Lenten Recipes, Plans, Thoughts

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I am still a nursing mama, so I am going to follow a carefully planned Lenten “fast”.

I will do a protein smoothie with milk and whey protein powder and fruit in the morning.

For lunch, I will do a “rehydrated” soup: black bean or split pea flavored Dr. McDougall soups in a cup. Nourishing and filling but rather plain fare.

For dinner, I will do a green smoothie: baby greens, fresh or frozen fruit and water.

Daily snacks will be fresh-juiced veggies (Capple Zing is my favorite: carrot and apple and lime and ginger with a sweet potatoe, too. All raw.) or almond butter and wild honey on a rice cake or crudités and hummus or Greek yogurt dressing.

I am giving up all added sugar, except what would be present in the yogurt I use for smoothies, and looking it over now that it is written down, I am apparently giving up grains (except for the rice in my Friday sushi!).

For the fasting days, I will just have fresh veggie juices and smoothies. So basically, instead of calories, I will be fasting from chewing. 😃 And abstaining from meat on all abstinence days. I know that I have an exemption from strict fasting, but I wanted to find a way to fast/abstain with my fellow Catholics, but still have enough nourishment for lactation. 🙂
 
jmjZelie said:
I am still a nursing mama…For the fasting days, I will just have fresh veggie juices and smoothies. So basically, instead of calories, I will be fasting from chewing. 😃 And abstaining from meat on all abstinence days. I know that I have an exemption from strict fasting, but I wanted to find a way to fast/abstain with my fellow Catholics, but still have enough nourishment for lactation. 🙂
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Penance doesn’t have to be a caloric restriction, as legitimate health reasons excuse Catholics from fasting. A nursing mother has a duty to do her best to get appropriate nutrition for lactation first, and attend to other duties second. All of us, after all, have to choose our penances and self-denial in a way that does not keep us from our binding duties.
 
EasterJoy said:
Penance doesn’t have to be a caloric restriction, as legitimate health reasons excuse Catholics from fasting. A nursing mother has a duty to do her best to get appropriate nutrition for lactation first, and attend to other duties second. All of us, after all, have to choose our penances and self-denial in a way that does not keep us from our binding duties.
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Right. That is why I am choosing juicing and smoothies. I am not going to restrict calories. Merely restricting types of foods to fruits, veggies, and milk proteins. I have done this before and enjoy the rest from eating. Drinking nourishing beverages is pleasant as far as penances go, but still requires discipline. I am not giving up my coffee though! That would make the penance too much to bear!😛
 
There was an idea in another thread of especially finding Lenten practices that fit in with the Year of Mercy. Does anyone have resolutions in that direction?
 
EasterJoy said:
There was an idea in another thread of especially finding Lenten practices that fit in with the Year of Mercy. Does anyone have resolutions in that direction?
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Yes! I am thinking about spending extra time in catechesis with my children (and study for myself) on the works of mercy and learning about the various expressions that those can take in the world today. Alms giving is always a part of Lent, which is fulfilling some of the works of mercy, so that is already present. But I thought it would be nice to discuss as a family how we might extend that to being more merciful to others going forward, and deciding on some concrete expressions of that for our family this year. I like how the theme of this year lends itself to catechesis and reflection so readily. That doesn’t always happen.
 
One of the things we do year round as a family is visit shut ins in our community. We also make baptism garments for our parish and make meals for grieving families. During lent this year we plan to make a pilgrimage to one of the Holy Doors in our diocese and serve a meal at the soup kitchen in the town the Holy Door is located.
 
bitterhope said:
One of the things we do year round as a family is visit shut ins in our community. We also make baptism garments for our parish and make meals for grieving families. During lent this year we plan to make a pilgrimage to one of the Holy Doors in our diocese and serve a meal at the soup kitchen in the town the Holy Door is located.
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I hope all the outreach efforts to the poor see a permanent boost from the Year of Mercy.
 
EasterJoy, Give up CA for Lent if you must, but please come back on March 27.
 
