Sandwich theology

February 24, 2022 Sharon Jacobson

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Sandwich Theology

When I was in seminary, I had a professor who spoke about popcorn theology. It was about finding the spiritual in everyday moments like watching popcorn pop. It is one of those experiences I have had numerous times in my life and have written about them before. I have written about food such as cupcakes, waffles and spaghetti, and kitchen utensils such as Pampered Chef’s silicone basting brush and adjustable measuring spoons. Tonight, as I was preparing my wife’s vegan philly cheesesteak, I had a similar epiphany.

On the one hand, it is just a sandwich filled with vegan steak, vegan provolone, caramelized onions and peppers layered inside a bun. But tonight, as I put together this sandwich for her, I realized it was more than just a sandwich. It was an offering to her that was nutritious, one I hoped would be pleasurable, and something I had made for her with love. I not only made it for her with love, I thought loving thoughts about her as I had planned it, shopped for it, served it to her and watched her eat it.

It wasn’t just a sandwich, it was a gift of my love for her. Not only was my love in that sandwich, but the Ultimate’s love for her was in it too. There were all those gifts that the Ultimate had led to the creation of, guided us to, blessed us with the funds to get, and given me the hands and creativity to bring to fruition. All of this was wrapped in the bread which held it all together. Isn’t this how the Ultimate is in our life?

It doesn’t matter what kind of sandwich you are making, even if the bread you are using is lettuce because you are on a low carb diet. There is still something which wraps around all the fillings and holds things together. The fillings are what gives us nutrition and pleasure, but it is the bread which holds the sandwich together while we eat it.

Some sandwiches are neater than others to eat, but the same is true of our lives. Some days are neat er then others. Some sandwiches we enjoy more than others. Some seem more nutritious than others. Yet despite the variations, our faith in our Higher Power, however, we define that, is what holds all the ingredients in place and enables us to eat and enjoy the gift we have been given.

Tonight was philly cheesesteak and tomorrow may be a vegan reuben. It is not about the type of sandwich I make, it is about the love that goes into it, through it, and with which it is served.

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X-MARKED PIE CRUST

April 4, 2019 Sharon Jacobson

Growing up pies, were one of the many baked goods my mother excelled at. Although she was much better at her cakes and pastries like rugelach. I can still close my eyes and smell those aromas floating through the house. When she made her pies she always made her own dough and had her own secrets about making pie crust, which are no longer secrets, but that will be another blog.

What I do remember, however, is that all her pie crusts looked the same. She always went around and made little pinches with her fingers. I wonder what she would think of some of the creative ways Pampered Chef has come up with to decorate pie crusts and tops. This X marked pie crust is just one of them. It is quick, easy and creative. All you do is press the dough into your pie pan, trim off the excess, and then use the releasing end of the Cake Tester and Releasing tool to make X marks on your dough. If you then brush the crust with beaten egg, using the Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush, it will enhance the details and make the X pop.

You already know why I like the Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush, but the Cake Tester and Releaser is not only a baker’s dream, it also represents some spiritual lessons for me. this tool not only can check to make sure something is done, but it can also help to release the baked goods from your pan. I have known folks who use it to piece potatoes and those who used to bring them out at fondue parties to dip fruit into melted chocolate. Of course, that was before we came out with our S’more and Fondue Stick Set.

V is for the V-Shaped Baking Pan Set

March 21, 2019 Sharon Jacobson

When I was a kid we would play a game to build our vocabulary. I remember V being for vegetables and victory and a few other words. It was fun to be able to say that V is for V shaped. I love the shape of our V-Shaped Baking Pan Set for a few reasons. One being that it helps me make healthy snacks for my family, which is a challenge. It is going to also be making one of what Zoe calls junk food night, “taco night” fresher and easier. I can even use it to make some fresh and easy to make desserts. With my busy schedule, anything which can make my life easier and help me get fresh and healthy food on the table is a blessing.

My wife is a chip addict. So I love that in minutes I can make her fresh potato chips and if I am feeling risky, I can try getting her to eat some homemade fruit and vegetable chips. What I love about this new set is that it lets me bake twice as many ships as I could on a sheet pan. So now I can make tortilla and potato chips on demand, well with some notice at least. LOL As long as I have potatoes and tortillas in the house I can make chips.

