All to the Glory of God - The Prepared Table: Day 9
Song of Praise: Doxology
Scriptures: Genesis 1:27 & 1 Corinthians 10:30-33
Devotion:
All of mankind has been created in the Image of God, to glorify God. Our very existence is valuable because of Who we are created to reflect. We are not valuable because we are god, but simply because God created us to mirror Him. Men and women are created differently because we image, or mirror, God differently. God gets glory when we act and function in the way He creates us to act and function. When we act any other way, we become glory stealers; robbing God of the glory that He deserves.
This is true for feasting and celebrations as well; when observed correctly, they give glory to God. Every feast and every meal ought to point us to the Lord of the feast. Food and fellowship are wonderful blessings, but they aren't the most wonderful blessing; the greatest blessing would be fellowship and feasting with God.
Creation, when rightly ordered can be so joyous. God gave His people fellowship and food for celebration. It is His good design. However, our hearts must never cease to be thankful, or forget who the Great Blessor is. When we celebrate with thankful hearts, remembering the Creator, we do what we were created to do, we glorify God.
Nothing can bring a higher level of purpose or satisfaction than functioning in the manner you were created to. This is a wonderful gift given to us by Jesus. He restored the broken fellowship between God and mankind. He gave us Living Water and the Bread of Life. Never again are we forced to be satisfied with lesser feasts, as if we could be. He has offered us bounty and decadence. May we glorify God in celebration of our earthly feasts, and be thankful for our seat at the eternal feast.
Table Talk Questions:
What were we created for?
How do we rob God of glory?
What is greater than an earthly feast?
Benediction:
May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
Today's Meal
Swedish Meatballs, Rice, Roasted Cauliflower, & Ho Ho Cake
Recipes:
Swedish Meatballs
Prep and Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
Serves: 6
1 pound ground Beef
1 pound ground Pork
¼ Cup bread Crumbs
1 Tablespoon dried Parsley
¼ cup Onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon Garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon Pepper
½ teaspoon Salt
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
5 tablespoon Butter
3 Tablespoon Flour
2 cups Beef Broth
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon dried Mustard powder or Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a medium bowl combine ground beef, bread crumbs , parsley, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and egg.
Mix until combined
Roll into 12 large meatballs or 20 small meatballs.
In a large skillet heat olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter.
Add meatballs and cook turning continuously until brown on each side and cooked throughout.
Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to skillet.
Whisk until it turns brown.
Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream.
Add worcestershire sauce and mustard.
Bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Add meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes.
Roasted Cauliflower
Prep and Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves 6-8
1-2 Cauliflower Crowns chopped
olive oil
2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper
Cayenne Pepper (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450 F.
On a sheet pan, toss Cauliflower with a drizzle of olive oil. Enough to barely coat the Cauliflower.
Spread the cauliflower evenly on the surface of the pan. Sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.
Bake in the oven for about 13 minutes and then turn the cauliflower. Bake another 12-15 minutes or until the cauliflower is starting to brown and get crispy.
Serve Hot.
Ho Ho Cake
Prep and Cook Time:1 ½ hours
Serves: 10-12
Cake:
1 ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
½ cup Vegetable Oil
2 large Eggs
2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 cup freshly brewed hot Coffee
2 cup granulated Sugar
¾ cup good Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 cup Buttermilk
Filling:
5 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
1 cup (2 sticks) Butter
1 cup granulated Sugar
1 cup whole Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Ganache:
16 ounces (2 cups) Heavy Cream, room temperature
16 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped fine (can use milk chocolate)
Instructions:
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into bowl and mix until combined.
In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla
In the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed, slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
With mixer still on low add coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Pour batter into two 8 inch x 3 inch round prepared pans.
Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 F until cake tester or toothpick comes out mostly clean (not wet).
Cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
Turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Ho Ho Filling:
Pour cold milk into a small saucepan.
Before turning on the heat, whisk in flour until no lumps remain. This is important!
Turn heat on medium-low and heat until mixture is thick, like a roux, stirring the whole time.
Remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla.
Let cool completely.
In a Mixing bowl,cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 8 minutes).
Add in the cooled milk mixture and beat again until mixture resembles whipped cream.
When it is done it will be shiny and smooth.
Ganache:
Heat the heavy cream in a quart-sized microwavable container for 3-4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer.
Be careful not to allow the cream to boil over.
Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let stand for at least 2 minutes so that it can thicken.(Ganache should be mostly cool when pouring over cake.)
When ready to pour over chilled cake, whisk the ganache until smooth and then pour.
You may have some ganache left.
Store in sealed container in the fridge.