By Bill Pemberton

When I was a kid I used to love to sit by my mom and my grandma and watch them cook. I wasn’t thrilled with everything that they made, but I’d try it if offered. As I grew and began making some of the same things I was finding that they never tasted quite as good. I had assumed that it was something I had or hadn’t done right. Little did I know the recipes were never complete.

In a tradition, started long before even my mom was born, my family had been writing down and sharing recipes, sort of. They would always leave an ingredient and/or step out of the written instructions so no one else could perfect all of the family’s recipes. This was the reason that I couldn’t make things that tasted as good, or looked the same.

Once I got married I found, shockingly, that this was not a tradition reserved for my family alone. My wife had a few favorite dishes from her childhood that I politely asked her mom if she could share them so I could make them for Amy. Most of the time the subject was changed almost immediately. Slowly I have gotten some of these recipes, but they aren’t quite the same. Curious, no?

To this end I now share any and every recipe that anyone asks for. Many of our friends have been taken aback by my willingness to share. I feel that, like most things in life, if it is good you should share it. I find that sharing foods and recipes in this way make my heart feel good. Knowing that people are using things that I provided to nourish, comfort, or help them in their day just speaks to me.

Knowing that people are using things that I provided to nourish, comfort, or help them in their day just speaks to me.

I am also reminded of how our Savior completes us, gives us comfort, help and spiritual nourishment. The verses of Ps. 1:1 say it best…

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

So, to this end we are going to start collecting recipes during Gardens for Growth. We will share these on Facebook as well as in the blog. As we share God’s bounty from our gardens, so to shall we share from our heart. You can click on the link One up Recipe card to get a pre-formatted recipe card if you’d like to use it, as we will be publishing the recipes online. You can also follow StLukeAA on Pinterest for additional ideas.

We are blessed to have members here at St. Luke donate their abundance of fruits and vegetables to our Gardens for Growth program. If you have a garden overflowing and would like to donate any, please bring them on Sunday mornings on August 9, 16, 24 and 31.  You will be able to leave a donation for these items Sunday mornings, the donations will help pay down the mortgage.