Comfort
February 12, 2015
Yesterday I was reading one of my mom’s magazines and came across a list of recipes that they described as “comfort foods.” I chose one and made it for lunch! It was a homemade chicken pie, with biscuits on top, made in a cast iron skillet. For me, it really was comfort food. It reminded me of my grandfather cooking on the prairies with his father in the old dutch oven that we still have. The flavors were the tastes of home, and brought back memories, some from my childhood, and some from my own home.
There are a lot of simple things in this world that bring comfort. The whistle of the tea kettle reminds me of home. The sound of a gas heater coming on takes me back to warming my mittens on the gas stove in the front room when I was a child. The warmth of a cup of tea in my hands as I sit in my study office at home stills my mind and warms my heart. The security of a trusted friend’s hug will bring comfort when I need a safe place to cry.
Sometimes, though, comfort seems to be hard to find.
Recently, I was on a trip to Oregon for a speaking engagement. As always, I enjoyed getting to know a new group of women, and listening to their stories. On this particular trip, a woman came up to me during one of our breaks and said that she had something to share that I needed to know. She said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. So if you need comfort, you need to mourn.”
I was stopped dead in my tracks. Yes, I had been seeking comfort deep within my soul. Yes, it had been quite some time since I mourned. In fact, I needed to mourn several things. It’s so much easier to look for comfort in food, in memories, in friends, in family. Mourning is painful.
As I came home, I began to mourn. Soaking my pillow each night, I talked to God about the deep pain within my heart. And there, just like the scripture said, I found comfort.
God Bless , comfort and fill you with so much energy, power and love that if flows from you! Love, Teresa! PS : We need that recipe!
Thank you Teresa!
Lol Ok, I’ll find it again at Mom’s and post it!
Bacon-Cheddar Chicken Pot Pie
(from Women’s Day magazine)
4 oz. thick cut bacon (4 strips)
1 c. frozen pearl onions (not thawed)
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 3/4 c. flour
3 c. low sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt
2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed
1 c. frozen peas
1T. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
5 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. plus 2 T. low fat buttermilk
1/4 c. coarsely grated Cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cook the bacon in a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8-10 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Roughly chop when cool. Discard all but 1 T. of fat from skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 c. flour and 1/2 c. broth until smooth. Add the flour-broth mixture to the skillet, then add the remaining 2 1/2 c. broth and 1/2 t. salt and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are tender and the mixture has slightly thickened, 10-12 minutes. Fold in the chicken and peas. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 c. flour, sugar, baking powder and 1/4 T. salt. Add the butter; rub the mixture between fingers until fine crumbs form. Fold in the bacon. Using a large fork, gradually add 1/2 c. buttermilk, mixing until just combined (do not over mix).
Form the dough into 6 biscuit shaped pieces and place on top of the filling. Brush the tops with the remaining 2 T. buttermilk and sprinkle with cheese.
Place the skillet on a baking sheet and bake until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, 22-25 minutes.
Ty so much Lora for sharing! This sounds delicious! I was just told by my daughter that you could add vinegar to milk to make buttermilk. Wondering about that, I don’t like buttermilk at all. If I buy it , it goes bad. Saying a prayer for your ministry! God blessings to you and yours!
Wow, Lora. Your friend’s insightfulness is certainly giving me food for thought. Thanks for sharing her admonition. I have a precious friend who may soon need to hear tbese very words. Wish you were here with us at our retreat. But, I know duty calls. Love to you.
You are correct Teresa, you can put 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of milk and let it sit a few minutes. It will thicken into buttermilk to be used to cook. I don’t know about drinking it, I don’t like buttermilk either!! lol
‘Wow’ was my first thought too…thankful for that word given to you and thankful you shared it with us. Love ya
blessings Lora!
Thinking of you this morning Lora. Choking back tears while reading this blog entry, looking at your event calendar to find a time to come see you and to hear you speak. Will probably have to look for a time later summer or in the fall. Will enjoy your blog until then. It’s inspiring to watch God bless you and bless others through you. :). Pam