already reading words... he told me today that the phone said

'TALK' on it :)...

I may just be a proud godmother :)

And later I talked to my Grandma and we discussed our week,

what we are baking and cooking and such things..

I miss her... she told me about her Mother's Orange Cake that had

broiled icing that she never thought to ask for the recipe,

and does not know where her Mother's recipe box went... 

I wish I could find that recipe!

***

My Husband and I will be off doing things for

Patrick tomorrow... hard to imagine he is gone...

My Husband had good news today and is less stressed now at work,

Thank the Good Lord.

***

I keep meaning to make soup and then don't make it.

I think I am just really tired and in need of more rest.

But it will get better and I am looking forward to good things tomorrow,

God willing.

***

I loved that cranky picture of Cleo by my lunch today.

She is not liking the Lenten fare and that I did not let her

try it! :) ;) 

***

My Godmother and also a priest I know here

are having medical procedures tomorrow ~ please say a prayer for them....

***

Almost through the first week of Lent!

Lord help us to have the Lent You want us to have!

Lent, Day 2 ~ 2016 ~ Purl Soho, the Canon of St Andrew and friendship

Day 2 started in a much better fashion.

Mr Husband's cab ride was late, so we shared some morning prayer time,

quickly.  I found out the names of the departed from yesterday's tragedy. 

It will be good to light a candle for them in church,

I find this helps focus my 'people prayers' there.

My Sunday School Lenten materials came.

And about lunch time my quilting friend came,

and she made a carrot and orange juice as part of lunch.

I am meaning to make smoothies again and am thinking 

something like this may be in order.

Then we went to Purl Soho, where we admired everything, 

bought fabric for a new purse for me

that my friend will make, (she has an etsy store, more on that later!),

and we convinced ourselves not to buy the store out otherwise! 

Afterwards she went home and I went on to the

oh-so-exciting bi-annual dentist appointment. All was fine. I am thankful that 

Mr Husband and I can have this sort of medical care 2x year. 

We stayed in NYC and went to a local small monastic church for 

the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, day 2.

I was really tired so we cabbed all the way home.

Later, while drinking mint tea, Mr. Husband beat me in Chess,

my 5th game ever, we think.

I told him that I am willing to keep losing but

need to learn as I do, so 

Mr. Husband and I talked a bit of Chess strategy afterwards.

*

I told Mr Husband that this is the same 'deal' I made with God after

a dear church friend died...

if I must suffer grief, then I better learn/mature somehow from it or 

I don't want to go through the loss. 

Not that one can really make 'deals' with God,

but I still want this 'deal' to be so.

I am learning that growth is very slow and suffering is sadly needed

at times, if only to try to wake me up spiritually speaking.

This fact has not made me necessarily ready to embrace 

suffering but yet, I hope in God for my salvation.

*

I am also reading Short Trip to the Edge and some other books

and thinking of various questions regarding health/spiritual health/routine/

discipline and habits. 

* 

Then our small before-bed prayers and subsequent insomnia for me!

And that was day 2 of the beautiful Fast we call

Great Lent.