What I am looking forward to trying next is making dessert tacos with pie crust and my favorite fillings. The more I look at these pans, the more I realize that what I can create with this pan is limited by my own imagination.

R is for Rockcrok

February 20, 2019 Sharon Jacobson

If you have not ever tried or heard about our amazing Rockcrok, then buckle up, you are about to learn about a set of cookware which will change the way you think about cookware. It’s like the moment you learned something spiritually which totally changed the way you walk your spiritual journey.

One of the most amazing things about our Rockcrok’s is that they go everywhere. They can be used on the stove, in the oven, in the microwave, under the broiler and even on the grill since they can hold up to 752 degrees of heat. With the slow cooker stand, you can also slow cook in it. You can start on one heat source and move to another. They can also be stored in the refrigerator and freezer and are also dishwasher safe.

They also come in just about any size you can imagine like the casserole dish which is perfect for the side dish or a main dish for two to the Dutch Oven XL which hold 8 quarts. It is much lighter then heavy cast iron, but has the even heat distribution cast iron has. It has high heat retention and will keep your food warm until everyone is done eating. The list of what you can do with this cookware can be hard to believe because in addition to all of the above you can use metal utensils while cooking in it and it is dishwasher safe.

Q is for Quick Cooker

February 13, 2019 Sharon Jacobson

If you are looking for a product that will steal your heart, then our new quick cooker it is. In all honestly, it was one of those products I looked at suspiciously until I tried it and then I was hooked. There is something about quick and cooking which is both appealing and questionable at the same time. However, what allows the food to cook quickly is the use of pressure which reduces the amount of time needed to cook a product while at the same time producing amazing results. Pampered Chef has reported on studies which show that food cooked in a pressure cooker retain more nutrients than other cooking methods. It also reduces energy consumption. These are all great reasons to consider using the Quick Cooker for food preparation

This seems to be true of life in general as well. I and several of my friends have been through some high pressure situations in our lives recently. What we have all shared with each other is that the pressure has helped each of us to become more spiritual, faithful, and compassionate. We have learned to focus our energies on those things which matter the most, not on things that would further drain us of our energy.

The Quick Cooker has 16 different functions and a 6 quart capacity. It can solve the problem when you have forgotten to defrost whatever protein was on the dinner menu. It can bake bread, steam hard boiled eggs, and like some superhero seem to bring amazing and flavorful meals together in no time, like in a single bound.

N is for Nonstick Double Grill Pan

January 23, 2019 Sharon Jacobson

What do Grilled Basil, Spinach & Honey Pizza, Beef & Mushroom Sliders, Skinny Caesar Salad With Grilled Romaine, and Grilled Chicken & Pepper Party Sandwiches have in common? Simple they are just four of a wide variety of recipes you can make on our Nonstick Double Burner Grill Pan. As you may have noticed you now have links to all those recipes in case I have made you hungry. I had two options this week. I could talk to you about some of our nylon cookware or our nonstick double grill or griddle, so I went with my favorite, the Nonstick Double Grill Pan.

As many of you know I have a hectic life balancing three jobs, time with Zoe, time with the Ultimate and time for me. I need cookware that I can trust and is going to make meal prep easier for me. That is in part what this piece of cookware does. I have spent less time cleaning this cookware than I did cooking in it. In part it is because of the 4 layer surface treatment which allows food to wipe off and unlike other nonstick cookware, this is also dishwasher safe. Another thing I love is that I do not have to be intentional about grabbing the nylon utensils as the construction of these pans allows me to use metal utensils and not worry about scratching them. The other thing I appreciate is that the flat bottom allows for even and consistent cooking. Of course, I love the lifetime guarantee, although I doubt I will ever be using it.

J is for Jar Opener

December 26, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

I had a few choices for products starting with J this week, but had to go with the Jar Opener. I don’t know about anyone else, but there are way too many times in my life when I have had trouble opening the lid on the jar. It doesn’t matter if I have opened it before or not. Sometimes, someone follows behind me and closes the jar so tightly that I have to ask them to reopen it for me. Granted my hand strength is not what it used to be when I was younger, but even then, I sometimes struggled to get the lid off. One of the things I love most about this product is that I can mount it under my kitchen cabinet or I can use it by hand. The hand is soft, comfortable, and easy to use.

