No Prep Easy Sabbath Meal (what I turn to when I have nothing made!)

No time to prep for Sabbath meals? Learn how to stock your pantry for easy meals and snacks to turn to in busy seasons! This no-prep Sabbath meal makes it truly doable to rest on the Sabbath and take the day off from cooking. These are great options when you're out of leftovers and everyone is hungry or when you have unexpected guests and want to serve easy snacks. 

The secret to getting to rest on the Sabbath isn't spending all day Friday cooking three square meals ahead of time. It's just keeping things on hand that are ready to eat. Keep these ingredients on hand and it will make keeping the Sabbath much more doable. 

Do you know the Sabbath meal I turn to when the fridge is out of leftovers?

The crudite platter.
A cheese tray.
An appetizer board.
A charcuterie box.

Whatever you call it now, you may come to know this as the meal that saves the day. The only prep time is opening jars or maybe slicing a few things. 

Keep these things on hand. Or when you're out of town or know supplies are low at home, grab these things at the market for a ready-to-go meal. No heat is required so most of these options work as picnic food, are easy to take to a fellowship meal, or can be enjoyed away from home on the Sabbath.

Sabbath pantry staples to keep on hand:

Crackers
Cheese
Pickles
Olives
Almonds or other nuts
Peanut butter other nut butter
Canned grape leafs
Jarred tapenades or pestos
Canned salsa
Tortilla chips
Dried fruits
Apples
Carrots

All of these things have a long shelf life, so you can keep them on hand so that you always have food to turn to that's ready to eat for a Sabbath meal. If leftovers aren't plentiful, turn to snacks like these for a fun meal. This plan is also the best go-to for power outages and other emergency situations.

Keeping these ingredients on hand in the pantry is such a time saver and stress reliever. And you can supplement it with any fresh vegetables or fruits, beef summer sausage or deli meat, bread, or any leftovers you have. Apples and carrots both stay good for months in the fridge, and harder cheeses and cream cheese have a long shelf life in the fridge.

This tray includes:
Crackers

Goat cheese
Roasted red peppers
Hummus
Canned stuffed grape leaves
Carrot sticks
Cherry tomatoes
Olives - kalamata and garlic stuffed
Pickles
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Apple slices
Dried cranberries
Dried figs
Fresh plumbs

This can obviously be adjusted to suit your preferences or what's ain season at the time. If you're giving a lot of options everyone should find at least a few things they like.

Other ideas would be:
Sliced bread
Pita or pita chips
Broccoli or cauliflower florets
Baby carrots
Mini peppers or sliced peppers
Sliced cheddar cheese
Brie cheese
Tapenade
Pesto
Canned artichokes
Escabeche or pickled vegetables
Sliced pears
Grapes
Berries
Chips

Stock up on a few of these non-perishables and long lasting vegetables and cheeses the next time you go shopping so that you and your family can have a delicious and restful Sabbath meal, no matter how crazy the week gets.

More on Sabbath meals:
The No Stress Guide to Sabbath Meal Prep
Sabbath Friendly Oatmeal Recipe
Biblical Slow Cooker Recipes

My Favorite Sukkahs of the Year

I saw so many amazing sukkahs this year! It was just incredible to be able open my inbox or browse Instagram to see photos of YHWH's feasts being celebrated around the world. I wanted to share with you a few of my favorites from this year, one for each night of Sukkot. I wouldn't mind celebrating the Feast of Booths in any of these!

From @elysamary I love the pretty lights and the menorah here! This is also shows that you don't need a huge yard or campsite to make a sukkah, it's totally doable on a patio or deck.

From @shalohamama This tropical sukkah is getting turned into a climbing structure for vertical gardening.

From @queenlioness333 I just love how she incorparted foliage and flowers into the vertical walls, don't you?

From @greenmomma4 Isn't this so elegant?

From @greenmomma4 Another shot from the inside. This looks so cozy and like the perfect place to stay warm on a chilly Sukkot evening.

From @theclimbingtree Doesn't this look like a place where you could hang out for hours? 

From @profuselyprofound The prayer shawl look I thought was a really unique take on a sukkah. Lauren said this was set up in a sanctuary where 24 hour prayer was happening!

From @madisonthompson It's not hard to imagine a lovely evening out here. Flowers and candles are a combination that's hard to top.

Which one was your favorite? Share your photos by tagging me on Instagram or using #sukkahgoals!

