This summer I’ve had a Sabbath from cooking on Sundays as my kids have taken over the kitchen!
Back in June when I was finishing up seminary, I crafted a rule of life that would support my ongoing eco-spiritual journey that included deepening into Sabbath rest. As I thought about ways I could honor the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, cooking was the first thing that came to mind.
I make most all of our meals. It is rare that we eat away from home. We live in a rural place without easy access to dining out, plus eating away from home is expensive. Socially I enjoy hosting others at our house. I spend a lot of time centered around food planning, shopping, growing, preparing, cooking, eating. Even my professional work is largely food-centric as a dietitian, health coach, recipe developer and cookbook author. I do love all things food-related.
I also love the wisdom of Sabbath, even if I often find it challenging. Could stepping out of the kitchen one day a week be a proactive practice that helps me keep showing up with joy for cooking on the other six days? Could the time freed by entering Sabbath mode when it comes to cooking be used towards other desires that deepen my rest in God, such as sauntering as a spiritual practice, wandering with Holy Wild and engaging with spiritual direction for myself? (The term sauntering evolved from the French phrase à la sainte terre, which translates “to the holy land” and invokes for me going outside with an intent to meet God there, a stroll that acknowledges the earth under my feet as sacred ground with every step I take.)
I floated the idea of handing over Sunday meals to my three kids who are between 8 and 13 years old. What do you think about each taking a meal on Sunday that you are responsible for? I asked. You could make me a grocery list ahead of time. I’ll get what you need, and then you take it from there? The response was an enthusiastic yes.
The idea of having autonomy to decide the menu was exciting for them, and I’ve learned that kids really get a lot out of being productive members of a household where they feel responsibility and can contribute in meaningful ways. Self-sufficiency and struggle are also present in this Sabbath experiment. Learning firsthand that meals don’t magically appear is priceless for appreciation of what caregivers do daily in putting food on the table and offers kids the experience to practice life skills at home before going out on their own.
Our first Sabbath menu was waffles for breakfast with berries, mac ’n cheese for lunch with cucumbers and a dinner of pasta salad with Thai peanut dressing. (The only rule I put forth was there has to be something of color on the table to make sure we have a fruit or vegetable available. The dietitian in me does desire some semblance of a balanced meal, and our bodies all feel and function better with fiber and phyto-nutrients that plant foods offer us!)
Following that first kid kitchen-takeover, I checked in: How’d it go? Do you want this to be a regularly weekly thing? Another enthusiastic response: Great! Yes!
So here we are, seven Sundays in now, with some fun, some functional, and some funky (but all edible) meals that have been served with great love. There has been lots of learning for my kids as I learn that letting go is an act of love in this Sabbath lesson from God.
Hash by Helen, with avocado. — Heather Wolfe
RECIPE
Hash by Helen
A “Breakfast for Dinner” recipe by Helen Wolfe (guest kid recipe-writer-this month, daughter of Heather)
“This recipe works great for any meal of the day. I’ve seen my dad make this without a recipe and was inspired to write it down and make this meal for one of our Sunday dinners this summer.”
Serves 4-5
Ingredients
3-4 potatoes
1 onion
Canola oil
1 avocado
Eggs, optional (only if you like them)
Hot sauce for serving
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Prep for meal:
Microwave the potatoes until fork-tender. Chill potatoes if time allows.
The Meal:
1. Chop potatoes into medium-sized pieces. Chop onions.
2. Turn the stove-top burner to medium. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the frying pan.
3. Put the potatoes in the frying pan. Stir occasionally, allowing them to brown and crisp like hash browns.
4. After about 10 minutes of frying the potatoes, add another tablespoon of oil and the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes or so.
5. Plate the potatoes and onions.
6. Fry your egg or eggs to your liking (my dad likes runny and my mom likes fully cooked). Place them onto the potatoes.
Cut avocado and put on plates.
Serve with hot sauce.
ENJOY!