Faithful Food: Onward to a New Day, Onward to a New Way

Crawfish Dressing

This is a variation of a recipe given by Dot Markaverich in the St. Joseph Altar notebook she passed on to me several years ago.

4 cups bread crumbs (just use old buns or rolls; don’t buy them)

1 can cream of onion soup

1 can vegetable broth

2 onions, chopped fine

3 eggs

2 green bell peppers, 2 red bell peppers and 2 yellow or orange ones, seeded and chopped

Garlic cloves (this is subjective so use at least 2 but more if your taste runs that way)

1 bunch of celery, strings removed and stalks chopped fine

Olive oil to cover the bottom of a heavy pot

1 to 2 pounds of Louisiana crawfish

Warm olive oil, adding salt and pepper directly to the pot. When warm, add vegetables and crawfish and cook for about 30 minutes - longer if you are not in a rush.

Add bread crumbs and mix thoroughly. Add one can cream of onion soup. Mix again. Add broth and mix well. Add beaten eggs and mix again. Spoon into a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 until firm.

Onward to a New Day, Onward to a New Way

Working in a Catholic parish during Lent is not easy. There are so many events that need to be planned, executed, and evaluated. There are so many people who are looking for a friendly face and a few moments of time that it can seem like a herculean task to make an extra Mass or pop in to spend a few precious minutes before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament that often it all feels too exhausting. The old saying that if we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat applies to our personal histories as well as the wider canvas. I considered my own history during adoration, while I was sweeping, or looking out of the window above my kitchen sink, how did my life become so cloudy, how did I reach a place where I felt so out of touch with my own body, soul, and spirit? I came to see that for me, it was my two old familiar sins of the desire for perfection and busyness. I have confessed these many times but it was not until the Lent of my sixtyfirst year that I lessened my grip on what I now see as something akin to smoke and mirrors; only Jesus is perfect and as to being busy I quote a dear aunt who reminded me periodically that we are all allotted the same amount of time each day and it is how we prioritize it that makes all the difference. This Lent was a clean mirror to what had somehow become the murkiness of my soul. And oh how I needed to see but cringed from that reflection. I saw that I had become automated, which is what I began to see as the shadow side of organized; numb and robotic, the darker shadowy version of mature and sensible; in other words, my days and nights lacked purpose and intention. Lent and the arduous journey to Holy Week helped me move forward. I recently had my family over for a Sunday supper. The grocery store sales dictate my menu now more than before; Louisiana crawfish and fresh asparagus were on sale. I thought a spring meal would be a welcome change from stews and soups. Some arrived before the appointed time and I was not as prepared as I would have liked to have been. I began to feel the old anxiety because things were not “perfect” and then I realized that I was about to repeat history. We are not called to perfection but to holiness. I literally felt the weight leave my shoulders and I smiled in genuine gratitude at having extra time with family. As I type this column, our world is coming out of the depths of a pandemic and into concern over a war. I comfort myself with the knowledge and belief that God has a plan even if He doesn’t give me all the details. So this year more than ever let us glory in the resurrection and spend the 50 days of Eastertide moving forward, our steps not burdened with old habits.

KIM LONG is the Director of Religious Education at Saint Mary of the Pines Catholic Church.