Is making food ahead of time for the Sabbath stressful to you? You are definitely not alone, many people have expressed feeling overwhelmed attempting to do so much ahead of time in order to be able to rest from cooking duties on the Sabbath day. This easy, real food recipe is to the rescue! Here is a super simple recipe for a wholesome breakfast or snack that requires zero prep work ahead of time. Once again: zero prep work. Made with pantry staples, you're just some hot water away from a tasty breakfast or comforting snack. Note: I know not everyone is comfortable with switching on the stove on the Sabbath, so if that's you please disregard this recipe and see this post for meals you can make ahead of time. I will also say that this requires no more effort than flipping a light switch, dirties only the bowl you eat it in, and has no risk of scorching to the pan. Any day of the week those are all wins to me!
Here's what you need: 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal 1/4 cup flaked, dried coconut 2 tablespoons almonds 1 tsp chia seeds (optional) 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup hot water 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
Turn your teakettle on to heat your water. While that's heating up, combine all of your ingredients except the chocolate chips in a bowl. When your water boils (or is close) pour about a half cup over the mixture, being careful to wet all the oatmeal. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and let sit 1-2 minutes before eating.
And that's it! It's a very simple recipe that you can obviously customize to your liking...oatmeal with dried apricots, pistachios, cinnamon, and honey is another of my favorite combinations. This makes a filling breakfast or a nice snack if you are craving something sweet, maybe even with some extra chocolate? You could also mix your ingredients ahead of time and just shake out about 3/4 of a cup into your bowl when you want to make this. Super easy either way! *One more thing, no you do not need to use instant oatmeal. I have used old-fashioned oats from Aldi, Meijer, and Whole Foods and they all have worked well in this recipe. I find them to be cooked to my liking, and I think the texture is better in this recipe if you old-fashioned oats. If your oats are a bit thicker, or you like extra soft oatmeal, try adding a little extra water and let it sit an extra minute.
My menu inspiration has really changed from when I last shared meal ideas for the Sabbath day. When snow and ice and low temperatures are out in full force there's nothing like a warm meal for comfort. How do you serve a hot meal without cooking on Shabbat? One solution is to use a slow cooker. Depending on what you're making, you can start simmering your meal on Friday for Shabbat lunch. Soups and things with plenty of liquid work best for this. Otherwise, just toss your ingredients in the crock ahead of time and then keep it in the fridge. On the Sabbath day all you'll need to do is set the crock in the base to get it cooking. Meals don't get much easier than that. Utilizing a slow cooker to avoid working at meal preparation on Shabbat is a great way to honor the Sabbath day.
"Tomorrow is Shabbat to YHWH; bake what you'd like today, and cook what you'd like to cook; and what is leftover save for tomorrow." -Exodus 16:23 This verse has really inspired me to stop cooking on Shabbat. Even those of us who enjoy kitchen work need a break so that we can rest and enjoy YHWH's set apart day. This is a clear instruction that we should plan to have food leftover that we can eat on Shabbat. I've put together a few recipes that you can make ahead of time and then eat on the Sabbath. Many of them actually recommend making a day or two prior to let the flavors come together more. All of these recipes can be served cold or at room temperature. This isn't because I think it's wrong to reheat a casserole in the oven or run a slow cooker on Shabbat (though some believe it is). With the warmer days at this time of year the cool food is welcome, at least for me! Plus your kitchen doesn't need to be heated up. These meals start with fresh veggies, beans, quick cooking grains like lentils and quinoa, and pasta so they come together quickly - perfect for hectic Fridays! You can save yourself even more time by doubling the recipe and enjoying it for Friday (or Thursday) dinner and then again on Shabbat. The recipes are each pretty well rounded in my opinion so they really don't need any accompaniments, but if one dish dinners aren't your thing you could serve any of these with bread, sliced cheese, salad greens with vinaigrette, and fresh or frozen fruit for dessert. 14 Make Ahead Meals for Shabbat:
Greek Lentil Salad from Cookie and Kate Go ahead and dress the lentils and veggies the day before but leave out the spinach until just before serving so it doesn't wilt.
Quinoa Gado Gado Bowl from Minimalist Baker You can steam the veggies in this or leave them raw. I would leave the quinoa, veggies, and dressing separate and then let everyone assemble their own combination on Shabbat.
Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad from Well Plated Sweet potatoes, black beans, and quinoa makes for a very filling salad. I like to set this out on the counter in the morning so it's at room temperature for lunch.
