Waxing Religious

Today's news broadcasts focused on the people trumpeting Saturday as the Rapture - the return of  the messiah who will take His chosen people - believers all - to heaven and spare them the coming tribulation leading to the end of the world. The repetition of the story has troubled me all day - not because I believe or disbelieve the idea that the world is coming to an end in a few days - but because of the intolerance of nearly everyone I've spoken to about this.

While I'm not ready to quit my job and give away my belongings, I'm pretty sure the world as we know it will come to an end at some point. I'm not sure that's a bad thing. My general view of Biblical text is symbolic rather than literal, so the "end of the world" may or may not mean a physical destruction in my mind. However, after looking at the website associated with this group of devoted Christians, I can see why they might interpret recent events as they do. Every tumultuous age has been heralded as the end times, and people have the right to believe as they choose.

What really bothers me about this whole situation, though, is how many people cannot simply allow these believers to make their own choices about their lives. I am saddened that some of them have left homes and families behind, and yet this is America - a land built on the idea that everyone has a right to control his own destiny. I'm also bothered by the media folks who feel they must laugh at and ridicule the very notion that a rapture could even occur. Who are they to say what God has planned? Who am I? Who is anyone? However, the people who disturb me the most are those saying, "I know so many others who will be left behind when the end of the world comes!" How can anyone know what is in another person's heart? How can anyone know what another person's relationship is with God? How can anyone who counts himself religious (regardless of the brand) stand in judgment of someone else?

In the end, I think it is important to take this moment in time and consider which beliefs each of us holds dear. I try not to trouble others with my personal philosophies and spiritual leanings, though I hope that they are evident in the way I choose to live my life. I also hope that come Saturday - and Sunday, too - we can all manage to live and let live without saying "I told you so" to anyone.

Mother's Day Brunch

One of my favorite past times is eating fancy food on fancy dishes. Since this can really kill the budget at fancy places - not to mention that kind of restaurant is hard to find at 11 a.m. on Sunday in Mesa, Arizona - I'm just as content to do it myself. To that end, Jeff and I invited his parents over to celebrate Mother's Day. (Of course, if my parents didn't live 2,000 miles away, they would certainly have been invited too!) Here's the result of our holiday celebration.

Of course every fine restaurant starts with a menu, so we started our meal that way, too. The menu is a series of small courses with a variety of tastes and textures. I love to entertain this way because everyone is sure to love at least one of the dishes.

We began with vichyssoise - a delicate potato and leek soup served cold. I did season this dish a little, but I was careful not to overpower the flavor of the leeks and onions that form the basis of the soup before thinly sliced potatoes are added. Jeff thought the flavor was good, but said, "Soup should be warm." While I enjoyed this course, I think gazpacho is a better cold soup choice.

Next up was cucumber towers with chicken salad. These tasty little morsels made an excellent salad course that could be eaten with a knife and fork or an hors d'eouvre portion that could be eaten as finger food. I simply cut cucumbers into six chunks, trimmed the sides so they were square (which removed most of the peel), hollowed out the center with a spoon, and filled in the space with homemade chicken salad. (I like mine with fresh grapes and lots of pepper.)

Jeff's mom provided the fruit for the fruit and cheese course. This beautiful fruit bouquet was a big hit with everyone. (It was hard to stop munching it and move on to another tasty treat.) To accent this edible centerpiece, I served small plates of assorted cheeses and some flavored balsamic vinegars.

Spinach squares are the closest we came to a main course. These were made up of baked ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, spinach, and seasonings. A little Parmesan on top created a golden crust. This was almost spanakopita without the phyllo dough. This may be served hot or room temperature.

Our final savory was stuffed baby bella mushrooms. These are the medium-sized portobellos available at the grocery store for about half the cost of the large ones. The stuffing consists of sauteed mushroom steps with a little spicy turkey sausage and panko bread crumbs. Once filled, I baked them (ahead of time) for about 15 minutes to cook the mushrooms and then reheated just before serving.