Every time I use the Jar Opener, I remember how my faith helps me open up my belief system and explore my beliefs, some of which are outdated and need to be taken out of my jar. Some items need to be taken out of my jar and sometimes items need to be put in.

E is for Electric Wine Opener

November 21, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

Even though I cannot drink wine anymore, much to my chagrin, I still love our Electric Wine Opener and not just because it is the easiest way to open a bottle of wine. I remember one of the first times I used it. A friend of mine who is blind was over and was asking how it worked. I told her. It was so easy for her to open the bottle of wine we were going to drink over dinner. It was the first time she had been able to open a bottle of wine without assistance and for her that moment was so empowering

My son has special needs and he loves this for other reasons. He loves watching the lights and the corkscrew go up and down. It was so much fun, he wished it could open soda bottles. LOL. I love it because I have difficulty with manual wine bottle openers. It is one of those products that is so simple to use that anyone who wants to open a bottle of wine can. It made me realize how often we miss those moments where we all get to do something which so many of us just take for granted. While not everyone may want to open a bottle of wine. Anyone who would like to should be provided with a product that would make it easy for them to do so.

What makes it so simple to use is that there is one button which operates the Electric Wine Opener. Slide it in one direction and it pulls the cork out and slide it in the other direction and it releases the cork.

Another feature I appreciate about this product is the stand, which is also the foil cutter. You begin by aligning the foil cutter over the bottle’s neck. Grasp the sides of the foil cutter with your thumb and fingers while rotating the bottle. After one or two complete rotations, remove the cutter from the bottle’s neck. After you have removed the foil, the cutter returns to being the stand for the Electric Wine Opener. This stand reminds me of my faith, it has the ability to keep me standing strong through all life’s moments. It cuts through and cuts away those things which are interfering with y growth and enhances my ability to open my bottle of internal gifts and talents (wine).

D is for Deep Covered Baker

November 15, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

I had to write about the Deep Covered Baker this week. Some of us call it The Magic Pot because what happens inside the baker when it is covered is magic. It does things like allow you to microwave a pork tenderloin in 10 minutes or a whole chicken in 30 minutes. There are entire lists of one pot meals you can make in it in 30 minutes or less and you can use it in your oven and microwave.

Because of something that happened in my life today, the Deep Covered Baker has taken on new meaning for me. It has become a symbol for me of what happens when I draw on my faith in my Higher Power. It is like magic happens. For example, how today when I was in need of an epipen, I learned there is a nationwide shortage. No pharmacy around me had one. I was going to have to delay starting a new medication. The tonight in the magic of my faith pot, the doorbell rang and a pharmacy I have never heard of nor am connected to bought me an epipen in a brown paper bag. We do not always have to understand the magic which happens in our Deep Covered Baker, we just have to appreciate the magic

C is for Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush

November 7, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

I was having a Sesame Street moment as I thought the letter for this week is C. We have so many C items it was hard to choose, but I decided to pick the C item that gets the most use in my home, the Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush.

What is interesting is that I use it less for basting then I do other things. I use it to easily spread oil on my stoneware and my metal pans. It gives me an excuse to play for a moment as I paint my pans with oil. Sometimes I take a moment to let my inner child play and paint an oil picture and then I paint over it and prepare it for whatever I am putting on it next. Other times I do use it for brushing sauces, butter or oil on whatever I am cooking at that moment. There is something about having a brush in my hand that makes me tap into my inner artist. Even if what I am painting is the slices of tofu with my Maple Bourbon sauce, I can have fun painting my “canvas”

One of the features I love most is the hook on the handle which allows the brush to rest on the side of the bowl or measuring cup that my “paint” is in. I never have to worry about it sliding into the “paint” and my having to dig it out, clean it off and pray it did not slip in again. That hook sometimes reminds me of my faith. How it is my faith that allows me to hang on to my relationship with my Higher Power and know I am going to be okay.

B is for Bamboo Tablet Stand

November 1, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

Is it stable? Will it hold my planner? How about my surface laptop? These were the questions I was asked about our Bamboo Tablet Stand. Given that I had answered several questions about this product, it made sense I should use this as my B product as I blog my way through the alphabet. This is probably one of those products, one does not think of when they think Pampered Chef, but it is one of those products we use all the time in our house. I think we have four of them, one for just about every room of the house. In the bedroom, it holds the table, kindle or book being read at the moment. In my office, it holds a variety of things ranging from my planner, whatever documents I am needing to refer to while I am working or the book I am reading for school. In the kitchen, it holds my tablet or cookbook or pages of recipes when I am cooking. For me, and for others, it is more than just a tablet stand. It is that go to which is stable and versatile. It is like that sacred writing you think of all the time and refer to in a wide diversity of situations.

