land of honey: prep day

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Sabbath Friendly Oatmeal

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!

Real food, Sabbath friendly, wholesome oatmeal recipe | Land of Honey

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.

Coconut almond Oatmeal for Shabbat | Land of Honey

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.

The No Stress Guide to Sabbath Meals

Make Ahead Salads for the Sabbath

Stocking Your Pantry For Easy Sabbath Meals
Slow Cooker Sabbath Meal Ideas

Sabbath Prep and the Idol of Cleanliness

Can we talk about 'prep day' and this notion of 'getting ready for Sabbath'?

When I first started observing the Sabbath, I think about 90% of the related internet content consisted of cleaning checklists. Long ones too: vacuum the floors, straighten up the house, take out the trash, wash the dishes, make the beds, set the table, clean the bathrooms. And don't forget about making a fancy dinner, and then tons of food for tomorrow, empty your inbox, bathe the kids, and plan a special activity. It's not surprising that much of the Hebrew community refers to Friday as prep day, because that's how long all of this takes.

There are a few problems with this system. Firstly, Scripture does not teach that this thorough cleaning is required of us for the Sabbath day. But also, keeping Sabbath is meant for all of YHWH's children, not just the retirees and the stay-at-home-mom families. When we (unintentionally or otherwise) present to others this enormous checklist of things to do before Shabbat we are telling them that if you can't juggle in this extra load of work then they can't keep the Sabbath day. That is a tragedy! When we make the Sabbath more about having a clean house than about relationship with YHWH, it becomes an idol. May he forgive us if we make having a prep day for Shabbat a requirement, because he didn't.

Friends, I know that none of you want to place a stumbling block before others or to make Sabbath keeping seem like a burden. But can you see how this pervasive mentality of Friday as a house cleaning day can be a hindrance to those that work or have other commitments before the Sabbath? I also know that many of you feel overwhelmed with getting ready for the Sabbath each week. And honestly when I would put my effort into those checklists it did not leave me with an attitude that loved the set apart day. Why are we clinging to this tradition of near impossible standards if it causes frustration and resentment with one of YHWH's commandments? What does that do to our relationship with him, or to our spirits?

Is it nice to have a clean home? Yes...but it's not a commandment, nor is it a prerequisite to having a day of rest. A clean house is nice but it should never come before our relationship with YHWH, and it shouldn't come at the cost of discouraging others from honoring the Sabbath. It really is both possible and permissible to have a day of rest, even if you don't have a day to dedicate to preparing for it. What if you just stopped to rest on the seventh day, even if the laundry wasn't done and the beds hadn't been made? What if we showed others that Shabbat keeping is doable even if you work full-time or juggle a hundred things each week?

Yes, keeping Shabbat calls for intention. But I think most of the time spent preparing should be working to keep ourselves free of other commitments on the Sabbath, not on having an immaculate house. There is no shame in eating simple foods like sandwiches, green salads, veggies with hummus, cheese and crackers, fruit, or other snack items that don't require prep work the day before. Don't forget that in Genesis 1, YHWH himself rests on the Sabbath day. Please note, he did not spend day six cleaning up his work from the rest of the week. He just rests. Give yourself and others permission to do the same.

Is getting ready for the Sabbath day feeling overwhelming? Here's what to remember. | Land of Honey

More on the Sabbath:
Why I'm Still Keeping the Sabbath
Tips for Resting on the Sabbath
Sabbath in the New Testament

Summer Salads for Shabbat

Summer Salads to make for the Sabbath day | Land of Honey

Sharing some fresh inspiration for your Sabbath meals today! To me, there is nothing easier and more delicious than pulling out a fresh and satisfying salad for lunch and this is the perfect time of year for doing that. Put all those fresh veggies to use and put together a simple meal ahead of time so that you can fully rest on the Sabbath!

I think any of these would suffice for a meal, but you could definitely serve these with grilled chicken, bread, greens with vinaigrette, or the summertime staple of sliced tomatoes. Fresh fruit would make a refreshing (and easy) dessert.

Crunchy Thai Peanut Quinoa from Cookie and Kate