Sukkot Stuffed Recipes to Try

In most of the world Sukkot falls on the time of the final ingathering of the crops for the year. Gardens are emptied of the last of the tomatoes and peppers before the first frost, and huge fields are being harvested. Most of us are very far removed from the sigh of relief much of humanity surely felt at the end of an abundant harvest. While it is a blessing to live where an abundance of food available year round, we do miss out on noticing much of YHWH's provision. 

One way to remind ourselves that YHWH meets our needs is through the Sukkot tradition of stuffing vegetables and other foods. This shows that he not only gives us good things but generously 'stuffs' us full. Serving a meal of something stuffed is a good talking point of what (besides food) that YHWH has faithfully provided. Give one of these recipes a try this week!

Chili Stuffed Spaghetti Squash from Making Thyme for Health

Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from Will Frolic for Food

Pad Thai Spring Rolls from A Beautiful Mess

Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas from Cookie and Kate

Vegan Stuffed Poblanos from Minimalist Baker

Butternut Feta Hand Pies from A Beautiful Plate

Veggie Fajita Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from How Sweet It Is

Chipotle Pumpkin Enchiladas from A Beautiful Mess

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers from Minimalist Baker

Broccoli Rabe and Black Bean Quesadillas from Cookie and Kate

Pineapple Boat with Sorbet from The House That Lars Built

Almond Butter Baked Apples from Making Thyme for Health

Which of these doesn't look fantastic? I'm thinking it would be a great night for Mexican food in the sukkah. :) And that pineapple boat with fresh sorbet or ice cream? What dreams are made of! If you need inspiration, take a trip to a local farmers market. You could also stuff your favorite fillings into manicotti or apples into a pie. A very happy Sukkot week to all of you!

Prayer and Fasting on Yom Kippur

What do you do on Yom Kippur? The most common answer is to fast. Scripture's instruction for Yom Kippur is that we should anah ourselves. Traditionally this is applied as a 25 hour fast. There is some debate over whether or not fasting is required as the Hebrew word anah is usually  translated as afflict or humble, and never fast. But of course fasting could be a way of humbling yourself.

But if you're fasting on Yom Kippur, that should just be part of your Yom Kippur. Going without food is not the whole point. Our lack of understanding is sadly shown when we treat this Biblical holiday as just a day to not eat. There's nothing wrong with fasting and it can be used to add meaning to this special time. But if that is the only connection with a Bible holiday given to us by the Creator of the universe I think we have missed something.

Because fasting is always to be paired with prayer. Here are a some examples of that throughout the Bible.

-King David fasted while pleading for the life of his sick child. (2 Samuel 12:23)

-Anna never left the Temple, but worshipped day and night, fasting and praying. (Luke 2:37)

-Daniel was fasting and then prayed for Judah's release from exile. (Daniel 9:3)

-The disciples had trouble curing a boy from demonic, epileptic fits and the Messiah told them healing could only happen through prayer and fasting in that instance. (Mark 9:29)

-Hannah was fasting when she went to the Tabernacle to ask YHWH to give her a son. (1 Sameul 1:18)

-Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:2)

-Paul and Barnabas appointed elders to the congregations with prayer and fasting. (Acts 14:23)

-Joel recorded YHWH as saying to return to him with fasting and prayer. (Joel 2:12)

Can you see there's more to fasting than just missing a meal? I want Yom Kippur to be honored and celebrated for all it stands for, including that the perfect sacrifice now intercedes for us continually. What if we made this a day of prayer? Not that fasting isn't valuable and beneficial. But we should be known for our prayers.

There are a few places in Scripture where fasting is not accompanied by prayer and it is clear that God is not pleased. One instance is how the Pharisees made it a point to show others they were fasting. Another examples is in Isaiah 58 when YHWH asks if the objective of a fast is to spread ashes and sackcloth on yourself. In other words, is the point of fasting simply to sit there without food all day or to try and impress others with your actions? Is this day to draw attention to yourself or should it be to direct your intention to the Living God?

What if on Yom Kippuur instead of emphasizing to our friends and family that we are fasting, we showed that this is a day we intercede for them? What if we spend this Bible holiday praying for repentance and mercy? What if we prayed for the restoration and for YHWH's best to be done in our family, community, and world?

What if the point to fasting isn't to go without food yourself, but to be able to give that food to someone hungry?

My point is not that fasting is bad or that it shouldn't be done. The Messiah gave us instructions on the procedures for this, assuming we would fast. My point is to remind you there is more to this day than just going without food. Our ministries and congregations could be known as a house of prayer in this time.

I hope you have a very beautiful and meaningful Yom Kippur!

Related posts:
The Meaning of Yom Kippur (Day of Covering)
How to Pray for Our World
Yom Kippur Scripture Reading List