Celebrations

Reverend Ted Grady

What a busy week, with so much to be grateful for!

-       My oldest daughter performed a Hamlet monologue as part of her English class requirement.  She chose the passage that ends “The play’s the thing/wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King.”  That passage is 59 lines long.  Where does she get that memory from?  I can’t even remember a five-item grocery list.

-       Andrew and I celebrated our twenty-first wedding anniversary on Friday.  Our wedding day was about 33 degrees Celsius (over 90 Fahrenheit) and very muggy.  Twenty-one years later, it was 15 degrees (59 Fahrenheit) and my hometown got about 2” of rain.  Luckily, we celebrated our love, not the weather, with a beautiful dinner out.

-       We attended two weddings of our dear friends.  We don’t go to many weddings at this stage in our lives – most of our friends are already married, and our friends’ children aren’t there yet.  What’s the chance we’d be invited to two in the same day?  We loved sharing our best wishes with the brides and grooms, and dancing at the end of the evening.  (And the mother of one of the brides asked that I bring my chocolate raspberry cake to the dessert table!)

-       And this morning, we heard the first sermon given by the Reverend Ted Grady.  Ted grew up in our church, and we’ve known him and his wonderful family ever since we started attending.  Ted’s parents, Jack and Isla, are absolute blessings to our church, and it was an honour to celebrate their joy by their sides.

Factor in last weekend’s visit to my oldest daughter’s future university campus, and preparations for my youngest daughter’s church musical performance next weekend, and it feels very much like we’re in a time of transitions. 

When life is super-busy, sometimes it’s hard to find time to eat, let alone to prepare a meal. This recipe is quick to prepare and tastes delicious, and you can feel virtuous about all the vegetables in it.  And whether you’re celebrating weddings, anniversaries or new beginnings of any kind, that’s definitely something to take pride in. 

Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

(adapted from Ellie Krieger, Food Network)

3 large red peppers

3 onions

3 medium zucchini

3 Tbsp oil, divided

3/4 tsp salt, divided

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp lemon zest

1 Tbsp lemon juice

4 chicken breast halves, skinless and bone-in

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary leaves and 1 tsp dried rosemary

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the peppers and onions into large chunks.  Slice the zucchini in half crosswise, then cut each piece in half lengthwise once again.  Cut each strip into three chunks. 

Put the vegetables in a large baking pan, and toss them with 2 Tbsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt.  Arrange the chicken pieces in the pan with the vegetables.

In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp of salt, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Rub the mixture into the chicken in the pan.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then stir the vegetables and add the rosemary.  Cook for about another 20 – 30 minutes more until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender.