Luke 13:29
People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Welcome to the Orlando Cafe! Chef Danny (aka, my hubby) is whipping up another savory, unique, and always-to-die-for meal in our humble kitchen. Yes, I took this photo of him in a chef's jacket, but Danny put the collage together. Doesn't it look like a promo for the next Food Network star?
Truth be told, although Danny and I watch many cooking shows, he has absolutely no desire to be on one. Creating healthy, tasty recipes for our family is enough for him. Cooking is something Danny has always enjoyed. He finds it to be a relaxing activity and a great way to express his creativity.
And, I am a most fortunate wife! I've never really been enamored with cooking. I've always viewed it as a means to an end. Full bellies, happy folks! I'll take the job of chief bottle washer (and pots and pans and knives and stove top . . .) anytime!
Does that mean I never cook? Hardly. But, what I like best to do are meals in the crock pot. Pile it in and let 'er rip! Thankfully, I've found several amazing recipes which Danny enjoys, and I always feel good when I can give him a break, especially when he's had a hectic work week.
And, suddenly, the thought of cooking, because I could do so with Danny, sounds so appealing. Why hadn't we ever thought of doing this before? It's a terrific idea that should, to paraphrase the title of Fr. Leo's recent book, spice up married life!
So, things will be different at the Orlando Cafe from here on out. I'm looking forward to my kitchen apprenticeship under Danny. And, maybe, just maybe, some of his culinary creativity will rub off on me.
~
Do you enjoy cooking? Do you have a special recipe you'd like to share? Please feel free to do so in the comments section.
Will you join me in prayer?
We thank You, Father, for delicious meals which nourish and sustain our bodies. As we savor these, may we also savor our faith and find food for our souls in Your Word. May every meal remind us of that heavenly feast which awaits us all one day. Amen.
Wow dear friend :) Danny looks good in a chef suit :)
ReplyDelete~ I love cooking, experimenting and baking most especially since we have kids around.
Preparing meals with a loved one seems like a good idea ;) but while 'he' is still looking for me, I'll be doing it with my nieces :P
I pray with you. Amen with savoring our faith and nourishing our soul with God's Words.
Lots of love! Wonderful reflection :)
So glad you came by today, Melissa!
DeleteIt sounds like you enjoy cooking as much as Danny does. :) I'm looking forward to doing more of this with him.
I'm sure your nieces really appreciate the meals you fix for them.
And, may our faith be savored and our souls nourished through God's Word.
Much love and blessings!
Oooh... I'm jealous. When I went back to school, my kids were smallish. My husband cooked them macaroni and cheese from a box. He saved some for me one night, and it was so dry. It was then I found out he wasn't adding any milk--maybe not butter either. The kids still talk about that.
ReplyDeleteMy sister got me hooked on the Food Network, and it's a little frustrating because my husband is seldom home for meals... Where do I find Fr. Leo's book?
Thanks so much for visiting, Sandy!
DeleteWhat a great story about the mac and cheese. :) Yes, I'm truly blessed to have Danny as the chef of the house.
Regarding Fr. Leo's book, I did mean to leave a link on this post, and forgot. :( Try www.gracebeforemeals.com and see if that works.
Blessings to you!
Oh what I wouldnt GIVE Martha, for a husband who could cook something other than besides mac n cheese (boxed) spaghetti with canned sauce.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for coming by today, Sandra!
DeleteLol! Another mac and cheese man. :) Yes, I do feel so lucky in this regard that Danny enjoys cooking.
Blessings to you!
That mac & cheese story reminded me of something that happened when we owned the cafe. My husband closed, so he was usually alone in the afternoons when business was slow. Since our cafe was in an office building, I made sure there were a few simple, low cost sandwiches on the menu like PB&J.
ReplyDeleteOne day just after the lunch rush ended, one of the regular guys came in and glanced around nervously. Gary greeted him, asking if he wanted "the usual". The customer visibly gulped and looked at me with panic in his eyes. I scooched over to see what was up and the man whispered to me:
"I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but I don't want HIM to make it."
Our daughter was with me, she and I exchanged a "look".
"Daddy," she asked him guilelessly, "you do remember we're selling the sandwiches, right?" Then she turned to the sandwich board and said, "Come on, it's not rocket science."
My husband's sandwiches had the faintest smear of peanut butter on them - just how he likes them. He just couldn't understand that he's the weird one and not the rest of us.
Good luck in the kitchen chefs!
Oh, what a fantastic story about your husband and the PB&J! So glad you shared it here, Cairn, for all the readers to enjoy.
DeleteThanks so much for visiting today!
Blessings to you!
Wow... that was yummm... my mouth is already watering.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy cooking but only on weekends as my job barely leaves me time on the weekdays for it..
