Comfort Foods

Turkey roasting in the oven, fresh scents of chopped celery and onion. The sweetness of bright candles and homemade desserts.  Comfort foods take us back.  No matter how often we taste, we always remember. 

I celebrated Thanksgiving at my grandparents' home until I married.  It was always a happy time; the table filled with plenty.  In those days, the turkey had to be basted every so often and my grandmother seemed to stand at the oven all day.  The windows around the table were dripping with condensation from the heat of the kitchen.  Outdoors, the chilly landscape was an array of browns, golds and garnet.

Of course, the best comfort food of the day was the pumpkin pie.  Even though my grandmother always made a mince meat pie, there was nothing finer than good ol' pumpkin!  And real whipped cream piled high. 

I remember saying the blessing one year when I was about 10.  I had written a poem about the day. How blessed we were to enjoy the combination of family and comfort food: truly gifts from God.  As I think back on those special moments, I realize how God has comforted me throughout my life and I thank Him.

Today, take time to count your blessings. Deuteronomy 7:13 "He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil..."

Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us. Psalms 67:6.