One thing I love about our Bamboo Tablet Stand is that it is made of bamboo. I have always appreciated product with a low carbon footprint and bamboo is one of those products. Bamboo is durable, doesn’t absorb moisture, and it’s a natural, renewable resource. For me, it assists me in being a good steward of the resources the Universe has entrusted me with makes me feel good.

FInding Our Voice

September 20, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

One of the reasons Zoe and I decided to give up animal products was that we decided to get serious about our health and working to reverse some of our health issues. Better late than never. What we have quickly learned, however, is that we fell into the trap of eating the same type of foods, just vegan style. Our quickie lunches became “chicken” patties with sweet potato fries and salad. We became quickly aware that our menu choices were become increasingly dependent on faux meats and cheeses. Yes, they were vegan but they were allowing us to be on a plant based diet with minimal eating of plants. I think there is something wrong with that

Even the recipes in the cookbook I had said I was going to cook my way through were vegan, but had minimal use of plants. Now I realize that nuts and grains and beans can be classified as plants. However, for us, we were thinking more about fruits and vegetables. So this week, we made the decision to focus on meals that were 50% fruits and vegetables and the balance could be grains and other proteins. While I may still prepare a dish or two from that cookbook, we have decided we need to make and eat things that are more plant, as we defined it, centered.

If at First

August 23, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

https://createmindfully.com/vegan-garden-vegetable-cream-cheese/

This morning was my first attempt to make vegan cream cheese. Zoe has been pretty happy with my getting Tofutti from the grocery store. The last three trips, however, they have been out of Tofutti. So we have tried another brand, but it did not meet Zoe’s desire for bagels and cream cheese for breakfast, her favorite. Last night, they were out of Tofutti again, so I decided I would try to make vegan cream cheese, something I had read was pretty easy to do. Yes and no.

Last night, I did as everyone suggested, well almost everyone, and I soaked my cashews over night. This morning they were uber soft and I could tell it would be fairly easy to blend them in my blender. So I began. I followed the direction that had the highest rating which had me add 1 tsp organic apple cider, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and a pinch of salt. I was supposed to add 1 tsp of water at a time to help it blend, but I thought I would add cashew milk instead as needed.

So the first tasting with Zoe and she thought it was not creamy enough. So I had it blend several more minutes. It was creamy enough for her, but I could tell by her face it was not cream cheesy enough to please her palette. Other then it not being Tofutti, it did not taste fatty enough. So back to the cookbooks.

Our Vegan Journey

July 25, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

Over the last 17 years, we have been through numerous dietary shifts in our life, including several years of vegetarian eating until Zoe went through chemo and then all she craved was meat. So back we came to the land of the meat eaters. We have been talking about returning to a vegetarian diet for a while, but after watching a documentary Forks Over Knives, we decided it was healthiest for us and our desire to lose weight and eventually be able to come off all our medication to go vegan.

It's been a slow journey, but like with anything we do, when we decide to do it, we just do it. So the past few days we have eaten as much of what we had that needed to be gotten rid of.

This morning, we started this next phase of our journey. It is not just about changing what we buy, how we prepare it, what we eat, but an inward journey to learn more about ourselves, think about what these new choices are doing for us and how much our life is going to change

Blueberry Blessings

July 11, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/sharonjacobson/recipe/Breakfast%7CBrunch/Lemon-Blueberry+Muffins/14196

I woke up this morning to realize that yesterday was National Pick a Blueberry Day and so not surprisingly, today is National Blueberry Muffin day. While I like blueberries, they take fourth place in my list of berry favorites (raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and then blueberry. Yet my favorite way to eat them has always been in muffins.

What I have found fascinating about blueberries is the various spiritual and medicinal uses and meanings. For example, blueberries contain anthocyanin, which is good for eyesight and they contain significant quantities of both antibacterial and antiviral compounds and have a reputation in northern Europe of fighting infections. They may also help protect against heart disease. Native Americans believed that the five-pointed start on the top of the berry was a sign that they were sent by the Great Spirit to feed children and never allow them to go hungry.