I’m going to go kosher for Lent. Connect with the Jewish roots of Christianity. As I said in my thread about it, I figure that God’s people have been eating kosher for thousands of years, and many still do, so it’s also a good way to honor God.

I haven’t decided on other things I have been considering. I think that I will stick to the scripture reading goal, and possibly the Christian Prayer readings too. I’m almost definitely giving up video games for Lent.

I have a neat lentil soup recipe inspired by an Indian soup. Perhaps I will share it later.
 
I think one thing people lose sight of amid the emphasis on dietary restrictions and other ritualistic behaviors is that the point of Lent is to rend hearts, not garments, as the reading from Joel says. The point of this season of Repentance is to Return to the fullness of holiness God intends for us. I abstain every Friday throughout the year, but what I’m getting at is that we should be focused on the deeper meaning of repentance, and not on other things.

As someone who was formerly Jewish, I think it can be spiritually fulfilling to follow dietary laws for some. If you live in an area with kosher meat and cheese, that will aid things, but realize that there are many aspects to keeping kosher that aren’t readily apparent.

For instance, the vessels used for cooking must be kosher or made kosher through kashering, and subsequently, the vessels are baptized; both of these are learned from the story of the Israelites purging the vessels of the Midianites in Numbers.

Leafy vegetables and strawberries must be washed thoroughly and checked for infestation of bugs, such as leaf miners, thrips, aphids, and mites. This is because there is a commandment not to eat creeping or crawling things.

Meat must be kosher slaughtered, soaked, salted, and deveined to remove the blood and chelev fats, as well as forbidden nerves. These laws are in Leviticus and the sciatic nerve removal learned from the story of Jacob wrestling the angel.

Fish must have scales and fins. Because of species substitution concerns, only red flesh fishes such as salmon and tuna can be purchased without kosher supervision. These must then be washed and scraped with a knife under running water.

Dairy and meat must be separate and cooked in separate utensils. These are very detailed laws. The easiest way of going kosher is to eat vegetarian/dairy/fish/eggs. Eggs and fish are parve, neutral foods, which can be eaten with either meat or milk.

All food items used, with few exceptions, must have a kosher symbol. (Most national brands of food do have a kosher supervision , such as OU, OK, Star K, Kof K)

When I was Jewish, I didn’t keep kosher, since I was Reform. Now, as a Christian, I am vegetarian, and try to be ethical and ecological in my choices. Ironically, since becoming a Believer, I have become more kosher than before. A very big influence has been reading about Food Justice and also reading about Eco-Kashrut, which stresses the ethics of eating above the ritualistic requirements of Jewish law.
 
jschwartz said:
I think one thing people lose sight of amid the emphasis on dietary restrictions and other ritualistic behaviors is that the point of Lent is to rend hearts, not garments, as the reading from Joel says. The point of this season of Repentance is to Return to the fullness of holiness God intends for us. I abstain every Friday throughout the year, but what I’m getting at is that we should be focused on the deeper meaning of repentance, and not on other things.

As someone who was formerly Jewish, I think it can be spiritually fulfilling to follow dietary laws for some. If you live in an area with kosher meat and cheese, that will aid things, but realize that there are many aspects to keeping kosher that aren’t readily apparent.

For instance, the vessels used for cooking must be kosher or made kosher through kashering, and subsequently, the vessels are baptized; both of these are learned from the story of the Israelites purging the vessels of the Midianites in Numbers.

Leafy vegetables and strawberries must be washed thoroughly and checked for infestation of bugs, such as leaf miners, thrips, aphids, and mites. This is because there is a commandment not to eat creeping or crawling things.

Meat must be kosher slaughtered, soaked, salted, and deveined to remove the blood and chelev fats, as well as forbidden nerves. These laws are in Leviticus and the sciatic nerve removal learned from the story of Jacob wrestling the angel.

Fish must have scales and fins. Because of species substitution concerns, only red flesh fishes such as salmon and tuna can be purchased without kosher supervision. These must then be washed and scraped with a knife under running water.

Dairy and meat must be separate and cooked in separate utensils. These are very detailed laws. The easiest way of going kosher is to eat vegetarian/dairy/fish/eggs. Eggs and fish are parve, neutral foods, which can be eaten with either meat or milk.