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad from Half Baked Harvest Make this delicious pasta salad when your fridge is full of odds and ends that need used up. Tieghan says this salad is actually best made a few days ahead of time making it perfect for a Shabbat meal.
Roasted Beet Lentil Salad from Oh My Veggies I would combine all the ingredients the day before eating. Lentils and beets are a great combination. A little goat cheese in here would be good too.
Summer Abundance Bowls from Half Baked Harvest How fresh do these look? Use any type of grain to go with whatever fruit is in season, veggies, greens, a sprinkle of nuts or seeds, and cheese if you like.
Guys, there is something I am so excited to share with you today; a look at the Hebrew faith on the big screen! I can't wait for all of you to watch this and five of you will be able to win a copy of The Way for yourself as well.
Husband and wife team Luke and Kayte started this film with a simple premise: if Yeshua lived a perfect life then why do his followers today do almost everything differently than how he walked? They traveled to meet dozens of people who discuss what drew them from ordinary Christian faith to a Hebrew lifestyle of Shabbat observance, keeping the festivals of YHWH, and Scripturally clean eating. Check out the preview below.
Not to spoil anything, but the film is even better than the trailer. It was so refreshing to watch this, to see others who have been on a similar journey, to hear their stories of celebrating the Feasts. If you are someone who feels isolated or alone in your faith then please check out The Way! You'll feel like part of the tribe. :) That said, this isn't just a documentary for those in the Hebrew or Messianic movements. I think this would be a great introduction for anyone who is not familiar with this kind of lifestyle. Luke and Kayte did an excellent job of explaining through Scripture the thought process behind the seventh day Sabbath, etc. and even incorporated differing viewpoints as a way to address the 'what abouts' that many of us have dealt with. I would recommend this movie to anyone pursuing the faith, no matter where they are in that journey.
Luke and Kayte
Kayte was kind enough to spend some time sharing more of what went into The Way.
What caused you guys to create
this documentary?
The Way started as a seed of an
idea in Luke’s heart. He’s a journalist, so he’s super inquisitive and great at
finding a story. A few years back, he got a call from his mom that she wouldn’t
be celebrating Christmas that year. He thought that was crazy, so he set out to
research so that he could set her straight with facts. Except he found that she
was right about Christmas’ origins. That led him on a search through scripture
and church history that revealed the ways that modern-Christianity has veered from
the life of Yeshua and the apostles. In the course of all this, I joined him in
this journey and we realized there were countless others around the world
seeking to get back to a more biblical way of life. So The Way is the story of
those people and the things they’ve discovered.
Why did you feel this was an important venture to
undertake?
This awakening is spreading like wildfire right now.
There are truths that God’s revealing from history and in His Word that we’d
love to help share with the wider world. We think a lot of believers are
searching for a deeper connection with God and a richer understanding of His
Word, and we hope The Way will help people pursue those things.
How has the process of making this film changed or
challenged your own faith?
Our faith has grown tremendously
in this process. We’ve spent a year and a half hearing from probably 50 people
about the most formative moments in their spiritual lives and the most awesome
things they’ve learned from the Word. It’s been a sort of masterclass.
Personally, I have such a deeper reverence and awe of God’s goodness,
seeing the love and wisdom and justice in each and every instruction He’s given
us. Instructions that used to seem archaic or arbitrary are such a joy now.
Plus, I feel like I have so much more in common with Yeshua, living this way. :)
Who do you hope will watch The Way?
Anyone who’s curious about the
discrepancies between the way Yeshua lived and the way that modern-day
Christians live. Or anyone who’s made huge changes in the way they live and
worship and are having a hard time communicating their reasons to their friends
and family.
What's something that's going to surprise viewers about
this film?
They’re going to learn some crazy
facts from some pretty surprising sources - things that made me wonder, “How in
the world did I never learn this in 25 years of church, history classes and
Bible study?!"
What was it like to work as a couple on a project like
this?
It’s been awesome - this project
has stretched through for 90% of our marriage! The doc has been the most
rewarding and most challenge thing either of us have undertaken. We’ve gotten
to work as a team, hear each other’s ideas, pray together constantly, cover
each other’s shortcomings and get really good at tackling the insane new
challenges that have popped up every day for the last year and a half. And
during the early editing process, we’d turn watching the 50 hours of footage
into date nights by cooking dinner together and picking an interview to watch
through and take notes on while we ate!
How was your experience getting crowd funded through
Kickstarter?
