Be Careful What You Cook (You May Have to Eat It)
Be Careful What You Cook (You May Have to Eat It)
All things kitchen-related—I think this has to be my favorite place in the whole house. But let’s be honest: it took me many years to get here!
When my children were growing up, I simply didn’t know how to cook. Back then, nearly everything came out of a box or the freezer (thank goodness for TV dinners!). I couldn’t seem to cook Thanksgiving rolls without burning every last one of them, and I even managed to set a sweet potato casserole on fire. My kids ate Hamburger Helper so much, years later, when I moved in with my husband at the time and we sat down to eat supper which was Hamburger Helper, my daughter Brandy looked at him and asked, “What did you do?” She just knew he must have been in the doghouse to deserve that kind of meal.
But slowly, I began to learn, and I fell absolutely in love with cooking and trying new recipes. I was thrilled to pieces when I finally got my first standup mixer. My husband, Paul, was my original guinea pig, and since he is still alive and well, I take that as a sign that I can keep right on experimenting on my children and grandchildren!
Here’s the honest truth I’ve learned along the way:
In the kitchen, if you get heavy-handed with the cayenne pepper or forget to salt the pot, nobody has to tell you—you find out the moment you sit down with a spoon.
You have to eat what you cooked.
Life works the exact same way. Every choice we make, every word we speak, is an ingredient we toss into the pot. Some seasons simmer into something rich, comforting, and sweet. Other times, we end up having to swallow a tough, bitter dish of our own making. I’ve had my share of burned “dishes” in life, just like I did on those early Thanksgiving days, and I’ve had to live with the consequences of those choices.
But just like a burnt casserole doesn’t mean you banish yourself from the kitchen forever, our mistakes in life don’t get the final word.
This page is about both kinds of cooking. Here, you’ll find real, from-scratch recipes from my kitchen, paired with true, real-life stories about the choices we make, the consequences we live with, and—most importantly—the grace that meets us at the table anyway.
Welcome to my kitchen. Pull up a chair, and let’s see what we’re cooking up today.
****************************************************************************
Low and Slow: Corn Casserole & The Choices Left to Simmer
Let me tell you something: a slow cooker is such a nice thing to have. You can fix a pot of something in the morning, put the lid on it, and leave it to cook all day. When you finally walk back through the door after a long day of work or running errands, there isn’t all the fuss of having to rush around cooking this or that. It’s already done. You can just sit down and eat.
Remember earlier when I told you I once set a Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole on fire? Back in those days, my problem in the kitchen—and if I’m being honest, my problem in life—was that I didn’t understand the value of low and slow. I either wanted things done right that second out of a box, or I had the heat turned up way too high and wasn’t paying attention until smoke was rolling out of the oven.
The Recipe: Easy Slow Cooker (or Oven) Corn Casserole
Whether you need a hands-off dish to simmer while you’re busy, or you want to bake it up golden brown in the oven for Sunday dinner (just keep an eye on it so you don’t pull one of my old Thanksgiving stunts!), this corn casserole is rich, comforting, and couldn’t be simpler.
Ingredients:
1 can (14.75 oz.) creamed corn
1 can (15.25 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 box (8.5 oz.) Jiffy corn muffin mix
8 oz. sour cream
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Slow Cooker Directions:
Drain the whole kernel corn and lightly grease your slow cooker pot.
In a large bowl (get a big one, because you will need room to stir!), combine all the ingredients except the shredded cheddar cheese.
Pour your mixture into the slow cooker and cover. Cook on High for 2 to 3 hours or on Low for 4 hours.
During the last 20 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top and cover again until melted.
Oven Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together except the cheese.
Pour into the greased dish and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top and bake for another 12 minutes (or until melted and golden brown).
Let it rest for 5 minutes before scooping. Serve warm and enjoy!
****************************************************************************
The Bread of Life (Scripture Reflection)
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” — Galatians 6:7
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9
We often quote verse 7 as a warning (“be careful what you cook!”), and it certainly is. Every ingredient matters. But look right down at verse 9. Paul reminds us that good things take time to cook, too. You can’t microwave a life of faith, and you can’t rush a harvest. Sometimes you have to mix the ingredients, trust the slow process, and not grow weary while you wait for “due season.”
Something to chew on today: What have you left simmering on the back burner of your heart lately? When you come home at the end of this season, is it going to be a dish you’re glad to sit down and eat?