All food items used, with few exceptions, must have a kosher symbol. (Most national brands of food do have a kosher supervision , such as OU, OK, Star K, Kof K)

When I was Jewish, I didn’t keep kosher, since I was Reform. Now, as a Christian, I am vegetarian, and try to be ethical and ecological in my choices. Ironically, since becoming a Believer, I have become more kosher than before. A very big influence has been reading about Food Justice and also reading about Eco-Kashrut, which stresses the ethics of eating above the ritualistic requirements of Jewish law.
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Yes. Chapter 17 of the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is very insightful on that point. (For those not familiar with the book, these are letters written by an experienced tempter to a newbie trying to ensnare his first soul into damnation):

*The contemptuous way in which you spoke of gluttony as a means of catching souls, in your last letter, only shows your ignorance. One of the great achievements of the last hundred years has been to deaden the human conscience on that subject, so that by now you will hardly find a sermon preached or a conscience troubled about it in the whole length and breadth of Europe. This has largely been effected by concentrating all our efforts on gluttony of Delicacy, not gluttony of Excess. Your patient’s mother, as I learn from the dossier and you might have learned from Glubose, is a good example. She would be astonished - one day, I hope, will be - to learn that her whole life is enslaved to this kind of sensuality, which is quite concealed from her by the fact that the quantities involved are small. But what do quantities matter, provided we can use a human belly and palate to produce querulousness, impatience, uncharitableness, and self-concern?.. …Mere excess in food is much less valuable than delicacy. Its chief use is as a kind of artillery preparation for attacks on chastity. On that, as on every other subject, keep your man in a condition of false spirituality. Never let him notice the medical aspect. Keep him wondering what pride or lack of faith has delivered him into your hands when a simple enquiry into what he has been eating or drinking for the last twenty-four hours would show him whence your ammunition comes and thus enable him by a very little abstinence to imperil your lines of communication. *
 
OK, well, although I’m probably going to check in until Lent starts, I think I’m done posting.

Have a blessed Lent and then a Blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter after that, everyone! 👍
 
Lent is a time for transformation of our souls activity. Our thoughts, which become attitudes
.our attitudes become our actions and activity in our daily life.
Our behavior is determined by our thinking . You could say our behavior reveals ours thinking . Change our diet of disordered thoughts, to the life giving …ways of thinking ,according to the way of Jesus . Stop feasting on thoughts of unforgiviness,begin to meditate on the freedom that comes to us as we learn to forgive as Jesus teaches. Forgiveness frees us of anger, resentment ,bitterness,depression,etc. we are call to abstain from the ways of the old man . Our Lord died and rose from the dead to give us the power to overcome all that keeps us from ,the peace of mind and joy of heart we are created for . The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us . Let us feast on Jesus the Word ,and give up all disordered thinking ,by His grace. We are in need of the mind of Christ
Our food fast is a way to express to our Lord ,our deep desire for an inner transformation of our thoughts and behavior . By our merciful savior Jesus Christ.
 
EasterJoy said:
It is my plan to sign off for Lent on or near Shrove Tuesday. Considering that I spend a disproportionate amount of time here, it might be for good, but it might just be for Lent.

With that in mind–let’s share our recipes, plans, and thoughts about Lent and preparing for Easter before Lent starts, so those of us who will be gone can make some use of the ideas.

I thank contributors in advance! 👍
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As Lent quickly approaches, I want to tell you good bye. :sad_bye:

And just in case you don’t come back after Lent, let me add that it’s been nice “virtually knowing” you. I understand how computer time on forums can take over a disproportionate amount of life, and withdrawing for Lent or longer can help regain the proper balance to life. So I understand why you are leaving, but you will be missed.

Have a blessed Lent!
 
I thought that if you decide to give up CAF or social media for Lent, then Sunday is still the day when the Lenten sacrifice is not in place. So you can still participate on Sunday, if that is your choice.

Focusing on acts of mercy is an interesting idea.
 
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