Making the perfect muffin is fairly simple, it just calls for one to be patient and nor rush the process. For example, it is best to combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ones in another. Before combining them, most baker sources I went to suggested you make a well in the dry ingredients, similar to what you do when making fresh pasta, and slowly add the wet ingredients

National Iced Tea Month

June 27, 2018 Sharon Jacobson

This time of year, well anytime of year, I enjoy sipping on a cup of tea. On those cold days, I love sipping on a hot cup of tea and feeling the heat from the cup warm me up inside and out. During the summer, however, I look forward to a tall cup of iced tea. Maybe that is why June was chosen as National Iced Tea Month.

A friend of mine once told me that iced tea was created by accident at the 1904 St Louis World’s Fair. It seems a vendor was trying to sell hot tea on a hot day. People wanted something cool, not hot, so he iced it down and it became a hit. Other food scholars suggest that people were writing about iced tea in cookbooks dating back to 1842. Regardless of how it came to be, it is now something people around the world enjoy drinking on hot summer days.

Unwrapping Chocolate

November 29, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

Recently, I stumbled upon this video which helped me to understand that chocolate, a food that most people enjoy and savor, has a deeper meaning and importance then I realized. A few weeks ago, I began to reflect on the debates and discussion about what is chocolate. This week I came to realize that Mexican chocolate is nothing like what we are used to eating in this culture and has a rich history and brings flavors of chocolate to the table, which other chocolates do not. This short video will give you some understanding of the history behind cacao in Mexico.

National Peanut Butter Month

November 1, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

We all know that the end of this month is Thanksgiving, but how many of you know that this month is National Peanut Butter Month. So this week I am paying homage to Peanut Butter. I love peanut butter for a few reasons. One being that it has taught me some amazing life lessons.

A friend of mine tells the story of how much he hates peanut butter, but would make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for his daughters who loved them. One day he realized that he was imposing his disdain for peanut butter on his daughter without even realizing it. He realized it when his daughter complained that he put too much jelly, which he loved, and not enough peanut butter on her sandwich. He was so focused on what he loved that he was not thinking about what she enjoyed and what spoke to her. To this day he still hates peanut butter, but puts more peanut butter on his daughter’s sandwiches and less jelly, which she enjoys, but not as much as the peanut butter. His story reminds me of how easy it is to put our needs and desires over others.

National Taco Day

October 4, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

I have yet to meet someone who does not like tacos. Some people prefer corn vs flour tortillas. Others prefer crunchy over soft shells. Some prefer beef, others steak, chicken, fish, shrimp, or some other protein. It is not about whether or not people like tacos, but how they construct them

When we think about tacos, we think about something to eat. My guess is nobody thinks about it the way it was first used in the 18th century when it was the paper which was wrapped around gunpowder for small explosives.[1] It wasn’t about an explosion of tastes in one’s mouth, but about helping to create explosions in the mines.

As I have been thinking about tacos, I have come to realize that tacos are a great way of thinking about people’s spiritual journeys. We are all on one, even if one sees themselves as their Higher Power. We are all on a journey, it is just about how we construct one. Some need the harder structure that comes with some religious traditions while others like the flexibility that comes with other spiritual beliefs.

Rock Crok Recipes

June 28, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

I love the Pampered Chef Rockcrok's. If you are not familiar with them, then you are missing out on something amazing. You can use them to cook on the grill, stovetop, microwave, oven and broiler. you can also put them in the freezer, store them in the refrigerator and put them in the dishwasher. Now that we also have a slow cooker stand, you can also put start a dish off on the stove, to brown meat, and then put in the stand to slow cook all day. Then take it out of the stand and put on table to serve.

I think one of the reasons I love my Rockcrok is that it is like faith. Our faith gets us through all kinds of challenges in our life and enables us to see the light and the blessings even when we are feeling the heat that is making life challenging at the moment. Our faith, like the ceramic the Rockcroks's are made of, allows us to withstand and stay strong no matter what the heat source or the degrees of heat. Our faith gets us through.

Our faith is not anything fancy, it just is. The Rockcrok's are not much to look at, just plain black ceramic, but what you can create on them and in them is amazing. What our faith brings us through is also amazing.

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