A tray of assorted goodies ended the meal. I cheated on these and bought most of them at the grocery store. The little mini cupcakes came from the bakery, while the miniature eclairs and apple tartlets were in the freezer section. Only the banana bread squares were homemade. (What can I say? I had mushy bananas on my counter Saturday afternoon.)

Since almost everything was make-ahead, this was a low stress yet special celebration. Happy Mother's Day!

A Special Night

 Prom night is a teenage ritual, a rite of passage, and a major expense. (One senior told me her mom spent $700 on the night!) To help make the night special without breaking the bank, Jeff and I hosted our son and his date at Chez Jenny for a fabulous dinner. Our efforts earned us kudos from the kids, as well as oohs and ahhs of admiration from several students who wanted the same kind of treatment. (This may have even elevated us to "coolest parents at the school" status!)



The savings began with a home made wrist corsage. After checking prices on line we learned that these babies run $35 and up. So, Jade and I conferenced about the flowers and the color (the ribbon matches his shirt) and I looked up directions for the ornament. At first, I'll admit, I had some trouble because the instructions all say to "tie" everything together with the ribbon and use glue to hold the flowers, etc. steady. Once I gave up that notion and just used florist wire, the corsage went together in no time at all. In addition, the wire made it easy to attach the whole contraption to a wristlet from the craft store. All in all, this cost about $8 to make.

Next, we set a nice table for two with a freshly pressed spring-themed linen cloth, chargers, and glassware.

Jeff dressed up like a maitre'd to seat the couple (after we took about 20 photos to save on ordering prom pics which were really pricey.) Though, I was disappointed that we didn't get any of the outdoor photos I had planned because of a glitch in the schedule. (The kids ended up being just in time for dinner - when it was getting dark - rather than early enough for a photo shoot.) Next year, though, I already have a nearby spot scoped out where a neighborhood entrance has a small waterfall, pond, and lovely plantings surrounding it.)

Once the couple was seated, dinner began in earnest.

Jeff shed his jacket and started waiting on the table. He began with presenting a small bell to Jade which he could ring for service. Next, of course, came the sparkling cider in champagne flutes and filled water goblets.

While Jeff took care of the drinks, I fried up the appetizers I had prepped ahead of time - mozzarella sticks and breaded stuffed mushrooms. While I made these from scratch and stored them in the fridge until dinner, no one would know the difference if you purchased a couple of small packages of frozen appetizers and popped them in the oven.

The main course was manicotti with garlic toast and zucchini boats. The manicotti was a good choice because I could prep it early in the day and just put it in the oven about an hour before dinner started. While the kids enjoyed their appetizers, I pulled out the manicotti and put the frozen bread and zucchini boats in to bake.

The zucchini boats were super easy. I halved several pieces of zucchini and used a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh. Then I sauteed that with some bottled, fire-roasted red bell peppers and green onions. After refilling the boats with this mixture, I added a little lemon pepper and crumbled feta cheese. These went into a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, and they were great.

For dessert I made a red velvet cake (from a mix) in a large rectangular pan. I cut the cake into squares and used canned cream cheese icing between the layers. (I also torted each layer to give it extra height and sweetness.) Next, I used rolled fondant to cover each piece of cake and a tube of black icing (The prom theme was "a black tie affair.") to decorate the pieces. This made the cake seem really upscale. I only wish I had cut the pieces a little smaller since they were really rich.

To finish off the meal, Jeff presented Jade with a bill, which he paid with hugs and thanks before whisking his date off to prom. Of course, the up side to all of this - besides how much money we didn't spend - was that we also enjoyed the same meal (in the kitchen) while the kids were eating. In addition, we had the pleasure of listening to the pair giggle over the whole thing. Once we cleaned up the dishes and put away the leftovers (another plus), I had to wipe away a few tears of astonishment at how grown up my boy has become.