Welcome to the February edition of In Media Res, a monthly newsletter “in the midst of things.”
On My Mind: Lent
This past Wednesday, my husband and I attended our parish’s 7:30 a.m. Ash Wednesday Mass. My husband ducked into the restroom on the way back to our pew, and returning having seen his reflection, he proudly whispered, “My ashes are so legit.”
You see, not all ashes are created equal. The darker and more defined your cross, the better your ashes. This is the not-so-secret annual competition among many of my Catholic friends. My husband and I both received ashes that fell somewhere between “First in Line” and “Father’s Revenge,” signifiers that we’re in for an especially holy Lenten season.
In case you need a crash course in liturgical seasons, Lent is the 40-day period beginning on Ash Wednesday during which the Church prepares for Easter. The season is marked by three practices—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—designed to help Christians repent from sin and grow closer to God.
Lent is without a doubt my favorite liturgical season. Try as I might, Advent always leaves me wanting. The hustle of the holiday season upends all my attempts to remember the reason for the season. But in mid-February, there is little else to distract me. January always leaves me threadbare and yearning for the invitation to disentangle myself from all that keeps me from intimate relationship with Jesus. Each year, I find the same old roadblocks standing in my way. Self-reliance. Clinging to illusions of control. Disordered priorities. Busyness.
And each year, He calls me to surrender, to stillness. I try, and I fail, and He keeps beckoning me back to Him. Truly, what love is this?
If you come from a faith tradition that does not observe Lent, I invite you to consider how Lenten practices might translate to your life. It seems Lent, more than most liturgical seasons, mirrors nature. In the winter, we prune, cutting away all the excess, so we can bloom bigger and brighter come spring.
Spend time in prayer, silent mediation, or in nature.
Give generously to your neighbor.
Identify what keeps you from internal peace and intentionally strip those things away.
Peace be with you. And check out these LEGIT ashes.
Something Interesting: Gabor Maté on Armchair Expert
You know when it feels like the universe keeps putting something in front of you until you acquiesce and pay attention? Well the universe keeps telling me to listen to Gabor Maté. Last fall, my parent coach recommended him since I’m interested in anything to do with addiction recovery, and now, Gabor Maté is EVERYWHERE. He’s a physician and an author specializing in addiction, trauma, stress, and child development. He’s also a Holocaust survivor. For a tiny taste of his work, I highly recommend the Armchair Expert episode linked below.
I hope you’ll find it as fascinating as I did.
In the Kitchen: Sweet Potato & Kale Hash
My husband and I are doing a modified slow carb diet, which basically means no white carbs or sugar. He’s more rigid than I am, which probably explains why he’s also lost more weight than me. Whether we’re limiting carbohydrate intake or not, this sweet potato and kale hash with bacon and eggs is one of our favorite recipes. Our kids don’t eat it, but yours might if they have a more adventurous palette. Oh, and it’s Whole 30 compliant, too.
Psssst - I need all the meatless recipes for Lent. Share a link to your favorite in the comments?
Ingredients
4-6 slices of sugar-free bacon
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cups kale, chopped and ribs removed
4-6 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook bacon in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until it begins to crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Using the same skillet, evenly spread the sweet potato cubes over the hot bacon grease. If there isn’t enough bacon grease in your skillet, you can add olive oil, ghee, or butter. Allow the sweet potatoes to cook for a few minutes and flip once they start to brown. Continue cooking sweet potatoes until they begin to soften, stirring so they don’t stick. Once softened, add kale and bell pepper to the skillet until kale begins to wilt and bell pepper begins to soften. Add salt and pepper to taste. Using a wooden spoon, create 4-6 wells in the potato/vegetable mixture, then crack an egg into each well. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 6-12 minutes depending on how firm you like your eggs. While hash is cooking, chop your bacon. Once hash has finished cooking, sprinkle crumbled bacon on top and serve immediately.
Credit: Modified from A Saucy Kitchen
Ordinary Magic: Prioritizing Our Bedroom
When we moved into our home in March 2019, I was six months pregnant and sick with Flu A AND B. Even in my delirious state, I remember watching my husband place our bedroom television on top of our dresser and telling him I’d really prefer it mounted on the wall. Five years later, we finally mounted our television, and I’m finally able to style my dresser.
Our bedroom is always last on my decorating priority list, and that’s a shame because it doubles as my home office. I spend a lot of time in my bedroom! Taking the time to make it a little more beautiful has delivered an extra dose of happiness, and I’m always in need of those.
Currently Reading
Me: Reading Mercury by Amy Jo Burns & listening to Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond
Chance: Still Defiant by Brandon Sanderson
William: Tiger Warrior, War of the Fox Demons by M. Chan
That’s it for February. I have at least 17 drafts of half-finished personal essays, and one of them might make their way to your inbox soon. But you’ll definitely here from me again for my February reading round-up in another few weeks!