Happy Friday everyone, and Happy late Easter! I hope everyone was able to spend some time with family (finally), eat some good food, and get outside. I sort of forgot what it felt like to spend holidays with extended family, and let me just say it felt good.
Easter is one of those holidays I think I overlooked a lot growing up. I wasn't raised very religious so Easter was more of a time for little trips down to Arizona, visits from the Easter Bunny, and cheesy scalloped potatoes. But as I grew up and faith began to take a more central role in my life, obviously my perception of Easter began to change. Up until this year, however, I think a part of me still missed the point.
We all know the story, and no matter where on the spectrum you fall on believing it, I hope you can glean some peace from it today. If you grew up in Sunday school, or really even if you didn't, you would have heard that Jesus died for our sins (aka The Crucifiction). This sacrificial act serving to fulfill His purpose and to render all sin forever and ever as powerless. For a long time that was enough explanation for me, Jesus dies, my sin is gone, all good. Until this year when a part of me wondered, "how?".
See the freedom in Jesus, and the freedom from sin doesn't come from the physical death alone, but from the moment God laid his wrath solely on the shoulders of Jesus who took the weight of all past, present, and future sin, and then, for a moment, was abandoned by God. It is the moment that scripture writes Jesus as saying "God, why have you forsaken me".
This is the gift of the crucifiction, not only a way for salvation, but the truth that from that moment on, we would never have to know THAT feeling. It is the celebration of reconciliation between God and his people, so perfectly done that we get to stand in His presence and never worry about that going away. It is a celebration of the most perfect love, and the beauty of relationship. This is the gift of Easter. I've been resting in that truth this past week, and it's changed a lot.
And on that note, Jesus wasn't the only thing that rose on Sunday, I made a cake! (ba dum tss). Anyways, I was charged with making the dessert for Easter dinner, and was put under extreme panic when my mom asked me what I was making amidst having a migraine. So, I told her lemon cake because it was truly the only thing I could think of in that moment. Luckily, even migraine Kate knows what's good because lemon cake on Easter is like fire on wood, it just works.
I chose a Lemony-Turmeric cake recipe (I've got a thing for lemons, can you tell?) from my Queen, Alison Roman of course (recipe available on NYT cooking). It was delicious and fluffy and definitely only had turmeric in it for color purposes. But, I'm not complaining because it did look more festive that way. I served it with homemade whipped cream (Listen, let me help you out here. Homemade whipped cream is superior in every way to store bought and takes no time to make. Half a cup of heavy whipping cream, something like 5 tablespoons of powdered sugar, and a dash of vanilla in a standing mixer, whip her up, eat the whole bowl), and fresh raspberries.
It was bright and lemony, and a pretty great way to usher in Spring. Happy cooking everyone!
Comentários