Cabbage Creole (and a lesson, too)

One weekend, my mom brought over a dish.  It was the most delicious cabbage recipe I had ever tasted.  I am not a fan a cabbage.  Of the healthy-eating foods I will eat, it is very low on the list.  I kind of like the taste, but the smell...oh the smell...when it is cooking is nearly unbearable.  That is...Until I tasted this recipe.  Then I was certain I could endure the smell if this wonderfully simple and delicious flavor was at the finish line.

CABBAGE CREOLE

1 lb. of LEAN ground meat, seasoned, browned and drained (beef, venison, turkey)
(I use Tony's to season meat, but the flavor here is up to you)
1 chopped onion, sauteed
1 chopped green bell pepper, sauteed
1 LARGE head of cabbage, roughly chopped to about 1 inch squares
1 can of Rotel
1 can of Cheddar Cheese soup -OR- 1 8 oz block of Velvetta, cubed

In a large dutch oven, brown meat and drain, set aside.  Saute onion and bell pepper in a little of the meat drippings until just under-done.  Add cabbage and Rotel, cover and cook until just done, stirring occasionally.  Add meat and cheese, stir and let simmer for an hour or two.  Or put a lid on it and put it  in the oven at 250 degrees for the same amount of time.  I prefer the oven method, mainly because all my gas burners are too hot and simmering for too long usually burn on the bottom.

That's it!  A fairly healthy meal of simple deliciousness.  And only one pot and one colondar is dirtied!  It is a meal I can throw together on Sunday morning, and it is ready when church is over.  Speaking of which....

One Sunday morning, Easter Sunday as a matter of fact, I did just that.  Only, I had forgotten to turn the oven on when it was time to leave and put the pot in the oven.  So, in my infinite culinary wisdom (haha), I turned the oven on to 500 degrees to get it heated up more quickly, then I was going to turn the heat down and head out the door.  Only thing is...I forgot to turn the heat down. At first, walking up to the back door, it almost smelled good, then we walked into the kitchen.  OH NO!  It was not good.  Not good at all!!!

As I have mentioned previously, the smell of cooking cabbage usually prevents my preparing it in my house, however, the smell of burned to a crisp cabbage is enough to turn a person off to cabbage-eating for a lifetime!  Now keep in mind...it was in a cast iron dutch oven with the LID ON, and it still burned a layer of solid blackness an inch deep on the top and two inches deep on the bottom.  Only the thinnest layer of color was visible in the middle.  I was tempted to throw out the dutch oven and all, but with some hard work of three days of elbow grease, I am pleased to report I was able to recover the use of my dutch oven once again (I know, you were concerned, haha).

THINKING METAPHORICALLY:
Because I was so busy by the numerous things I was doing to get us out the door on Easter Sunday, I  missed some very important steps in the process of the task that I had been given, to make the Cabbage Creole.  More importantly, I and my family missed out on the blessings of deliciousness in my inattention and lack of focus on the other things.

I do this in my spiritual life at well.  I take my eyes off the important things and put my  attention and focus on other things.  This causes missed blessings.  And may even cause those closest to me to miss out on His blessings in a ripple effect.  It may not be as obvious to me at the time, like the stinch of burning cabbage, in fact we may never know we missed a blessing at all.  However, to teach and discipline us, sometimes God gives us the opportunity to see the missed blessing and we learn just how much He truly desires us to stay close to Him, focused on His ways, not for the what He can do for us, but simply the joy of having Him near.