The Kickstarter experience blew us
away. We knew there were pockets of people who’d be excited about seeing this
story come to life, but we had no idea of the scope of the support we’d
receive! We were nervous about our initial fundraising goal of around $12,000 -
we wondered if we could make it - so by the end of the Kickstarter when the
project had been 330% funded, we knew God was telling us that He’d supply
everything we needed to make the best film possible - and not just financially,
but also in terms of interview leads, prayer support and people with wisdom we
needed.
The Kickstarter campaign was also
how we met our incredible composer, Jake Hull, and many of the wonderful
interview subjects you’ll see in the film. Lots of people reached out to us
with their stories after hearing we were making the film. So even though we
thought we were finished shooting interviews, we ended up doing lots of travel and
shooting more interviews after the campaign - and some of those interviews
became core to the story.
Is there a certain message or takeaway point you hope
to impart to viewers?
We want people to finish watching
the film and to think, “Wow, maybe there’s actually some timeless goodness
still in the instructions God gave in the Old Testament. And maybe there’s a
way that the whole Bible can work together as one story - with the patriarchs
and the apostles and modern-day Christians all with core commonalities in their
walk. And maybe I should take a second look at traditions I’d never thought to
question before.” But most of all, we hope that (as Zac Bauer says) people “go
home and read their Bibles."
What kind of responses have you gotten to this so far?
We’ve had lots and lots of people
tell us that they cried! It blows us away. I think that there’s something
powerful about seeing your story echoed back to you in a medium like this. It’s
very human and affirming. We’ve also had believers who’ve gone to church their
whole lives tell us that The Way answered questions from the Bible that they’ve
wondered about for years. And lastly, lots of people have told us they’re
excited to share The Way with friends and family, to start a conversation about
what they’ve been learning in their walk with God.
How can we learn more about The Way?
You can watch the trailer for The
Way, clips from the film, read FAQs and of course, buy a physical or digital
copy at The Way's website.
We’re also always on Facebook
hanging out with everyone there and posting video clips from the film (or cut scenes)
so come on over!
Thanks so much Kayte for taking time to talk with us! Doesn't she feel like a kindred spirit? I loved the 'real life' that went into this. Mom announced we aren't celebrating Christmas anymore - I can relate! And the creativity of incorporating the making of the documentary into date night. You'll hear more from Kayte when you watch The Way as she makes a couple of appearances! And a huge shout out to Kayte and Luke for providing five copies of the DVD to give away! Here's your chance to watch the documentary at no cost, or if you've seen it already win a copy to share with a friend. This giveaway is only open to readers in the US, sorry my international friends (you can still download a copy at the website) but I will have something special for you guys in a couple weeks. A huge shout out to Kayte for sharing their story and generously giving away five copies of the movie! Winner will be announced Sunday. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Th Most of us desire to live in a way that honors God, but sometimes it can be unclear of how to do that. The easiest way to start is very simple, start doing what the Bible says! While there are challenges to keeping the commandments in a secular society, Deuteronomy 30:11 says that it is not too hard for us.
These are a few examples of how we can live out certain Scriptures in order to honor YHWH. Of course there are many others that we are not covering today, and this is by no means an exhaustive list! But hopefully it gets us thinking about often overlooked Biblical instructions that are simple and beneficial.
-Remember the name of YHWH. In Exodus 3:15 God tells Moses that his name is YHWH forever, and that his name is a memorial to all generations, and not taking his name in vain, and thereby forgetting it is one of the ten commandments. Refer to God by YHWH at least once today as a way to remember his true name and to distinguish the Living God from the 'gods' of other religions.
-"Speak only beneficial words." -Ephesians 4:29 Is complaining about your boss going to improve the situation? Will being rude to the cashier make her day better? Ephesians goes on to say get rid of bitter and angry speech, gossiping, loud yelling, coarse jokes, and insults. It says we should give thanks instead. Watch your words today and offer a sincere thank you to a family member or coworker. Fill your words with gratitude and encouragement.
-Honor your parents. There are no perfect parents but honor them anyway. Speak highly of them to others. Be intentional about spending time with them. Make sure they know they are loved and appreciated by you! Exodus 20:12 actually says that honoring your father and mother will lead to a long life.
-Make plans not to buy anything on Saturday. Along with working, shopping is forbidden on the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:13, Nehemiah 13:5). Skip the online shopping or getting groceries until after the Sabbath. You will be keeping an instruction from YHWH and saving money as a bonus.
-Start and end the day with Scripture. Deuteronomy 6:7 says that we should speak of God's word when we go to bed and when we rise up. This could be reading a paragraph, meditating on a verse, reciting one from memory, study time, or listening to an audio Bible as you head into work. Hearing Scripture is the perfect way to align ourselves with his truth!
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