Hannah Ate and Her Face Was No Longer Sad

But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit.

I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink,

but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.

Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along

I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation."

Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel 

grant your petition that you have made to him."

And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes."

Then the woman went her way and ate, 

and her face was no longer sad."

I Samuel 1:15-18

Has it been the snow--which I have always professed to love,

and Otis obviously does?

Has it been being iced in, the paths too dangerous in this shady valley 

for me to risk walking on?

Cooped up, little sunshine, so suffering perhaps from SADD?

Insomnia? (Writing this post at 1:30 a.m.)

Fatigue, from doing what, I don't know?

Vexed in spirit, as Hannah was?

For whatever reason, and ashamed to admit it,

I've found myself lately having lost my savor of….

life

housework

blogging.

It seems that all I've wanted to do is read my old cookbooks

and eat.

Odd things.

But I smiled when I read my devotion onThursday morning.

There was Hannah, vexed in spirit, 

feeling anxious and….well, worthless,

and I felt a kinship with her.

Eli prayed for Hannah that God would grant her petition

and Hannah went her way and ate,

her face no longer sad.

I was encouraged, and I made the old recipe for Cucumber Cream Salad,

that Frances Parkinson Keyes used to make when her husband

was Senator from New Hampshire,

and take to the Senate Ladies' Luncheon.

Is there still a Senate Ladies' luncheon, perhaps a Senate Spouses' luncheon?

Frances Parkinson Keyes' Cucumber Cream Salad

Soften 1 envelope of gelatin in 2 tablespoons cold water.

add 1/4 cup hot milk and stir until gelatin is dissolved.

Add one cucumber, cut into small cubes,

two stalks celery, cut into small pieces,

3 scallions sliced fine,

1/2 cup olives sliced thin.

Stir in 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar,

juice of one lemon,

and seasonings (salt, lemon pepper, whatever you like).

Then fold in 1 pint of heavy whipping cream, whipped.

Turn into a mold or dish and refrigerate for 12 hours or more.

Serve with French Dressing.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt,

1/4 teaspoon sugar and pinch of cayenne pepper.

Add juice of one lemon and 1/4 cup tarragon vinegar. 

Beat in olive oil to taste (1 cup suggested).

Fix a pretty luncheon plate of Spode Morning Glory of the salad, apple slices, pecans sautéed in 

butter and salted, and pour the dressing from a pretty little demitasse.

Have for lunch while watching Judging Amy.

Give at least half of salad away to son and warn him that it is not a sweet dessert

even though it looks like one.

Soon Spring may come, the ice will melt off the paths.

I will get out of the house and go buy groceries, have a haircut, drop by Goodwill.

Perhaps I'll even go to a Ladies' Luncheon once more,

with my daughter, and I'll smile.

No Excuses Needed for Cake

I was comforted when I read Simeon Zahl's entry in my daily devotion book where he wrote about the account of Elijah from First Kings, Chapter 19.

Zahl said that Elijah was "doing his very best to have a Thelma & Louise moment." Elijah was so low that he asked God to end his life. 

God didn't do that and instead of bawling him out, God had compassion on him and said, "The journey is too great for you."

God doesn't tell Elijah to put on his big boy pants and get back to the great job appointed him, and he doesn't guilt trip him, either. 

Instead, Zahl says, "God just gives him cake. And lets him sleep. And then gives him cake again."

I could put the rest in my own words but why try when Zahl says it so very well:

It is humiliating to hear that sometimes, when we think we are wrestling with angels, we are mainly just tired and hungry...The worst attack of anxiety we can experience is, in the end, mainly the product of a couple of temporary chemical reactions in the chest and stomach.

Simeon Zahl in the

Mockingbird Devotional

So take heart, dear friends, if we're having a really rough day, maybe what we most need is a piece of homemade cake and a good night's sleep.

But then we should never have to look for an excuse to bake a cake, should we? And here's a scrumptious recipe from the Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama for Sorghum Spice Cake.

It's our new favorite cake for winter and please take their advice and serve it with Rum Raisin ice cream for an amazing combination.

You may not need an excuse for cake but I admit to always looking for a Biblical excuse to eat something wonderful, even posting about it here in Hannah Ate and Her Face Was No Longer Sad. 

So don't underestimate the power of a good meal followed by a good dessert if things are looking down. And be sure to follow it up with a good winter night's sleep!

Don't even think about trying this--

I promise you, cake is a much better choice!