Thanks so much for coming by today, Me! Glad this had your mouth watering. :)
DeleteNice to know that you enjoy cooking; hope your work will, at some point, allow you more time for this.
Blessings to you!
Neither me or my wife knew how to cook when we got married at the tender age of 20. It wasn't something we set out to do, but we learned together and now we love cooking together whenever possible. It's so much fun to find new recipes and try things out on each other, try to surprise each other. We love a good meal! Even better when we can create it together. In fact, we've actually opted to stay in on our anniversary before and cook a gourmet meal together rather than going out to a restaurant. I agree--it's a great thing! Thanks Martha.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jason! We've opted, at times, to cook in on birthdays or anniversaries. It is a great way to celebrate and be creative together.
DeleteAnd, wow, what a young age to marry! May God continue to bless your union each and every day.
Thanks so much for visiting today!
Blessings to you!
Wonderful and practical advice!
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by, Vrndavana! Glad you enjoyed today's post.
DeleteBon appitete!
Blessings always!
...but always, I feast on the words you serve up to us. Thank you for a sweet outlook. BTW...where do you find Fr. Leo's show? Is it just local? Sounds uplifting.
ReplyDeleteHi, Miz Liz, thanks so much for dropping by!
DeleteFr. Leo is on the Catholic network, EWTN. You'd have to check your local listings/cable to see if you can find him. His website is www.gracebeforemeals.com which I meant to include in this post, but forgot. :( He also has a newsletter to which you can subscribe.
Blessings to you!
Thanks, Martha. We get EWTN, I'll search. Big hugs.
Delete...but always, I feast on the words you serve up to us. Thank you for a sweet outlook. BTW...where do you find Fr. Leo's show? Is it just local? Sounds uplifting.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteYes. It's called scrambled omelette.
ReplyDelete1. Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray.
2. Open 3-4 eggs per serving (I should mention this is a high-protein meal) and drop them into the pan as if you are frying them.
3. Turn the heat on "high" until the egg whites turn, well, white across the bottom of the pan.
4. THEN scramble the eggs with a plastic spatula. If all you have is a metal one, you can use it, but you must publicly apologize to the eggs (out loud) in advance. Otherwise, the meal won't turn out well.
5. Turn the head down to medium and keep the plastic (did I mention using a PLASTIC spatula?) spatula moving, gently scraping the mixture off the bottom.
6. About two minutes BEFORE you think you're supposed to, while there is still a little liquefied egg still in the pan, remove it from the burner.
7. Put in a handful of your favorite shredded cheese. Cheddar works great; colby-jack blend is also good.
8. Continue to stir, turning the hot egg mixture over the shredded cheese until it melts. The eggs will continue to cook itself.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. (optional) You can also add chopped/cooked bacon or diced ham or whatever else you wish.
The key to all this is not overcooking the eggs. If what you call scrambled eggs looks like the surface of the moon or Mars, feed that to the dog, go back and review #6 and try again.
Enjoy with wicked-cold milk. Hot biscuits are also a tasty addition.
Oh, and only do this after 6:00PM. It'll change your life.
Oh, Andy, this sounds marvelous! As one who covets breakfast for dinner, I will be sure to try this one out.
DeleteBy the way, Danny makes the best scrambled eggs I've ever had. Maybe, I can beat him with your recipe. :)
Blessings always, my friend!
love Danny's chef coat!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great, Julie? :)
DeleteThanks so much for coming by today!
Lots of love your way, my dear!
When my husband is home, we sometimes will pitch in and cook together...he on the grill and I in the kitchen. Most of the time the kitchen is my place to shine and I take full advantage of it...because I love to cook, try new things, and perfect old recipes. Enjoyed your post thoroughly and your hubby looks like a professional chef in that ensemble!
ReplyDeleteKathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for visiting, Kathy, and welcome! Wonderful to have you here!
DeleteSo glad to know that you find cooking enjoyable and that your husband does help with the grilling. And, yes, Danny does look rather spiffy in his chef's jacket.
Blessings to you!
I'm with Sandra. My husband uses a strainer when he is cooking rice, which explains why I am the chef in the family. Danny looks dapper. I'd be jealous, but I don't think that is what is meant by savoring my faith. Blessed you are my dear.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you here, Brenda, and thanks for coming by!
DeleteNope. Don't think jealousy works here. :) I'll be sure to let Danny know you think he looks dapper.
Blessings to you!
Wow! I am so jealous of you...:)
ReplyDeleteMy hubby too cooks, but now always and not when I want. :( And the mess I have to clean later! I better cook myself.
Thanks so much for visiting, Janu!
DeleteWell, at least your husband knows how to cook. And, the mess? There's always one in the kitchen when Danny gets really creative. But, that's my job - cleaning - so I don't mind.
Blessings to you!